atths--twice - Tumblr blog

[atths--twice]

This was far too good of an idea to pass up. Hope you enjoy. ❤️

Seeing Ghosts

Scully sat on the end of her bed, staring at the wall on which Mulder was on the other side of. She sighed as she shook her head, the concern she felt for him causing her heart to ache.

They had left the home of Arbutus Ray in near silence, only the sound of Harold Pillers’s soft cries filled the car. Scully had glanced repeatedly at Mulder, but he had stared resolutely out his window, not seeming to be aware of anyone around him.

They had arrived back at the hotel, Harold leaving without a word. Scully had been about to suggest some food, or maybe a coffee, when Mulder finally spoke.

“I’m tired,” he had said softly and she made to reach for him, to offer him some comfort, when he opened the door. “I think I need to sleep.”

“I could sit with you for a bit-”

“No,” he had interrupted, shaking his head, his eyes downcast. “I just…”

“What did you see out there, Mulder?” she had asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

“The truth,” he had said in the same tone.

“What does that mean?”

“It means that I’ve been chasing a ghost for the majority of my life. That I’ve… that she was never…” He had sighed and then drawn in a ragged breath. “I’m tired.”

He had pushed the door open and taken off his seatbelt, leaving the car before she could say another word. He had entered his hotel room before she had even gotten out and she had known he would not welcome her company.

Now she sat, wanting desperately to help him, but knowing this was a pain he must face on his own.

At least for the time being.

With a great sigh, she stood up and paced from the door to the bathroom and back again a few times before stopping and closing her eyes, exhaustion suddenly settling in.

She changed into her pajamas and used the bathroom, her thoughts still on Mulder. Turning out the light, she left the room, closing the door behind her.

When she turned off the overhead bedroom light and began to walk to the bed, she stopped with a gasp, chills covering her from head to toe.

A young woman stood in front of her, opaque and still. She stared at Scully, her head tilting slightly to one side.

“Oh,” Scully whispered. “I…” She shook her head as she took in a deep breath, her heart racing. “Samantha?”

The young woman smiled and nodded her head once.

“Your brother, he…” Scully glanced quickly to her right, wishing Mulder could materialize into the room. Looking back at Samantha, she stepped forward and then stopped.

“I’m so sorry,” Scully whispered, tears filling her eyes. “I’m sorry for the pain you suffered. I’m sorry you were taken from your family. That you…” Her tears spilled over as she drew in a breath. “Your brother loved… loves… you so much. I’m sorry you were taken from him. From knowing him. I’m so sorry for the tests and pain you went through.” She wiped her tears away almost angrily, finding them a hindrance in the moment.

Samantha stared at her, her mouth opening and then closing, before she shook her head. She looked towards Mulder’s room and then back at Scully as she placed both of her hands over her heart, the left on top of the right.

She stepped closer to Scully and Scully held her breath. Samantha reached out a hand and placed it above Scully’s heart, though she did not touch her.

But there was no need for actual contact as Scully could feel her touch without it. It was warm and comforting, something she had not been expecting or anticipating.

They stared at one another, Samantha smiling gently. She nodded, moved her hand, and then she was gone.

Scully let out the breath she had been holding, shivering at the loss of warmth, her hand covering her heart. She could feel it racing, but beyond it she felt something else. Something…

A knock sounded softly at her door and she jumped. Swallowing, her throat dry, she wiped at her tears again and walked to the door. Looking through the peephole, she saw Mulder standing there, his head down.

She quickly unlocked the door and opened it, wanting to tell him about Samantha, but then hesitating with uncertainty as to how he would take it.

“Does the offer of company still stand?” he asked, his voice raspy and eyes red rimmed when he raised his head and looked at her.

“Of course,” she said, stepping aside to let him into her room.

He walked in and she shut the door, locking it as he stopped and stood where Samantha had just been.

“I thought I wanted to be alone, but then I realized that I am. That I always will be. Everyone in my family is gone.” He shook his head and looked at her. “I don’t want to be alone.”

“You’re not,” she said, stepping close and taking his hand.

“Yeah,” he agreed, squeezing her hand and then letting it go. “But it’s different now. It feels different. There’s a finality. But also…”

“I saw her,” Scully blurted out, unable to hold the words in.

“What? Who?” he asked with a frown.

“Samantha,” she breathed, staring at him. “I don’t know how to explain it, but I saw her.”

“Where?”

“Right there.” She pointed at him. “Right where you are standing.”

“When?” he asked, looking around the room.

“Just before you knocked on the door.”

“Just…” He looked toward the room and let out a harsh breath. “I… I was debating coming over here. I… she…” He stopped and closed his eyes, shaking his head. “She wasn’t here for me. She already told me goodbye. Gave me my closure.” He opened his eyes and stared at her. “She was here for you.”

“But why?”

“I don’t know,” he said, letting out a long breath, his shoulders drooping. “What happened?”

“I came out of the bathroom and she was there. Just… right there.” She gestured to where he was standing, shaking her head.

“How did she appear?”

“Like… like…”

“Ethereal?”

“Yes,” she admitted, her hand moving to her heart. “She… she couldn’t speak to me, but she was here. She… she…” Rubbing small, slow circles above her heart, believing she could still feel the warmth there, she shook her head. “You saw her too?”

“Yeah,” he said with a nod.

“That’s what you saw in the woods,” she said and he nodded again.

“She found me. Came to me.”

“To say goodbye,” she whispered.

“Yeah,” he breathed.

“To give you that peace,” she whispered, tears filling her eyes, still rubbing her chest.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his brow furrowing as he watched her fingers moving.

“She…” she whispered. “She did something to me.”

“Scully…”

“I know how it sounds. Especially from me. But… I know what I saw. What I felt.”

“What did you feel?”

“I don’t know if I can describe it,” she said, shaking her head.

“Try,” he said softly.

“She was here. I… I told her I was sorry for what happened to her. For… you and her losing each other.” He sighed and closed his eyes for a second before looking at her again. “She put her hand out, over my heart, and I…”

“What?” he asked, as he watched her fingers slowing.

“I felt… warmth. Comfort. And I… I know that it’s not possible.” She stopped rubbing her chest and held both of her hands to her heart, just as Samantha had done to herself. “I know it is, but I also know what I saw and how I felt.” He raised his eyes to hers and she sniffled, shaking her head.

“Can you still feel it?” he asked in a whisper.

“Kind of.”

“Can I… can I…?” he asked, taking a step toward her, his hand outstretched.

“Yes,” she said, also taking a step and reaching for his hand. Stepping even closer, she placed his hand over her heart and held it there, her eyes watching him. “Can you feel it?”

“I can feel your heart beating,” he said, his thumb rubbing softly.

“Close your eyes,” she whispered, and he looked at her before closing his eyes with an exhale. She closed hers too, slipping two fingers between his thumb and index finger, his thumb holding onto them.

They stood in silence for a few seconds, each of them taking deep breaths.

“Do you feel anything?” she asked and he sighed heavily.

“No. I don’t feel anything that you say you felt.”

“I’m sorry. I don’t feel it much anymore either. But I… I know it was there.”

He sighed again, releasing his hold on her hand and removing his hand from her chest as they opened their eyes.

“I’m so tired,” he said, shaking his head.

“You need to sleep,” she said softly, placing her hand on his cheek.

“Yeah,” he agreed, with an almost bitter chuckle, as he leaned into her touch. Sighing, he pulled away. “I’ll… I’ll see you in the morning.”

“You don’t…” she said. “Don’t need to leave. Stay.”

“Scully,” he said, shaking his head.

“Stay, Mulder,” she said. He stared at her, the weariness of the last few days weighing heavily upon him. He nodded once and she smiled softly, taking his hand and leading him to the bed.

He took off his shoes as she pulled back the covers, waiting for him to lie down. When he had, she covered him, brushing his hair back as he closed his eyes.

She walked to the other side of the bed and lay down beside him, adjusting the covers as she turned onto her right side and closed her eyes.

“Good night, Mulder,” she said quietly and he hummed in reply.

The bed creaked as he shifted, his arm going around her. Tears pricked her eyes as she pulled his hand closer, her lips pressing to his fingers.

“Good night, Scully,” he whispered and she nodded, squeezing his hand gently.

Within minutes, they were both asleep, wrapped in the comfort the other provided.

Neither saw Samantha return, smiling at the sight of them as she moved closer to the bed. Bending slightly, her mouth close to Muder’s ear, she closed her eyes as she spoke words that could not be heard.

Standing up, she watched and waited.

And then, he smiled in his sleep and she knew he had heard her. She nodded and slowly disappeared, knowing she could finally move on.

“Hmm,” Mulder hummed, pulling Scully closer.

He dreamed of Halloween nights spent running through the neighborhood, days at the beach digging up giant rocks and seashells, and riding bikes down steep hills.

Every moment of his dreams was shared with a dark haired little girl, her laughter dancing in the wind, as she called out to him to chase her.

[atths--twice]

“Decent room and location. Manager did make assumptions about my relationship with my work partner. Also a cow crashed through said partners roof, causing more speculation when we were forced to share. Would stay again, if management changed hands. 2 stars.”

sometimes i wonder if scully ever leaves reviews for the motels they're staying at.

"acceptable mattress quality, nice sheets, room was burned down by an artist but otherwise okay. 3.5 stars"

"wonderful view, rustic charm, good water pressure in the shower. i was kidnapped in the middle of the night and the lock lasted a surprising amount of time before being kicked in. 4.7 stars"

she takes her field reports very seriously.

[atths--twice]

Saw this picture on Twitter and my mind immediately goes to a story idea. A little “what if” type thing…

“It’s a great opportunity,” William said, downing the last of his Coke as they finished their meal. “I wanted Skinner here too, to thank him for helping me get the job, but he said he had too many meetings today.”

“More like he was worried he’d go to red from your words of appreciation,” Mulder said, catching Scully’s eye and smirking.

“I’m sure both are true,” she said, rubbing William’s back gently. “We’ll have him over for dinner and then he can’t run away so easily.”

“That’s a good idea,” William laughed, wiping his mouth on his napkin. “I’ll write down bullet points and put them on notecards to see his face when I pull them out.”

“That’s my boy,” Mulder said, snapping his fingers and pointing at William as Scully laughed and patted William’s back before moving her hand.

“And lunch is on me,” William said, taking the bill from the waiter. “My thanks for putting up with me being back home for the past few months with no job in sight.”

“We’ve loved having you home,” Scully insisted, staring at him with a slight frown.

“Even with the dirty mugs and plates and socks left everywhere?” he asked with a smile, taking out his wallet and counting out the cash.

“Hey, I’ve lived with your father for almost thirty years and raised you, I’m used to the mess that goes with it,” she said, bumping his shoulder gently.

“Yeah,” he agreed, bumping her shoulder back. “But I still want to say thanks.”

“You’re welcome, Lum,” she said, using the name he had called himself when he was younger as William had been too difficult to say.

“Alright,” he said, closing the bill book and leaving it on the table. “Gotta get back to it.” He smiled at both of them and they stood up, leaving their napkins on their plates.

“Hold on,” Mulder said as they reached the lobby of the restaurant. “I know you don’t want us to make a scene or follow you to work, but how about a first day picture here? Like we used to do when you started school?”

“Dad,” William said, looking around as he adjusted his suit jacket.

“Amuse your old dad. Come on. One picture.” He took his phone out and motioned for him to stand still. William rolled his eyes, looking so much like Scully, they both laughed quietly.

Mulder snapped the picture in front of the sunset mural on the wall, William unable to hold back a smile, his eyes happy and shining.

“Okay, you’re free to go now,” Mulder said, smiling at the picture.

“Thanks, Dad,” William said with a nod. “Bye, Mom.” He stepped closer to Scully and bent his head to kiss her cheek. “Love you.”

“Love you too, honey,” she said, pulling him close for a hug. “Have a good day. I’ll set up the dinner with Skinner.”

“I’ll work on the notecards,” he said and she chuckled. He smiled as he stepped back. Looking at Mulder, he gave him a high five and then a hug. “Talk to you later, Dad.”

“Yeah,” Mulder said with a nod. “Later.”

William waved at them and then walked out the door, his step light and quick.

Mulder and Scully were quiet for a few seconds and then he sighed as he looked at her. She turned her head and he smiled softly.

A waitress walked by them, smiling as she nodded.

“I hope you enjoyed your meal,” she said.

“We did,” Mulder said, nodding back at her. “I’m sorry to trouble you, but would you mind taking a picture of us?”

“Oh not at all,” she said, stepping closer and smiling at them.

“Great,” Mulder said, handing her his phone.

“What?” Scully asked as he put his arm around her, his thumb rubbing her back gently.

“One, two, three,” the waitress said and then the sound of the shutter clicking could be heard. “There you go.” She handed his phone back and he took it with a smile.

“Thank you.”

“Yup,” she said, walking away and leaving them alone.

“Why a picture of us?” Scully asked, watching him smile at his phone.

“Because it’s a first day for us as well, Scully,” he said, raising his head and looking at her. “It’s our son’s first day at work. At a job he wanted, is more than qualified for, and will love to go to every day. We made him. We raised him. It’s our day too.”

“Mulder,” she said softly, wrapping her arms around his waist.

“I’m so proud of him,” Mulder whispered as he rubbed her back. “So very proud.”

“Me too,” she whispered back, closing her eyes as she let out a deep contented breath. “Me too.”

[atths--twice]

This is Mulder’s experience for sure. ❤️

[atths--twice]

Saw this on Twitter and had to write a little something. ❤️

Their car began to overheat at mile marker 203, barely making it to the service station.

He sighed as he took off his suit jacket and rolled up his sleeves while she called for another rental car.

“They said about thirty minutes,” she told him, hanging up as she joined him.

“Great,” he said with another sigh. “It’s blazing out, no wonder the car overheated.”

“Yeah,” she agreed, fanning herself and looking around. “Least we made it here and we’re not stuck on the side of the road.”

“Hmm,’” he hummed, as he also looked around. “Look at that.” He pointed to a dirt field with bases laid out to create a small baseball diamond. “Come on.”

“But the car…”

“Thirty minutes you said,” he told her, grinning as he started to walk toward the field. “We got time.”

She nodded, taking his offered hand to step over the path of half tires that had been set up as a barrier between the parking lot and the loose gravel walkway. He squeezed it as he let go and they continued to the field.

“Man,” he said, shaking his head as he looked at the dirty and stained up bases. “This takes me back.”

“You play a lot as a kid?” she asked, looking around with a small smile.

“Not really on a team as my folks couldn’t afford it, but neighborhood pick up games? Hell yeah.”

He spied a ball in the grass at the edge of the dirt lot and he smiled. Picking it up, he stared at it and then smelled it, his eyes closing. God, it smelled like summer and bologna sandwiches, warm sunshine and the tired feeling you got from riding your bike from morning till night.

It smelled like childhood.

“You ever play baseball as a kid?” he asked, smelling it again.

“Yeah,” she said with a small nod. “I was a pretty fast runner.”

“Smell that,” he said, holding the ball out to her. “What does it make you think of?”

She took a small sniff and hummed.

“Running through sprinklers. Eating sticky, melting popsicles. Riding my bike through the neighborhood and stopping by people’s houses without calling ahead.”

“Exactly. Like childhood,” he said with a grin and she nodded.

“Yeah.”

“Wanna have a catch?” he asked, popping the ball off of his forearm and catching it in his hands.

She stared at him and then looked down at her attire. He anticipated hearing a no and was taken by surprise when she nodded as she began to unbutton her blazer.

“Let’s see what you got,” she said, dropping her blazer outside the diamond without a care that it would get dirty. He grinned and stepped toward the pitcher's mound, rolling the ball around in his hand.

She stood at home plate, awaiting his throw. When he let it go, she caught it easily, tossing it right back to him. She smiled and he smiled back, throwing the ball once again.

By the time the replacement rental car pulled into the station, they were both hot and sweaty, but smiling from ear to ear. He tossed the ball up one more time as she collected her blazer.

“Thanks,” he whispered, setting it onto the middle of home plate and walking over to join her.

Their luggage and other personal items transferred to the new car, they got in and turned the air conditioning up to high.

Leaving the rental agent behind to figure out what to do with the broken car, they waved and made their way to the driveway of the parking lot.

They both glanced at the empty lot just as a group of kids rode up on their bikes. All of them dropped their bikes, shouting and laughing as they took out baseball bats and more balls from backpacks or even pockets. Two teams were quickly formed and they began a game, the ball making contact with the bat with a loud crack! and then cheering.

“Nothing replaces that feeling,” he said softly, turning on his blinker to turn left and leave the dirt lot in the rearview mirror.

She covered his hand with hers briefly and he smiled as he nodded.

Well, almost nothing, he thought, glancing at this new partner of his, wondering when it would be a good time to tell her he was falling head over heels for her.

“Let’s find a place to eat,” she said, turning the vent to blow the cool air more directly onto her. “I’m starving.”

“Me too,” he agreed, smiling with a nod, the memory of her happy laughter, as he ran the bases with his hands over his head in mock celebration, echoing in his head. “How about burgers and shakes?”

“Yes!” she agreed. “Something chocolate and deliciously cold.”

“Your wish is my command,” he said, stepping on the gas as her laughter rang out once again.

[atths--twice]

This is just absolutely adorable. I love family fics and the fluffier and sweeter the better. This is perfect. And I could totally see this happening. ❤️❤️

Love in the dark

Ao3

Mulder and Scully and their 5/6 year old go see the Eclipse lol

Setting: Some dirt road in Maine

Kids name: Luna Lark Mulder Scully... don't @ me I don't know. Or do @ me with a better name suggestion.

note: bubele is pronounced bub-eh-lah (My head canon is Mulder learned some NYC yiddish from his dad's parents.)

❂❂❂

“Quick Lula, we have to hurry! He said unbuckling her from her carseat “Are you ready to run?”

“Yeah!” she squealed as she hopped down from her carseat. He took her tiny hand and helped her step down from the 4 Runner to the gravel dirt road. She lept out and swung from his arm as he said “Woah!” And she squealed in delight.

“Come on you two!” Scully said as she threw a pack over her shoulder from the open window at the back of the car.

She started into the field of lush green grass from the dirt road and looked back at them as they walked towards her. She waited with her hand out for Luna to grab.

They walked her hand in hand, one on either side, lifting her over the hollow where road met pasture. They continued on into the middle of the field surrounded by trees.

Luna looked up at Scully “Can I have the bubbles now, mommy?”

“Yes, my love” Scully said digging in the pack and producing a large pink bottle of bubbles. She unscrewed it partly and handed it to Luna, who took it and started waving it around attempting to make bubbles as she ran.

Mulder looked up at the sun hand over his brow. Then at his watch, “Shouldn’t be long now maybe 10 minutes. We really made it just in time huh?” He smiled down at Scully

She shook her head and said “We made it thats all that matters” she was taking a mustard yellow striped blanket out of the pack and trying to unfurl it on the ground.

“Youre sure this is in the totality zone?” She asked

“Yup, I triple checked before we left this morning and put the coordinates directly into the maps.” Mulder grabbed a side of the blanket and they laid it down. Luna danced around happily singing

“It's a perfectly beautiful day for playing A perfectly beautiful day for staying outside It's a perfectly beautiful day…”

Scully looked at her, hands on her hips with a look of complete devotion and affection.

Mulder looked at Scully watching their baby girl with the same exact expression on his face.

She felt his gaze and looked at him “You’re the one who said no shows past 2001.”

“Mr. Rogers is a classic, Scully. Much better than the swill they call children’s programming nowadays.”

“Uh huh.” She said skeptically, tucking her chin, looking up at him, hands on her hips.

He went to her and swept her up in his arms and kissed her. She was irresistible when she was annoyed.

She exhaled an “Oh” and melted into him, opening her mouth for him.

They broke apart and Scully put a hand to his cheek as she turned to keep watching Luna from his arms.

“Lets get the food.” He said giving her temple a kiss.

They sat on the blanket and Mulder took a bottle of sparkling wine, tupperwares of crackers, cheese, and sliced apples pears and raspberries out.

Scully took the cover off the fruit and took one before calling Luna over.

“Luna Lark! Come get a snack before it gets dark!”

“Hey a rhyme!” Mulder exclaimed, as Scully smiled.

She galloped over and accepted a slice of apple. She stood with apple in one hand and the bubbles in the other “Its gonna be nighttime?”

“Yes, the sun will be blotted out forever” Mulder said

Scully hit him in the shoulder “Mulderrr!” She tried not to smile as she took the bubbles from Luna, “Poppa’s teasing you my love. You know how we can see the moon in the daytime sometimes?”

She nodded, looking worried.

“Well this time well be able to see the moon directly in front of the sun.”

She looked confused, Mulder added. “The sun will hide behind the moon and it’ll get dark but then the moon will keep moving like it always does, and the sun will come back out.”

She pondered this and said “Not forever?”

“No, not forever.” Scully shook her head.

Content with this she walked onto the blanket and settled between them, munching her apple.

Mulder handed her a raspberry, then a cracker. “Do you want cheese?”

She nodded. He added a piece of yellow cheese to the cracker and she bit into it.

Scully fished out a small metal water bottle covered in dinosaurs floating around space. She flipped the straw up and handed it to Luna, who took a long drink. Scully pushed her wild sun bleached brown hair behind her ear.

Mulder handed Scully a metal cup of the bubbly wine, she took it and they clinked their cups together. “Thank you” she said.

The daylight dimmed to paint the meadow in an amber light. Luna looked up at the sun.

Scully reached to cover her eyes and said “Don’t look at the sun without your sunglasses.”

Mulder dug in his pocket and produced paper glasses that looked like 3d movie glasses, but instead of red and blue they had dark black lenses. He put them on Luna and tucked them behind her ears as she scrunched her nose. “There you go”

“Its all dark!” She said reaching a hand out in front of her

Scully giggled as she took the pair Mulder handed her. “Look up at the sun, can you see the moon yet?”

“No” Luna said sounding bored

“I can” Mulder said just on this side of it. He taped Lunas right shoulder.

They all watched as the moon slowly made its way across the sun. Luna exclaiming when she finally saw the crescent shape carved out of the sun.

Can I lay down? Im tired of looking up” Luna said with a sigh.

Mulder chuckled “Good idea Lula.” He moved the food down the blanket and laid down as Luna snuggled into him, head on his outstretched arm. Scully looked down at them with a smile and pulled Lunas hand to her mouth to give her tiny fingers a kiss. She joined them laying back on the blanket putting he cheek against Lunas chubby arm. Mulder found her hand and entwined his fingers in hers, as they all watched the crescent get smaller and smaller through their glasses.

When the moon had crossed completely over the sun and the last glare of sunlight had disappeared behind the moon, Mulder announced “We can take our glasses off.”

Scully sat up and said “Listen Lou”

Luna fell silent and Mulder sat up. “Crickets. They think its night”

He took the glasses off and muttered “Good night” under his breath. “This is so weird” they were in complete darkness. And when they looked up at where the sun should be, they saw only a halo of soft light.

“Im scared Mommy” Luna said reaching for Scully.

“Its okay my love.” Scully said taking her into her lap and hugging her tightly to her, kissing the top of her head.

Mulder said, “Its just nighttime Lula. It will pass in a minute. Do you want me to tell you a story until it gets light again?”

She nodded in Scully arms and Scully said “She does”

“Tell me about auntie Sam in the stars”

“Oh, okay.”

Scully found his hand on the blanket.

“My sister Sam, your aunt, was the funniest and smartest kid my parents had. She was witty and sweet and she loved to bike around our town with me. And we would get ice cream every day after I picked her up from her dance classes. And she’d throw baseballs for me to hit when none of my friends could play. And sometimes our mother would make us go hunt for dinner.

Luna giggled, a wild giggle that reminded him of Scully’s laugh. She always giggled at the thought of her dad as a kid hunting for his own dinner.

“So we’d go clamming and raking for mussels on the beach. And our mom would make a big pot of pasta with butter.”

“Yuummm” She said “and then she went to live in the stars?”

“She did. She went to live in the stars.”

“And if you look up and see a twinkling star thats auntie Sam saying hi.” Scully said

She’s up there looking down on us now, during the daytime, can you believe it?” Mulder asked “Look up find her Luna!”

She looked up with a great big smile on her face, and then pointed with a tiny finger "I see her!"

"You do?!" Mulder said grabbing her hand and miming eating it.

Luna giggled and squirmed in Scully arms. 

They watched the sky for a while before Luna said

 “She's with aunty Missy.”

“Yes bubele, with Aunty Missy” He said softly.

“Will I go live with them?”

“What do you mean baby?” Scully asked her.

“Sometimes I go up there too.”

Mulder felt Scully’s fear in the darkness.

“No bubele you’re not going to go live with them, because you live with us.”

“Okay” she said in a small voice.

“But uh, next time you see Sam, tell her I say hi, okay?”

“Okay poppa” She said.

Mulder wrapped his arm around Scully and kissed her hair.

“We’ve got extraordinary kids huh” he whispered into her ear.

She leaned into his shoulder and sighed. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

@today-in-fic

[atths--twice]

Imagine The X-Files reboot happens. We’re introduced to new agents working in the basement. They find themselves stumped on a case and they look at one another and nod.

Cut to a coffee shop and we see Mulder and the agents. He’s smiling, looking at the file, and thinking of so many things as he listens to them.

“Wow. The case sounds incredibly interesting. I definitely would be all in a few years ago. But now…” He checks his watch and smiles again. “I gotta pick my daughter up soon. I’ll offer what advice I can, but I can’t be late for her.”

When he leaves, we see him watching them, somewhat wistfully, but then his watch beeps with a previously set alarm to pick up his daughter. At the same time, he gets a message from Scully about dinner, asking if he’s still cooking or if he wants her to pick something up on her way home. He grins and nods his head, knowing he’s made the right choice.

And then maybe a young female agent comes to the hospital seeking out Scully, needing some additional advice. She hints at what she knows of Mulder and Scully.

“Oh,” Scully laughs softly, shaking her head. “You have no idea.”

And she crosses her arms and we see that she’s wearing a wedding ring.

These two deserve happiness and family and love- everything they haven’t been able to have. I would love to watch a new group of people working cases so long as the story is good and the chemistry is there.

And if we got to have little chances to look in to Mulder and Scully‘s life… yes please. ❤️

Let me make an addition especially for @baronessblixen because I completely agree with her. 💕💕

I want to see them with their kid. I want to see them enjoy their time with her. Maybe we see her schooling the agents somehow and Scully looks at Mulder and he looks at her and they both say “that’s all you” and then everyone laughs.

I want to see both of them interact with her together doing something as simple as just being at home. Like I NEED it so badly. If we got that, like the “what if” scenarios we saw in the revival, (minus the alien aspect of it) I would be so incredibly happy. ❤️❤️

[atths--twice]

Germs and All

After attending a conference, Scully falls ill. Not wanting to be alone, and missing Mulder, she heads to his apartment.

I've been fighting through a cold the past few days. As a result, I've had extra time on my hands as I've been resting. Because of this, my mind wanders to MSR more than usual. I love stories where they take care of each other and so, I've written this little fic.

Hope you enjoy. 💓

Scully woke up, her mouth dry and nose stuffy. Groaning, she rolled over and glanced at the alarm clock before closing her eyes in the gray light. Opening her eyes again, she looked back at the clock as she drew in a breath. 

11:30. 

It was eleven thirty? 

Sitting up, she looked around the room and then picked up her watch to be sure the time was correct. 

11:30. 

“Oh, God,” she whined softly as she fell back onto the pillows, sniffling deeply. “How is it so late?” 

Rain hit the windows and she sighed as she sat up again and laid her watch back beside her half drunk cup of tea. Pushing herself up, she groaned again, her body aching. 

Stumbling to the bathroom, she used the toilet, washed her hands and brushed her teeth. Staring at her reflection, she sighed and made a face before turning off the light and leaving the room. 

Shivering, she grabbed the comforter off of the bed and wrapped it around herself as she groaned again and opened the bedroom door. 

Pausing just past the doorway, she looked to her right and saw Mulder sitting on his couch, smiling at her. 

“Hello,” he said and she frowned with another groan. “I take it you’re not feeling better.” 

“It’s eleven thirty,” she complained and he nodded, glancing at his watch. 

“Nearly quarter till twelve now,” he said and she whined. 

“Why did you let me sleep so long?” she asked, kicking the comforter back from her feet as she walked over to him. 

“Let you?” he asked with a chuckle, as she sat on the end of the couch with a huff and then laid down, her head resting against his thigh. 

“I’m tired,” she complained, letting out a deep breath. “And my nose is stuffy.”

“I know,” he said, his fingers rubbing her head and running through her hair. “Well, about the stuffy nose anyway.” 

“I slept all night. How am I still tired?” she whined and he chuckled again. 

“You have a cold, Scully.” 

“Mmmm,” she moaned with a frown. “This is all Skinner’s fault. I didn’t want to go to that stupid conference. He made me.” 

“Hmm,” Mulder hummed, his fingers rubbing her neck. 

“That feels good,” she whispered, her eyes closing. 

“Skinner wasn’t sick,” he mused and she sighed heavily. 

“No. But someone there was and I got it from them. You didn’t go, so you’re fine.” 

“I won’t be in a couple of days, seeing as you brought all the germs with you. This place is ground zero now. The bedroom in particular is highly contaminated.” 

“I know. I should’ve gone home,” she admitted with a nod. “I just…” 

“I was just teasing,” he said, his thumb pressing firmer into her neck and causing her to moan. “I’m glad you’re here.” 

“Even though I’ve…” She sniffled deeply and let out a deep breath. “God. Even though I’ve brought the plague upon you?” 

“It’s just a cold,” he said, laughing softly. 

“Feels worse.” 

“You say that every time you’re sick.” 

“Because it does. It always does,” she whined, breathing through her mouth as her nose had become far too stuffy. 

“I’ll get you some medicine,” he said, scratching her scalp lightly and moving gently from the couch. “You want anything to eat?” She moaned and shook her head. “Tea?” She shook her head again and he chuckled softly. “Okay, just the medicine.” 

She nodded as she burrowed into the comforter, finding a more comfortable position. 

A kiss was pressed to her temple and she smiled. 

“Even full of germs, and wrapped like a mummy, you’re adorable,” he whispered, kissing her again before he left the room. 

She smiled and then coughed, groaning as she shook her head. The comforter was pulled even closer and she took a stuffy breath. 

“Hey,” Mulder said and she opened her eyes. “Here’s the medicine and some water. You need to sit up to take it and the cough syrup.” 

“I hate cough syrup,” she grumbled and he hummed as he helped her sit up. 

“I know,” he said, handing her the syringe in his hand. 

“You like using this, don’t you?” she asked, putting the syringe in her mouth and pressing the plunger, swallowing the medicine quickly. Making a face, she took a sip of the water he offered. 

“I do. I’m glad you gave it to me,” he said, smiling as he handed her two large liquid filled pills. “These should help too.” 

She took them and placed them into her mouth, swallowing them with the rest of the water in the glass. Pouting, she handed the glass back to him and then coughed, turning her head to avoid coughing directly on him. 

“I’ll get you some more water,” he said as she coughed again. She laid back down with a moan, cursing that stupid conference. 

It had been monotonous, uninspiring, and lonely without Mulder with her. And then the last night there, she had felt the telltale signs of a cold brewing as her throat was scratchy when she swallowed. 

Waking up to a stuffy nose and achy body, the flight home had been miserable. Hailing a cab, she had given the driver Mulder’s address, closing her eyes as she rested her head against the window. 

When she had made her way to his door, her suitcase feeling exceptionally heavy and clumsy, she swayed as she knocked twice and waited. 

His happy smile had vanished at the sight of her, concern quickly replacing it. 

“I don’t feel so good,” she had said, pitching forward and falling into his arms. 

“Aw, Scully,” he had whispered, pulling her and her bag inside. 

He had brought her into his room, turned on the shower to warm up, and helped her undress. 

While she had been in the shower, he had changed his sheets, found some clothes for her to wear, and made her some tea. 

When she had dressed in one of his long sleeved shirts and a pair of cuffed sweatpants with the drawstring pulled as far as it could go, he had sat her down on his bed and blown her hair dry as she moaned repeatedly, her eyes closed. 

When he had finished, he brushed her hair and kissed her on the forehead. 

“Why don’t you lay down and I’ll go get you some medicine?” he had asked and she had nodded. “Come on, come and lay down.” 

He had helped her up and led her to the other side of the bed, pulling back the covers and then tucking her in once she had laid down, her head pounding. 

“I’ll be back soon. Rest.” He had kissed her head twice, ran a hand down her side, and whispered goodbye as he left. 

He had woken her to take some medicine, sitting with her until she had fallen back to sleep, stroking her hair as he spoke quietly about his last couple of days without her. 

She had woken throughout the night, his arm around her waist or fingers locked with her own, her nose stuffy and head still aching. 

“Hey,” he said softly and she opened her eyes, looking up at him. “Do you want some more water? Luckily, I found a bendy straw so now you don’t have to sit up.” 

“Hmm,” she hummed, nodding slightly. “I’ll have a little bit. Thank you.” He sat on the coffee table and held the glass and straw for her as she took a few sips. 

“Feeling any better at all?” he asked and she sighed as she pulled back from the glass of water. 

“Not at the moment,” she said, closing her eyes and sighing again. 

“Well, hopefully that medicine will help soon. I brought over another box of tissues and a paper bag for the used ones. Do you need anything else?” 

“No, not right now. Thank you,” she said, attempting to breathe through her nose and giving up to take a deep breath through her mouth. “I’m just so tired.” 

“Rest, Scully,” he said, kissing her temple again, the glass of water set on the coffee table. 

And she did, dozing in and out as he sat on the couch beside her, his fingers in her hair or resting on her shoulder. She heard baseball being announced, the crack of a bat, and organ music playing. Then she heard the dialogue of a movie as she turned over and sighed, the comforter tucked around her when she did. 

“Thank you,” she breathed and he hummed as his fingers rubbed her scalp again and she fell back to sleep. 

Her bladder woke her and she moaned as she stirred, extricating herself from her comforter cocoon. 

“I ordered some food,” Mulder said as she stretched and rolled her neck. “Matzo ball and chicken noodle soup. Waiting for you, whenever you’re ready.”

“That sounds good,” she said, her voice hoarse. “Not sure how much I’ll be able to eat.” 

“I know. But you haven’t eaten anything all day. You need something.” 

“Okay. I’ll be out in a few minutes.” 

When she came out of the bedroom, she was wearing one of his hoodies, as she had lost the warmth of the comforter. She had also put on a pair of his thick socks and pulled her hair back into a small ponytail. Yawning, she padded to the dining room and sat down. 

A small bowl of matzo ball soup had been placed at her spot, the spoon resting inside of it. She smiled at the sight of the cut up matzo ball, making it easier to eat. Glancing up, she watched him walk in with his own bowl of soup and a plate of sliced bread. 

“You cut my matzo ball,” she said with a sniffle as she reached for her spoon. 

“Yeah, I did,” he said, setting his stuff down and sitting beside her. “Easier and quicker for you to eat.” 

“Thank you,” she said, filling her spoon with broth and a piece of matzo. 

They sat in silence as they ate, Scully taking her time to eat as much of the soup as she could. 

“I can’t taste any of this,” she said, shaking her head, leaving her spoon down in the bowl. “Not one bit, but I’m sure it’s really good.” 

“It is,” he said and she nodded as she pushed the bowl from in front of her. 

“I’ll take your word for it,” she said, watching him finish his bowl of soup. He smiled at her and she smiled back, suddenly overwhelmed with affection for him. “I love you.” 

He stopped eating and stared at her, his smile growing. 

“I know I’ve told you before, but I just wanted to say it again,” she said, sniffing and letting out a deep breath. 

He set his spoon in his bowl and made to move towards her, his hands reaching out. 

“No,” she said, putting up a hand. “Contagious, remember?” 

“Ground zero, remember?” he asked, his hands now cradling her face as he smiled. “The damage has been done. Therefore, a kiss on the lips won’t cause any harm.” 

“Hmm,” she hummed, closing her eyes as his lips met hers. 

He kissed her gently, his thumbs slowly rubbing against her cheeks as she hummed again. Needing air, she pulled back slightly and drew in a breath, before his lips were on hers again.  

“I love you too,” he whispered, kissing her one more time. Smiling as he pulled back, his thumbs stroking along her cheeks. “Germs and all.” 

“Ha ha,” she said, opening her eyes and looking at him. “Ugh. I think I need to lay down.” 

“Yeah,” he agreed, moving his hands from her face. “Let me clean this up and get you some more medicine. Then bed.” 

She waited at the table for him as he quickly cleaned up. More cough syrup and pills were brought to her along with a glass of ice water. She took it all with only minimal complaints, thanking him with a nod. 

“Come on. Let’s get you to bed.” 

He led her through the apartment, turning the lights off behind them. He grabbed the comforter and followed her into his room. 

She went into the bathroom, used the toilet, washed her hands, and brushed her teeth. 

Mulder had put the comforter back on the bed and pulled back the covers on her side once again. Waiting while she laid down, he tucked her in and kissed her head. 

“Be right back,” he said and she hummed as she closed her eyes. 

When he finally laid down, she was nearly asleep, but she opened her eyes to look at him and give him a small smile. 

“Thank you for taking care of me,” she whispered, closing her eyes as she reached for his hand. 

“That’s why you came here, isn’t it?” he asked softly, kissing her knuckles. “Knowing you were ill? Wanting to be cared for?” 

“Yes and no,” she said, moving closer to him. 

“How’s that?” he asked and she opened her eyes again.  

“I missed you. I wanted to see you,” she said, her eyes rolling back as she shut them again. “I didn’t plan on being sick. I just missed you.” 

“I missed you too,” he whispered, pulling her close. “I’m glad you came over.” 

“Germs and all?” she asked, her words slightly slurred. 

“Yes. Germs and all,” he assured her, kissing her forehead and whispering his love for her as she fell asleep, held safely in his arms. 

[atths--twice]

Planning and Planting

Mulder comes to Scully with an idea to make some changes at their little unremarkable house.

For my bestie, on her birthday. 💓

March 4th

Mid morning 

“Hey,” Mulder said, stepping into Scully’s home office. 

“Hey back,” she said, glancing up from her laptop with a smile. 

“I wanted to run something past you. Are you at a place where you could stop for a few minutes?” 

She turned her head and stopped typing, frowning slightly. 

“Is everything okay?” 

“More than okay,” he said with a grin. “It’s just that, what I want to run past you, I need to show you.” 

“Mulder… is it in our bedroom?” she asked, one eyebrow raising up. 

“No. Not that,” he laughed and then sobered. “I mean if you were interested, what I want to show you could wait. I’ll never say no to that.” He pumped his eyebrows at her and she shook her head. 

“Appreciate the offer, but not at the moment,” she said, smiling before she turned back to the laptop. “Let me finish this last email and I can stop for a few minutes.” 

“Great. Would you like a cup of coffee or something to be ready for you when you’re finished?” 

She swiveled in her chair and narrowed her eyes at him. 

“It’s not in the bedroom, right? You’re not trying to butter me up?” 

“Oh… that would be messy,” he mused, shaking his head, his eyebrows raised as he moved his hands back and forth like a scale. “Good for the skin, perhaps? As opposed to whipped cream or chocolate sauce? Although, not as tasty to lick off. No, I don’t think butter would be good. Definitely not as sexy...” 

She smiled as he continued to talk to himself, shaking her head at how easy it was for him to go off on a tangent. 

“Mulder,” she said. 

“Of course there’s always honey, but that one time… it was so sticky. And while enjoyable, it was also a huge mess. But on the other hand…” He grinned, his eyes far away in the past. 

“Mulder,” she said again, tapping his leg with her foot. 

“Hmm, yeah. What?” He worked at focusing on her and she laughed. 

“No butter. No honey,” she said, shaking her head. “I have to finish this before I leave for my meeting.” 

“No. Nothing like that,” he said, clearing his throat. Smiling, he stepped closer and towered over her, causing her to lean back. Placing his hands on the arms of her chair, he moved even closer. “But the honey was fun. Once we got the amount of usage correct.” 

“It was,” she agreed, threading her arms around his neck. “And the whipped cream.” 

“Hmm, yes,” he breathed, pressing his lips to hers, his tongue teasing hers briefly before pulling back. She leaned forward, still holding onto him, her eyes closed and heart racing. 

Damn, but he was good at that. 

“Coffee will be waiting, Doc,” he said and he extracted himself from her with a grin as she opened her eyes. “Unless you want something else.” 

She let out a deep breath and shook her head, knowing he knew how certain kisses affected her. 

“Coffee it is,” he said, pointing both index fingers at her and then leaving the room. 

“That man,” she muttered, turning back to finish her email so she could find out what he wanted to run past her. 

Ten minutes later, email and other work finished, she closed the laptop and sighed. Pushing from her desk, she stood up, stretched, and walked out to find Mulder. 

The front door was open and through the screen she saw him standing on the porch, looking out across the yard. Smiling, she crossed the room and pushed the screen open. 

“Hey, Doc,” he said, looking at her with a smile as he handed her a travel mug of coffee. “Didn’t want it to get cold.” 

“Thanks, hon,” she said, taking a small sip. “Mmm, it’s perfect.” 

“I know what you like,” he said with a wink. 

“Yeah,” she agreed, putting her arm around his waist and pressing her nails into his side, causing him to yelp. “Yeah, you do.” 

“Okay listen,” he said, removing her arm from his waist and stepping to the side with a heavy sigh. “You don’t have time, I don’t really have time… let’s pick this up later. After Faith’s in bed and asleep. Deal?” 

“Yes, honey,” she said, smiling as she took another drink. 

“Oh you… you’re trouble,” he said, shaking his head as he stepped around her and started down the stairs. “So much trouble.” 

She laughed as she followed him, catching up and grasping the hand he had extended back to her. 

“I’m good trouble,” she said, bumping him gently. 

“When you’re not bad, honey,” he retorted and she laughed again. 

“So, what did you want to show me?” 

“This,” he said, letting go of her hand and gesturing to the field on the other side of their fence. 

“What about it?” she asked with a frown. 

“I think we need to do something about it.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“Well, for one thing, it’s gotten a bit overgrown.” 

“Agreed,” she said with a nod. 

“So,” he said, taking her hand again. “Seeing as it’s just sitting there… what if we made it into a garden?” 

She laughed and was about to tell him that was a crazy idea, but then she saw the expression on his face. 

“You’re serious,” she said and he nodded. “You want to make a garden? Of what exactly?” 

“Whatever!” he said excitedly. “Whatever fruit or vegetable will grow easily in this climate without too much fuss.” 

“But we have the fence,” she said, nodding to it. 

“Then we take it down or change it up a notch, adding a gate, or an archway, that would give us access to it.” He shrugged and she stared at him in amazement. 

“You’re really serious,” she said again and he nodded. 

“I am.” 

“But why?” 

“Well, a few reasons,” he said, squeezing her hand. “We have the space, and then some, as I said. Also, it will give me something to do-”

“And hyper fixate on,” she muttered. 

“That too,” he laughed. “And Faith could help. It would be a learning experience for her… all of us really. What better time to start than now as spring is bearing down upon us.” 

“A vegetable garden,” she said, looking out at the overgrown plot of land and imagining it lush with plants. “You want to till up the land and start a garden?” 

“All that work? Christ, no,” he said and she looked at him. “The cost alone would be far too high. Then if it didn’t work out, it would be a huge mess just sitting there.” 

“So what are you thinking?” 

“I’m thinking more like raised garden beds. Something we could plot out, build and place, and then plant what we wanted in each separate bed.” 

“Fresh peas in one. Tomatoes. Zucchini maybe. Potatoes in another. Yeah. I think I like that idea.” 

“Huh, well that was easier than I thought it would be,” he said, squeezing her hand again. “You know, seeing as you’re in a rather agreeable mood, I’d like to revisit the idea of chickens.” 

“Mulder-”

“It was you that brought them up,” he said. 

“A couple of years ago,” she said, letting go of his hand and staring at him. “And I was joking, so do not come home from that garden/pet store with a few chicks and act all innocent, telling me that they had no one to care for them and so you had to take them in. Promise me you won’t.” 

“I…” 

“Mulder… promise me. Now.” 

“I promise,” he said with a grin and she raised her eyebrows. “I do promise, Scully. One thing at a time. Garden first. Chickens and goats next.” 

“Uh no. No goats. They were never mentioned before.” 

“No goats? Oh, that’s a baaaaad answer,” he said and she could not help but laugh. 

“Don’t push your luck,” she said as he put his arm around her shoulders, both of them chuckling. 

“Garden first, then we’ll talk,” he said and she hummed as she put her arm around his waist and took a sip of her coffee. 

________

And so the garden planning began. 

Mulder watched videos, read blog posts, and created a plan. 

The overgrown grass was mowed and the ground plotted for where the garden would be placed. Wood markers were hammered into the ground with Faith’s help, the little hammer Mulder had bought for her placed back into the loop on the overalls when she was finished.  

“We’ll have lots of vegetables right, Daddy?” she asked, pushing back a braid that had fallen over her shoulder. “Like corn?” 

“I don’t think we’ll do corn this time around, love. But peas and carrots. Maybe potatoes.” He smiled at her as Scully snapped pictures of them working together, both covered in grass stains. 

“Mmm. I love potatoes,” Faith said. “They’re so good.” 

“They are.” He smiled at Faith and then glanced up at Scully. “And we’ll do broccoli too.” Faith made a face and they both laughed. “You like broccoli, Squatch.” 

“I doooooo, but it’s not my favorite,” Faith said and Mulder tweaked her nose. 

“It’s not my favorite either, but we still need to eat it.” 

“I know,” she said with a sigh, as Scully captured another picture. 

___________

Two days later, after dropping Faith off at school, he arrived at home with a large amount of wood in the back of the car and Scully came out and helped him unload it onto the porch. 

“I don’t think I’ve ever felt as manly as I did ordering all this wood and asking for it to be cut to the length I needed,” he said and she laughed. “I think I’ve finally made it as a man.” 

“Only took you sixty three years to get there,” she said slyly. 

“Hey!” he said, placing a piece down and staring at her. “I’m only sixty two. Don’t be adding years like that until it’s time. I still have a few months to go.” 

“My apologies, sweet husband,” she said, smiling as she walked closer and gave him a kiss. “Did you get all the paint as well?”

“Three different shades of pink. And three different shades of purple.” 

“So manly,” she whispered, grabbing the front of his shirt and stopping anything he was going to say with another kiss. 

When Faith came home, she nearly danced up the steps, seeing all the supplies on the porch. 

“Can we start now, Daddy?” she asked, petting Bella who had come to greet her and looking at the cans of paint. 

“Sure thing. Let’s get you changed and we can start.” 

A large drop cloth was placed on the porch and the four pieces for the garden box were laid out. 

“Okay, we need to line them up and nail and screw them together. Alright, my love?” Mulder asked Faith and she nodded solemnly, her hand on her hammer. Scully smiled at her look of determination and let out a contented sigh. 

The wood was lined up and they all helped to make sure it was secured properly. When it was finished, it was moved out of the way and the next box was made. Once all six were complete, Faith stood in front of them, with her arms crossed and a smile on her face, her hammer hanging from the loop of her overalls again, as Scully took her picture. 

“Send it to Raycho and Unco please. And they can show the twins,” Faith said as she looked at the picture. “They will be proud of us.” 

Next came the painting of the wood, but only one box of each color was finished and left to dry before it was time for dinner, a bath, and bed. 

Mulder was standing on the porch when Scully came downstairs after putting Faith to bed, cuddling her and waiting until she had fallen asleep. 

“You better not be doing anything without her,” Scully warned as she stepped out to join him. He smiled as he looked at her and shook his head. 

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” 

“What’re you doing?” 

“Just thinking. Throwing the ball for Bella. But mostly thinking.” 

“About what?” she asked, stepping closer and wrapping her arms around his waist. 

“How different my life turned out to be. In the very best way possible.” 

“Mulder,” she whispered, closing her eyes as she laid her head on his chest and tightened her hold on him. 

“One wrong turn, Scully. One thing done differently,” he whispered and she exhaled before pulling back and looking up at him. 

“Yet here we are,” she said softly. 

“Here we are,” he agreed with a smile. “Pink and purple garden boxes and all.”

“Especially those,” she replied, glancing over at them and then back at him. 

“Yeah,” he agreed, holding her close and kissing the top of her head. “Especially those.” 

_______________

Faith was off school the next day, but Scully had to work. As much as she wished to be home and help with the painting, she had to be at the hospital. 

Around lunchtime, while she was in her office eating, she got a message. Opening it, she saw it was a video and she put her headphones in before pushing play. When she did, she watched with a smile the whole way through, her lunch completely forgotten. 

“Hi everybody,” Faith said, waving to the camera, once more in her overalls, streaks of paint on them as well as her hands, arms, and face. “Today we finished painting our garden boxes.” She gestured to the large boxes on the drop cloth that had been moved to the grass. “Daddy moved it to the grass so the sun could help dry it faster. It does that because the sun is a source of heat. Heat warms things up and helps to dry them. They should be done soon. Then we will get the… what’s it called again, Daddy?” 

“I don’t know what you mean, honey,” Mulder said, though he was not seen in the video. 

“The stuff that goes in it,” Faith said, looking up at Mulder as she began twisting her fingers nervously, her expression almost worried. 

“You mean the cardboard stuff we talked about?” he offered and she smiled, her hands dropping as she sighed. 

“Yeah, that. Thank you, Daddy.”  

Scully heard Mulder hum and tears pricked at her eyes, knowing what that hum meant because she felt it too. 

“So, after the paint is dry, we’ll carry the boxes to the spot in the grass we picked already. Then we’ll put the cardboard stuff down and put the boxes on top of that. Then we had the… the…” She glanced at Mulder and let out a deep breath. 

“The compost.” 

“Yeah. The compost. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” 

She looked down and took a deep breath, then another one. Looking back up, she smiled and Mulder hummed softly again. 

“We have to smooth the compost over the cardboard and then when they are all finished, we can start planting right away.” 

“That’s right,” Mulder said and Faith nodded. “What will we be planting, honey?” 

“We have six, big plant boxes,” she said, showing the size with her arms. “So we’re going to grow a few things like peas and carrots. Tomatoes and basil. Broccoli. Potatoes. Strawberries and leafy lettuce.” 

“And this is our first time doing this, so we’re still learning,” Mulder reminded her and she nodded. 

“Right. So we’re going to try it and see how it goes.” 

“But it will be a beautiful garden either way,” he said and Faith smiled at him. 

“Yeah. It will be very beautiful.” 

“Okay. You wanna say goodbye now? We’ll have some lunch and get back to it?” 

“Bye everyone,” she said, waving at the camera. “Hope you like our garden video.” 

The video ended with Mulder chuckling and Scully wiped the tears from her eyes with a smile, aching to see them but knowing she still had a few hours to go. 

When she finally pulled up the road, she could see them still out in the garden area, and she stopped the car in the driveway. Leaving everything inside, she got out and walked over to join them, forgetting about the unavoidable combination of tall heels in soft grass. 

“Oh,” she said as she got stuck and stumbled slightly. “Haven’t done this in awhile.” 

“Ya stuck?” Mulder called out and she could hear the laughter in his voice. 

“Just a bit,” she called back, slipping out of her shoes and then pulling them free from the grass. Walking over barefoot, her shoes dangling from her fingers, she smiled at the sight of them. 

“Hey, Doc,” he said, glancing at her shoes. “Been awhile, huh?” 

“It has,” she agreed, as they shared a smile. He bent his head and kissed her softly, her hand pressed to his chest. 

“I’ll piggyback you out when we’re done.” 

“Okay,” she laughed, kissing him once more. 

“Mommy!” Faith called, running over to her. “Come and see what we’ve done!” 

“Show me love,” Scully said, stepping carefully through the cool grass. 

Faith showed her all the garden beds laid out along their marked spots, the cardboard sticking out the sides, with compost spread out in only two of the boxes. 

“We have to do the rest later because it’s a lot of work,” Faith said, brushing pieces of hair from her face. “And also because the fence people are coming tomorrow.”

“You’ve accomplished so much today, my love. You’ve done so well.” 

“Well, it was me and Daddy,” Faith said, looking at Mulder. “He did a lot of work today too. He lifted the huge bag of compost and pushed it over in the wheelbarrow and I got to sit on top of the bag as he pushed.” Faith giggled and Scully smiled. 

“It’s a good thing Daddy is so strong,” Scully said, glancing at him and looking him up and down. He shook his head as she licked and then bit her bottom lip. “So very strong.” 

“Yeah, he is,” Faith said, tugging on Scully’s hand and pulling her attention away from Mulder. “Look at this too, Mommy.” 

It was a tired trio who entered the house twenty minutes later, Scully given the promised piggyback ride as Faith ran beside them laughing hysterically and Bella barked from within the fence line, racing back and forth excitedly. 

“You’ve gotten so much done,” Scully said to Mulder as they got into bed and he yawned loudly. “Is it tiring you out?” 

“A little at times, but I love it,” he said with a sleepy smile. “Good honest work. Quality time with my girl. Can’t complain about that.” 

“No,” Scully agreed, snuggling close to him, his arm going around her. “No, you can’t.” 

“Hmm,” he hummed and then yawned again as she closed her eyes with a smile. 

________________

Scully and Faith watched from the porch with Bella, who whined behind the baby gate that was still attached to the porch, as three trucks pulled up and Mulder went to speak to the people who would be installing the garden fence. 

Bella barked as she stared through the bottom of the gate, not sure what was happening. 

“It’s just the fence people, Bella,” Faith said, sitting beside her and rubbing her ears. “They are going to make it safe for all of us to spend time in the garden. It’s okay, Bells.” 

Bella whined and then laid with her head on Faith’s lap, as she continued petting her and soothing her as she explained what was happening. 

Scully sat beside Faith, kissing the top of her head and telling her how much she loved her. 

“I love you too, Mommy,” Faith said, leaning her head against Scully’s side. 

Mulder returned to them, smiling as climbed over the gate and sat on the opposite side of Bella, telling them what the people would be doing. 

“They will make the fence and then we can finish the garden,” Faith said as Grey ran up the steps and squeezed through the gate. “Hello, Grey. Are you going to join us?” Grey chirped a meow and laid down in Scully’s lap, purring and kneading against her leg. 

At nearly six, the fence was complete and they all walked down to thank the people. Faith gave them all a lollipop from her special stash and the men and women called their thanks as they left. 

A portion of the old fence had been cut away and a gate had been added, allowing easier and quicker access to the garden. The new fence was eight feet tall, a light hickory color, and it ran along the driveway, nearly to the edge of the road, and down the other side to meet the previous fence. 

The new fence had twenty eight small square cutouts along the top half of each section and a picket fence along the bottom, to help keep out any small and curious animals. 

And the best part was that there was only one gate in and out, keeping everyone inside safe and secure. 

“It’s like a magic garden,” Faith said as she walked around. “I like it in here.” She spun with her arms out, Bella wagging her tail beside her,  and Scully smiled as she watched them. 

“A picket fence,” Mulder said softly and Scully quickly turned to look at him. “Remember when we talked about that? Finding a place to stop running? You said you wanted a place with a picket fence. Maybe a dog in the yard.”

“I remember,” she whispered with a nod, thinking about that night under the stars, the idea of any type of home feeling so far away and perhaps unattainable. 

“It’s taken a long time. A really long time,” he said. “And it’s not exactly the way I pictured it, but…” 

“It’s better,” she said, putting her arms around him. “This is better.” She looked around at the new gate, the halfway finished vegetable garden, and she smiled. “This is beautiful.” 

“Only because of the company occupying it,” he said with a smile and she chuckled quietly. 

“Sweet talker.” 

“I love you,” he said, his expression becoming serious. 

“I love you too,” she said, pushing up on tiptoes to kiss him. 

“We can finish the garden boxes tomorrow?” Faith asked, her arms going around both of them. 

“Absolutely,” Mulder said, pulling back and grabbing her, and then setting her up onto his shoulders.

“Daddy!” she laughed as Mulder smiled and took Scully’s hand to lead them back inside. 

__________

Saturday after breakfast, compost was added to the remaining garden boxes, which was raked and leveled, readying it for planting. 

Sunday morning, a large delivery truck carrying dark wood chips was delivered from a local arborist, to be used to create paths to walk on in between the garden beds. The rolls of cardboard that had been used in the garden boxes were laid onto the grass and then wheelbarrow after wheelbarrow of wood chips was placed on top of it. 

Faith created a game as they did, pretending to be an ice skating ninja, who must follow the path to her destiny of truth, but kept getting stuck as she waited for the wood chips to be delivered. 

“I can’t go forward and must not go back. The evil villain is waiting for me. I will just have to wait here and hope the path magically appears.” 

She pretended not to see Mulder as he hurried over, dumping the pile of wood chips in front of her, smoothing them down as he created her much needed path.  

Scully, filling buckets at the wood chip pile, to dump into the wheelbarrow, stopped and smiled at Faith as she danced, kicked and punched the air, and skated on the chips. 

“She has such a great imagination,” Mulder said as he came back, pouring the buckets into the wheelbarrow. 

“She does. Just like you.” 

“Hmm, that’s true.” He smiled as he poured in two more buckets and grabbed the handles of the wheelbarrow. “Gotta hurry. I have an ice skating ninja to save.” 

Scully laughed as he ran off, hurrying through the gate and down the center of the cardboard covered path. 

When the last wood chip had been laid, they all walked around the garden, looking at the job they had accomplished. 

“We did it,” Mulder said. “It was a tough job, but we did it.” 

“Yeah,” Faith said, nodding as she looked around. “I think it looks great.” 

“I second that,” Scully said and Faith frowned as she looked at her. 

“What does that mean?” 

“It means that I agree with you,” Scully explained with a smile. “Sometimes if an idea, or plan is suggested, it can’t happen until someone says, I second it. That means there are two votes for doing something. You said the garden looked great. And I seconded it. That means even if someone said they didn’t agree, we have two votes and they only have one.” She smiled again and Faith nodded slowly, trying to understand. 

“Let me give you an example,” Mulder said as he stretched. “I think we should head inside, wash our hands, have something to eat, and then maybe some ice cream before we start planting the seeds in the garden beds. What do you think, Faithy?” He looked at her with a smile and she grinned back. 

“I second it and three it!” she said, Mulder and Scully both laughing. 

“Then let’s do it.” 

They ate lunch inside, but had their ice cream on the porch, staring out at the new garden. 

“We could get some arched trellises,” Mulder said, as he took a bite. “Maybe not for the plants to grow on, but just to look nice. Add some of that magic Faith mentioned the other day.” He glanced at Scully and she nodded with a smile. “And I was thinking of having a small storage bin in the corner. Not anything too tall or large, but something to hold the smaller things like trowels, small shovels, watering cans, gloves… whatever else we might need. That way it’s all in one spot.” 

“A good idea,” Scully said, nodding as she took a bite. 

“Okay. You almost done, Squatch?” he asked and Faith nodded, eating up the last of her ice cream. 

“Here, Bella. You can have some too,” Faith said, setting her bowl down beside her. Bella’s tail thumped happily as she began to lick it clean. “Ready, Daddy.” 

“Then let’s get to it.” 

By the time the sun was setting, all the seeds had been planted, the beds were watered, and then adorned with markers Faith had made from scraps of wood from the old fence. 

Tomatoes and basil were in one bed. Peas and carrots in another. Potatoes and beans in another. Strawberries were on their own. Green leafy lettuce and onions were together. And in the last bed, broccoli and oregano. 

“Now we wait,” Mulder said as they walked around looking at the garden beds. “And hope the weather doesn’t get too cold.” 

“It’s an experiment,” Scully said, taking his hand. “If it doesn’t work out, what do we do?” 

“Try again,” called Faith, as she adjusted the marker labeled strawberries, with a picture of them drawn on it as well. “You have to always try again.” 

“That’s right,” Scully agreed, smiling at Faith and squeezing Mulder’s hand as she looked at him. “We’ve never done this, as you said yourself. It’s something new and experimental. We’ll just keep trying if this doesn’t work.” 

“Yeah,” he agreed. “It really does look good. A better use than just being an empty field.” 

“Agreed,” Scully said with a nod. 

“So my idea was a good one,” he said and she paused in her steps to look at him, hearing a change in his voice. 

“It was,” she said, looking at him warily and letting go of his hand. 

“Well, seeing as it’s done and looks nice, we can revisit the chickens and goats  conversation.” 

“Mulder,” she hissed, glancing at Faith who had turned her head to look at them. 

“Chickens?” she asked excitedly. “Like the baby ones we saw at the garden and pet  store? The little yellow and gray ones? They are soooo cute.”

“They are cute, aren’t they?” Mulder asked, smiling as he stared at Scully. 

“Mulder,” she warned and he shook his head. 

“Garden first, Faithy. That was the promise I made to Mommy. It’s not completely done yet, so I haven’t fulfilled my promise,” he said and Scully nodded her thanks. 

“But maybe soon?” Faith asked, walking over to them, her hands in the pockets of her dirt smudged overalls. 

“Maybe,” Scully replied, looking at Mulder with a nod. “But let’s give the garden time to grow before we begin clearing space for a chicken coop, okay?”

“Okay,” Mulder and Faith said at the same time, causing Scully to laugh. 

“Good,” she said, looking at Mulder again. “Thank you.” 

“You’re welcome,” he said, clapping his hands and looking at Faith. “Now, we need to head inside and get you in the tub, you grub. You’re filthy.” 

“I’m not a grub,” she protested, brushing her hands on her overalls. “Just my clothes are dirty.” 

“So are you, Squatch,” he said, picking her up and quickly turning her to land on his back. “Your turn for a piggyback.” He whinnied as he made sure she was on properly and then he took off at a running gallop as Faith screamed happily. 

Scully followed at a slower pace, looking at the pink and purple garden boxes with the markers inside them, written in Faith’s handwriting. 

“Alright little seeds,” she said softly, Faith’s laughter carrying back on the evening air. “You gotta grow. We’ve given you the means and the space. Now you do your part. Goodnight.” 

She closed the gate and latched it, smiling at the sight of the garden once more before she turned and followed the sound of laughter up the steps and into the house. 

[atths--twice]

your fic is very unrealistic

Yikes. That wasn’t very kind at all. You could very easily have said nothing, but instead you chose to be rude. Hmm.

Thankfully, your anonymous opinion means absolutely nothing to me. ✌🏼

[atths--twice]

It’s Scully’s sixtieth birthday today. A time for family and spending the day together. ❤️

February 23, 2024

8:45 p.m.

Scully smiled as she looked at the pictures held on the Skinner and Rachel’s fridge by an assortment of magnets.

There were ones of only Rachel and Skinner, the twins together and separate, the whole family in different locations, and many with the twins and Faith as they cheesed for the camera or were taken in candid. There was even a more recent one with all of them from Halloween, held in a border Faith had made out of popsicle sticks and decorated with Halloween stickers.

Scully shook her head as she traced her finger over Faith’s face in her favorite picture. Jacob and Elizabeth were sitting on a bedding of straw, within the petting zoo they had visited last August, each holding a bunny on their laps. They were grinning from ear to ear and beside them was Faith, smiling at them.

When Rachel had shown Scully the picture, they had both proclaimed how cute it was and how grown up Faith looked as she looked on at her “babies.” Rachel had immediately sent it to Scully and she had made copies of them on her way home the next day, placing a framed picture in Faith’s room and one in her office, both at home and at work.

Since then many things had changed, but that picture, keeping them frozen in that moment, was and always would be one of her favorites.

“Hey,” Mulder said, pulling her from her thoughts.

“Hey,” she said back, smiling at him as she moved out of his way, allowing him to open the fridge and take out two beers.

“You ready for this?” he asked, picking up the bottle opener to open the beers.

“Yeah,” she laughed with a nod.

“I don’t know if I am. I feel like this could be bad. I’m not very good at it.”

“Oh, honey,” she said, wrapping her arms around his waist and smiling at him. “You are good at it.”

“Hmm,” he hummed, his arms going around her, the two beers still held in his hands. “I just don’t know. I want to do it right and I’m not sure I’ll do you justice.”

“Just take your time and do the best you can,” she said, tilting her head slightly. “What do you always say to Faith? Try and then try again?”

“And if all else fails, chuck the fucker out the window?” he suggested and she laughed.

“Don’t remember ever hearing that part.”

“Because it’s internal. But trust me, it’s always there.”

She laughed again and he smiled at her before he leaned his head down and kissed her.

“So you did get the beers,” Skinner said, interrupting them. “They just haven’t made their way to the table yet.”

“Sorry, man,” Mulder said, turning them so he could hand Skinner his beer. “I got distracted by this smoking hot woman.”

“God,” Skinner said, shaking his head and taking a drink of his beer.

“Are you going to deny that she’s smoking hot? Today of all days?” Mulder asked incredulously as Scully stepped back with a laugh. “Look at her.”

“Mulder, stop it,” she said, shaking her head.

“No. It’s impossible. You’re hot. It’s the truth.”

“Who’s hot?” Rachel asked as she came into the room, smiling at them and taking Skinner’s beer from him.

“Hey,” he protested and she winked as she took a sip.

“I was saying that my wife, who is celebrating her sixtieth rotation around the sun-”

“More like accepting it,” Scully said with a small sigh as Rachel smiled at her.

“Celebrating,” Mulder insisted, looking at her pointedly and she nodded, scrunching her chin as she put an arm around his waist. “As amazing as ever and definitely still smoking hot.”

“Hear! Hear!,” Rachel agreed, raising the bottle in the air. Skinner looked at her and she looked back, her eyebrows raised. “Yeah, she’s hot. Deal with it.” Mulder and Scully laughed and Skinner gave Rachel a crooked smile, before kissing her softly.

“And so are you,” he said and Rachel pulled away.

“So you do think she’s hot?!” Rachel said, shaking her head and scoffing loudly as Scully laughed again.

“You… they…” Skinner stammered, looking around at each of them.

“Oh, you’re so cute when you get flustered,” Rachel laughed, putting the beer down and wrapping her arms around his neck. “I love you so much.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he said gruffly, even as he pulled her close. She smiled as she reached up to kiss him, then whispered something that made him laugh. “Yeah. Okay.”

Mulder glanced at Scully and she shrugged with a smile as she turned her attention back to Rachel and Skinner. He caught her eye and smiled.

“I’ve been given permission to state once a year that you are a…” he said, pausing when Rachel covered his ear and whispered something into it. “Babe...”

“That’s my wife you’re talking about!” Mulder stated in mock outrage. “How dare you!”

“I was talking to my wife,” Skinner said, as Rachel dissolved into laughter. “I didn’t mean-”

“Sure you didn’t,” Mulder said, shaking his head and sighing loudly.

“Jesus Christ,” Skinner murmured, picking up the beer and draining half the bottle. “Can we just…?”

“Move on?” Scully asked with a chuckle.

“Yes, please,” Skinner sighed with a nod. “I’ll grab another beer and meet you out there.”

“Okay,” Rachel said, winking at Scully as she turned to leave the kitchen. Scully caught up to her and put her arm around her waist.

“He’s so easy,” Scully said.

“Oh my God, babe. I know,” Rachel said and they both cackled as they walked out of the room.

They stopped at the long dining room table and Scully smiled at the items that had been set upon it.

“I’m really excited to do this,” Rachel said and Scully nodded, also feeling a sense of excitement.

Mulder and Skinner came into the room and they also stopped at the table.

“Okay, let’s take a seat,” Rachel said, clapping her hands and grinning at them. “Across from each other, so you’re facing your partner.”

Mulder hummed and brushed Scully’s back with his fingers as he passed her and went to sit on the side closest to the window. Skinner sat beside him and then Scully sat across from Mulder.

“Alright,” Rachel said. “So when I was younger, the birthday person always got to pick the activities for the day, what they wanted for dinner, and their cake. I’d say that aside from this particular activity, you’ve gotten all three today, Dana.” She smiled at Scully and she smiled back with a nod.

“Although,” Scully said, staring at the blank canvas on the small tabletop easel in front of her. “While it may not have been something I thought to do, I love the idea and I’m looking forward to it.”

“I’m so glad,” Rachel said, beaming as she looked at Scully. “I know I’ve sent you many videos of people doing this recently. Enjoying the company of your partner, while painting their portrait.” She gestured to the paints, paintbrushes, pencils, and pens on the table.

“Right,” Mulder agreed, staring at his own canvas, and then looking up at Scully as though studying her. She smiled and picked up a pencil, intent on sketching him first.

“Before we start, I have one request,” Rachel said, letting out a deep breath. “Take your time and make an effort. I really don’t think I need to tell the two of you.” She looked at Skinner and Mulder, smiling softly. “It’s just that… the mass amount of videos I’ve seen of people revealing their finished product, it seems like the women try harder or make more of an effort to make it good. Maybe the men have done their best, but sometimes it seems like they took it as an opportunity to paint their partner with comical features. Then, because of their actions, and the fact that it’s easier to join in on the laughter than be on the outside of it, their partner has to behave like it’s funnier than it is, while perhaps leaving them feeling… less than happy or not as loved.”

“Honey,” Skinner said quietly, shaking his head.

“I know, I know,” Rachel said, putting her hands up and shrugging. “I just…”

“Take our time,” Skinner said, smiling at her and she smiled back with a small nod.

Scully watched them, smiling when Rachel stepped closer and kissed him, before taking her place beside her.

“Okay,” Rachel said, turning on some music, though the volume stayed low, considering the sleeping children upstairs. Raising her glass of wine next to her easel, she exhaled with a smile. “Let’s do this.”

They all clinked their glasses or bottles and began to create a drawing of their partner, just like the videos Rachel had shown them over the past few days.

Two hours later, all of them slightly tipsy, it was time to reveal their paintings.

Scully had done as Rachel suggested and taken her time. Sketching Mulder, looking at him in a different light, she had focused on the varying shades of color in his hair, the close trim of his beard, his smile, and the lines around his eyes and on his forehead, especially when he concentrated.

Sometimes, especially recently, she caught him staring at those lines in the bathroom mirror. He would sigh as he touched them, no doubt feeling it made him appear older, but she loved every one of them. They were part of him and his journey in life, of which she had been an active and close participant, and she would not remove them even if she had the chance.

Adding a few final touches, she set down her paintbrush and looked at him with a smile. He was staring at his canvas closely and then pulling back with a frown and tilt of his head.

After doing this a few times, he glanced up and saw her looking at him. He raised his eyebrows at her, but she only smiled and shrugged her shoulders, not saying anything.

His foot then found hers under the table and he tapped against it once, a silent question. She tapped back three times, their code for I love you. When he tapped back four times, I love you too, she grinned as she remembered when the fourth tap or squeeze had been implemented.

“It should be four squeezes when you do it back,” Faith had said, squeezing both of their hands as they sat on the couch one night. “Because three is I love you, so four should be I love you… too!”

She had demonstrated it, squeezing their hands three times and then waiting for them to respond back with four squeezes. When they had, she grinned, as pleased as could be.

“Okay!” Rachel said, pausing the music and looking at Scully. “You’re the birthday… hottie-”

“Oh, now don’t start that again,” Skinner groaned and they all laughed.

“You go first, Dana,” Rachel said, winking at Skinner who rolled his eyes as he smiled at her.

“Okay,” Scully said, sitting up straight and letting out a breath. “Wow, this makes me feel slightly nervous. Okay, here we go.” She looked at Mulder and he grinned. “Close your eyes.”

He did as she asked as she picked up her canvas, turning it around for him to see.

“Huh,” Skinner said and then closed his mouth, glancing quickly at Scully in apology. She smiled as she shook her head, her heart beating faster as she wondered what that sound had meant.

“Can I open my eyes?” Mulder asked and Scully chuckled softly.

“Yes,” she whispered and he opened his eyes.

“Wow,” he said, leaning forward. “Wow, hon. You did an amazing job. That… wow.”

“Wow? That’s the best you got?” she teased and he laughed softly.

“It’s… can I hold it?”

She nodded and they both leaned forward, him taking the canvas and holding it as she leaned back, watching his face. He smiled as he looked over the whole thing, touching his beard and then his hair. His smile faded a bit as he ran his fingers over his forehead, touching the lines that lay there. He sighed and then looked up at her.

“It’s beautiful. You captured everything so perfectly. Lovingly.”

“That couldn’t possibly be because I love you now, could it?” she asked, smiling as she picked up her wine glass and took a sip.

“Possibly,” he agreed, looking down at the painting again.

“Can I see mine now?” she asked and he raised his head, worry in his eyes.

“I don’t think I did the same justice that you’ve done for me. I don’t know that…”

“Come on, man,” Skinner said, shaking his head and then gesturing to Mulder’s painting with his chin. “Show her.”

Mulder nodded and set her painting down before picking up his own.

“Close your eyes,” Mulder said and she did, swallowing hard, suddenly very nervous.

“Oh!” Rachel said, inhaling sharply.

“Open them.”

Scully opened her eyes and then gasped, her eyes lifting to his.

“Didn’t do me justice? Mulder, it’s so beautiful. Can I have it?”

“Yeah,” he said, grinning as he leaned forward and handed it to her.

He had painted a faint forest green background with small yellow dots near the top, symbolizing stars. Smiling back at her, he had captured her face nearly identical to how she had captured his.

There were lines etched within, where there had not been any when they first met. Her eyes were the exact shade as her own and she sighed as she stared into them. Her hair, lighter and longer than it had been when they had begun their journey together, lay across one shoulder with pieces of it coming loose onto the other side.

“It’s…” she said, shaking her head. “It’s beautiful. Thank you.” She looked up at him and he nodded with a smile.

“You’re welcome, love.”

He tapped her foot three times and as she tapped back four, he grinned and winked at her.

“It’s really good, Fox,” Rachel said, leaning toward Scully to look at it closer.

“Thank you,” he said, tapping a random pattern gently against Scully’s foot.

“Alright, who’s next?” Skinner asked gruffly. “You want to go first, honey?”

“Okay!” Rachel said, sitting up and smiling as she let out a breath. “You don’t need to close your eyes, though. I want to see your real time reaction.”

“Why does that make me nervous?” he asked and she laughed as she picked up her canvas and turned it around. “Oh, Rach… that’s…” He laughed and reached for it as Rachel smiled.

“Oh. That’s a big, bald, beautiful man,” Mulder said, looking at it and then Rachel. She and Scully laughed, both for different reasons, and Skinner shot him a look.

“Shut up,” he said and then turned his attention to Rachel. “It’s perfect. You did a really great job, honey.” He turned it around to show Scully, though she had already seen it as Rachel was working on it.

His face was painted against a dark blue background. The brown of his eyes and the salt and pepper of his beard had been captured to a T. He had a small smile and Scully smiled at the sight of it.

“It’s you. Perfectly you.” She smiled at Rachel and she bowed her head in thanks.

“I’m up,” Skinner said and Mulder tapped Scully’s foot. She looked at him and he widened his eyes.

Hmmm… what does that mean? she thought.

Skinner set Rachel’s drawing down and reached for his own. He looked at her and smiled as he picked it up and turned it around.

Both she and Scully gasped, Rachel’s hand going to her throat.

“Walter,” she breathed. “I… oh my God.” He handed it to her and Scully leaned closer, her mouth slightly agape.

It was stunning to say the least. He had drawn and then painted Rachel as well as any artist ever could. He captured the blue of her eyes, the light within them, and her smile so perfectly, it was like looking at a photograph.

“I can’t believe this,” Rachel said, shaking her head. “She’s so beautiful.”

“You’re so beautiful, honey,” Skinner said with a soft chuckle. “Don’t I always tell you that?”

“Yeah, but…” She shrugged and wiped her eyes as she shook her head again. Scully rubbed her back as Rachel drew in a deep breath.

“I think I’ve been ousted as the hottie. And on my birthday too,” Scully said and everyone laughed, Rachel’s ending on a small sob.

“I love this so much,” she said, looking at Skinner. “Thank you, sweetheart.”

“You’re more than welcome, honey,” Skinner said and Rachel nodded.

Mulder tapped Scully’s foot again and she nodded as she glanced at him.

“Who knew lying below that gruff exterior all these years, there lay the heart of such an artist?” Scully said, smiling at him. “It’s truly beautiful, Walter.”

“Thank you, Dana,” he said. “It’s hard for it not to be when such beauty is there to inspire me.”

“Okay, that’s enough flattery,” Rachel said, and Mulder and Scully both laughed. “But rest assured that anytime the twins need help with school art projects or to sculpt something out of clay, they’ll be heading your way.”

“I think I can handle that,” he said and they all laughed again.

They cleaned up, clearing away the paints and rinsing out the paintbrushes, laughing as they finished their drinks and each couple shared another slice of cake.

Rachel set the canvases on the stands on the table and took pictures of them, smiling as she then sent them in a text message.

“Thank you all for going along with this crazy idea.”

“Crazy? Nah,” Mulder said, putting his arm around her shoulders and squeezing. “It was a wonderful idea and turned out very well.”

“Thank you, Fox.”

Squeezing her shoulders again, he dropped his arm and walked over to Scully.

“A good ending to a good day?” he asked, taking her hands in his.

“Yes. Undoubtedly.”

“Good,” he said, leaning forward to kiss her softly. “Sixty looks good on you, babe.”

She wanted to protest, to make a flippant comment, but then her eyes fell on his painting of her and she saw what he saw. Smiling, she nodded and looked back at him.

“Yeah. I think it does.”

In the morning, when Faith and the twins saw the paintings on the table, they oohed and awed over them, claiming them beautiful and handsome.

“I want to paint a picture,” Faith said, looking at Skinner. “Can I paint Jacob and Liz Beth, Unco? And then they can paint me? If you help them, they can do it. I know they can.”

“God, you are just…” He kissed the top of her head and then whispered something in her ear. Her eyes lit up and she ran to Rachel and hugged her around the waist.

“Thank you, Raycho!” she shouted and then ran towards Rachel’s office, returning quickly with a wrapped package of blank canvases, though smaller than the ones they had used the previous evening.

“Always gotta be one step ahead of them,” Rachel said and Scully laughed in agreement.

Before the day was over, Faith had painted portraits of everyone, including Bella who had joined the sleepover, lying on her large bed that was placed beside her beloved Faith.

Jacob and Elizabeth painted for a bit, but then became bored and returned to their toys.

Skinner was asked to paint the picture of Faith, taking time to sketch her out before adding the paint.

“Unco,” Faith breathed when he showed her the final result. “It’s so beautiful. You did it so amazing. You’re a good drawing person.”

“Thank you, baby girl,” he said, laughing softly and kissing her forehead.

When they left, Faith held her portrait in her lap the whole way home, telling them about what she liked best about it.

Finding some nails and a hammer, they let Faith direct them on where the portraits she had painted should go, Scully hanging hers and Mulder’s side by side in her office.

The portrait Skinner had painted of Faith, did not get hung up. Not right away.

Instead, it lay on her pillow when she went to bed, joined her at the breakfast table, and was back in the bed at bedtime.

“He made it so good, Mama,” Faith said, yawning as she turned over to look at it. “I love it. Goodnight. I love you, Mama.”

“I love you too, love. Sweet dreams.” She kissed Faith’s sweet smelling hair and smiled at the painting.

Faith’s face was painted before a light lavender background. Her long brown hair was down and laying over her shoulders. Her blue eyes were alight with happiness and just a hint of mischief. She smiled with her perfect baby teeth showing. The little freckles that were beginning to appear had been added and Scully loved those most of all, as she had learned over the years to love her own many freckles.

Yes, she thought, looking at the painting once again and then smoothing Faith’s hair back to look at the aforementioned freckles. He captured her perfectly.

Kissing her once more, Scully turned out the bedside light and turned on the fox nightlight.

Closing the door softly behind her, she smiled at the gallery of pictures Faith had painted that hung on the wall by the stairs. Every one of them was there, and even the extra ones Faith had insisted she paint, of Grey and the fish, not wanting anyone to be left out.

Touching the portrait of her that Faith had painted, her love held within every stroke, Scully smiled.

“I think I’m going to like being sixty,” she whispered.

“Scully?” Mulder called and she nodded.

“Be there in a sec, hon,” she called back quietly before kissing her fingers and touching them to Faith’s painting.

Yeah, she thought as she continued down the stairs. I think sixty agrees with me.

[atths--twice]

Valentine's Day, 2024

Valentine's Day is here once again. With a little girl who loves big, there is no way to ignore the day. 💓

I cannot begin to express how much I adore writing domestic MSR. The happiness it brings me is seriously unmatched, it just flows from my fingertips, unable to be stopped.

I hope you enjoy this next installment in the family series.

And happy Valentine's Day. 💓💓

February 14, 2024

“Mommy!” Faith yelled when she saw Scully, running to her and throwing her arms around her neck as Scully squatted down to catch her. “I thought Daddy was coming to get me. I didn’t think you would be here.” 

“Did I surprise you, my love?” Scully asked with a chuckle. 

“Yes, Mommy. You did,” Faith said, pulling back to smile at Scully. “I’m happy to see you today.” 

“Well, I’m happy to see you too, honey,” Scully said, a lump forming in her throat as tears pricked her eyes. “How about you go get your things and we’ll get out of here?” 

“Okay!” Faith said happily, releasing her hold on Scully and running to collect her backpack, lunch box, and any other items from her cubby. 

Scully sighed as she stood up and quickly wiped her eyes as she watched Faith in her now slightly dirty white tights, black fuzzy boots, denim skirt, and her red Valentine’s Day sweater with white hearts. Her hair was pulled back halfway and then braided into two braids to look like a heart, a style which she had begged to have after seeing it in a tutorial video. 

She was a walking valentine. 

Smiling as she saw Faith laughing at something one of her friends said, Scully shook her head. It hit her at the oddest of times, how quickly Faith was growing up and becoming her own person. 

Of course she saw her every day and was privy to everything happening in her life, but there were moments when she would do a double take as she looked at Faith, seeing not the five year old girl, but someone older she did not know yet. It took her breath away at times, not wanting life to move so fast. 

“Mommy,” Faith said, walking toward Scully with her backpack on, her arms full of papers. “Can you help me with all these?” 

“Of course, my love,” Scully said, reaching for the crinkly pages of artwork. “Wow, you have a lot of papers here.” 

“Uh huh,” Faith nodded, rocking up on her toes. “We made love heart trees.” 

“Oh… I see that. Oh, honey. It’s so beautiful. I love the colors you chose.” 

“Thank you, Mommy. But that one’s not for you.” 

“Is it for Daddy?” Scully asked, looking at the different shades of blue paint that she had used to make a large heart shaped tree. There were brown branches added to it, some larger than the others, and a thick trunk at the bottom with a large knothole in the middle. “Is this hole for the animals to sleep inside?” 

“Uh huh,” Faith said again, reaching up to look at the stack of papers. Scully bent down a little so she could see it better. “A squirrel lives in this tree, but he’s out gathering nuts to eat later.” 

“I see,” Scully said with a smile. “Well, you’ll have to tell Daddy all about the squirrel when you give it to him.” 

“No, Mommy,” Faith said, shaking her head. “This one isn’t for Daddy.” 

“Who’s it for then?” 

“For Jacob,” she said matter of factly and Scully raised her eyebrows. “Daddy’s is different colors. Let me find it.” She took the papers and laid them on the floor, slipping her backpack off as she spread out the papers, despite other children and parents walking around her. 

“Honey, you-”

“Here it is!” Faith said triumphantly, picking up a multicolored tree and handing it to Scully.

“This is beautiful, Faithy, but I think maybe we should move over to the table? Or the top of the bookcase there, so your pictures don’t get stepped on? I think that would be better.” 

“Okay, Mommy. I’ll pick them up. Can you get my backpack?” 

“Yeah, baby. I got it.” 

They walked to the low bookcase and Faith set the stack of papers down. 

“This one is for Jacob,” she said, laying the one Scully had already seen beside her larger pile of papers. “This one is for Unco. It’s all yellow and orange because he was the coward lion for Halloween.” She giggled as Scully laughed softly, remembering Skinner in the Cowardly Lion costume. “This one is for Liz Beth, because she likes pink, purple, and little blue.” 

“Light blue,” Scully corrected her in a whisper, smiling as she looked at the tree for Elizabeth. 

“This one is for Raycho,” Faith continued, moving Elizabeth’s drawing over. “It’s blues and purples like her ballerina painting. I like that painting. It makes me happy.” 

“Oh, Faith,” Scully breathed, shaking her head slowly. 

“And this is yours, Mommy. I made this one for you. See?” Moving Rachel’s drawing, Scully gasped at the heart tree Faith had made for her. “Do you like it, Mommy?” 

“I love it. It’s so beautiful,” Scully whispered, squatting down to look at it closer. 

“It’s the colors of your office. The green walls of the office. And black and white and gray. All the colors in there, Mommy. Oh, and little brown, like the bookcases.” 

“Faithy,” she said, touching the drawing and tracing the darker brown of the tree up to the light yellow in the center. “It’s so beautiful, honey. Can you tell me what the yellow is in the middle?” 

“That’s the light,” she said, looking at Scully in confusion. “Like the light on your desk.” 

“Of course it is,” she whispered with a small chuckle. 

“I have to write my name still. The paint was too wet. I can do it later at home, right? Before we go to Unco’s house?” Faith asked, her eyebrows knitting together in concern. 

“Yes. We’ll have time for that,” Scully reassured her, as she continued to look at the heart tree. “How did you make these?” 

“With my fingers,” Faith said, wiggling them at Scully with a giggle. “We did heart finger painting.” 

“And you made one for everyone,” Scully said softly. 

“Welllll…” Faith said, looking around the classroom. “Miss Cole said it was supposed to be only one… maybe two, but I made more.” 

“I can see that,” Scully laughed quietly. 

“She said it was for our family, for Valentine’s Day. But, I have…” She held up her hand and pointed to each finger as she named them. “Unco, Raycho, Jacob, Liz Beth, Daddy, and you, Mommy. That’s six people in my family. I had to make six.” She shrugged and Scully set Mulder’s heart tree onto the pile as she reached for Faith, pulling her close and closing her eyes. 

“Do you know how much I love you, Faith Mulder?” 

“Yeah,” Faith said as she hugged her back. “As tall as the mountains, as deep as the sea, and all the way to the farthest planet.” 

“Plus…” 

“Infinity,” Faith said and Scully smiled as she let her go and smoothed back her hair, kissing her forehead softly. “I love you all those things too, Mommy.” 

“I’m so happy you do.” Faith nodded and Scully kissed her forehead once more before collecting the papers. “What do you say to lunch and then the park?” 

“The big park?” Faith asked, her eyes lighting up. 

“Yeah, the big park,” Scully said, smiling at her. 

“Can Daddy come with us? He always pushes me so high on the swing.” 

“We can call him in the car and ask him if you’d like,” Scully said, knowing full well Mulder’s answer would be yes, leaving behind the project he had nearly completed for Faith. 

“I just need like an hour more,” he had said, hanging yet another large tissue paper heart from the ceiling as she had walked out of her office. 

“Mulder,” she had said, shaking her head. “This is a lot.” 

“Raising the bar, Scully,” he had said, winking at her. “Letting her know that she shouldn’t settle for less than complete adoration when it comes to holidays.” 

“So is this also meant for me? To represent your love and adoration of me?” she had asked, raising an eyebrow as she looked at him. “Because… while it is lovely and sweet, I tend to prefer coffee, wine, or something… sparkly.” She had gestured to her ears and then her wrist as he had laughed, stepping off the step ladder and walking over to her. 

“We haven’t even exchanged gifts yet,” he had said in a low voice, pulling her to him and swaying them back and forth as he had smiled at her. “You act as though I don’t know you, woman.” 

“I was just teasing. I don’t need anything,” she had said as she slowly wrapped her arms around his neck and he brought his forehead to rest against hers, fully aware she had a gift for him wrapped and ready to be given later. 

“No more of no gifts between us,” he had whispered. “We were different then. We have a girl watching us who sees how love should be expressed and celebrated on special occasions. We have a legacy to protect.” 

“Stop being cute and quoting Hamilton at me,” she had whispered back and he had laughed quietly. 

“Wait for it. Wait for it,” he had sung softly, spinning her suddenly and then dipping her, both of them laughing before he had kissed her. 

“I’ll pick her up,” she had whispered against his lips. “You finish up here.” 

“Thanks, love,” he had said, kissing her once more before pulling her back onto her feet and returning to his task.  

Hopefully he’s finished by now, she thought as they walked to the car and she glanced down at the many heart tree drawings in her hand. 

“Can you call Daddy now, Mommy?” Faith asked as they began to leave the school. 

“Sure, honey,” Scully said, pressing a button on the Bluetooth. 

“Can I say it?” 

“Sure.” 

“Call, Mulder,” Faith said loudly and clearly after she heard the beep, Scully grinning as she glanced back at Faith.  

“Calling… Mulder,” the voice said and Faith smiled as the phone started to ring. 

“Jello,” Mulder said when he answered and Faith giggled. 

“You’re so silly, Daddy. You’re supposed to say hello, not jello.” 

“Oh. Silly me. I must have forgotten,” he said and Scully smiled again.  

“Daddy, we’re going to get some lunch and then go to the big park,” Faith said, opening her arms to emphasize the size of the park. 

“Hey now, but what about me? What if I want to go to the park?” he asked and Scully could practically see him pouting. 

“We’re inviting you, Daddy! This is your own special invitation. Will you RSVP?” 

Mulder choked and Scully covered her mouth as she let out a harsh laugh of surprise. 

“Will I… RSVP?” Mulder asked, coughing over a laugh. 

“Yeah. That means to tell me yes you will or no you won’t,” Faith explained, looking down at the hearts on her sweater. 

“I see,” he said, clearing his throat. “Well then, I RSVP… yes. Yes, I will meet you at the park.” 

“The big park, Daddy.” 

“Yes, the big park. I’ll be there, my love.” 

“Yay! Thank you for the RSVP, Daddy.” 

“You’re welcome, my girl,” he said, laughing softly. “Scully?” 

“Yes?” she asked, laughing softly herself as Faith began singing quietly. 

“Could you grab me something to eat too? S'il vous plait?” 

“Of course, mon cheri,” she said and he hummed. 

“Oh, Tishhhh,” he said softly and she laughed. 

“See you at the big park,” she said, laughing as she disconnected the call, shaking her head. 

As they waited for their food order, she sent a message to Rachel and Skinner, inquiring of their plans for the afternoon and if they wanted to possibly change them and join them at the park. Rachel quickly replied that they would indeed be there, needing to get out of the house for a little while. 

While they ate their lunch at a picnic table, Scully helped Faith write I love you, Love Faith on all of her drawings and then placed them into an extra folder Scully found in the car. 

Mulder arrived, kissing them both hello before he ate his own meal hurriedly in order to push Faith on the swings. 

When Skinner, Rachel, and the twins arrived, Faith was beside herself with happiness. She ran over and hugged them all, telling Elizabeth she liked her beautiful heart dress, which used to be Faith’s. 

“Did you want to give them their drawings, honey?” Scully asked and Faith hurried over to grab the folder, giving out the drawings and telling why each color had been chosen for that specific person. 

Rachel cried at her drawing and the twins, but then laughed when she heard Skinner’s. 

“Aww, you big ol’ lion,” she said, patting his face as he growled, showing his teeth. The kids laughed and then screamed in excitement as he stood up and started to chase them. 

They ran to the playground and he swooped Faith up, hugging her close before setting her onto the play structure. He put the twins in the child swings and pushed them as Faith laughed about something and he smiled back at her. 

“I should probably go give him a hand,” Rachel said, looking at all of their heart trees one more time. “She’s such a sweet girl. So smart. Observant and creative. What will she be when she’s older?” She put the drawings back into the folder, smiled at them, then stood up to join Skinner. 

“What will she be?” Scully echoed in a whisper. 

“Amazing. At whatever she does,” Mulder said, squeezing Scully’s thigh gently. 

“Yeah,” she agreed, looking at his drawing. “All the colors, Mulder. You got all of them, just like her treehouse at home. All the colors, because that’s who you are to her. All the happiness and color in the world.” 

“And you’re her calm, Scully,” he said, nodding to her heart tree. “The peace and comfort she needs when things get to be too much.”

“Yeah,” Scully nodded, tears pricking at her eyes for the second time that day. “I suppose I am.” 

“She’s a pretty great kid,” he whispered, watching her help push the twins, laughing as they began to laugh. 

“She is at that,” Scully replied with a smile. 

“I’m gonna head over and join the group,” he said, turning his head to look at her, a smile tugging at his lips. “But might I first trouble you for a kiss? Can you RSVP on that question?” 

They both laughed loudly and she wiped tears from her eyes as she shook her head. She kissed him, both of them still laughing, before he stood up and extricated himself from the table. 

“RSVP,” he said under his breath as he walked away, shaking his head with a chuckle. 

She smiled as she gathered up their drawings and added them to the others. Putting Faith’s backpack on top of it to keep them from blowing away, she stood up from the table. 

She joined Rachel, who was now pushing Elizabeth in the swing. Faith and Jacob, both suddenly screamed excitedly as they ran across the suspension bridge, their laughter soon filling the air, as Mulder and Skinner played the mean trolls waiting beneath, growling and grabbing at them as they passed. 

What will she be? Scully wondered as she watched Faith, breathing hard and smiling as she whispered in Jacob’s ear. He nodded, his eyes locked on Mulder. 

Amazing, beyond any of our wildest expectations, she thought as Faith and Jacob shouted and ran back across the bridge, laughing and screaming in delight. She couldn’t possibly be anything less. 

[atths--twice]

Chapter Four

Painting 101: A Study in Art

Saturday afternoon

“Here,” Scully said, handing Mulder two clothespins. “If you gather the edges of the tarp together and pin them, it lessens the chance of it flying off the table. Or blowing up and hitting the rocks we’ve painted.” 

“Smart,” he said and she nodded as she picked up the tarp she had brought with her and began to unfold it. He took one end and she took the other, spreading it over the picnic table. “It was a good idea to bring this. Considerate, I mean.” 

“Yeah well,” she said as she pinned one side of her corners together. “I know it’s a public bench and who knows what other people have done here… oh, like write Janey blows hard in permanent marker. Lovely.” He looked at her and watched her shake her head as she read the words written on the table. “So, I thought bringing the tarp would both keep us from touching or seeing those previous activities and protect the table from further ones.” She pinned the other corner and looked at him with a smile. 

“Hence the tarp,” he said, smoothing down his own side and smiling back at her. 

“Yeah… hence,” she replied, her smile growing. 

“Alright then,” he said, quickly finishing his task as she began to lay out the rocks she had gathered and some others they had found when they had gone to a bonfire the previous evening. 

Hannah, and some of Dana’s other friends, had arranged to have a bonfire at the beach. While it was not Mulder’s usual scene, he had gladly joined them. 

He and Scully had walked along the shore in the dwindling sunlight as the fire was set up, holding hands and hissing when the cold water hit their feet. She had stopped to pick up rocks, putting them into her pockets and then asking him to do the same when she had run out of room. 

When they had returned to the group, the rocks were transferred to her backpack and she had smiled as she closed it up, setting it next to them on the blanket they were sharing. 

“We’ll have a lot to paint tomorrow now,” she had said, taking his hand and leaning her head on his shoulder as the fire popped and crackled. 

She had stretched her legs out and crossed her sandy feet. He had frowned as he noticed something and as she wiggled her toes, he leaned forward to get a better look. 

“Are you… is that a ring on your toe?” he had asked and she had shifted, beginning to pull her feet back. 

“Oh… yeah. I forgot to take it off,” she had said quickly. 

“What is it?” he had asked, moving to take a hold of her foot. 

“Fox… Mulder, you don’t…” she had said, trying to stop him. “It was just a silly thing my sister sent me and I… it’s not me. I just forgot to take it off.” 

“You don’t like it?” he had asked, gently wiping away the sand to get a better look, but watching her face to wait to do so. 

“I do,” she had said quietly with a nod. “I just… it’s not me. I don’t… I don’t know.” 

“Can I look at it?” 

“Yeah,” she had whispered and he had smiled as he looked down and moved her foot closer to his face to see it in the glow of the fire. 

It had been silver, not thick but also not thin and in the middle of it, a moon and two stars had been cast. 

“How is it not you?” he had asked, rubbing the ring and then her toe gently. “The design?” 

“Wearing it at all,” she had said, looking down at it. “It’s more something my sister would do.” 

“I see,” he had said, remembering how she had spoken of her sister. “Did she make it?” 

“Yeah. She said she is learning how to cast and work with silver.” 

“I think,” he had said, rubbing his thumb across the moon and stars. “With my limited knowledge of your sister and my growing knowledge of you… you should definitely wear it.” 

“Why?” 

“Hmm,” he had said, looking down at it and smiling. “You said you liked it?”

“Yeah.” 

“Then let’s call that reason number one then,” he had said and she had exhaled a breath. “Reason two, unless you’re wearing shoes that expose your toes, you’re the only one who knows you’re wearing it. So, no one can comment on it- either for or against.” 

“Yeah,” she had said again, looking down at her foot and nodding. 

“And reason three,” he had said softly, causing her to look up at him. “If it makes you happy, makes you feel any way… different than yourself or whatever, then you do what you want. Who cares what anyone has to say, how they may look at it, or what their personal opinion is. They don’t matter. They can fuck off.” 

She had gasped and her mouth had dropped open, her eyes widening. 

“You said fuck,” she had whispered. 

“Yeah, I did,” he had said, a smile stretching across his face. 

“I didn’t know you vineyard boys said things like that,” she had said and he had laughed, his hand moving from her foot to her ankle, his thumb rubbing around it softly. 

“Oh, we definitely do,” he had said and she hummed as she scrambled up and was suddenly straddling him, her arms around his neck. 

“What else do you do that I don’t know about?” she had whispered, her lips dropping to his as he wrapped his arms around her waist. 

A loud chorus of ohhhh and wolf whistles had filled the air. He had pulled back and she had laughed as she kissed him once more and then moved off of him. He had felt his face flushing as she goodnaturedly called for them to shut up and mind their own business. Kissing sounds were then heard and he had exhaled deeply as she had taken his right hand in her left and then flipped them off with her right. 

The fire had crackled and then popped again, smoke blowing toward them as they waved it away. His head still buzzing from their kiss, she had laid her head on his shoulder and stretched her legs out again. 

“I’ll keep wearing the ring,” she had whispered and he had smiled as he looked at it. “Because… fuck ‘em.” 

“Exactly,” he had agreed. “Fuck ‘em.” 

“You certainly added more rocks last night,” he said as he looked at the large group of them on the table. “I like the ones you chose.” 

“Thanks. I like to find ones that are large enough to paint something interesting but also some that are different. Like this one,” she said, picking up a rock that was completely smooth except for two small holes that appeared on both sides. “I think I like this one the best and I know how I want to paint it.” 

“How?” he asked. 

“You’ll have to wait and see,” she said and he nodded with a smile. “I’ll get the paints and stuff out now. Pick your rock.” 

He looked through the numerous rocks and decided on one as she finished setting up the items they would need to paint. 

“Okay. Let’s get started,” she said and they smiled as they sat down beside each other and prepared to paint. 

He paused and watched her, appreciating the way she selected her paint colors and added them to one of the paper plates she had brought before moving onto the paintbrushes. Dipping the brush into black paint, she began to add it to the rock with the two holes. 

“I can feel you watching me,” she said, turning her head to look at him. “It’s a little unnerving.” 

“Sorry,” he said, grinning as he reached for a paper plate and a tube of paint. Creating his own palette of colors, he stared at his rock and waited for inspiration to hit. “Have you always done this? Is painting rocks a hobby of yours?” 

“No. Well, not exactly,” she said, shaking her head as she continued to paint the rock black.  

“Do you paint other things instead? Like canvases?”

“No again,” she said, looking up at him with a smile. 

“Alright,” he said, smiling back at her. “So…?”

“I had a rock collection when I was younger,” she said, her attention back on the rock as she painted slow strokes. “Like I told you, we moved a lot with my father being in the Navy. I had rocks I collected from California, South Carolina, Washington state, and Japan.” 

“Japan? Really?” he asked, picking up his paintbrush and tapping it softly against his rock. “What was that like?” 

“I don’t remember much about it, being so young. Well, except the base and the sea. I was only five when we left, but I brought my collection with me. They were sacred.” 

“I’m sure they were.” 

She smiled at him and nodded. Setting her paintbrush into the tall plastic cup she had filled with water, she clasped her hands together and sighed. 

“I never painted the rocks in my collection and to be honest, it never occurred to me to paint any. But, I worked as a counselor at an overnight summer camp when I was eighteen and it happened to be one of the activities we did with the campers. Someone had collected rocks from the beach and brought them to the camp. We were only supposed to observe and offer assistance if it was needed, but there were so many rocks, I painted one with my cabin of fifteen year olds.” She smiled as she picked up a different paintbrush and touched the bristles. “I told you that I was going through some things last year, things that wouldn’t have allowed this…” She gestured between them and he nodded, remembering their conversation on the boat. “Well… I guess you could say it started around that summer and kind of continued on in waves.” 

She laughed almost bitterly and he stared at her, waiting to hear more. 

“You know how some people are late bloomers when it comes to puberty?” she asked and he nodded. “Well, for me, I suppose it was rebelling.” 

“Hmm. You have an older brother. And a sister,” he said, watching her face. She met his eyes and nodded. “You saw them grow up and then leave. You were done with high school and college was on the horizon. I could see all of those factors leading to a bit of rebellion.” 

“Are you studying psychology?” she asked and he chuckled softly. 

“No.”

“You might want to reconsider that,” she said, looking at him with raised eyebrows. 

“I’ll think about it,” he replied, chuckling once again. 

“It could have been all of those things,” she said with a sigh. “But I think I just… I don’t know. I just felt angry and upset a lot of the time. I felt… kind of out of place in my own skin.” 

“Well.. in my… studies and from books I’ve read,” he said, his tone serious as he put a hand on his chin and stroked slowly. “As well as in my observations…” She grinned as she watched him and he smiled back with a shrug. 

“You’re so adorable,” she whispered and then leaned toward him, kissing him softly before pulling back. 

“I was serious, though, about the changes in your life,” he said. “They can all manifest to cause turmoil we never anticipated.” 

“Yeah,” she agreed with a nod. “I know. But at the time though, that kind of thinking would have really pissed me off.” 

“I completely understand,” he laughed and she smiled again. 

“It was just…” She sighed and then looked at him, her eyes traveling over his face. “I’ve never really talked about this with anyone.” 

“Not even a friend?” 

“Not in its entirety,” she whispered and he nodded slowly. 

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. You can-”

“No, I want to. I just… I don’t want you to think less of me. Or… I don’t know.” 

“I wouldn’t,” he promised, shaking his head and smiling slightly as he gently squeezed her knee and she sighed again with a nod. 

“I was tired of being perfect Dana. The one everyone kind of babied and kept an eye on, but then seemed to forget about. I was… the result,” she said and he frowned, not understanding. “My sister had pushed the boundaries of things as she grew up. So as the result… I was treated differently.” He hummed and nodded. “I had stricter curfews, rules about makeup, dating, school, and friends. Bill, my older brother, behaved like my father at times, especially when my father was gone, telling me what to do and how to behave. We got into many fights over it and I really hated him sometimes. When he left for the Navy, I was more happy than sad to see him go.” 

“That’s not too unusual,” Mulder reassured her. “Especially if he acted more like a father figure than your brother.” 

“I know, but I felt guilty about it after a while,” she said and he nodded. “But I kept it pushed down, not wanting anyone to know. Then my sister left. Well… she sort of left as she would come and go, not having, as my father would say, a known purpose. But, even though they would fight, my parents asking her, sometimes pleading with her, to have direction and drive, it would end in a sigh and a shrug as if to say, Well, that’s just Missy, what can you do?”  Scully sighed heavily and shook her head, her eyes downcast. “It felt… felt unfair and like… everything was then put onto me to be better than perfect and do what they thought I should do. At first I did, being the person I am. But then it made me angry and I started rebelling. It felt good at times, but shameful at others.” 

“Sounds about right,” he said quietly, tapping her arm gently. She raised her head and looked at him, her eyes wet with tears. “Middle of four children… it’s hard not to be overlooked and also forced to excel.” 

“Yeah,” she whispered, setting her paintbrush down and wiping her eyes with her sleeve. “Yeah.” 

They were quiet for a couple of minutes and then she sniffled as she wiped her eyes again. 

“It was small things,” she said, letting out a deep breath. “Staying out past curfew. Not calling if I’d be late. Leaving my room a mess, even though that killed me.” She laughed and then sniffled, wiping her eyes again. “I was technically an adult, but still living at home for the time being. I fought with them, acted out, went on dates with men that I… that I didn’t really like, because I knew it would bother my parents. But when the men wanted more from me… I broke it off and then…” She shook her head and he gave her a small smile as she looked at him. “I was so self destructive, if I had met you then, I would have hurt you with my actions.” 

“You know,” he said softly, setting down his paintbrush and taking one of her hands. “I’ve always been a really good judge of character.” 

“You don’t have to brag,” she said with a sob and he chuckled as she shook her head. 

“Sorry,” he apologized with a smile and she nodded, sniffling softly. “But what I meant is that… I tend to observe, then act. Always have. I would have seen past that bravado you put up. Seen you. And I would have been your friend.” He leaned closer and gently kissed her forehead as she let out a shaky breath. Pulling back, he smiled and she scrunched her chin as tears filled her eyes again. “But… that wasn’t the journey we were on. So the past is the past and the present is now.” 

“Yeah,” she whispered and he nodded. 

“I’m sure I would have wanted to know that Dana. Just as much as I want to know this one. Older and wiser.” 

“I’m twenty. I’m not old,” she said, rolling her eyes dramatically and he laughed softly. She smiled as she dried her eyes again and then stared at him. “Thank you. For listening and understanding.” 

“Of course,” he said, squeezing her hand. 

“We kind of steered off topic,” she said, glancing at the rocks on the table. 

“Does one have to do with the other?” he asked and she looked back at him. 

“Yeah, in its own way,” she said. “When we painted the rocks at the camp, I was listening to the girls in my cabin talking. There were two camps actually. On one side of a large lake was the boys camp, and on the other side was the one we were at, the girls camp. So naturally, the girls wanted to figure out a way to get to the boys camp.” 

“Of course they did,” Mulder said with a laugh. 

“And of course, my job as a counselor was to discourage such behavior. But then I thought about all of the times when I wanted to do something, and I was told no, or simply given a look that meant that was not how I was to behave, and I remember saying under my breath- fuck it. And then I said it loud enough for them to hear me and all of them stared at me in shock.” 

“I’m sure.” 

“As we sat there,” she said, touching the rock she had painted and smiling. “We came up with a plan to sneak around the lake and see the boys. The rush I felt from doing something… bad… made me feel invincible. It was different from how I had ever felt before and I liked it. A lot.” 

She glanced at him and he smiled, encouraging her to continue. 

“Well, we snuck over, although…” She laughed and shook her head. “I don’t know if snuck is the right word as we were quite loud. We had invited another cabin so it was twenty four girls and four counselors walking through the woods at night, laughing and chatting in loud whispers.” 

“How far did you get?” Mulder asked with a chuckle. 

“Nearly to the cabins. But the boys' camp leader met us in a golf cart, shaking his head and crossing his arms. The girls all screamed and started to run, us counselors following after them. I was in the back of the group and when I looked back, he was laughing.” 

“I bet.” 

“We all laughed as we walked back and some were planning when our next attempt would be, but for others it had been enough. I felt torn as I would normally have been scared to go once and mortified to go a second time. What if that leader was there again?” She looked at him with wide eyes and he laughed. “But then, as we got back to the cabin, and the girls started getting ready for bed, I thought about how exciting it had been to break the rules a little. So the next time we planned to go over, I was one of the counselors who took them. The group this time was smaller, and even though we didn’t make it much further, instead of heading back to the cabin right away, we stayed by the lake for a little bit. We threw rocks in the water and looked up at the stars, talking about boys and growing up and… everything and nothing.” She smiled and he nodded, picturing the moment perfectly. “I heard them talking, thinking about how they were different and braver than me. I wouldn’t call them defiant, but my father certainly would have. But sitting with them there, I thought about how I wanted to make a change.” 

“And so you did.” 

“Yeah,” she said quietly. “ I did, and like I said at times, it was great and at times I hated it. It was a year of some serious soul-searching before I started to come back to myself. And strangely enough, it was finding both my rock collection, and the one I had painted at the camp, that had turned things around.” 

“How’s that?” he asked. 

“Well,” she said with a smile. “The rock collection made me think about myself as a child and the things that I had held dear and were important to me.” She smiled again and let out a sigh. “And then as I looked at the rock that I had painted, with the added thumbprint of each girl to remember them by, it made me think of myself as the grown up I now was. Staring at the two together, I realized that I’m more like my younger self than what I believed to be my older self. They are two sides of a coin, and yet I am more like one than the other.” 

“But you need both sides to make the coin whole,” he said softly and she nodded. 

“Exactly. That’s exactly it. I was trying so hard to be one or the other, I didn’t think about the fact that I could be both. So,” she said, laughing through her nose. “So, I changed again, or maybe not changed, just embraced who I am. A people pleasing, good girl at heart, with a bit of a rebellious streak that might not be right at the surface, but definitely lingers below.” 

“Huh,” he said, his hand once more at his chin as he stroked it thoughtfully, his eyes on her. “Yes, that would be my assessment as well.” 

“The girl at the country club who would work up the nerve to convince you to join her in some debauchery, scared and thrilled that we’d be caught at any minute,” she said, her eyes shining as she placed a hand on his knee. 

“And the boy who was just simply terrified of everything- getting caught, you for being so bold, and myself for the joy it brought me,” he replied, covering her hand with his own. 

“That place wouldn’t have been able to handle us,” she whispered and he laughed as they both leaned forward and their lips met. 

“Ewwwww!” came the cry of children’s voices and they pulled apart to find the source of the sound. 

A small mixed group of boys and girls around the age of seven were staring at them with disgusted faces. 

“Kissing is yuck!” one kid said and the others agreed, nodding vehemently. 

“You’ll change your mind one day,” Scully called to them and they shook their heads before running off toward the playground. 

“They will,” she said to Mulder. “Especially if the person is as good a kisser as you.”

“Back at ya,” he said and she laughed. “Whaddya say we get back to these rocks? I was promised Toni’s after this and I’m starting to feel a little hungry.” 

“Yeah,” she said, squeezing his knee gently. “Let’s do it. You know what you’re going to paint now?” 

“I do,” he said with a nod. 

“Then let’s get started,” she said, turning her attention back to her rock. “Thanks for listening. And understanding.” 

“Of course,” he said with a nod. “It’s free of charge this time, seeing as I don’t have a degree in psychology.” 

“Yet,” she said, raising her eyebrows as she glanced at him. 

“Right,” he agreed with a laugh and she nodded as she picked up her paintbrush. 

After painting six rocks each, they began to clear away their mess and the extra unpainted rocks as they left the others to dry a bit longer. When everything else had been done, they looked at the creations they had made. 

“I like them,” Scully said, smiling at his rocks. “This one especially.” She pointed to one of the last ones he had made and he smiled happily. 

“I made that one for you,” he said. “I’m glad you like it.” 

“What?” 

“It’s this picnic bench,” he explained, pointing at it. “It looks ordinary on its own, the sun setting behind it, but it’s not. It’s a place where I learned more about you and why rocks are important and what they represent.” 

“Fox… Mulder,” she said, her fingers running lightly across the rock. “I love it.” 

“You’ll notice I didn’t add Janey blows hard, so it’s not completely accurate,” he said and she laughed. 

“It’s better than accurate,” she whispered, wrapping her arms around his waist. “Thank you.” 

“You’re welcome,” he said, hugging her close. “Thank you again for telling me.”

“Hmm,” she hummed and then looked up at him, silently asking for a kiss. He smiled as he kissed her, the wind blowing softly around them. “I made one for you too. Can you guess which one it is?” 

“Oh, let me see,” he said, letting go of her and looking at her rocks, which were painted and detailed much better than his own. 

He looked through them all twice before he shook his head and looked at her. 

“I don’t know. They’re all beautiful and very well done, but I…” He shook his head again and she smiled. 

“This one,” she said, pointing to one with a medium blue background and what looked to be purplish blue berries clustered together on a dark green branch. 

“I don’t-”

“You gave me your sweatshirt on the camping trip,” she said softly. “Without thought of being cold yourself. It was so warm and smelled so good. We didn’t really know each other and yet you did that. Then you fell in the water and didn’t ask for it back.” 

“Well, I had other clothes.” 

“Still…” She shook her head and squeezed his hand. “Then you heard me singing while we were looking for plants and things to eat.” She laughed and shook her head. “God, I was trying so hard to get your attention.” 

“What?” 

“I wanted to know you better. And as I gathered up the berries, I promised myself I would do just that,” she said. “So, I painted them for you. Because now that I have gotten to know you better, I want to know even more.” 

She looked at him and he grinned, lifting her off her feet and kissing her as she squeaked in surprise.  

“I do too,” he whispered, kissing her again and setting her down. 

“How about we accomplish that over an early dinner?” she asked, her eyes sparkling. “Say… Toni’s? My treat?” 

“It’s like you’re reading my mind,” he teased. 

“Imagine that,” she said, smiling as she began to gather up the rocks. 

“Yeah,” he said quietly, picking up the rock with purplish blue berries painted on it and smiling. “Imagine that.” 

[atths--twice]

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve imagined this scenario. We should have had it.

But since we didn’t, how about a little fic instead? 😊

The abandoned garage offers no assistance for their overheating car as the suspect they’re chasing gains ground. Mulder sees a motorcycle and hurries to find the keys.

“Mulder,” Scully shouts, as he runs to it and sits down, grinning as he starts it up. “You know how to drive a motorcycle?”

“Yeah, I do,” he yells back, revving the engine and gesturing for her to get on with a tilt of his head. “Hurry, Scully. We need to go.”

She stares at him and he nods. She puts a hand on his shoulder and throws a leg over the bike, sitting down behind him.

“Hold on tight,” he yells, moving her hand to his waist and squeezing reassuringly before grabbing the handlebars.

Her heart rate speeds up instantly, her breathing increasing as she puts her other arm around his waist and holds tightly, the scent of his leather jacket filling her nose.

“Ready?” he yells and though she is the farthest thing from it, she nods against his back.

With one more squeeze to her hand, he pushes the kickstand up and they swerve a second as he steadies the motorcycle and they speed out of the garage. Her grip intensifies, both with her arms and thighs, as the wind rushes past them and she closes her eyes, her cheek pressed against his back.

His right hand squeezes her knee once and she raises her head, her eyes flying open and her heart racing from the simple touch, even as she immediately feels calmer.

“Remind me to take you for a ride under better circumstances,” he yells back to her and she laughs nervously, her knee feeling as though it is burning.

She closes her eyes again, her cheek once more pressed against his back, as they hurry down the road to catch their suspect.

Her grip tightens as they lean to the left and she gasps.

No, she thinks as very unpartnerlike thoughts enter her head and refuse to leave, her face flushing as her thighs press into him. No, I definitely won’t be reminding you.

Or would she?

[atths--twice]

Oh! Thanks for the tag @katy-kt-katie!

Rules: post the last sentence you wrote (fanfic / original / anything) and tag as many people as there are words in that sentence.

Here we go!

“What else do you do that I don’t know about?” she had whispered, her lips dropping to his as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

(Oh… Sorry, I don’t know as many people as there are in the sentence word count, so I’ll tag just a few)

@baronessblixen @rationalcashew @fragilevixenfic

WIP Game

RULES: Post the last sentence you wrote (fanfic / original / anything) and tag as many people as there are words in the sentence.

I was tagged by the amazing @skittle479

“I know… you’re so used to the pain,” he traces his fingers down her shoulder, turning into the divot of her elbow before grazing across the inside of her forearm. “What’s pleasure without it? What good is all this attention without immediate abandonment? Love without resentment? How will you know how to react?How to feel?”

Tagging: @letsby @bullet-prooflove @my-secret-shame and @foxilayde

[atths--twice]

I saw this on TikTok.

This is so MSR. I feel like it feels more Mulder coded, but imagine this from Scully. Maybe he finds it in a journal one day or better yet, there is a card in one of his drawers and he takes it out, frowning as he doesn’t know why it’s there. They are still new and expressing how she feels is still hard for her, so she leaves him a note that means more than words ever could.

Or maybe after season 11. He goes downstairs and finds it by the coffee pot, Scully already back to work at the hospital. He smiles and shakes his head. Finding his phone, he takes a picture, adds it to a message to her, and writes Ditto. + 1,000. ❤️❤️

[atths--twice]

Chapter Three

Sailing 101: A Study in Dynamics

It's time for a second date. And what could be better than an afternoon spent out on the water?

Monday afternoon 

Mulder stood waiting for Scully beside the sailboat he had reserved. He kept running through his checklist of what he needed to do once on the boat and also what he had brought with him to ensure everything was perfect. 

They had spoken after she came home from church and lunch on Sunday, her calling him nearly the instant she had arrived. He had smiled, listening to her discuss who she had seen and what she’d had to eat. 

“I make it a point to eat really well on Sunday, especially since my parents are paying for it,” she had said and he had laughed. “I mean they always say to get whatever I want, so I do. I used to hold back though, not wanting to seem rude, but now… well… I don’t.” 

“Makes sense,” he had said, picturing her ordering plate after plate, her napkin tucked into her dress to keep it clean. 

“I’m glad you agree,” she had said and he smiled again. 

“How do you feel about sailing?” he had blurted out as she had begun to speak but had then fallen silent. 

“In general or…?” she had asked and he had chuckled. 

“How do you feel about going sailing tomorrow?” 

“You… you own a sailboat?” she had asked incredulously. 

“No. I don’t personally. My parents have a boat, though it’s not what I had in mind as it’s far too large for an afternoon excursion.” 

“I…” 

“The yacht club has sailing classes of which I’ve taken my fair share over the years. I can borrow a smaller sailboat from there and we could sail around for a bit. Then maybe lunch at the clubhouse?” he had asked with a shrug, mentally reviewing his sailing lessons in his head. 

“The yacht club?” she had asked in a small voice. “And the country club too? Who are you, Fox Mulder?” 

He had frozen in place, suddenly worried she would think him snobby or pretentious. 

“We could do something else. It doesn’t have to be… I just thought that… Your dad being in the Navy, I thought maybe you might have a love the water too, but we don’t-”

“No. I do love it,” she had assured him softly. “I just… You usually picture someone different when you hear they belong to yacht clubs or country clubs. Someone…” 

“Older and snobby?” he had suggested and she had laughed nervously. “Well, I would tend to agree with you about that, though, that’s not how I would describe everyone.”

“I’m sorry if that sounded rude or if you took offense. That wasn’t my intention,” she had said, almost in a whisper. 

“Not one bit,” he had said quickly, shaking his head. 

“You know how to sail? You won’t sink us?” she had asked and he had heard the smile in her voice. 

“I do. And I won’t. Yachtsman’s honor,” he had said and she had laughed before agreeing to sail with him. 

She had insisted she would get a ride to the yacht club, not wanting to put him out, and now he was pacing, feeling nervous as he waited for her to arrive. 

A car pulled up and he halted in his pacing. Music was playing loudly as the door opened and Scully stepped out, looking around and shaking her head. 

“You’ll get a ride back or do you want me to pick you up later?” a man called above the music. 

“I’ll get a ride. See you next week, Charlie. Thanks for dropping me off.” 

“No problem, Dane. Have fun.” 

She grabbed her backpack and closed the door, waving at him as he drove away. 

“Hey,” Mulder called out and she jumped slightly. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you.” 

“Didn’t scare me. I just didn’t see you there.” She smiled and walked over to him, slipping her backpack on as she did. 

“Hi,” he said, smiling at her as she stopped in front of him. 

“Hi,” she replied, her smile growing, her hands holding onto the straps of her backpack. “I missed you.” 

“Since last night when we spoke?” he teased and she shook her head. 

“Since you drove away on Saturday night,” she whispered and he hummed as he leaned forward, a hand reaching to hold her hip. 

He kissed her softly, her hands moving from her backpack to his chest and then wrapping around his neck. He pulled her closer and she moaned into his mouth. 

Breaking apart, they drew in deep breaths, their foreheads pressed together. 

“I think,” she whispered. “I think we should head to the boat. I don’t want to get in trouble at the yacht club. Find myself thrown out before I’ve even stepped a foot inside.” 

He chuckled and leaned back, looking into her eyes. She smiled and he nodded, stepping back as he reached for her hand to lead her toward the sailboat. She squeezed his hand and he grinned as he opened the door to the boat ramp. 

“It’s the perfect day for sailing,” she said and he nodded as they walked toward the boat. “I hope I’m dressed warm enough though, I know that it can get cooler on the water.” 

“I have extra clothes and blankets, if you do. No need to worry.” 

“Just thought of everything, have you?” she teased, squeezing his hand again as they stopped in front of the boat. “Oh, it’s nicer than I expected. I like it.” 

“They’re good little boats. Definitely better for the plans today than something bigger.” 

“Oh, that’s right,” she said, taking off her backpack and passing it to him as he held her hand to help her into the boat. “Is your parents' boat docked here?” 

“Mmhmm, it’s just there,” he said, pointing as he handed her backpack to her. She looked and her eyes widened. 

“That’s their boat? It’s…” She stared at it as she sat down and he untied the boat, carefully stepping in beside her. 

“No, that’s the Youngs boat,” he said, smiling at her as he pushed away from the dock and began to prepare the sail. “Ours is much bigger.” 

“Bigger than that?” she asked, pointing as they began to pass the boat. 

“No. I’m just kidding,” he said with a chuckle. “Gotcha.” 

“So funny,” she said, setting her bag down and shaking her head. 

“I know,” he agreed. “The life jackets are underneath your seat. Could you pass me one and then put yours on as well? Safety first, you know.” 

“Of course,” she said, taking out the life jackets and handing him one. He slipped it on and then turned his attention to getting them out into the open water. 

He watched her, the wind blowing her hair gently as she smiled and closed her eyes. It felt like his dream and he could not help but smile in return. A larger boat honked at them and they both turned to wave as it passed by, children running along the side and calling out hello. 

“Hello!” Scully called back and the children laughed and screamed excitedly. “Aww. Aren’t they so cute?” 

You are, he wanted to say, but he only smiled as he adjusted the sail to catch more wind. 

“Mmm,” she said, leaning back and tilting her face to the sun. “This was a perfect idea. Thank you for thinking of it.” 

“Sailing always impresses the ladies,” he said, watching to see her reaction. 

“This is where the debauchery happens, isn’t it?” she asked, turning her head to look at him. He laughed and shook his head as she shook her own, a smile tugging at her lips. “I knew it had to be somewhere.” 

“Imagine attempting anything like that as an awkward teenager. We’d both have ended up in the water. That would put a damper on things for sure,” he said with a laugh, guiding them past some larger wakes. 

“So you haven’t won the ladies over with your sailing abilities?” she asked and he shook his head as he looked at her. 

“Only woman I’ve been sailing with is my sister. And she usually takes over as she is, in fact, the better sailor.” 

“I’m liking her more and more,” Scully said, opening her backpack and taking out a floppy, wide brimmed hat and a pair of sunglasses. He smiled as she put them on and then leaned back, her face once more tilted toward the sun. 

They sailed around the harbor, not talking much as they absorbed the view and the weather. She had taken her hat off and braided her hair into two long braids, the wind causing it to tangle and cover her eyes too often. The hat was then replaced and he could not help but find her even more adorable. 

“Do you want a blanket or anything? It’s in that large bag there,” he offered and she shook her head. 

“Not just yet. But I’m sure I will soon.” 

Five more minutes and she was reaching for the bag, taking out one of his sweatshirts and a blanket. She put them on and smiled at him. 

“Much better,” she said and he nodded. 

“There is a spot about ten minutes from here. It’s a little cove with a dock. Do you want to stop there for a bit?” 

“If you want to, I’m game.” 

“Radical,” he said and she laughed, shaking her head and pulling the blanket further around her. 

“That sounds weird coming from you.” 

“Is bitchin’ better?” 

“No. Definitely not,” she laughed and he nodded in agreement. 

“Far out?” 

“No,” she said, laughing again and he smiled. 

“To the cove we go,” he said and she nodded. 

When they arrived, she was ready to help pull them in. She grabbed the buoys and tied them to the side as the dock came into view. Without even asking, she then took hold of the ropes and stood carefully to her feet, ready to jump out and tie the boat to the cleats. 

He was more than impressed as he watched her, doing his portion to secure the boat was properly docked. She smiled at him as he handed her her backpack and then the backpack he had brought, taking her life jacket and placing it into the boat. Taking off his own, he stepped out of the boat and stared at her. 

“We had a boat, a small one, but my dad sold it when we had to relocate. Aside from knowing about ships of all sizes, I also have basic boat knowledge,” she said, shrugging as she slipped on her backpack. 

“I figured you would. But still, that was pretty smooth-”

“Sailing?” she interrupted, her eyes shining. “Imagine that.” She slid her arm through his and he laughed as he picked up his own backpack. 

“You got me,” he said quietly and she nodded happily. 

“I certainly did,” she said as they began to walk up the small dock, her hand finding his and squeezing. 

“There isn’t really much to do here,” he said, walking into the grassy area that held two picnic tables and a community barbecue. “I just thought you might like to walk around a bit before we start heading back.” 

“You’ve been here before, obviously. What do you usually do?” 

“Well,” he said, stopping for a second and looking around. “We had a badminton set that we put up and played over there.” He pointed to the area away from the tables. “My sister and I would play and then my parents would join us after we’d eaten. Or if we were with other families, we would play with their children and the adults would drink and talk, getting louder as the drinks became stronger.” 

“Sounds familiar,” Scully said with a laugh. 

“We’d play horseshoes too sometimes, but that was when the pits for it were here. They took them out a couple years back. I think too many drunk college kids got hurt acting like idiots.” 

“Well, that’ll do it,” Scully said, laughing again. “Having seen the idiotic things our fellow classmates do, I can understand the need to remove them.” 

“Yeah,” he said, squeezing her hand before letting it go. “I brought some snacks. Just drinks and chips. Do you want to look around the area and have something to eat?” He smiled at her and she smiled back. 

“Look around, yes,” she said, adjusting her backpack. “Eat… no. You mentioned lunch at the yacht club. I’ll wait for that.” 

“Okay then,” he said, adjusting his own backpack. “Let’s explore the wooded area here.” 

“I’ll try not to touch any unknown plants this time,” she said with a smile. 

“If you do, don’t worry. I have the Super Salve,” he said and she chuckled softly as she reached to take his hand again. 

“Always prepared,” she said and he nodded. 

“Gotta be, with you around,” he said, squeezing her fingers and pulling her closer. 

“I’d be mad at that comment,” she said, sniffing with her head turned away from him. “Buuut… I know how well that salve works, so you’re forgiven.” 

“Thank you,” he said with a chuckle and she nodded curtly before looking at him with a smile. He laughed again, guiding her to the small copse of trees. 

When they walked back to the boat twenty minutes later, she held two large pine cones in her hands and in her backpack there were numerous rocks to which she had taken a liking. 

“What will you do with them?” he asked as they pushed away from the dock and he glanced at her, adjusting the sail. 

“Hmm, I’m not sure exactly. Well, about the pine cones anyway. I think I’ll paint the rocks and then put them on my desk. I like doing that. Gives the room a bit of color and…” She shrugged and smiled at him as she situated the pine cones. “I don’t know, I just like it.” 

“What do you paint on them?” he asked and she shrugged again. 

“Different things,” she said, twisting a braid and looking out at the water. “I’ve made ones of beach scenes, campfires, city lights… just different things.” 

“So they’re detailed, not just colored rocks,” he said and she looked at him with a smile and furrowed brow. 

“No! Not just colored! Like they’re Easter eggs or something?” she asked with a laugh and he shrugged, his hands raised with the palms up. 

“I don’t know! I didn’t see any on your desk the other night.” 

“Because I don’t have any there,” she laughed, giving her backpack a nudge with her foot. “Hence the reason I collected so many.” 

“Hence,” he repeated, laughing as he steered the boat back towards the yacht club. 

“Yeah, hence,” she said again, tugging at her life jacket and then leaning back, crossing one leg over the other. He stared at her foot, watching it move up and down and he smiled. 

“Well, I’ll enjoy seeing them when you’re done.” 

“Would you like to paint them with me?” she asked and he lifted his head to look at her. “Not today, of course. But maybe this weekend?” 

“I’d like that,” he said, grinning at her. “Although I’m not much of a painter.” 

“Psh,” she said, waving her hand in a dismissive way. “It’s rocks… Fox.” She grinned and he laughed at the rhyme. “You can’t really mess up a rock.” 

“I suppose that’s true,” he agreed with a nod. 

“We could go to that park close to Toni's,” she suggested. “The park for artistic inspiration and then Toni’s for dinner? Or late lunch depending on the time?” 

“I’d like that,” he said, grinning as he nodded again. 

“Good,” she said, twisting her braid again as she looked down, almost shyly. “It’s a date.” 

“Totally,” he said and she shook her head as she raised it to look up at him with a smile. 

“Radical,” she said, echoing his word from earlier and he laughed loudly, the wind picking up and carrying his laughter across the water. 

The ride back seemed to take less time, the wind pushing them on. They were quiet, comfortable in the silence, as they watched other boats and Scully ran her fingers through the water, smiling as she watched it drip down as she raised her hand. He smiled as he stared at her in her big hat and sunglasses. 

So cute, he thought. Really wished I would have spoken to her sooner. 

“Does it ever make you stop and think?” she asked. 

“What?” he asked, feeling for a second that she was reading his mind. 

“Just how big the world is, how amazing. That this water is here, that it stays here, hundreds, if not thousands, of feet deep, and it’s just here. And that there are places in the world that we will never see, yet they are there, simply existing.” She stared at the water dripping from her fingers. “I’m touching something that someone might be wishing they could touch. In a place where someone might yearn to be. And yet I might wish to be where they are, exploring what their homeland may offer.” She looked at him, smiling slowly. “It’s wild isn’t it?” 

“Whoa… getting all profound on me,” he said and she exhaled a laugh. “But yes, I understand what you mean.” 

“This is big,” she said, waving her other hand to emphasize the area around them. “But it’s also small. It’s just… I don’t know. It just struck me and I couldn’t stop thinking about it.” 

“Puts things into perspective,” he agreed with a nod. “I was just thinking, I wished I’d spoken to you sooner. Maybe this wouldn’t have been the first time we’ve gone sailing. Maybe it would have been a weekly occurrence, something we did every Monday.” 

She tilted her head, staring at him through her sunglasses, and shook her head slightly. 

“I wasn’t in a place then to spend my Monday’s sailing with anyone. I was… I was going through some things last year- my own personal things and I…” She shook her head again and leaned forward, holding her hand out to him. He took it and she squeezed gently. “I think… I think I would have broken your heart. And my own in the process.” She smiled sadly and he squeezed her hand a little tighter. “Because like I told you already, I really like you, Fox Mulder.” 

“Well,” he said, smiling softly. “Then we met exactly when we were supposed to.” She nodded, squeezing his hand again. “Because I really like you too, Dana Scully.” 

“Good,” she whispered and he nodded as they squeezed at the same time, smiling as she let go and leaned back, picking up the blanket beside her and wrapping it around her legs. 

When the docks began to come into sight, she took off his sweatshirt, packing it and the blankets back inside of his backpack. Into her own, went her floppy hat. 

Jumping out again as they reached the dock, she securely tied the rope to the cleat, smiling at him proudly. 

He took her life jacket and placed them both back in their correct space, then he furled the sail and continued securing the boat. He set their backpacks on the dock before stepping out and standing beside her. She smiled as they picked their things up and walked to his car to drop it off. 

“Are you sure I’m dressed okay for lunch here?” she asked, loosening her braids and letting her hair flow freely. “I do have a different shirt, but I don’t-”

“You look fine,” he said, taking in her attire of a black sweater and jeans. 

“You’re sure?” she asked again, quickly braiding her hair into one long braid that lay over her left shoulder. She twisted the end, biting her lip as she looked at the building nervously. 

“Hey,” he said softly, covering her hand and bringing it down to hold her fingers loosely in his own. “If it was a fancy place and there was a strict code, especially at this time of day, I would’ve told you. I wouldn’t want you to feel uncomfortable anywhere.” 

She stared at him, her sunglasses now off, allowing him to look into her beautiful blue eyes. She squeezed his hand, placing her other on his cheek as she rose up to kiss him softly. He put his hand on her hip to hold steady and kissed her back just as gently. 

“You,” she breathed as they broke apart. “You are something else. You know that, right?” 

“Hmm,” he hummed, squeezing her hip and stepping back. “I might.” 

She laughed quietly and he tugged at her hand, pulling her toward the building. She held his upper arm with her other hand and he smiled as they walked. 

“I promise that you don’t need to feel nervous,” he assured her as they neared the doors. “My parents are going to love you.” 

“Oh my God! Your parents are here?! Right now?!”! she asked, stopping in her steps and staring at him, her eyes wide. He smiled and shook his head, stepping close and squeezing her hand. 

“Gotcha,” he whispered.