From: Sabrina Hunt Date: Wed, 17 Jun 1998 11:51:10 -0400 Subject: Confessions 7 Title: Confessions ( 7/ ? ) Author: Sabrina Hunt < ibelievex@hotmail.com > Rating: PG-13 Classification: S/H/A Spoilers: Latest episode ?!? Dedication: This part's dedicated to my friend Lauren, who often watches the wedding shows, fantasizing over which one would be most like Mulder and Scully's. Here's my take on things, Tor. ; ) Summary: Wedding Bells toll instead of death bells... That's a welcome change! Gee, I wonder who are getting married ?!? If you sincerely don't know, I suggest rereading the last seven parts! Read on ! Later dudes ! Feedback, is welcome ! < ibelievex@hotmail.com > Confessions - 7/? by Sabrina Hunt ~ " Going to the chapel and we're, gonna get married ..." ************************************************************************** It was a bright and sunny April morning, and though outside, the world was quiet, inside Margaret Scully's house, everything was chaotic. While Mulder finished the breakfast dishes, Scully and Maggie whisked around the house, cleaning up. Though it was only half past eight in the morning, company was expected to arrive a little after nine o'clock... It had been a busy couple of weeks for Mulder and Scully. As soon as Mulder had returned from Cleveland, he'd moved in with Scully, and they'd gone back to sharing the household responsibilities. Everything had ben fine, for a while, until Maggie had started dropping hints about wedding dates... Mulder had managed to put it off for a while, but soon, Scully had caught the pre-wedding fever from her Mom, and started reminding Mulder that it was time to get a move on, if they wanted to have a late spring. And so, being outnumbered, Mulder had given in. He pretended to be bored and annoyed by it all, but Scully could tell he was enjoying the experience. She'd asked him about it, but he'd replied that the only thing he was enjoying about planning, " this blasted ceremony " was seeing how happy it made her. And so, they'd kept passing ideas back and forth, Mulder always suggesting they elope, until they realized they knew pretty much what they wanted, but had no idea how to make it happen. That's when Maggie had come up with the wonderful idea of calling a wedding coordinator, which was whom they were expecting that morning... " Mulder, you done with the dishes yet ?" Scully called, from somewhere in the dinning room. He answered her by walking into the room, empty handed. " Just finished. Why ? Do I have to do more manual labor ?" Scully wiped the back of her hand across her forehead, and sighed. " Yup. you see, I was assigned to dusting, but there's a hell of a lot of places I can't reach..." She tossed him the dusting cloth. " ... You, on the other hand, are just the right height." " How very convenient." Mulder deadpanned. " See, I knew I kept you around for a good reason..." She said, trying to keep a straight face. He gave her a disbelieving look, then began flitting around the room, getting all the spots that she couldn't reach. She sat on the table top, observing him. And suddenly, she had this vision of him, ten years down the line, with gray streaks in his hair, doing the very same thing he was doing now, in their own house. She sighed, contentedly, and turned around, bringing her back to reality. " Are you just going to sit there and watch me ?" She smiled, nodding. " I can hardly wait." " For what ?" He asked, though he was pretty sure he already knew the= answer. She wiggled off the table, like she had ants in her pants. " Our wedding." " Oh yeah, I'd forgotten about that... Ugh!" He joked, then groaned... But she saw the shine in his eyes. He couldn't hide it. He was having fun. " You can't fool me, Mister Mulder." She said, putting her hands on his chest. " I know you're having just as much as me with this..." He smiled. " Shucks Scully, you got me all figured out." She pulled him down, and kissed him, both of them unaware of Maggie's presence, until the camera flash went off. " MOM!" Scully whined, turning to her mother. Maggie just laughed, and walked through the room. " Be sure you get the dusting done, kids." She called, traveling down the hall to the living room. Mulder smiled, about to speak when the doorbell rang. " I'll get it!" Scully yelled, walking out of the room. She heard the cloth snap, before she felt it hit her backside. " OUCH!" She stared Mulder and his dirty dusting towel down, as she walked into the hall. She was surprised when she opened the door not to find the wedding coordinator standing there. Instead, there stood Charles Scully, her little brother, suitcase in hand, smile on his face. " Dana, honestly, you're thirty five years old, and you''re still living with Mom." He began teasing her, right off the bat. " Charlie, what are you doing here ? I thought you were posted up on the west coast somewhere ?" She smiled and let him in. " We got to take a leave. Finally." He sighed, looking for sympathy, and gave his sister a hug. Just then, Maggie came down the stairs. A big smile spread across her face, as she saw her son. " Charles... Aren't we looking handsome!" He seemed to blush a bit. " Hi Mom. Got a spare room ?" She gave her youngest child a hug, as she led him depper into the house. " Always." " What have you guys been doing ? It looks like new in here!" He exclaimed, commenting on their clean up job. " Actually, we were expecting someone..." Maggie said, leaving Scully the job of filling him in. Charles picked up on it right away. " What's going on, Dana ?" He asked. She tried her hardest to keep a straight face, but she just couldn't. " I'm getting married, Charlie!" Her voice rose at the end of her sentence, in excitement. A big smile spread across his face, and he put an approving hand on her shoulder. " Congratulations Dana! Why didn't you tell me sooner ?" Maggie and Scully both groaned at the same time. " Long story." He nodded. " So when do I get to meet the lucky dog, that stole my sister's heart ?" Scully turned and walked down the hall, talking to Charlie as she went. " Right now." She disappeared into the dining room, looking for Mulder, but he was no where to be seen. She came back out into the hall, a bit confused. She smiled apologetically at her brother. " Do you remember my partner ?" Charles squinted his eyes, as he turned his head sideways, trying to squeeze the name from the depths of his memory. " Yeah, um, Fox something or other, right?" Scully smiled. " Yeah, Fox MULDER!" She told her brother, calling her best friend at the same time. Somewhere in the house came the sound of feet clunking around. Then suddenly, there he was, lumbering down the hall, dusting cloth over his shoulder. She subtly stuck her hand out behind her back, stretching apart her fingers, inviting him to put his hand in hers. He came up behind her, and accepted her small, soft hand into his. " Mulder, this is my little brother, Charles..." " Pleased to meet you." Mulder said, extending his free hand to Charles. He didn't know how much the youngest of the Scully Clan knew about him, but he wanted to make a good impression. At least that way he'd be on good terms with most of the Scully family. " I've heard a lot about you..." Charles replied, returning a firm handshake. Mulder swallowed hard. " Really ?" Charles nodded. " Your work sounds fascinating. I'd love to be dishing out the dirt on the government..." Mulder wasn't sure if he was being mocked or not, but he got the distinct impression it was the latter. He seemed to radiate warmth to Mulder, being openly honest with him. And Mulder could see that he was a lot like Scully " You're in the navy, right ?" Charles acquiesced, and Mulder smiled. " then you may know more than you think you do..." Charles laughed and Scully smiled, relieved that her younger brother didn't want Mulder's head on a platte, as her older one did. She spoke up, and gave Mulder's hand a gentle squeeze. " Charlie, meet Fox Mulder. my partner, best friend and fianc=E9." She saw the approving look her brother gave her, and squeezed Mulder's hand a little tighter. " I hope I'll be in town for the wedding ?!?" Maggie gave him a look. " You'd better be, young man!" Everyone laughed. Then the doorbell rang. This time Mulder answered it. He would have prefered not to. There stood a small, round, fifty something year old woman, vetted in a frilly purple power suit and imitation expensive jewelry. Her hair was died red, and permed to death, sprayed permanently into an old lady type afro. Her make up was so obvious and thick, she could have been a clown, and a cloud of cheap perfume hung around her, floating away like the stench trails off of Peppie La Pue. Mulder had only one comment. " You must be the wedding coordinator." She smiled displaying a full set of Pollident whitened dentures, and let herself in, bustling into the living room. There she had everyone's attention, immediately. " Hello everyone... I'm Estelle, and I'll be your wedding coordinator. Now which one of you are the bride and the groom ?" She pulled out a portfolio and pen, prepared to take notes, and sat down beside Margaret on the couch. Scully sat on a chair, across from them, Mulder prefered to remain standing, leaning in the door frame. Charles excused himself, and left promptly. Finally, Maggie spoke up out of politeness. " This is my daughter, Dana, the bride, and over there is Fox, the groom." The look on Estelle's face when she heard Mulder's name was somewhere in between disbelief and disgust. " OK people, let's start with the basics." She pulled out a sheet of paper. " Now how many people are we inviting ?" Scully shook her head and looked at Mulder, who shrugged. " Come on now, get your act together. How many ? I'm no good if you don't have the foggiest idea of how these things work!" Scully thought she heard something along the lines of, " No good, period." coming from Mulder's general vicinity. Margaret spoke up. " Less than fifty." " Good. Now let's talk clothes. I can see the groom in a baby blue tux, maybe with white patten leather shoes..." Forty five minutes later, they were still talking clothes... they being Margaret and Eccentric Estelle. Scully was slouched in her chair, like a rag doll, hair askew. She looked like her eyes were going to roll into the back of her head. Meanwhile, Mulder was sure he was going to be dead and decomposing before they actually got to the wedding... Which was fine with him. He'd rather be rotting than wearing the electric blue blue blazer and white pin stripped pants with paten leather shoesthey'd been discussing. And he was sure Scully felt the same way about the pink lace and sequin dress they'd decided would look distinctly feminine... Finally, after an hour of clothing, he'd had enough, and quietly excused himself, claiming that nature called. Scully watched him leave, between slit eyes, enviously. She was not sure how much more she could take, herself... She waited ten minutes for Mulder to return, but he didn't, and Estelle and Maggie were so wrapped up in complimentary color napkins and place settings, she knew neither of them realized that he was probably crossing state borders by now. She stood up, feigning a stretch, but didn't sit back down again. Instead she very slowly and methodically made her way out of the room. No one noticed she'd suddenly disappeared. She tiptoed dowwn the hallway, into the kitchen, where she found Mulder raiding the cookie cupboard, OMNI magazine in hand. " Hey Mulder, did you save some for me ?" He tossed her a bag of Fudgee-Os, stuffing a Chunks Ahoy into his mouth. " So, what do you think ?" he asked. She didn't have to enquire to know what he was talking about. " I'm thinking we should have eloped..." She said, sticking her hand into the bag of cookies. Mulder smiled, chocolate stuck between his teeth. " who''s to say we still can't ?" She smiled. " Nah. I'd still like to go the whole nine yards... just not HER way." Scully said, emphasizing the her. He grinned. " No matter what you do to me, I'm not wearing an electric blue tux!" " Deal, only if I don't have to wear a Barbie dress, of any form." He stuck out his pinky finger, and she locked hers around his. " Seriously though, Scully. What do YOU want to wear ?" She closed her eyes, considering her options, as she sucked on the chocolatey cream filling. " I don't know... Maybe satin, something simple but elegant... sleeveless..." " With a plunging neckline and an open back..." Mulder contributed. Scully smiled. " Yeah, and maybe a simple pearl tiara veil." " You'd look beautiful in that, Scully." He declared, stealing a Fudgee-O. " I'm going to write this down." She said, pulling a pen and paper out of a stationary drawer. While she jotted down their idea for her dress, she asked him about his outfit. " God Scully, I don't know..." " Well since my dress is a little less formal, maybe we should go for something dressed down from a tux for you ?" Mulder nodded. " I think maybe a light weight suit would be good, considering that it'll probably be towards the end of May..." Scully looked at him for a moment, trying to picture something on him. He saw her observing him, her brow creased in deep concentration, and held a half eaten cookie out for her. She bit it out of his hand. " How do you feel about a light tan or beige suit, white dress shirt, and a tasteful tie= ?" Mulder nodded enthusiastically. " I could go for that, although a tasteful tie might be hard to pull off..." Scully laughed. " I'll chose it." He smiled. " See, this isn't too hard. We don't need a demon lady to organize this for us.." Scully smiled, and began imitating Estelle. " So, while we're on the topic of clothing and fabrics, let's talk place settings. I'm seeing neon green napkins to bring out the green tones in a plaid table cloth..." Mulder chuckled. " You sound just like her." Scully continued. " Concentrate people. We want to hold this wedding before the next millenium." Mulder stood up, and tossed an empty cookie bag into the garbage, looking out the back door, at the outside world. It was a beautiful day, warm and sunny, with a gentle breeze. He hoped the weather would be as nice for their wedding... " Hey Scully, what if we had our wedding outside ?" She considered this for a momen, rolling up her half eaten bag of cookies, and stuffing it back into the cupboard. " That would be nice... if the weather would hold. We'd have to have it in a church courtyard or something so if it rained, we could go inside..." Mulder smiled. " Let's go outside to do this..." Scully wandered towards him, but pointed in other direction. " But my jackets in the other room..." He opened the door and stepped outside. " You won't need it..." So she followed him out, pad of paper in hand, and they went over to the picnic table that sat waiting for them, in the sun. Scully lay down along the table top, and Mulder sat down on the bench part, at her head, and they both went back to work on their wedding. Inside the house, Estelle and Margaret had figured out everything, now all they needed was the couple's opinion. " So we fill the balloons with grains of rice, and when he flips her veil we pop them all..." Maggie nodded. " What do you think, Dana ?" She looked up to Scully's chair, but was surprised to see it was empty. She looked around the room. " Dana ? Fox ?" Charles came down the hall and stuck his head into the room, smile on his face. " I'm heading out for a while, Mom..." She nodded, and went to leave, but Maggie called him back. " Have you seen Fox and Dana ?" Charles smiled. " Last I saw them, they were driving away in their car... But that was about two hours ago... I think I may have overheard something about damn weddings, eloping and Vegas ?!?" Maggie gave her son a reprimanding look. He grinned and winked. " They're in the back yard..." Then he left. " Thank you Charlie." Maggie called after him... When Estelle and Maggie found Mulder and Scully in the backyard, lazing in the midmorning sun, they immediately began rattling off their ideas. However, the couple paid little attention to them. They already had everything planned out. When the two older women finally stopped chattering, Scully handed Estelle their papers. " This is what we want." She said with a smile. Estelle looked at the papers. " Well, it's very simple, but if Plain Jane is the way you want it..." Mulder put an arm over Scully's shoulder and gave her a small hug, showing Estelle who's side he was on. " We want it exactly like that." He stated, emphasizing exactly. " No blue..." " No." " No plaid..." " No." " Are you..." " Sure ? Yes." Estelle sighed, and put the papers in her portfolio. " Fine. I guess we're done then." Maggie clapped. She didn't really care what color everything was. So long as there was a wedding for her daughter, and her daughter was happy, anything would do. " I'll call you with the clothing and catering details." Estelle said, rather flatly. Scully extended her hand. " Thanks for your cooperation." Estelle gave her a limp handshake. " Whatever." ************************************************************************** As the month rolled by, everything began to fall into place. Scully had bought her wedding dress, and Mulder's suit was on it's way. They'd rented a tiny stone church out in the country, that had a large apple orchard near it, in which all the trees were finishing blooming, pedals on the trees and on the ground, creating a beautiful atmosphere. The invitations had been sent off, and they were now receiving RSVPs... The phone rang, and Scully reached over the arm of the couch, grabbing the cordless, where she'd been reading a bridal magazine. " Hello ?" " Hi Dana, it's Ellen." " Hi Ellen! What's new with you ?" Ellen laughed. " Nothing compared to what's new with you! I just received your wedding invitation. Congrats! You too have certainly come a long way since you first met... I seem to remember someone saying he was a jerk, when asked if Mulder was relationship material...!" Scully chuckled. " Yes, I would say we have..." " Well that's great, Dana. I'm really happy for you both. I just wanted to let you know that I'm definitely coming to your wedding, and I'd love to be your maid of honor!" " Thanks, I'm glad..." " Oh, and if you're not too busy this weekend, Trent is having a party, at the bowling alley... You and Mulder could come ?" Scully laughed again, the picture of Mulder bowling popping into her head.= " Actually, I've never been bowling with Mulder..." Ellen made a shocked sound. " Really ? That's like THE Classic Date!" " Well I guess we're just not your classic couple!" " No, deffinitely not... But you should try it! Come. It'll be fun!" Scully pondered the invitation, remembering a not so old case they'd been on... A man had seen the ghost of the victim in a bowling alley... and she distinctly remember Mulder rolling a ball, and getting a strike, first try... " All right. We'll come, as long as I'm on Mulder's team..." Ellen was happy. " Yeah! Good! We're meeting at the Annapolis South Bowling Keys at one." " See you then!" " Yup. Bye!" Scully hung up the phone, pulled a drawer open on the table, and reached for a pad of paper and pen they'd put the list of invitees on. She was checking off Ellen, when she heard Mulder wander in from the bathroom. He was wearing nothing but his boxers, half his face covered in shaving cream, the other half already scraped off by the razor he held in his right hand. " Who was that ?" He asked, noticing the list was out. " Ellen. She's coming." Mulder smiled, and turned, heading back to the bathroom. " We're going bowling with her, trent and six other little boys on the weekend." Mulder stopped moving, and turned back to face Scully. " We are, are we?" She nodded, enthusiastically. He raised his eyebrows at her. " We've never been bowling together, have we ?" " No. Why ?" He grinned. " If you knew why, you wouldn't have said we'd go. I just hope for your sake that I'm on your team..." She smiled. " I'm always on your team, Mulder." He just kept on grinning, and shook his head. " Then Ellen had better be prepared to lose..." Now, she shook her head at him, and changed the subject. " How many people did we invite to the wedding ?" Mulder was back in the bathroom. " I don't know... You're the one with the list in front of you!" He yelled, from the small room. Scully consulted the list. " So far, we've heard from seventeen of our thirty guests. Not bad." She threw the list down onto the table, as well as the magazine, and walked to the bathroom. " By the way, who's your best man ?" Mulder rinsed the razor in the sink of water, and looked at her. " No one told you ?" She shook her head. " Charles." Scully smiled. " I'm so glad that you two get along... I was a little worried that Bill would have soured him to you..." Mulder nodded in agreement. " Me too. But you know whta Scully ? He reminds me of you." She smiled again. " You're not the first person to have said that..." Mulder winced, as he nicked himself and began to bleed. " Need help ?" She asked. And suddenly he was reminded of another woman who he'd let into his life, while his guardian angel had been gone. Kristen Killar. Why did she always come back to haunt him... " You're thinking about Her, aren't you ?" Scully's question interrupted his thoughts. And though he'd already come clean with her about that dark time in his life, he still felt very guilty about what he'd done. He nodded. " What happened ?" She asked, almost afraid of the answer. " I was at her house... shaving... but she didn't have any mirrors because, well you know... So I let her help me, but she cut me... and she was going to taste my blood... I wouldn't let her... " Mulder couldn't look at her. " Mulder... Let me help you... I won't hurt you..." He knew he owed her, so he handed her the razor. She took it, and pulled it very slowly and carefully across his jaw. It came off clean. Gaining confidence, she kept going... and she didn't nick him once. When she was finished, he rinsed off his face. Then he took her hand, and put it on his smooth cheek, so she could inspect her handiwork. She was so good at exorcising his demons... " Not bad..." She said. Mulder smiled and kissed her. " Not bad at all..." ************************************************************************** The week rolled by like a bowling ball down an alley... which, coincidentally, was the activity that they had planned for that weekend... Outside it was a wonderful Saturday morning. Mother nature was relishing the sunlight, using it to help grow her plant children. The grass was just about ready for it's first cut of the season, and the flowers were finally brightening the natinal capital area with their fresh colors. A gentle breeze blew through the city, and into apartments and houses that had their windows open, inviting in the better weather... Dana Scully's apartment was one of those who were welcoming the warmth into her life, and home. The curtains in her bedroom shifted and rustled, making just enough noise to wake a barely sleeping woman. Scully's eyes opened, one and then the other. And she smiled. Only fourteen days until her wedding. She let out a sleepy sigh, and rubbed her eyes. she really didn't feel like getting up, but a glance at her alarm clock told her that if they wanted to be on time, to meet Ellen at the bowling lanes, they were going to have to get moving. She lay quietly for a minute more, listening to Mulder's breathing pattern, trying to decide if she could wiggle out for under his arm, without waking him. It fairly deep and even, and it pleased her to see him so relaxed. She knew, for a fact, that he was a light sleeper, and that he said he only needed a few hours of sleep per night... He used to have vivid nightmares that haunted him and ran him down... Now, though, he slept longer and had much more physical energy. He was also much more mentally and emotionally stable, but she didn't know whether to attribute that to more sleep or their relationship... Gently, she wiggled forwards, and was almost to the edge of the bed, when she felt his arm tighten around her waist and pull her back towards him. She laughed, and rolled over, so she was facing. He was still asleep, mentally at least, but awake enough to know what was going on. He had a small smile on his face, his bangs hanging down over his shut eyes. She reached up and gently lay her hand on his forehead, brushing the hairs back off his face. Her hand slid down from his head, to his rough, warm cheek. And suddenly she remembered a hotel in Miami, when she'd first realized she waws allowed to touch him like that, in little tender ways, that showed she cared... He didn't have to see her face to know she'd remembered something. He felt her sudden surge of energy, and his smile broadened, as he opened his eyes to discover her own, beautiful blue eyes examining intently. " What ?" He asked, as her eyes met his. She looked at him with that serious expression of hers, on her face. " I remember being in a hotel in Miami and waking up next to you, and realizing for the first time since our engagement that that was where I was supposed to be... allowed to be... And I remember thinking that I could hardly wait for the mornings like this one, when I'd wake up and watch you sleep..." She flopped over onto her back, and laughed, cracking her serious mask, and covered her face with her hands. " That sounds really stupid, doesn't it ?" He rested his head on his arm and smiled at her. " No. It doesn't sound stupid at all." She removed one hand and looked at him, out of the corner of one eye, an amused smile curving her lips. He lifted his head and brought his face to hers. " I love you." He said, and then he kissed her. She broke the kiss, and smiled at him. " I love you too Mulder, but if I don't get up soon, my bladder is going to explode!" She rolled out of bed, and headed for the bathroom, leaving Mulder to laugh at her, by himself... The lanes weren't too busy, thank god, or Mulder was sure he would have died... They met up with Ellen, Trent, Gavin, Paul, Andy, Matt, Sean, and Aaron, just after one o'clock, out front of the building... A big, blue van pulled up into the empty space in front of the Annapolis South Bowling Lane, and out poured seven young boys, all chattering and whacking each other, discussing the sorts of things little boys speak of. Ellen emerged a moment later, and locked the doors, herding the boys up onto the sidewalk, like a shepherd chasing sheep. Scully and Mulder, meanwhile, who'd been waiting fo rtheir arrival, stood up on the steps they'd been seated upon, and waved. Trent spotted her, and flicked his hand, getting his comrades to follow him. " Hi Trent!" Scully said, refraining from hugging him, due to the embarrasment he would suffer, in front of his friends. Trent took note of this, and smiled appreciatively. " Hi Dana. These are my friends, Matt, Sean, Gavin, Paul, Aaron and Andy." All the boys gave small waves. Scully smiled and followed their distracted gazes up to Mulder, who was standing on the sidewalk below her, but still towering over the boys. " Nice to meet you." She said, catching their attention, Ellen came up behind him, smiling at Scully, just as she made her introductions. " And this, is my giant, Mulder." He gave her a look that was a mix of a ribbing for the " giant " comment, and a " thanks " for not mentioning his first name. The boys looked at him in awe. " Hi guys..." ,was all Mulder said. And Scully wasn't sure, but it almost seemed as if her partner was being shy. That was an interresting concept... However, she didn't have time to think about it, because Ellen began ushering the boys through the doors. " Hi Dana!" She said, givng her friend a hug, after she'd finally cleared the sidewalk of her son and his friends. " Hey Ellen..." She turned to Mulder. " I'm not sure if you two have met before..." Ellen extended her hand, which Mulder shook, a smile on his face. " Hello Ellen." Ellen smiled. " Hello... Mulder ?" He nodded. " Yup, I'm the man with no first name." Ellen laughed and Scully looked amused. Mulder reached for the door, holding it for the women. " Shall we ?' He asked. Ellen gave Scully a look, a smile on his lips. Scully smiled back at her and shrugged, knowing that Mulder was showing off for her friend. Ellen gave her thumbs up, and Scully rolled her eyes... Once upstairs, they got their shoes and score sheets, and found their lanes. Next came the job of making teams. " I'm on Gavin's team!" Paul yelled, grabbing his friend's arm. " Then I am too!" stated Aaron, joining his pals. " I want on that team!" called Sean. " No way! That's not fair! It's four good guys to the three of us!" screeched Matt. " It's not our fault that we're going to kick your asses!" Gavin spat at them, then realizing what he'd just said, glanced at Ellen. She gave him a reprimanding look. " I believe the correct word would be " butts", young man... And as for the teams, it's all of you against Dana, Mulder and I." Trent began laughing, then turned to face his friends. " Come on, guys, believe me... We can kick their " butts"." He said, exagerating the butts part of the sentence. His mom gave him a look, then grabbed the first ball, pressing the button to set the pins. " We get first ball!" And with that the afternoon began... By the middle of the first game, the boys had learned that their cause was lost, because Mulder was on the opposite team. They began to lose steam and fool around around, thinking up new and interresting ways to get the ball rolling, not necessarily with the purpose of knocking down the pins, but to get points for creative effort. Finally they gave up and surrendered to the team of adults, saying that they were going to raid the vending machines. they all left, except for Matt, who hung back a bit, watching Mulder. Scully noticed this and interrupted her conversation with Mulder and Ellen, to speak to the boy. " What's up, Matt ?" She asked, smiling at him. He smiled back, but she could tell that he wasn't looking at her. She turned her head and glanced at Mulder, who seemed to be the adult the boy wished to speak to. " You want to talk to him ?" Scully asked, nodding towards Mulder, who hadn't noticed he was the subject of their conversation yet. Matt looked at her, a bit embarrassed, and nodded. " Hey, Mulder. There's a special request for you over here. Mulder's brow creased, and he looked a bit confused, but he came anyhow. " Yeah ?" He asked Scully, not quite purposely ignoring Matt. She shook her head. " Not me. Matt." Mulder looked at her questioningly, and then she shrugged. He addressed the young man awkwardly. " Hello, Matt right ?" He had to bend over to meet the under height boy. Matt nodded. " Hi..." he said, shyly. There was a silence between the two males for a minute, but finally Mulder spoke up. " Can I help you ?" Matt looked at him and nodded. " I... I was wondering if you could teach me how to bowl, like you do." Mulder looked surprised, and opened his mouth to speak, but didn't know what to say. He looked at Scully, askering her what she was supoosed to do. She smiled. He could figure out the toughest cases, but couldn't handle a twelve year old boy... She nodded at him encouragingly, and he turned back to the boy. " Well sure, I guess." Matt smiled at him. " Cool! " And then pulled Mulder away, towards the alley. Meanwhile, Scully sat down beside Ellen, who'd been watching the whole scene. " You've found yourself a good man, Dana." Scully looked at her friend. " I know." Ellen smiled. " You're a very lucky woman." Scully considered this for a moment, watching Mulder show Matt how to hold the ball. He looked so... different. She could find no words to describe how this side of him seemed to her. She would never, in a million years, have pictured Mulder with children. Then again, she remembered it was something he said he'd never wanted untilit turned out she would be the mom. And then, for some reason, the idea had appealed to him... " I am lucky." She said, facing her friend. Ellen was still smiling. " Are you going to have kids ?" She asked. Now it was Scully's turn to smile. " I think so... We've talked about it, a bit, but not seriously... If we did, it wouldn't be for a little while. There've been a lot of changes in our lives for us to get used to already. Never mind being parents..." " I think you're going to do wonderfully together... You can tell he really loves you." Scully's smile broadened. " Is it really that obvious ?" Ellen nodded. Unfortunately, their conversation was interrupted by the return of Trent and company. " Here Mom." He tossed her a bag of M&M's. " We got these for you adults to share." Ellen smiled. " Thank you, Trent." Just then, Mulder came up behind the women, having finished helping Matt with his technique. " Did I hear someone say M&M's ?" Scully twisted around and looked up at him, still thinking about her conversation with Ellen. He looked back at her with laughter in his eyes. Then she looked at Ellen, who was watching both of them. Ellen winked and they both burst out laughing, much to the bewilderment of Mulder. " Were you two talking about me ?" He asked, giving them a sly look. Scully nodded, smiling at him. He looked at her, then looked left and right, making sure no one was watching them. Ellen was talking to the boys, and no one semed to be watching them, so he indulged himself in a quick kiss. However, Trent was a bright kid, with sharp eyes, and their actions didn't escape him. He elbowed Gavin who was standing next to him, and nodded in the direction of Mulder and Scully. gavin burst out laughing and soon all eyes were on the engaged couple. Scully broke the kiss and blushed. Mulder looked away. " All right, boys. This isn't a circus sideshow. Are you up for another game ?" The boys stopped laughing and turned into a huddle, consulting each other on the possibility of a rematch. Finally Sean turned around and spoke to the adults. " OK, we'll play again, under one condition. It's Mulder, Matt, Aaron and I, against Gavin, Trent, Paul and Andy. The women can score keep." Mulder looked at Scully, almost begging her not to agree with them. He didn't want to play with the little kids... But Scully just smiled sweetly, giving Ellen a a knowing look. " All right, sounds good to me." Mulder shot her a look and dragged his finger across his throat. Scully just smiled and sat down behind the score sheets... ... Everyone packed it in and called it a day, just before four o'clock. After having spent three hours at the bowling lanes, everyone's eyes were itchy from the smoke drifting and around, and their arms could no longer roll a ball in a straight line... As for the last game, as suspected, Mulder's team won again. Ellen and Scully had had quite a could time chatting and putting numbers on paper. Scully had been amused by watching Mulder loosen up around the kids. At one point, he'd actually cracked a joke, that Scully had no doubt that was inappropriate, but had succeeded in making the young men laugh. By the end of the game they were all smiling, Mulder's team giving each other high fives, the opposing team giving their competitors solid whacks on their bowling arms. But then, Mulder would intervene, and at one point, he even showed them his credentials. That had captured all of the boys' attention, and a murmur of " FBI ?" and associated words had floated from the mouths of Trent's friends... In fact, Mulder's choice in career was the topic of conversation, as the group left the bowling lanes... Scully passed her borrowed shoes over the counter, and stepped aside, allowing the rest of her frineds to do the same. As she did, she found out what they'd been discussing for the past five minutes. " So let me get this straight..." Gavin said, addressing Sean. " This monster fluke man guy, created by exposure to radiation, went around sucking on people, to reproduce ?" Sean nodded. " That's disgusting! Mulder told you this ?" Sean nodded again. " And if you cough up blood and can't breathe, it could be because a baby fluke is trying to escape!" Gavin roled his eyes. " That's bull-sh..." he began his sentence, but toned down his language, realizing he was within Ellen's earshot. " bull-crap! He's saying that just to scare you!" Matt joined into the conversation. " No, it's not. He told me another story about this guy, who could stretch himself to fit down a chimney, or through a heating vent. He came into people's houses, killed them by ripping out their livers with his bare hands, then ate them so he could hibernate for thrity years!" Gavin swallowed hard and decided if he wanted to know the truth, he should ask someone who knew if Mulder was crazy. " Trent, are Mulder's stories true ?" Trent shrugged. " I don't know, ask Dana. She was his partner! And I know she won't lie." Gavin walked over to Scully, and tapped her on the shoulder. He was a tall, weel built boy, with a large bone structure that resembled that of a quarter back. He stood almost equal height with her. " Ms. Scully ?" Scully turned and smiled at Gavin. " You can call me Dana." " OK, um, Dana... is Mulder telling the truth ? Scully's smile fell a bit, and her gaze traveled over the group of boys who were surrounding Mulder, awestruck expressions on their faces, as they watched him imitate the beheading voodoo mask guy from the cannibalistic town of Dudley, Arkansas. And then suddenly, Mulder jerked his back, simulating being shot. And all the children's eyes turned from Mulder to Scully, as they all came towards her spouting of questions like... " Were you really going to be eaten ?" and " Did he really save you, just in time ?". But most of all they asked, " Is that true ?" Scully looked at all of them, and raised her finger, silencing their curiosity. " Just a minute, OK ?" And then she was off in Mulder's direction, who was grinning like an idiot, obviously proud of himself. " Come." She ordered him, pulling him out of the boys' earshot. " What did you tell them ?" Mulder shrugged. " I don't know... I may have mentioned a few old cases..." Scully's eyes grew wide. " Which ones ?" Mulder stopped grinning. " Tooms, The Fluke and Chaco." Scully closed her eyes, and shook her head at him, summoning patience. It felt like old times when she'd had to do that almost every day. " You don't tell young boys those kind of stories... You'll scare the shit out of them!" Mulder looked at his feet. " I thought they could handle it..." Scully stepped closer to him, trying to catch his eye. " Mulder, you're very brave... you were forced to grow up very quickly... You and I can handle these cases, but I know people who get squeamish at the mention of blood or pus !" Mulder looked at the ceiling, and pretended to stretch. " What kind of father am I going ot be ?" He asked quietly. Scully hadn't been expecting that. A small sound of surprise escaped her. " Oh, Mulder, you'll be a wonderful father! The boys love you! Just, please, when we have our own children, no bedtime stories, or none of us will get any sleep!" That succeeded in making him smile, and he looked at her, assured by her words. " Thanks Scully." She smiled back. " You know, watching you with Matt earlier, did something to me..." He scrunched up his forehead, unsure of what she meant. " You just... I don't know, looked so different... I don't know how to describe it, but I just had this mental image of you with our children, and you were so... sure of what you were doing. You looked so mature, I guess... So responsible..." Mulder smiled. He had no idea what she was talking about, but he knew, whatever he'd done, it was something good. " Did it turn you on ?" Scully rolled her eyes. " Maybe." " Then we won't have any problems making me a father, will we ?" She rolled her eyes, again and sighed, leaving him to his own devices. " Well ?" Gavin demanded. " Well... apparently what Mulder told you were like any other stories..." The boys relaxed visibly. "... They were based in reality, but exagerations of the truth." Gavin began laughing, as did many of the other boys. " See, I told you it wasn't true !" But their laughter wasn't an amused kind of laugh, but more of a giddy, relieved kind. And Scully knew that she and Mulder had just received their first lesson in parenting. ************************************************************************** Two thousand nine hundred and ninety eight, two thousand nine hundred and ninety nine, three thousand... Scully groaned and rolled over, about to start counting through the next thousand numbers. It was pathetic, she knew, but she just couldn't sleep... It was the night before her wedding day, and she was sleeping alone, in a big, cold hotel room bed. Estelle had said it was some kind of tradition to separate the bride from the groom the night before the wedding, but Scully was sure the crazy coordinator was just trying to get revenge for not having plaid table cloths, at their reception.... She'd survived the day all right, having spent it with her mother, going over the plans for the ceremony, reception, etc. Then they'd gone to Georgetown for the day. She was exhausted when she'd checked into the hotel, but now it was one o'clock in the morning and she still couldn't sleep. She tossed back the covers and slid out of bed, in search of a sweatshirt to wear overtop of her pyjamas. Unfortunately, she hadn't packed anything but some of her toiletries, a pair of jeans, a shirt and her wedding dress, as well as the pyjamas that she was currently wearing. Defeated she climbed back into bed, and pulled the covers up tightly around her, trying to get warm. She missed Mulder. She wanted Mulder to sneek into her room, but she knew he wouldn't. He was probably fast asleep, as she should have been, in preparation for the big day ahead of them. Just thinking about tomorrow... or today, it was one in the morning after all, gave her a fluttering stomach. She felt like she'd taken one too many caffein pills. She was very excited and felt like a child on Christmas Eve... She groaned again and rolled over, sticking her head under her pillows. She almost didn't hear the phone ring... Mulder let the curtains fall back into place over the window he'd been looking out of, and dropped into the cushy chair the hotel provided. He stared angrily at the bed on the other side of the room. He just couldn't find sleep knowing that Scully wasn't beside him. He groaned and rubbed a hand over his tired face. He was going to be a mess tomorrow, today, whatever, if he didn't sleep soon... He closed his eyes and tried to imagine Scully in her wedding dress, smiling at him. The Scully smiling part wasn't hard to picture, but he had big problems with the dress. He hadn't ever actually seen the thing, so he was trying to imagine it based on the plans they'd drawn up, over a month ago. As he did so, he felt his stomach knot in anicipation... Finally finding no comfort in his chair, he stood up and flopped down on the vacant bed, reaching for the black velvet box that sat on his night stand. Carefully he opened it, and picked up the two perfect gold rings that lay inside. Soon they'd be resting on their fingers, until the day they died... He wondered what Scully was doing. She had a room on the floor above his, so she wasn't far away... For a minute he considered going up for a visit, but decided it was probably better if he didn't. Instead he reached for the phone, and dialed her number... " Hello ?" Scully answered. " What ? You're not sleeping ?" Mulder asked. " Are you kidding ? I'm freezing!" She exclaimed. Mulder chuckled. " Want me to come up ?" " No, I mean yes... but...." " I know. Will you be OK ?" He asked, understanding. " Yeah..." Their conversation paused for a minute. " I guess we better get some sleep, huh ?" " Probably." " Well good-night then..." " Good-night... Mulder?" He was just about to hang up when he heard her call him. " Yeah ?" " It's kind of like before, isn't it ?" " What is ?" " Our conversation... Have you ever taken a step back and looked at how far we've come ?" Mulder was silent for a moment, considering her question. " I don't have time Scully. I'm too busy looking forward to the future..." He thought he hearda a small laugh come out of her, but he couldn't be sure. " Do you ever wish something hadn't happened, to you, even... something that would affect the way things are today ?" Mulder didn't even have to think about that one. " No." " Not even Samantha ?" " I know a lot of terrible things have happened to me, because of what happened to Samantha, and my quest... our quest to find her. But if none of those things had ever happened, I never would have met you... and you are the best thing that ever happened to me Scully. " She smiled, and was suddenly very tired. She'd needed to hear him say that to her, for her to be able to let tomorrow come... " Are you having second thoughts ?" He asked the question so simply, as if he could have been asking her if she liked peanut butter sandwiches. " NO! No. I'm not... I'm getting kind of tired though..." " I know. Your voice changes when you're just about to fall asleep." Scully yawned, and she knew, for sure, that she was marrying the right man. Who else would notice such a small detail about her ? " I love you , Mulder." He smiled and closed his hand around the gold bands. " Right back at you, Firefly." And then they both hung up. It didn't take long for sleep to find them, and fill their minds with peaceful blankness, overtaking their worries and excitement for tomorrow... today... whatever. ************************************************************************** Dana Scully was woken up on the morning of May twentieth, by the entrance of her mother into her hotel room. Though it was afternine o'clock, to Scully it felt like seven. She hadn't fallen asleep until late, or very early, depending on how you looked at it, the night before. And apparently neither had her fianc=E9, Fox Mulder. " Mom ? How'd you get in ? What time is it ?" Scully asked, rolling over, sleepily rubbing her eyes. " It's after nine Dana, and Fox gave me the key." " NINE !" Scully kicked back the covers, and leapt out of bed. " The wedding's at one! Why didn't you wake me sooner ?" Maggie smiled at her daughter, who was hastily running a brush through her hair. " I spoke with Fox, and he said you'd both been up late last night, so I figured if you hadn't woken up, that you needed the sleep." " What I need is a reliable alarm clock !" She said, tossing her portable one to her mom, who put it in the overnight bag. She started heading for the shower, when Maggie stopped her. " Oh, Dana, there's a shower at the church, you don't need to take one= here." Scully looked puzzled. " A shower in a church ? I thought it was a small church ?" Maggie threw her her jeans and a shirt. " Small, not tiny... Hurry now, I let you sleep in..." Scully smiled. " I feel like I'm in school again !" Maggie just shook her head. " And you weren't half as bad as Melissa !" Scully smiled sadly. " I wish she was here." Maggie nodded, a melancholic smile on her face, as well. " She is Dana. And so is your father. We can't see them, but they're here..." Scully nodded, not wanting to talk about it anymore. Maggie caught on and chose instead to speak of the wedding. " All the decorations are up. When I left the church they had finished the inside of the church, as well as the outside. They were just putting the final touches on the tables for the reception, out back..." Scully, while pulling on a sock, hopped over to the window and opened the curtains. Outside the sky was an unbelievable shade of blue, and the sun was shining like the glare of light off a new penny. She couldn't have wished for a better day to have a wedding. " Wow ! It's beautiful out ! How warm is it ?" Maggie smiled picking up the wedding dress that hung in a clothing bag, in the closet. " Plus twenty two. By mid afternoon it's going to be close to twenty six." " Goog thing I have straps, not sleeves !" Sculyl said, slidding on her shoes. " Mulder's going to melt !" Maggie smiled. " Yeah, he was helping set up inside the church, taking comfort in the air conditioning..." And that's what Maggie and Scully did too, on their way to the church, in the car. Unfortunately, it wasn't a long enough ride to cool them down completely... Scully smiled as they drove down the dirt road, through the apple orchard, to the old stone church. There were all ready many cars parked in the lot out front, and people hustling and bustling back and forth, from the front of the building to the back, carrying boxes of plates and cutlery that would be used later that afternoon. As soon as the car stopped, Scully jumped out, letting the excitement overcome her. She squinted as the sun glared into her eyes, and the cool breeze blew her hair into her face. Charles came out of the church and waved, as he spotted his sister watching the commotion. " Dana !" He called, jogging up to her. " How's the bride ?" She smiled and gave her brother a hug, despite the hanger and dress she held in her arms. " I'm really excited..." Charles laughed. " Good, you should be... Oh, I was asked to deliver this..." He pulled a folded paper out of his and handed it to her. "... to you, from the groom." Scully looked at it, wondering what it was. She decided it would have to wait, because just then, her mom came up, with a box in her arms, which contained all the accessories, as well as the hair drier, etc. " Come on, Dana, we need to get you cleaned up and dressed, so we can get your hair and make up done..." Maggie started walking towards the front steps, leaving Charles and Scully, who rolled their eyes at their mother's enthusiasm, before going their separate ways... ... "There." Maggie said, finally having put the veil on the right way, a top her daughter's head. It was twelve thirty, the ceremony began in half an hour, and Scully was all ready to go. Most of the guests had arrived, and were seated downstairs. It was a full turn out, so Scully was pleased. She could faintly hear their voices chattering away, biding their time until the ceremony began. It seemed like everyone had something to do, except her, who now stood infront of a full length mirror, making sure everything was in place. Her mom had left her, to go get dressed herself, after they'd finished Scully's hair. Now she'd returned, wearing a very pale mauve, satin dress, that was the theme for the bridesmaids and, of course, the mother of the bride. They were short sleeved dresses, with semi-low cut necklines, and a skirt that traveled down to knee height. They were very plain but elegant. Of course, Mrs Scully's was longer than the others' , and instead of wearing silver jewelry, she'd worn pearls... " You look beautiful, Dana." Maggie said, a small quiver in her voice. Scully turned and looked at her mom, knowing that she was probably reliving the excitement of her own wedding day to Captain William Scully, Dana Katherine Scully's father. " You aren't going to cry, are you mom ?" She asked with a teasing sigh. Maggie smiled. " I make no promises... Look at you! My baby girl all grown up!" Scully smiled, and gave her mom a hug. " Don't worry, mom. You'll have a new grand-baby to pamper..." Maggie let her daughter go. " Dana, you aren't ?" Scully smiled, and shook her head. " No. Not yet." Maggie smiled, but Scully couldn't tell if she was relieved or disapppointed... Suddenly, her mom snapped out of it, and went to the window sill, where a small cardboard box sat. Maggie picked it up and brought it over to her daughter, placing it in her hands. " This is for you." She said, gesturing to the box. Scully looked at it puzzeled. " What is it ?" " Open it." Maggie urged, and so she did. Inside lay four objects. Scully lifted them out one by one. The first was a simple silver chain necklace, with a single pearl, in the shape of a teardrop, hanging off of it. " Your father gave it to me when he found out I was pregnant with you..." Scully looked at it, sad yet happy. " Something old." Maggie nodded and put it one her daughter, as she lifted the next object out of the box. It was a pair of pearl drop earrings, that almost matched the neckalce, but looked newer. " Something new ?" Scully asked. Maggie smiled and nodded. Scully put down the box for a moment to slide the earrings in, then resumed her explorations. Next she pulled out a pair of diamond studded hair pins, which she immediately recognized as her mother's. " Something borrowed." Maggie lifted the veil, and helped Scully put them in her hair, which was pulled back into a french twist. Finally Scully pulled out the last obeject. It was a silver ring with star shapes etched into it. In the center sat a real, blue sapphire. " Oh my god !" She said, as she inspected it. " Mom..." Maggie smiled. " Read the inscription." And so she did. As she read it, she felt tears well up. " Your G.A. luv Missy." Maggie nodded. " Your Guardian Angel, love Melissa." She bought it for you after she met Fox, after you were taken. She gave it to me and said that if she missed your wedding I should give it to you..." Maggie began to choke on her words. " Don't cry, Dana ! Your make-up will run !" Scully smiled and sniffed. She would have said more, but suddenly all the downstairs noise drowned out, and they heard the organ player begin to play. It meant everyone had five minutes to get seated, and make sure everything was in order, before the ceremony started. Maggie dodged for the door. " Five minutes, honey... I've got to get downstairs, and make sure the bridesmaids and everyone are ready... Good luck !" She was out the door and gone, before Scully could say anything. And suddenly she remembered Mulder's note. She picked it up, off the table, and opened it. Inside it read : " Good morning sleepy head! Hope you're ready fro today... I know I am. See you soon. I LUV U. Mulder : 0 ) xoxo " She laughed at his happy face with the oversized nose, and out the note in her bag. She checked her watch. Four minutes until she had to be downstairs... How could time move so slowly ? She did a last check on herself in the mirror, and then walked to the window. Out back, all the tents and tables had been set up, and were now waiting for them. She spotted the head of the table, where she and Mulder were to be seated. And she was gripped by such a feeling of excitement, that she couldn't wait any longer for their life together to begin. She opened the door and headed downstairs. Everything was a commotion in the hall. Maggie was trying to get the people to line up in order. Everyone was excited and happy, chattering amongst themselves, as they loosely followed Maggie's orders. No one noticed Scully, except Ellen, who rushed up to her, and tried to hide her, without anyone seeing her. It wasn't too hard, since almost everyone I the hall was taller than her. " Dana ! You're not supposed to be doen here yet !" Scully smiled. " I know." " Mulder is down here . He's waiting to go in. You know it's bad luck if he sees you !" Scully just kept smiling, and tried to climb back up the stairs, so she could see him. She almost caught a glimpse, but Ellen pulled her back down. " DANA !" Scully laughed. And then three chords were played in succession, signaling that it was tim efor their entrance. Ellen gave her a a warning glance, then squished back down the hall, to where she was supposed to be standing. The doors opened, just as she arrived, and the organ could be heard playing loud and clear. Scully saw a flash of tan suit as Charles and Mulder entered the inner sanctum. Then the braidesmaids and maid of honor disappeared through the doors. Soon, Scully was alone in the hall, waiting for her musical que, reminding herself to breathe. It seemed to take forveer before it was her time to enter, but finally the right music played and she stepped into the door frame, ready and willing to walk down the seemingly endless aisle to the man she loved. All eyes turned to her, but she hardly noticed, as she began her slow step down the carpeted path. All she could do was smile, her gaze held by Mulder's own affectionate stare. He looked so handsome wearing the light weight, beige suit, white shirt and powder blue tie they'd selected. He was clean shaven, and his usually uncontrollable hair had been tamed. It was parted down the middle and brushed back, hanging around his face, bringing attention to his shining hazel eyes, through which his soul was smiling. And his eyes weren't the only part of him smiling. His mouth was turned up into a smile she hadn't often seen on his face, until recently. It was a smile of pure happiness... Mulder's breath was lost as he saw her small body step into the door frame, and despite her small stature, she held a huge presence... Of course she would , though, she was the bride, partner to the groom... Partner to him. She looked beautiful beyond words in the plain, white satin dress they'd chosen. It had tank top type straps which led into a plunging, rounded neckline. The sides were tapered and form fitting, showing off her slim figure in a subtle way. The skirt of the dress fell to the floor, just barely hiding her small, low heel clad feet. Around her neck she wore the single pearl drop necklace and matching earrings in her exposed ears. Her vibrant red hair had been pulled back into a french twist, but gentle tendrils had escaped and hung curling around her face. She had very little make up on, and her freckles were just visible, contrasting with her creamy skin. Over her face hung a long veil, which he could hardly wait to flip up, and be able to glance upon, with no barriers, his wife. His gaze met hers and an electric current was shot out from her radiant blue eyes, to his own warm hazel ones. He smiled and so did she. It seemed to take her forever to reach the alter, but when she did he reached out, and caught her hands with his, giving them a gentle squeeze. And she squeezed back, without hesitation or doubt. Father McHugh, who'd been asked to perform the ceremony, smiled at the red haired woman who stood in front of him now. He'd watched her grow since childhood. And he was happy for both of them. " Dearly beloved, we have assembled this day in the presence of god to witness and bless the joining together of Fox William Mulder and Dana Katherine Scully in holy matrimony. The union of these two people in heart, body and mind is intended by god for their mutual joy. For the help and comfort given one another in both prosperity and adversity. Marriage, therefore, is not to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly, but reverently and deliberately. Into this holy union Fox and Dana now come to be joined. If any can show just cause why they cannot be married, speak now or forever hold your peace..." Bill Scully Junior simply smiled, choosing peace. " Fox Mulder, do you take Dana Scully to be your lawfully wedded wife ? To love and to comfort, honor and keep her, and forsaking all others be faithful to her, as long as you both shall live ?" Mulder looked Scully straight in her eyes, wanting to make sure his answer was very clear to her. " I do." He said it with so much intensity a tear fell from her eye. " And do you, Dana Scully take Fox Mulder to be your lawfully wedded husband ? To love, comfort and keep him, and foresaking all others be faithful to him, as long as you both shall live ?" Scully smiled and looked at Mulder, her blue eyes penetrating him, showing him that there was no fear, doubt, worry or hesitation of any kind in her response. " I do." " O gracious and eternal lord, look with favor upon Fox and Dana. Give them wisdom in the ordering of their lives. And make their lives together a sign... That unity may overcome estrangement and joy conquer despair. Amen." Father McHugh finished his prayer, and Mulder took her ring from the box which the Father held for him. As Mulder spoke, his voice came out rich and warm, happiness dripping from every syllable. He held her eyes with his gaze, and a small cute smile lay on his lips, though he was trying to remain serious." I Fox Mulder, take you, Dana Scully, to be my wife. To have and to hold from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part." Scully's lips twitched at the edges, as she tried to keep her calm, and picked up his ring. Unfortunately, her voice betrayed her emotions. It came out higher than usual but softly. " I Dana Scully, take you, Fox Mulder, to be my husband. To have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part." Father McHugh bagan again. " Bless O Lord these rings to be a sign of the vows by which this man and this woman have bound themselves to each other." Mulder and Scully began to speak in unison. " We give these rings as a symbol of our vows, with all that we are, all that we have, and all that we will be." Mulder took Scully's hand, and slid the shining gold band onto her finger. She smiled as she watched him, then repeated the action on him. " Now that Fox and Dana have given themselves to eachother by solemn vows, and with the joining of hands and exchanging of rings... I am proud to declare that they are now husband and wife !" A thunderous applause came up, and Scully flashed her thousand kilowatt smile. Then Mulder reached for her veil, and flipped it over her head. Finally, the moment he'd been waiting for. He gazed upon his wife for a few seconds, relishing the newfound feeling of complete and total joy, then rested his hands on her cheeks, bringing his face to hers. " I love you." He whispered against her lips. " I know... I love you too." She whispered back. And then they kissed their very first kiss as husband and wife. And though nothing had really changed, something felt different. Like some small part of them had been released, the cage in which it had been held captive, now opened. It was an undescribable, incredible feeling, that neither of them wanted to end... But to continue kissing for that long, in public, would be unforgivable... Mulder broke their lip lock and whispered, " To be continued...", into her ear. Scully smiled and elbowed him, reprimanding him, as she turned to face the crowd. With one arm around each other, they used their other ones to wave. Everyone was happy. And then, unexpectedly, Mulder sweeped Scully up into his arms, and carried her out of the church, down the stairs, and around to the field at the back of the church, where the reception was to be held. He set her down gently, never pulling his eyes from hers. They were full of the mischievous sparkle that she had seen, when she first met him, six years ago. Back then thougth she'd never have guessed she'd be standing here now, next to him, on their wedding day, recollecting that specific moment... And she was so proud of them, for having made it that far. It was a comfort for her, knowing that two people who had seen so many awful things, could find complete joy and happiness with each other. She smiled and so did he, his silly, impish grin that always succeed in making her laugh. He loved the way her nose wrinkled up slightly when she laughed, or how the freckles on her cheeks bounced. He loved... He could go on forever about just what he loved about her, but he'd never be able to pin down exactly what it was about her that had hooked him. Maybe it was that, over all, she'd been there for him, when he'd needed her, and even when he hadn't. She'd been and continued to be the only one to trust, completely and totally. And he knew she'd never know just how much she'd changed him, for the better. She was the miracle he'd been waiting for, and he knew if he tried to tell her that, she'd never understand, but today, he almost felt as if they both all ready knew. He'd finally found what he'd been searching for, all his life. And there was no way he was ever going to let her go. He put his hand against her warm cheek that was flushed with excitement and sunshine. " You're so beautiful... Dana. My wife." The use of her first name hit her, hard. She felt the tears well up, but this time she didn't hold them back. They fell from her eyes freely. " So, how does it feel to be Mrs. Fox Mulder ?" She smiled and put her arms around his neck. "I don't know...kind of Spooky. " Mudler smiled, and put his arms around her, then gave her a tight hug as he lifted her off the field, and twirled her around. " I love you, so much." He said, watching her spin around above him, the perfect blue sky outlining her silhouette, the bright sunshine making her hair look like living fire. " I love you more !" She exclaimed as she was lowered back down to earth. Mulder considered this for a moment, then shook his head at her. " I don't think that's possible." She smiled. " You'd better believe it." Just then, their moment was interrupted by none other than Bil Scully Jr. " You guys better cut it out. You're starting to act like newlyweds." They all laughed, but there was an underlying tension. All were quiet for a moment, but finally Bill spoke up. " Look, I um,... I just wanted to say that you two BOTH have my blessings. I'm not apologizing for what I've said and done in the past, because I thought I did what was right, but I hope we all have a better future. Mulder nodded, and that was enough of an acknowledgment for Bill. Scully smiled at her brother, knowing that this was tough on him, and let go of her husband's hand to give her older sibling a hug. " Thank you." She whispered in his ear, and then let go, to join her life partner. Bill smiled. " I'm just going to go help the caterers get everything on order..." He waved and headed off to the dining tent. And that's when they realized that they were no longer alone in the field. The previous occupants of the church had all come outside to mingle and chat, as well as have dinner, for those who were staying that long. Hors d'oeuvres were just being put out on tha tables, and champagne was being poured. Mulder saw Margaret Scully heading towards them heading towards them, and knowing that Scully would probably want a moment with her mom, he asked if she wanted a glass of the bubbly liquid that was being served, then walked off to pick up the= glasses... " Dana..." Maggie began, but couldn't continue. She smiled, tightly, trying not to let her sob out. A tear of pride fell from her eye, for her daughter. " I know, Mom." She said, hugging her mother. " I feel so silly crying at my own wedding." Scully commented, before letting go of the woman who had supported her since she was born. Not since her father's death had Maggie shared that responsibility, with anyone. Now her mom would share it with Fox Mulder, her daughter's husband. Maggie laughed. " I cried at my wedding too, just like I'm crying at yours, and one day we'll both be crying at my grand child's wedding !" Scully smiled. " I can hardly wait..." Mulder came up behind Scully, and surprised her by speaking up. " Hello Scullys." He said with a smile. He handed a glass of champagne to Scully and one to Maggie, keeping one for himself. Maggie smiled. " You're part Scully now too, you know !" Mulder modded, and held Scully's hand, their fingers intertwined. Scully sipped her bubbly liquid as Mulder chatted with her mom. Soon Charles had joined them, and they were all participating in a light hearted conversation. However, Scully saw Ellen and Trent, and excused herself to go say hello. And that's how most of the afternoon was spent. Mulder talking to some people, while Scully talked to others. They were rarely together, and both of them didn't like all the small talk. They were constantly looking for each other across the small field, trying to get back to each other. Unfortunately, it wasn't until dinner time that they actually met up again, assuming their honorary positions at the head of the tables. The caterers were coming aroung pouring wine in the glasses. Scully was talking to one of the guests, trying to find Mulder, when she spotted him over by the orchestra. She excused herself from the other person's presence, and made her way over to her husband. " Mulder... Long time no see." She joked. He smiled and nodded, putting an arm aroung her shoulders, giving her a small hug. " I can hardly wait to get out of here, so we can be alone..." Scully nodded and put her arm around his waist. " Thank you, Mulder." He stopped walking, and let go of her, stepping around in front of her, so he could see into her eyes. " What for ?" She waved her hand at everthing in general, the sunlight glinting off the gold wedding band that now sat on her finger. " For all this... for everything. I know you don't like big social functions." He put his fingers on her lips, silencing her. " Can I please kiss you ?" He asked with a sigh. She gave him a coy little smile and came up to his face. " You know you don't have to ask." He smiled back, and kissed her lovingly, passionately. Someone saw them and whistled, starting a round of applause. Scully had to break the kiss because she couldn't help laughing. " All right, all right..." She muttered, as everyone quieted down, and started taking their seats. Mulder led her to their table on his arm, where he pulled out her chair for her and seated her. Scully thought that he was going to sit down as well, but he remained standing. " Where are you going ?" She asked, as he slowly moved away. " You'll see." He replied, mysteriously, walking away. Scully followed him with her eyes, to where he stopped at a microphone, near the orchestra. And suddenly she got that sinking feeling, that she always did when Mulder was up to something. " Please, don't let this be too embarrassing..." She begged herself. Mulder tapped the microphone, to see if it was on, then smiled at everyone. " Can I have your attention, please ?" People quieted down, and turned their eyes to Mulder. " Thanks. Um, I'm sure you all know that it's customary for the groom to toast the bride, before the dinner..." Scully slunk down in her seat. " Anyways, I'm no good with words, so I'm going to borrow someone= else's..." He turned his body and looked at Scully. " By the way, this was a dare..." Charles began lauging in the seat beside Mulder's. Scully gave him a reproachful glare. And then the music began to play, and Mulder began to= sing. " The story of my life is very plain to read, it starts the day you came, and ends the day you leave. The story of my life, begins and ends with you. The names are still the same, and the story's still the truth..." Mulder looked at Scully and winked. She shook her head at him, but was smiling. Sometimes he could be so odd... " I was alone, you found me waiting and made me your own. I was afraid, that I could never be the man that you wanted of me. You're the story of my life, and every word is true. Each chapter sings your name, each page begins with you. It's the story of our times, and never letting go. If I die today, I want you to know..." Mulder couldn't tell if she was crying or not. He smiled at her, and she laughed, putting a hand over her eyes, embarrassed. " Stay with me here, share with me, care with me, stay and be near. And when it began, I'd lie awake every night, just knowing somewhere deep inside our story just might write. The story of my life, is very plain to read. It starts the day you came, and ends the day you leave..." The music died away, and everyone clapped, some laughing, some crying. " I love you, Scully." He stated, then went to join her at the table. " Hi Gorgeous." He said, sitting down next to her. " Hey Handsome." She replied, leaning over, resting her head on his shoulder. He put his arm up around her shoulders, and hugged her tightly. She was relaxed, but he could also tell she was fading. " You getting hungry ?" He asked, leaning his head down on top of hers. She nodded. " Good, because dinner is being served." She pulled her head up and looked around seeing that the caterers were just starting to serve the guests. " Yum." She said, looking at him, contentedly. " Yup. And you know what ? There's Moo-Goo-Gai-Pan over there..." She raised her eyebrows, and her eyes softened. " Are you responsible for that ?" He nodded, and she brought her head in close to his, until they were speaking in whispers, forehead to forehead. " I love you, so much, Mulder." She whispered, almost inaudibly. " I love you back." He whispered. " I know." She smiled. " I feel like a princess... but I think my head is going to be permanently bruised, from this hair twist !" " Want me to help you take it out ?" She shook her head. " Nah. I'lll survive for now, but you can help me later..." Mulder looked at her, surprised by the mischievous tone, and sublime hint at her plans for later... " Scully ?!? I think you've been hanging around me too long !" She laughed slightly. " Your video collection is highly educational..." He blushed a bit. " I don't have those anymore, you know..." She was enjoying watching him squirm. " No ?" " I gave them to Frohike, when I told him I was marrying you. It was in the contract." Now she was curious. " Contract ?" Mulder chuckled. " Whichever one of us got you had to give the loser the video collection... I'm glad I won." " Me too." Scully stated, a little too enthusiastically. He laughed at her. " You're not a princess..." She gave him a mock surprised look. " I'm not ?" He shook his head. " You're the Quen of my heart." " That makes you king." " Of what, Paranoia ?" She smiled. " No. You're my King of everything." Mulder couldn't resist the urge to quote... " Well isn't it nice to be suddenly so highly regarded ?" ... Dinner was great, but Scully didn't think she'd ever be able to fit into her wedding dress again... not that she would ever need to. She and Mulder had both made total pigs of themselves... And then desert rolled by... Mulder held the knife over Scully's hands, and together they pushed their way down through the first tier of the chocolate cake. She lifted it out, laughing and smiling at him, as she placed it on a plate, and Mulder took a fork, breaking her off a piece. He smiled at her, as he steered the fork to her mouth. " Too us !" He exclaimed. She smiled and opened it, then bit down. " Hmmmm, yeah, to us..." Then she took the fork and plate, and broke off a piece for him. However, when he opened his mouth, he closed his eyes, and instead of receiving a little piece of cake, he received the wgole thing, all over his face. Scully burst out laughing, as everyone applauded, and Mulder cleaned off his face with his finger. " Yummy." She laughed harder, then put her hands on his sticky cheeks. " I love you." Mulder grinned. " Yeah, me too, despite the cake..." She smiled. " You missed a spot." And she kissed his nose, where a glob of icing still sat... Soon after they'd started the dancing, as the caterers cleaned up the tables. The orchestra played slow songs and fast, and all the gentlemen at the reception asked the bride for a dance. She humored them, and watched Mulder twist around with Ellen, then her mother, then other women, the whole time wishing it was her in his arms... But then she smiled, knowing that she'd be the one in their places for the rest of her life.. his life. Finally, she found herself alone, talking to her brother, when a lively tune with a country twang to it started. Bill came over and joined his siblings, who were conspiring together. " Hey Mulder !" Charlie called, waving him over. Mulder unknowingly joined his brother in laws. " Let's show himn how it's done, Dana." Bill said, taking her arm. And the brother and sister began to dance a country jig, as if the devil was in them. Niether of them slipped up or slowed down, but laughed at each other as they picked up the pace. Charlie, of course, could have kept up with his older siblings, but was slowed down by teaching Mulder , Ellen and Trent, as well as some of the other guests the moves. Mulder's learning, however, was impaired. He was too busy watching Scully fly, her small feet moving at such speed, the parts of her skirt she wasn't holding up, blowing and swooshing around her. She was moving at a dizzying pace. The orchestra eventually slowed and ended the song, thei rarms no longer able to keep up the beat. Bill gave Scully a triumphant hug. " We outdid the music again !" Sculy laughed, but her eyes were not focused, her world spinning around her. She tried to walk in a straight line back to Mulder, but the combination of speed twirls and alcohol was potent. She stumbled and fell into her husbands arms. " Thanks." She said, clinging to him as her surroundings began to come into focus. " You're incredible !" He said, as he held her close to him, hands resting on her naked back. She pulled back slightly and smiled up at him. " This is fun." She stated simply. He nodded in agreement. " If only the bureau functions were like this..." She got that sly look on her face. " They could be." Mulder twirled her in time with the music, then dipped her, much to her surprise. She went down, so low, but he didn't let her fall. He bent down over top of her, and gave her a quick kiss, before pulling her up again, effortlessly. " I thought you said you couldn't dance !" She exclaimed, once she found her words again. " I can't." He said. " That seemed like pretty good dancing to me..." He just shrugged. " It's not me Scully, it's you." She shook her head. " It's me what ?" " You do it to me... You make me a better person." She pulled her face back, giving him her characteristic skeptical look. "Mulder..." He wanted to stop her from talking, but didn't want to let her go, so he kissed her, intensely. She didn't speak for many minutes after that... Finally, as the evening wore on, guests began to say their good-byes, and things started to quiet down. Then, at around seven o'clock, Mulder and Scully made their way to the champagne coloured Taurus that awaited them. And then with the honking of horns and dragging of cans along along the rocky road, the newlyweds made their way out to the smoothly paved road of their future. And neither of them looked back... THE END ~ " The course of true love never did run smoothly..." William Shakespeare Disclaimer None of the characters you recognize are mine. Most likely they are property of Chris Carter and 1013 Productions for the Fox television network. If you don't recognize the characters, then they are mine. No infringement of any sort to anybody was intended in the making of this story. Though you could sue, imagine how many x-philes you'd lose if they could no longer fantasize over their favorite characters?? All full set of song lyrics, and parts of songs, are property of their artists and their record label. They are in no way mine, I just used them to enhance the moods in my story. NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT WAS INTENDED IN THE MAKING OF THIS STORY All characters and related subjects are property of Chris Carter for his TV show "The X-Files" 20th Century Fox Television Network and Ten Thirteen Productions =E3 1992 "The X-Files" is a trademark of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All rights reserved.