From: JoAnn Medrano Date: Wed, 21 Mar 2001 21:21:44 -0800 (PST) Subject: Fox and Dana XV: Loose Ends Source: revision Title: Fox and Dana XV: Loose Ends Author: Jo Ann Medrano Address: agentsinlove@yahoo.com Rated: PG Spoilers: Arcadia, Chinga, Tempus Fugit, Triangle Classification: Mulder/Scully Romance Summary: The events in February bring an end to some and new beginnings to others. Archive: Please don't archive on any site without permission from the author. My many thanks to the following, Chris Carter, Gillian Anderson, David Duchovny and all who work on the X-Files. Disclaimer: The characters of the X-Files do not belong to me. They are the property of Chris Carter, 1013 Productions and Fox Broadcasting. No copyright infringement is intended. http://www.agentsinlove.com/ Fox and Dana: Loose Ends A Shopping Mall... Dana Scully sat and watched the young mother with her infant daughter. It wasn't fair. The girl was too young to be a mother. How could she possibly care for the child when she herself was no more than one? " Dana... " Her mother, Maggie Scully called as she handed her a soft drink. " Thanks, Mom... " Dana's eyes returned to the mother and child. Had it not been for her loss, Dana would be holding her own baby this fall, waiting to celebrate the child's first holidays with her and Fox. It WASN'T fair!! " Dana... " Her mother called to get her attention. " Honey, do you know what you want to get Fox for Valentine's Day? " (A son...) " I was thinking about getting him a gold chain for his wrist... but I don't know yet... " Dana said. (That baby should have been mine...) " I think he would like that... I know just the place we could go to... " Maggie added. (It's not fair...) " Dana..? " (I want my baby...) " Dana... " (God, wasn't Emily enough? Why did you have to take my baby, too?! Why do you have to be so cruel..? ) " DANA!!! " Dana turned to her mother, her eyes baring the tears that were threatening to come down. " Dana, stop it! Stop tormenting yourself! You will have another baby. God has shown you. Be patient, sweetheart, it will happen again... " Maggie took Dana's hand. The tears that were threatening now came down. Dana wished she could believe her mother. Right now it was hard idea to accept. Dana looked at the young mother again. " Mom, can we leave? I don't like the view here... " xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Another Shopping Mall... Fox Mulder stood in front the display case in the jewelry shop. He originally came in to look for earrings to give to Dana for Valentine's Day. The wedding rings had his full attention. " Can I help you, sir? " The store clerk asked. " Yeah... I like to see what you have in engagement rings..? " xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Somewhere In The World... " Why did you not tell me..? " Diana Fowley stared at the man across from her. " Tell you what, my dear? " He lit his cigarette as turned his attention back to her. " About Fox Mulder and Dana Scully... You knew about this... you could have stopped it!! You told me there was nothing between them!! " " I was wrong... but they are not your concern, Diana... There are other tasks that need your attention... " " You let me come back into his life... just to take it away... You knew he had feelings for that... woman!!! You led me into a lie!!! " " I did no such thing... You allowed yourself to believe this... You gave yourself hope that he would want you back... I don't believe he planned on making the same mistake twice... " " You son of bitch... " " Diana... please? Mulder and Scully are not your priority... Now about your report... " xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx A Crime Scene... Agent Scully watched from afar as Agent Mulder was in deep discussion with one of the law enforcement. She turned her head to the sound of wheels moving. The removal of bodies was nearly completed. Three dead, ripped to shred. Within the last two weeks, four other bodies had been found in the same condition. The attacks were being blamed on wild animals, Mulder believed otherwise. Scully sighed. Soon she would be readily herself for the autopsies she would be performing on the victims. Right now her mind was somewhere else. Studying the crowd of spectators, Scully noticed a young woman holding an infant. At times, it was still hard to accept her loss as she turned away. How close she came to having her own baby, not a product of any government curiosity, but her own child. Created as nature intended between a man and a woman. There were days Dana would be overwhelmed by depression as her body healed from the fall she had taken that caused her miscarriage. Yet, her heart hurt the most. Only the loss of Emily could compare to the tragedy that burned in her, as motherhood was again taken from her. Fox was doing his best to help her. He was an amazing man, her Fox. After what had happened to him before Christmas when he came close to a breakdown, he bounced back and moved on. Maybe that was how he had survived all these years. Face the demons and move on, until the next battle occurred. The sound of a baby crying brought Scully out of her thoughts. She turned back toward the lady with the infant, but the cries came from the side of the house where the shrub grew thick. Walking toward the sound, Scully bent down and moved the branches away to find a kitten shivering from the cold. Silently hissing at Scully, the small kitten arched its back putting up a defense against the giant that was before it. " You poor thing... " Scully carefully reached with her hand to stroke the tiny thing on its head. The kitten still hissed at her, but responded to the warmth of Scully's hand and kind words. Trying not to frighten the kitten, Scully lifted and brought it close to her chest. Still cautious, the kitten pressed its cold body taken in the warmth it felt from Dana Scully's body. Examining the kitten, Scully noticed its size and coloring. The poor thing must have been no more than five weeks old and bared the features of a Siamese cat, though Scully doubt the kitten to be a purebred. Stroking the kitten brought back a fond memory to Scully of the only cat her family ever owned. Loved by everyone in the family, Mr. Tibs was named by Melissa. Having owned the cat as long as Dana could remember, Mr. Tibs was a friendly cat who had several places he would call home around the navel base. Yet, at night, he would return to the Scully residence and the warmth of Melissa's arms. When the family was to move again, Mr. Tibs was too old to make the trip, forcing them to leave the cat behind with another family. Dana and her siblings were devastated by the loss. Her father vowed never to let them own another pet. It was better that way, he felt. " What did you find, Scully? " Mulder called her from the back. She turned to him as the kitten let out another silent hiss, this time at Mulder. " Hey, where did you find this guy? " Mulder reached out to pet the kitten. It hissed again but allowed Mulder's hand to stroke its head. " In the bushes, I heard it crying. I thought it was a baby... " Scully looked at him, expecting him to say something but instead, he smiled at her. " Can I hold it? I love cats. " He gestured to her. Scully handed the kitten over to him. She was surprised that Mulder loved cats but then, he never mentioned any likes or dislikes for the feline kind. As he petted and talked softly to the kitten, it too brought back fond memories to Mulder of all the cats he had known as a kid. Not allowed to have any pets when he was growing up, Fox's mother felt that a person's home were not meant for animals and no matter how much he and his sister would plead with her, their mother would not bend. Fox did find a way around his stubborn mother's rule. A friend from school named Jerry King was really lucky. Having owned two cats and a dog, Fox would spend his free time hanging with Jerry to be near his pets. Though Fox was a bit afraid of dogs, he would not pass up the chance to pet and play with Jerry's Labrador retriever named Blackie. When they were inside Jerry's house watching television, Fox always made sure he sat near one of the cats that were named Prince and Princess. Reaching over to stroke one of the friendly felines, Fox would love to hear the cats purr and was amazed at the noise that the cats would make with their mouths closed. The lady that lived near his parents' home, Mrs. Bateman, owned five cats, and Fox had been in love with them. On his way home from school, no matter what mood he was in, Fox would stop by to visit Mrs. Bateman and her cats. It was only for a few minutes, but it was enough time for Fox to pet each of the felines. His favorite was an orange tabby named Jake. Fox loved how the old cat would pet him back by stroking its own head against his. Mrs. Bateman told him that this was Jake's way of telling the other cats that Fox belonged to him. When Samantha was older, Fox would bring her with him to visit Mrs. Bateman and her family of cats. A few times Mrs. Bateman would allow Fox and his sister to feed the cats. It was entertaining to Mrs. Bateman as both Fox and Samantha struggled to feed the overzealous felines with all the patience that they had. When the other cats paid attention to Samantha, Jake would climb onto Fox's lap, purring himself to sleep as Fox stroked his head gently. One day, when they were coming home from school, Fox and Samantha made their daily visit to Mrs. Bateman. Four of the cats came up to them but there was no sign of Jake. " Jake!! " Fox, who was eleven at the time, called out for him. Mrs. Bateman came out of the house. " Hi, Mrs. Bateman... where's Jake? " It was then that Fox noticed the sadness in Mrs. Bateman's face. " I'm sorry, Fox... Jake... died last night... " The sudden rush of tears as Fox stood sobbing for the old cat. Mrs. Bateman's arms embraced him. Her own grief joined in with Fox's as she cried with him. Feeling his sister's arms around him, Samantha too was crying. She had some idea what dead was, Jake was not coming back. At home that night, Samantha cried in her father's arms when she told him about Jake dying. Bill Mulder hugged and stroked his daughter's back as she let the tears come down. Fox sat there, silent. He knew better than to show his own feelings in front of his father... " Excuse me, Agents... " One of the policemen called out to them. After listening to the information the officer presented to them, Scully was to drive back with one of the officers to start the autopsies where Mulder would join her later. Scully started to walk away, when she suddenly turned back. " Mulder, the kitten... " The little thing had fallen asleep in Mulder's arm. " Don't worry, Scully. The kitten will be all right... " Nodding her head, Scully walked off to join the officer who was to escort her to the coroner's office. Ending his discussion with the officer in charge, Mulder looked at the kitten. A frown appeared on his face, showing his concern for the young animal's health. " Excuse me, Officer... is there a local veterinarian around here..? " xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Monday, February 14: Early Morning... Fox Mulder was trying hard not to open his eyes. " Spookieee... " Dana Scully whispered to him into his ear. " Spookieee... " Fox turned his head away. It was hard not to smile. " Spookieee... " Dana blew into his ear, tickling him. " Don't call me that... " He still had his eyes closed and his smile stayed. " OK... Pookie... " This time, his eyes opened wide. " Pookie?!! You're not calling me that!! " " Why not? Pookieee... " She gave him a quick peck on the lips. " Fine, Mrs. Pookie... Is that what you want everyone to call you now? " " Actually... I would like to be called 'Mrs. Mulder'... " " Really? " Fox lifted his head to her. " You wanna be called 'Mrs. Mulder'? " " Yes, I would... " " You wanna marry me? " " No, I want to marry Tom Mulder... Of course, I want to marry you, but you haven't asked... " Fox smiled at her. The woman was a mind reader. Lifting himself off the bed, Fox walked out of the bedroom. Dana rolled over and lay on top of the pillows. " Don't tell me I scared you off? " She laughed. Holding a tiny box, Fox returned to the bedroom and got on his knees in front of Dana. " You beat me to the punch, Dana... " He opened the tiny box and pulled out a gold diamond ring. The diamond sparkled from the light of the morning sun. Dana's eyes widened, she was just kidding. Oh, God, the ring was beautiful! Fox grinned at Dana. His face with his morning stubble, his old pair of sweat pants and the morning smell all over him, not the ideal setting he had in mind. There were so many things he wanted to tell her. The moon, the stars and the heavens above could never compare to Dana. His love, and his life. " Dana, marry me? " Dana smiled. Looking up to the ceiling, a playful grin was on her face. She was so cruel to make him wait. " You bet I will... " xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Dana's Apartment... The kitten explored her new surroundings. Watching the young animal from the corner of her eye, Dana's apartment was not kitten proof, yet. The little thing could get itself into trouble. Even though the kitten still had a ragged look to her from the condition the poor little thing lived in, Dana could tell she was going to be a beautiful cat. Thanks to her Siamese bloodline, the kitten could pass for a purebred, save for her hazel eyes. Coming up with a name for the kitten was easier than she had expected. Dana named her, Sara. It was an elegant name for such a princess the kitten would grow up to be. Fox had decided to call her, 'The Rat'. " What a horrible name!! You are not calling my kitten that!! " Dana yelled him. " It's not bad... I'm not being mean. It's just she looks like a 'Rat', that's all... " Fox reasoned. The kitten's unhealthy look, the skinny body, the long thin tail, the brownish color on her face, feet and tail had reminded Fox of a rat. " Hey, Rat!! " Fox called out to the kitten that was exploring the bookshelves in the living room. Sara jumped and hissed at Fox before running under the couch. " Good going, Fox, now she's never come out... " Dana scolded him. " Don't worry... I'll get her... Raaaat... " Fox called to the kitten. " Sara... " Dana corrected him. It took some time and a shoestring to convince Sara (or the Rat) to come out and play... xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Wednesday, February 23rd: 6:00 A.M. He stared down at his beloved sleeping. Today was her birthday. Pay back was a bitch. He brought his body close to her. Bringing his mouth near her ear, his wet tongue circled all over it, in and around. She shivered, but did not wake up. Lifting her earlobe with his tongue, he brought it to his mouth, sucking hard on it. She smacked him on his face. Without being discouraged, he moved back to her ear. " Danaaaa... " He slipped his hand under the covers, rubbing on her ass, and caused a warm spot. She smacked him again, but this time she was smiling. " Danaaa... Happy Birthday to... " Singing softly into her ear, his voice reminded her of angels scratching a chalk broad. With each line, his voice became higher and louder. He stood on his knees swinging his arms like an opera singer. She tried to hush him but it only caused him to raise his voice even more. When at last, he threw his arms up into the air bellowing the final line. " TOOOOO YOUUUUUU!!! " Collapsing on top of her, he pinned her down on her stomach and ripped the blankets off exposing her to the chill of the morning. His hand again rubbed her sweet ass. " Fox Mulder, don't you dare!!! " Dana screamed at him. Truth was, he couldn't do it. Never in his life, did he ever raise his hand to a woman unless it was out of self-defense. Fox could never hit Dana. Bringing his body down to her buttocks, Fox pulled her pajamas bottoms and underwear partly down even with her protesting. " One... " He kissed her pearly white butt cheek... xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx " Don't open your eyes, Dana... " Fox warned her as she carried her into the living room. With her eyes closed and one hand over them, Dana held tight him. " Fox, we are going to be late for work... " She informed him, wondering what he was up to. " No, we're not, I asked for the day off for both of us... " " You did what?!! " Dana removed her hand from her eyes that were still closed. " Don't open your eyes, Dana!! " Fox warned her, again. Placing her down, Fox guided her by the shoulders as he had her stand right where he wanted her to. " Yeah, I told Skinner that you and I both needed some time off, and he agreed. So shut up and enjoy it. " He leaned over her shoulder to whisper in her ear. " Open your eyes, my love... " Dana opened her large blue eyes to the most colorful sight in front of her. " Oh, my gosh!! " Fox had decorated the whole kitchen with balloons of many different colors. Filled with helium, each balloon touched the ceiling with colorful string attached to them. Sara the kitten was already attacking the strings when they walked in. " RAT!! Get the hell away from there!! " Fox shooed the kitten as Dana walked in the area with all the balloons. She could not believe he had done this... and without waking her up! It must have taken him all night to blow up all these balloons. The table was beautifully decorated with birthday plates, napkins, cups and table cover. A huge box sat next to a small pink cake Dana recognized as the same kind that was given to her at the Headless Woman Pub when Fox surprised her on her birthday three years ago. The candle sat in the middle waiting to be lit. It amazed her, how much work he put into it. Fox was someone who rarely remembered a birthday. The surprise at the Headless Woman Pub was the biggest thing he had done for her, until now. The smile never left her as she heard Fox explain. " I'm sorry I didn't make you breakfast. My luck, I would blow up the kitchen... " He tugged on one of the balloon's string. " We'll go out to any place you want... " Dana answered him with a hug and a kiss. " Oh, Fox, you are so sweet... I can't believe you did all of this... " " You deserve more... " He guided her to sit down in front of the small cake and present. " I already sang you 'Happy Birthday', Dana, I don't think I'll do it again... " He said as he lit the candle. " You better!! " She scolded him, as she lightly pinched his shoulder. " OK, how about this... 'Put another candle on your... " Fox sang again with his rusty voice struggling to remember how the song went. He ended making up a few lines causing Dana to laugh. When he finally finished, Fox called out to her. " Blow it out now, Dana... before I come up with another line!! " Heeding to his warning, Dana blew the candle out as Fox cheered her on. " I want to open my gift now!! " Dana reached over to it but Fox blocked her. He had other gifts for her, but this was the one he wanted her to open first. " Don't you want to eat your cake now? " " Present first, then cake... " She looked at him pleading. " All right... " Lifting the gift over to her Fox could never resist Dana when she looked at him like that. Dana had to stand up to open the well-wrapped box. It was huge! Almost anything could be in it. She ripped into it, tearing the cardboard box as well as the wrapping paper. Going through lots of tissue paper, Dana finally reached her goal and pulled out a huge globe of the world. Staring at it, the globe brought back memories of her school days when Dana would spin the classroom globe stopping it with her fingertip. Where it would land, would be the country Dana imagined herself traveling to when she was all grown up. " The world, Dana... " Fox leaned his head against hers. " I wanted to give you the world... " " Oh, Fox... " She meet with his gesture by leaning closer to him. It was beautiful, her world. " I don't think I could solve all the problems in the world, though... " " All you have to do is give them the 'Look', Dana... " " What 'Look'? " " You know the 'Look'... " Fox pulled his body back as Dana lean away to watch him cross his arms, puckered his lips and raised an eyebrow, doing as almost perfect impression of her. Dana looked back at him, raising an eyebrow... xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Never in her life, did Dana feel so special. After Dana had opened her gift, Fox removed his sweat pants and boxer shorts. Taking the small cake from the plate, he smashed and smeared it on his private area. Hopping on the table right next to her, Dana couldn't help laughing at the mess of frosting and cake covering his penis and testicles. " Come on, Kitty-cat, eat me up... " Fox encouraged her. " ... And I thought it was my birthday... " Dana laughed. At the restaurant, Dana freely made a pig of herself. Not only finishing off her stack of pancakes, she stole some from Fox's plate when she pretended to feed him. She got him to close his eyes and open his mouth, leaving him hanging when she shoved the fork-full into her mouth. Going back to her apartment, Dana really wanted to stay home and relax. It wasn't often when they had this chance, but Fox had other ideas. " Please, Dana, let's go to the movies. I wanna go to the movies. Pleazzz..? " Fox got into his begging routine. Truth was Dana and Fox rarely went out. Their work schedule made it hard for them and they really weren't into it. Going to restaurants was about as far as it went. The last time they had gone to the movie theater was about five months ago. Dana smiled at him. " All right, as long as I pick the flick... " " Of course... unless I don't like it... " Before going to the movies, they stopped for lunch. Dana stuffed herself again with the best cheeseburger she ever ate. Reaching over to Fox's plate to feed him a french fry, he pulled it away before Dana could touch the plate. " No, you don't. Not again... " Fox lifted a fry and placed it in his mouth holding it like a cigarette. Leaning closer to her, he brought the fry near her mouth and offered it. Dana took one bite, than another, until her lips were on his. Then she bit him. " OUCH!! " Fox jumped as he took his hand to his lips, looking at her with surprise. " Can I have another one..? " Dana looked at him so sexy. Despite the big breakfast and heavy lunch, Dana asked Fox buy her the biggest tub of popcorn available with lots of butter and a big coke at the theater. Screw the diets! Dana was having too much fun pigging out. Fox shook his head. Dana was the light eater of the two. When he opened his mouth, Fox wanted to kick his own ass for what he had said. " Geez, are you sure you're not pregnant..? " He regretted saying it even before she looked at him. The pain covered all the happiest she had been sharing with him. Before anything could be said, Fox took her into his arms, bear-hugging her tight. Up close he could see her eyes watering. " I'm sorry... " He whispered to her. " It's OK... " Dana nodded her head close to his chest. Looking up at him, she smiled but the sadness was still there. " Come on, let me get you your popcorn... " Fox wanted to make up. " ... And a box of Milk Duds, too... " After the movie, Fox suggested they take a walk in the mall, which surprised Dana. Fox hated shopping malls. Doing more window-shopping than actually going into any of the stores, Fox and Dana came upon a jewelry place. They stopped to admire the items in the window. Fox looked over to Dana, who was smiling back at him. He noticed she was playing with the engagement ring he had given to her on Valentine's Day... xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx February 14th: Nine Days Ago... '... You bet I will' played over and over again in Fox's head. In her own special way, Dana had said 'yes'. She would be his wife. Dana extended her hand out to Fox as he placed the ring on her finger. His hand shook a bit from the sheer joy of her accepting his proposal. As soon as it was on her, Dana was actually giggling. She could not get over how beautiful the ring was and what it meant. Fox Mulder had asked her to marry him. Never did she believe this day would come. It was funny the things Dana thought of as she admired the ring on her finger. The first time he asked her to marry him was when she was in Maine helping the local authorities. She had called him for advice on the case. She was on vacation, away from everything including Mulder. It was a time for her to be by herself. Life just didn't work out that way for her anymore. " Scully..? " " Yes..? " " ... Marry me... " " ... I was hoping for something a little more helpful... " God, she didn't even believe him the first time he told her that he loved her. " Hey, Scully... " " Yes... " " ... I love you... " " ... oh, brother... " Even when they went undercover as a married couple, being in his arms felt so right, no matter how hard she tried to pull away. Fox was always such a teaser and it was hard to take anything serious with him. Until that night, almost a year, when he asked to be called, 'Fox', even then she thought he was kidding. Somehow, he made her believe. Dana turned back to Fox, who was still on his knees with his head resting on his arms. The smile he had went from ear to ear. She smiled as well and leaned over to kiss him. Like two magnets, they were locked together. Lip to lip. Soul to soul. The moment they shared was intoxicating When they separated, Fox whispered. " You're going to marry me..? " " Yes, I am... " " Really..? " " Yes... " " Even with all my bad habits... " " Yes, even with the few good ones, too... " " I love you, Mrs. Mulder... " " I love you, Mr. Mulder... " Their lips locked again, as they held onto each other with their kiss. Fox lifted his body off the floor and onto the bed next to her. When they stopped kissing, Fox fell back onto the bed with a bounce. Dana moved over to him, resting her body on top of his as he hugged her tight. " I'm going to tell the world. Scream it to everyone. I'll even take out the biggest ad in the newspaper... I, Fox Mulder is without question, totally for it, will do it in a second, am marrying Dana Scully!! " " No, you are not... " " Yes, I am. Wait until I blow some horns back at Headquarters... " " You are not telling anyone... " " Yes, I am... " " No, you are not!! We can tell my mother and maybe Skinner but you are not to say anything!! " For a moment, Fox thought she was joking until he saw the look on her face. " You're kidding..? " " I am certainly not!! Do you want them to take everything away from us, again? The X-Files... our crusade. " This was something he should be saying. " Dana, you come first... " " So do you, Fox... but we shouldn't have to lose the X-Files. We have done so much. We have to continue being quiet... " " FUCK BEING QUIET!!! " Moving Dana out of the way, Fox jumped off the bed. He paced up and down in front of her, angry at the words she had spoken. " FUCK EVERYTHING!! YOU CANNOT BE THIS NAIVE, DANA!!! WHAT THE FUCK MAKES YOU THINK THEY DON'T KNOW!!! THE WHOLE FUCKIN' BUILDING KNOWS, EVEN BEFORE WE STARTED FUCKIN' EACH OTHER!!! THE CANCERMAN KNOWS!!! HOW COULD YOU TELL ME TO CONTINUE THIS CHARADE WHEN THE WHOLE FUCKIN' CONSORTIUM, ALIEN RACE, EVERY JACK-ASS FUCKHEAD WE HAVE ENCOUNTERED KNOWS!!! " He looked at Dana, who didn't seem to have anything to say, and he wasn't going to let you. " I can't believe you live in such a la-la land, Dana. How many times do you think they have tape or videotape us?! Yeah, their own private collection of us fuckin' each other!! You won't even let me do that!!! Oh, let's just keep pretending, keep calling ourselves 'Mulder' and 'Scully', no one will be the wiser... yeah, we fooled them all right!! " " I... I just know how much the X-Files means to you... I... " " No, apparently, you don't know shit!! " Fox went on his knees, taking her hands. " You mean everything to me!! Yes, the X-Files are important, but you, you're everything... Everything I searched for... Dana, can't you see that? " Her eyes were filled with tears, how could she be so foolish? Dana didn't want to believe anyone knew, yet, it was always there in front of them. No way to hide it... and why should they? " I'm so sorry, I just know.. I don't... " Dana leaned her head against his. " I'm just so afraid, Fox... " " It's all right, Dana, there's nothing for you to be afraid of... They won't take anything away from us, so long as we are together... " xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Present Time: Shopping Mall... " So where are you taking me for dinner? " Dana asked as she gave Fox a hug. " Dinner? Are you kidding, we're going home and eat TV dinners... " Fox hugged her right back. Dana playfully hit him in the stomach. " Cheapskate!! No, really, where are we going? " " Now that's a surprise!! Let's go home and change our clothes. You put on that pretty red dress of yours... " " That dress!! In this weather!! I'll freeze!! " " Not where we're going... " xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx " Come on, open the door, I'm freezing!! " Fox Mulder jumped up and down as Dana Scully slip in the key to the keyhole. " ... And you want me to wear that red dress. " Dana said as she turned the key and pushed the door open. " So, where are we going... " " SURPRISE!!! " The whole apartment came to life with Dana's family and friends appearing before her. Her mother came up and hugged her tight. " Happy Birthday, Baby!! " Maggie Scully kissed her daughter. " OH, MY GOD!!! OH, MY GOD!!! I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS!! " Dana's mouth and eyes were wide open. " YOU!! WHY DIDN'T YOU WARN ME?!! " She slugged Fox. " I'm better at keeping secret than you, that's all... " Fox laughed as he gave her a hug. " Happy Birthday, love... " Once all the greeting and best wishes were done, Maggie took Dana's hand and waved to Fox to come to her side. " Dana, we have one more surprise for you... and for Fox, too. " " What?! What is it?! " " Come on out!! " Maggie shouted. Out from the bedroom, came a figure Dana had not seen for sometime, his hair was as red as hers was. " OH, MY GOD!!! CHARLIE!!! " Dana rushed to her younger brother as they hugged each other tight. " Happy Birthday, Sis!!! God, it's great to see you. " " It's great to see you!! Oh, Charlie, look at you!! I can't believe you're here!! " As brother and sister embraced each other, Fox Mulder had the urge to run out of the room. Charlie, the other brother was here. What would Charlie think of him? Would he hate him like Bill does? What name would Charlie be calling him, if he disliked him? All that came to past when Charlie looked up at him. A smile came across his face. He knew whom this man was that was staring at him and his sister. Charlie walked up to him, extended his hand in a greeting. " I know you anywhere, the famous Fox Mulder. It's great to finally meet you... " What was he going to say? First impression, right? Gotta make it sound good. " ... you, too... " Fox Mulder's voice came out in a squeak... xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Thursday, February 24th: 2:10 A.M. Fox Mulder couldn't sleep. Staring at the stars from the window in the living room, Fox thought of his life this past year and was grateful. He didn't know what he had done to deserve this happiness, even if it was his place to ask. Would there be anyone there to answer him? Never would he trade his new life for answers to the questions he had made his life quest. They were out there. He simply needed to find them and djourney he was no longer alone on. Yet, he hadn't really been alone for years. He never bothered to accept that. Only in the last two years did his eyes opened to one truth. His love for Dana Scully. Her willingness to be with him, every step of the way... " What are you doing awake? " Dana walked into the room. " Thinking... " He turned to her. She came over to him and sat on his lap, as Fox place his arms around her waist. The warmth of her body was welcomed. " I'm glad you finally met Charlie... " Fox smiled. He himself was glad to meet the other brother he had only known by name. Charlie was definitely a different person than Bill, Jr. He and Charlie hit it off right from the start, despite his squeaky voice. There was an age difference between them, but Fox could swear that Charlie seemed more grown up then either Bill, Jr. or himself. Charlie took a great interest in him and asked Fox just about everything from the sports he liked to what movies were his favorites, never once touching on the subject of the work that he and Dana did for the FBI. A subject Fox was glad they never got into. Already Fox planned to meet Charlie to play shoots at his favorite basketball court this weekend as well as dinner later with Dana and their mother. Fox was determined not to mess this one up. He really did like Charlie and could only hope Charlie felt the same way. " Spookie... " Dana called to him breaking him of his thoughts. " Would you be upset if we waited until next January to get married? " It was a subject that was brought up at the party when Dana announced to everyone there of their engagement. She had not even told her mother beforehand. Poor Maggie nearly passed out. The big question was when? When were they getting married? Spring? Summer? They shouldn't wait too long. A big wedding? Yes, let it be a big wedding! It has to be in a church... Fox, you don't mind? A white gown, Dana... with lots of bridesmaids. A big party afterwards! The whole family including Fox's whether he liked or not. So much to plan... Where and when to start..?! Both Fox and Dana felt like their heads were spinning... " Well, no, but can you tell me why you want to wait until then? " Fox asked. Dana wrapped her arms around his neck. Even in the darkness, Fox could see her blush. " I always thought that getting married at the stroke of Midnight, on New Year's Eve, was romantic. The start of a New Year... the start of a new life. " He gave a light laugh. How could Fox tell her no? " If that is what you want, Dana. It's fine by me. I don't think Mom will like it though. I think she was ready to have Father McCue marry us tonight... " " If she had it her way... " Dana rested her head near his neck, looking out at the stars with him. In the twilight of the night, they felt as if they were the only people in the world. Safe with each other, knowing one would never leave the other, they had been together for so much. The strength of their bond grew with each passing moment... xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Somewhere In The United States... U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander William Scully, Jr. walked through the corridor to the meeting he was expected at. Remembering that today was his sister's birthday, it was the first time that no one needed to remind him of it. He wished he could have called her, but as long as that 'sorry son of a bitch' was there, he would rather have rusty needles stuck in him than to hear that bastard's voice on the other end of the line. Still, he missed his baby sister, wishing that things could be different between them. Life had a way of changing many things, but not always for the good. Another officer greeted Scully as he entered into the large room where there were several men in suits waiting for him... xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx A Few Days Later... Walter Skinner looked at the phone number on the card before him. He debated whether to call or not. After hearing her voice again, Skinner felt a warm and comfortable feeling when he spoke to her. Her voice was like an angel, who was indeed sent from the Heaven above. He regretted that he had to turn down her offer, but there was too much work for him to make himself available. Still, hearing from her made him realize how lonely he was feeling. For over a week, he could not forget her. How many times he held her phone number in his hand, afraid to call, afraid of being rejected. Finally, he had enough of his self-pity. Lifting the receiver, he dialed each number carefully. He listened to the phone ring. Part of him hoped she would be home, the other wanted to hang the phone up quickly before she answered. " Scully residence, this is Maggie speaking... " " Uh... Hi, Maggie, this is Walter Skinner... " The End... continues in Fox And Dana: The Road Feedback is welcome... agentsinlove@yahoo.com