Title: LEANING II - Part 3 of 3 Posted 12/01/02 Author: FatCat (feedback to FatCat926@msn.com) Rating: NC17, Implied violence and loving sexual conduct Please see Part 1 for balance of disclaimers "Thanks, sis. Now, why are you back? What's this all about?" "What do you mean? Can't I visit my sister after the biggest night of her life?" Melissa stalled. "I know you Mel, you want to tell me something that you have been forbidden to tell me directly. Am I right?" Scully took another taste of the ice cream. She had used up a lot of energy with Mulder and was starving. Melissa's eyes filled with tears, "That's what I miss about being with you, Danes. No one ever knew me better than you." "Is it about the case?" Scully asked. Melissa neither denied nor agreed with her question so Scully knew that she was on the right track. "You said that we could solve the case tonight and everything we needed was in the room with us, is that still true?" Melissa just moved her index finger to tap the end of her nose. "So what are we missing?" Scully mused. "The only thing in the room other than Mulder and I and the standard motel equipment is my lap top and the stack of files I requested from Alicia." Once again, Melissa smiled at Scully and she knew she was on the trail. "Is it in the data base from Alicia I downloaded?" Melissa gave a slight shake of her head. "Is it in the case file we're working on?" Negative. "Is it in the files I got from Alicia?" This drew another finger to the nose gesture from Melissa. "So I'm missing something in the files..." Melissa was shaking her head again. "Not in the files? Well, where? On the files?" Melissa's eyes glowed with excitement. "Something on the labeling of the files, hey? Can you be more specific?" Melissa opened her mouth, but stopped and looked as if she were listening to a voice Scully couldn't hear. "Sorry kiddo, I've stretched it as it is." She gathered up their bowls and slid off the bed. "I've gotta go, Danes. I'm really happy for you." "Melissa, don't leave! I won't ask about the case any more. Stay." Scully wasn't ready to give up this dream. "Time for you to go back to sleep, Sis. I'll be back. Remember, I'm always here," she tapped Dana's temple. "And here," she pointed to her heart. "Love you Little Sis." Scully felt an overwhelming urge to sleep cause her eyes to close and when she opened them again she was in bed with Mulder. She glanced at the clock and saw that it was only 5:10. She began to contemplate the information Melissa had given her in her dream. The warm feeling of contentment at seeing her sister again, gave way to the dissatisfaction of not being able to solve the clues that Melissa gave her. Something on the labels of the files was the clue to solving this case. Scully couldn't stand it any longer. She slid out of Mulder's embrace and smiled when he grumbled and pulled her pillow into his arms. She shivered and realized that she was standing there naked watching her partner snuggle her pillow. She quickly pulled on her robe and walked the short distance to the small table where they had been working on the files. She looked at each file and found nothing unusual with its labeling. She arranged them on the table so that she could look at all of them at once and stood staring at them. "What are you doing, Scully?" Mulder's gentle voice came from behind her. She turned slightly to watch him rise, naked, from the bed and walk over to stand behind her. He moved like a great cat, comfortable in his skin, warm and silky and graceful. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her back against his body, sliding his hand inside the front of her robe. "I just have the feeling we're missing something, Mulder" She wasn't ready to share her vision of Melissa with him yet, but she knew she would. If anyone would understand, it would be Mulder. "I'm getting a feeling about you, Agent Scully. Come back to bed." He kissed her ear and tried to draw her away from the table. "Wait, Mulder. I feel like it's right in front of us, and if we think about it we'll find the key to the case." She rubbed the top of his hand that was wrapped around her waist. Mulder lowered his head to her shoulder and they stood there together for several minutes. Neither talking, but both taking comfort in the closeness of the other's body. Scully felt Mulder's cock stirring to life as he continued to stroke her breast and rock them slowly back and forth. "Let's go back to bed, Scully." Mulder whispered against her ear. "We'll get the bad guy later." Scully smiled and nodded. "Just let me stack these files up again and I'll be right there." Mulder squeezed her and moved towards the bathroom. Scully gathered the files up and shuffled them to stack them neatly. "Ouch! Damnit!" She cursed. "What's wrong?" Mulder charged out of the bathroom. "Oh, nothing, really. I just got a cardboard paper cut. I hate it when that..." "Scully?" Mulder moved closer to check on her. "Scully are you okay?" "Yeah, Mulder. I'm fine..." Scully didn't even notice him wince at her reply. She was staring at the drop of her blood that was on the top file folder in the stack. Her eyes grew wide and she began to paw through the stack. "Mulder look! I think I've got it. It was so obvious! Why didn't we see this before?" she rambled. "What? What do you see?" Mulder knew she was onto something. "The files of all the previous victims. It's there on the labels. Here, take these files and check in their medical history." Scully frantically passed him a couple files as she pulled on her glasses and began to leaf through another. "Check what? What am I looking for?" Mulder asked. "Oh, just find the medical report and fold the file back to the first page. If I'm right we have our connection." Scully quickly check from one file to the next. When she was done with the last file she pulled off her glasses. She gave him one of her 1000 watt smiles and said, "We've got it." "You know who the killer is?" Mulder sputtered. "No, but I know what the connection between the victims is. Look at this," she held up a file. The dried drop of her blood still stained a yellow and red label. "This is a how they mark the files when there is a biohazard involved." "Biohazard?" Mulder questioned. "If the victim has A.I.D.S. or other communicable diseases, the files are marked with this label. There is a corresponding label on the individual door panel in the morgue and on the tag affixed to the body." "And all our victims have the same biohazard label on their files. What is it, Scully?" "Well, all seven of the victims have Hepatitis C and one also has A.I.D.S. The victim I autopsied had Hepatitis C. Alicia and I had to take special precautions and use a special protocol to dispose of the scrubs and equipment we used." "So all our victims had Hepatitis C..." Mulder mused. "Yes, and all the bodies were not violated in any way beyond the necessary cuts to drain all their blood." "Did you confirm if they had all been drugged?" Mulder asked as he yawned. "Don't do that!" Scully yawned back. "Yes, all of the previous victims had been drugged. The toxicology report from the last victim wasn't back by the time I left, so we'll have to check it later." Scully yawned again. "Come back to bed, Scully. We can't contact anyone until at least 7:30 or 8:00. Let's get another hour or so of sleep and then look over the files again." Mulder guided her back to bed after she nodded in agreement. "We at least have somewhere to start, now." Scully said. Mulder slid her robe from her shoulders and tucked her into bed. "Nice job, Agent Scully," he said as he kissed her. She was asleep before she could respond. Mulder slid into bed beside her and pulled her into his embrace. He rested his cheek against her hair. He knew he wouldn't go back to sleep, but wanted the warmth and comfort of her soft body as he contemplated this new piece of information and how it fit into the profile of the UNSUB that he had been forming. He closed his eyes and let his mind go over all the information they had collected, piecing it into the picture he had from the file Skinner had given them. He began to make mental notes of questions he wanted to have answered right away. If everything fell into place when he had his answers, maybe they could prevent any more deaths. Scully stirred against him and muttered, "Love you, Baby." Mulder smiled. XXXXXXXXXX By noon, the majority of their questions were answered and Mulder had completed his profile. Not only had he completed it, he had a suspect identified. The evidence all pointed to a prominent doctor from Bel Air named, Jordan Knapp. At least to Mulder, the evidence clearly indicated that he was their UNSUB. "What the hell do you expect us to do, Mulder, arrest one of the leading Oncologist in Southern California on a mixed bag of circumstantial evidence?" Chief Perry Gibson demanded. "No, I said that I want each of the three people on this list given 24-hour undercover protection and a stake out done on Doctor Knapp." Mulder patiently stated. "Do you know the kind of manpower that would take? I can't justify that kind of expenditure on a hunch from a hot shot profiler from the East Coast." Gibson sputtered. "Which part of this request is the hardest to accept, Chief?" Mulder asked quietly. "The part about embarrassing and possibly angering a prominent citizen or the part about the hot shots from the East Coast coming in and saving your cookies?" It was during this exchange that Scully entered the room-a thick file in hand. "Ah, playing nice with the local talent are we, Mulder?" Her off-hand remark broke the tension in the room and everyone cooled down considerably. "I'm just saying, Agent Mulder," Chief Gibson stressed, "I need more than circumstantial evidence to justify staking out Dr. Knapp." "I think we have our connection, Chief," Scully said quietly as she walked toward Mulder. Mulder smiled and knew that his partner had once again found the hard evidence he needed to support his theory. His smile telegraphed his pride in her abilities to her, making a small flush of pleasure spread across her cheeks. Scully cleared her throat and began to speak to the entire group. "Dr. Justin Knapp was engaged to a Melinda Curry, a lawyer with the Attorney General's office in Los Angeles County. Ms. Curry recently died from complications directly connected to Hepatitis C, a condition she contracted through the use of tainted blood during an emergency surgery she had over a decade ago." "All that does is connect her as a victim of Hepatitis C." Agent Fielding interjected. Scully gave him a cool look over the file before continuing. "Ms. Curry was also involved in the final test for a new drug to treat Hepatitis C that our victims participated in. She, unfortunately, was one of six of the participants that died during the course of the testing. I contacted Dr. Albert Remmy of the University of California who was heading the study and found out that Ms. Curry was allowed to participate in the test as a favor to Doctor Knapp." "Agent Scully..." Detective Ellis interrupted her. "That still does not give him the motive for killing seven people." Alicia Spears spoke up for the first time and said, "Let Agent Scully finish." Scully smiled at her and continued. "Dr. Remmy was deeply distressed over Ms. Curry's death. He and Doctor Knapp have been friends for years and the sudden loss of Dr. Knapp's fiance has severely affected their friendship. It seems that even though Dr. Knapp got Ms. Curry into the program, she was somehow chosen to be in the test blind group." "Oh my God!" Alicia said. "That means..." "What?" Chief Gibson sputtered. "What?" "Let me clarify. When a drug is tested there are usually at least three groups of subjects. Group A will receive the new drug, Group B will receive the current standard medical drug or procedure, and Group C-the double-blind, control group-will receive a placebo." "And all the victims were in Group A, weren't they Scully?" Mulder stated. "Yes, all the victims were in Group A and had been showing marked improvement in their health. The three individuals on Agent Mulder's list are the last of the group that is still living and are in imminent danger." "It all makes sense now," Alicia stated. "Well excuse me for not seeing the reasoning here," Chief Gibson huffed. "Please explain for us poor laypersons." Scully smiled and looked to Mulder to combine all the evidence to his profile. Mulder returned her smile before stating, "Dr. Knapp was in love with Ms. Curry and in his desire to prolong her life got her into the program his old friend, Dr. Remmy, was heading. But there was a mix up and instead of Ms. Curry receiving the new wonder drug, she was given a placebo. Her health deteriorated and she subsequently died. Dr. Knapp became distraught and when he realized that she was not one of the recipients of the life- extending drug, he felt that the other ten had robbed him of his only chance at happiness. They had to be punished so he devised a scheme to remove what should have been Ms. Curry's from them-he took their lives in return and stole back the blood that carried the life saving drugs." Mulder stopped and gathered his thoughts while the rest of the participants in the room considered his words. "This theory is backed up by the MO of the killings. All the bodies were found drained of blood and ritualistically displayed, yet there was no evidence of sexual or physical abuse. The incisions were clean and indicated an UNSUB that was familiar with surgical instruments. Each patient was heavily sedated, indicating a lack of rage or aggression in the actual murder, yet displaying deep anger and long-term planning. It was a painless death for each of the victims, but death nevertheless." "But, why? Why would he do something so horrific? So against his entire life's training?" Detective Ellis couldn't understand the reasoning behind Justin Knapp's actions. Mulder hesitated a moment then said, "He did it for love." "Love? He murdered seven people and planned on killing another three for love?" Agent Fielding asked. "Four." Mulder stated. "He was going to kill the other three participants and then kill himself." The silence of the room was palatable. Finally, Chief Gibson sighed and said, "I'll have guards placed on the final three potential victims and a warrant issued for Dr. Knapp. You will handle the interrogation of the suspect, won't you Agent Mulder?" Mulder shook his head. "No, I think Agent Scully should handle the questioning of Dr. Knapp. I believe he will respond to her better. She is a doctor and he will respect her credentials." "But you are also a doctor, aren't you Agent Mulder?" Detective Ellis asked ingenuously. "Yes," Mulder countered. "Yes, I am, but I believe Dr. Knapp will respond to Agent Scully as a woman as well as a fellow professional. Agent Scully is one of the best agents I have ever had the privilege of working with and is an expert at extracting confessions." "Fine, I'll issue the warrant." Chief Gibson said as he rose. "I'll let you know as soon as we take him into custody." XXXXXXXXXXX By six o'clock that evening the case was over. Dr. Justin Knapp had been apprehended in the apartment of Marion Jeffries, one of the three remaining test subjects. He had already sedated her, but she was rushed to the hospital and was expected to recover with no lasting effects from the experience. Dr. Knapp was arrested and after being interrogated by Scully, confessed to all the deaths. He was transferred to the mental ward of the County Jail and was put on death watch. Mulder and Scully were back at the police department finalizing the reports needed by the locals. They were both hungry and exhausted and wanted to get back to their motel for the evening. Scully decided to run over to the morgue to say goodbye to Alicia Spears but assured Mulder it would only take a few minutes. Mulder stepped into an empty office next to the bullpen to call AD Skinner to let him know the investigation was over and to make arrangements for a few days off. He wanted to surprise Scully with a side trip to San Diego to visit with Tara and Matthew. The fact that Bill was out to sea had nothing to do with his desire to surprise her. Mulder was staring out the window at the early evening sky after completing his call when the door to the office opened and shut. He smiled and turned, expecting to see Scully. But as he took in the sight before him, his smile faded. "Detective Ellis. What can I do for you?" Mulder asked politely. "I think you should ask what I can do for you, Agent Mulder," she said as she began to unbutton her jacket. "Detective! Stop that at once. I told you I'm not interested and I meant what I said." Mulder began to edge away from the predatory woman who was stalking him around the desk. "I know what you said, Mulder, but I also know you don't mean it. You just want a reason to justify our sex. I'm okay with that. I want you and I'll do whatever it takes to have you." She had shed her jacket and pulled her blouse out from her skirt. This was obviously a planned attack-she had removed her nylons earlier, and if Mulder had to guess, he would bet money that her panties were already gone also. The smell of her arousal began to fill the room. Mulder backed away from her, keeping the desk between them. He desperately glanced right and left, but she had strategically positioned herself to trap him. "Shit!" he said as he realized he was going to have to hurt her to get out of the room. "I really don't need this, Ellis." Detective Ellis just laughed again and began to remove her blouse. Mulder was not fool enough to turn his back on this woman, but he did look away. "Come on Mulder. You know you're just playing hard to get." Detective Ellis taunted him, sliding her blouse down her arms and lifting her hands to cup her bare breasts. "You're a man, Mulder. Tell me this isn't exciting you." "Detective Ellis, this goes beyond sexual harassment. I am not going to have sex with you." Mulder said without looking directly at her. "What are you going to do, Mulder? Let all the other men out there know that you weren't man enough to take on Randy Ricki? Can't get it up? Don't worry Mulder, as soon as I get my hands on you, you'll spring to life and forget every other woman you've ever been with." She kicked off her shoes and stalked towards him. "I have no ambiguity about my manhood, Detective Ellis. I learned that I don't have to go around proving it with every attractive woman I meet when I was about 17 years old." Mulder bluffed, "I will take action against you." "What's the big FBI man going to do, Mulder? Bring me up on charges? If you think you and the Ice Queen are a joke now, Spooky, wait and see what happens if you try to charge me with harassment. You'll never live down the embarrassment." Mulder had made up his mind that he was leaving the room even if he had to drag the half dressed detective with him. "That's it, I'm out of here." He lowered his head and began to walk toward the door. He heard Detective Ellis lunge towards him and Mulder expected all hell to break loose any second. He was right-all hell did break loose, just not the kind of hell Mulder feared. The sound of the office door slamming against the wall and shattering the glass insert was loud enough to draw the attention of all the officers in the bullpen directly outside. A few even drew their weapons, anticipating a terrorist attack. The loud screech of pain that echoed throughout the office immediately afterwards made Mulder's head snap up. The sight before him made him gape in amazement. Detective R. E. Ellis was immobilized against the desk. Scully stood over her and to one side-left hand fisted in a death grip in Ellis' hair and right hand snapping her handcuffs on the larger woman's wrists as they were pinned behind her back by her own blouse. "Are you all right, Mulder?" Scully's voice vibrated with anger. "Uh, yeah. Great timing, partner." "Yeah, well, now that you've found the love of your life, I couldn't very well let you get raped on the job, could I G-Man?" Scully yanked Detective Ellis up and shoved her towards the door. "Umm, Scully? Don't you think you should, you know, cover her up or something?" Mulder gestured towards her jacket. Scully glared at her prey for a moment as if considering her options before speaking, "Nah, every man out there has probably already seen anything she's got." Scully manhandled the larger woman out into the bullpen where a chorus of cat calls and whistles followed them all the way up to Chief Gibson's office door. "What are you doing, Agent Scully? The Chief will never take action against me. He'll never take a man's word against mine. He's my father!" she sneered. "He may be your father but he will have to act on this. Assault on a federal officer is a felony and I am placing you under arrest." Scully hissed at her. She pushed her against the door to the Chief's office and said, "Oh, and let me assure you, Detective Ellis, Agent Mulder may be too much of a gentleman to bring up charges against you, but I am not. Remember me? The Ice Queen?" Scully reached around the younger woman and opened the door. She pushed Detective Ellis into the office and slammed the door shut, effectively ending the show. Several of the men in the bullpen moved closer to the door to try to hear what was going on, but Mulder stopped that when he moved to stand directly in front of the door in the most threatening pose he could muster. The grin that slid onto his face every so often spoiled the effect. It was almost an hour later when Scully exited Chief Gibson's office alone. Mulder caught a glance of Detective Ellis crying on Chief Gibson's shoulder as she shut the door. "Ready to leave, Partner?" Mulder asked as he scanned her for any signs of injury. "Yes, more than ready," Scully smiled gratefully up at him. They gathered their possessions and walked out of the office together. The buzzing of the men and women in the bullpen grew louder with every step towards the door they took. One of the task force members stepped towards them as they waited for the elevator. "Uh, Agents, I'm Sergeant Jeff Levy, and I just wanted to tell you how much I appreciated working with the FBI on this case. It was great working with two professionals like you. And a special thanks to you, Agent Scully." Jeff Levy blushed and walked away. XXXXXXXXXX Mulder and Scully did not speak as they continued on their way back to the motel. The silence in the car became strained and uncomfortable. Mulder had not been able to look directly at Scully since they had entered the elevator. He knew he needed to maintain a professional persona until they were alone-it would be important to Scully. But if he did more than glance at her, he knew that he was going to lose it. He wanted her. No, he absolutely ached for her. He knew he was a sick man, but every time he watched Aggressive-Scully, something snapped inside him. The things that made him a civilized man broke away and something primal took over. He wanted to make love to her. Mulder snorted to himself. Forget that. He wanted to fuck her- plain and simple. He wanted to grab her and throw her up against or down on whatever surface was available and bury his cock in her so deeply that she could feel it pound against her heart as he stroked into her. He wanted to bite and kiss and touch her bare skin. He wanted to suckle at her breast and make her groan with pleasure. He wanted to feel her take control of their mating and wrap those strong sleek legs of hers around his waist. He wanted her to milk every drop of cum he had in his body with the muscles of her cunt. He wanted to mark her as his and have her stake her claim on his body in return. And then he wanted to start all over again. He had been shocked when Scully broke in and took down Detective Ellis. Up until the moment he opened his eyes and saw Scully standing over Ellis like a wildcat protecting her mate he had felt absolutely no physical excitement. R. E. Ellis was a beautiful woman but she had left him cold. He had finally warmed his soul with the flame from Scully's passion and everything Ellis had to offer seemed to be a pale, frosty imitation. But as he watched Scully cuff Detective Ellis and man-handle her all the way to Chief Gibson's office he had struggled to control the erection that tented his pants. Thank God all eyes were on Scully and he had a few moments to bring himself back under control. When the door had slammed, he moved to protect her back- as she had just done for him. And now she would not look at him-not even a glance. Mulder felt a chill of fear snake down his back. What if she thought he was a willing participant in the scenario that had just played out? What if she had changed her mind? What if she didn't want to continue to develop their relationship? What if she couldn't handle even being his partner? What would he do if she left him? Mulder felt the icy fingers of fear immobilize his vocal cords. The silence deepened. Scully had not been able to do more than glance at Mulder since they had entered the elevator. Oh, God! What must he think of her? Losing her control and putting on that display of jealousy and unprofessional behavior- what had she been thinking? Well, if she were truthful with herself, she really hadn't been thinking. She had come back from saying goodbye to Alicia to look for Mulder. No one could or would tell her where he was, but they had looked at her with either pity or amusement. She had a bad feeling about the situation. She decided she was asking the wrong question. She had approached a female officer that had made no bones about her disdain for Detective Ellis and asked her point blank where Ellis was. The woman had stared at her for a moment and then directed her to the closed door of the office across the room. As Scully turned to walk away, she had touched her on the arm and said quietly, "Be careful Agent Scully." Scully had felt a fissure of fear slide down her back and had automatically reached behind her to check her gun and handcuffs. As she had quietly walked up to the door indicated she knew Mulder was in the office with Detective Ellis. She had listened at the door long enough to realize it was not his idea to be confined behind a closed door with Ellis and had opened the door to make her entrance. The sight of R. E. Ellis standing half naked before Mulder stroking her own breasts and taunting him had both paralyzed her and made her see red. Mulder's final words 'I'm out of here.' freed her from the paralysis that had held her. She had thrust away the door and stormed up to her adversary grabbing a handful of hair in her left hand and ripping the neck of her blouse down enough to trap her arms at her sides. Scully barely registered the sound of the broken glass or the squawk of pain her attack drew from Ellis. When she had her cuffs on Detective Ellis she found enough courage to glance at Mulder. He was gaping at her, a huge erection tenting the front of his dress pants. Pain rocked Scully's body. Mulder was turned on by Ellis. Her bare breasts were beautiful. How could he resist her lush beauty? She was his type, after all. But he had not been participating in the seduction, she tried to calm her insecurities and let her righteous anger regain control. She had marched Ellis to the Chief's office and handled the rest of the confrontation as coolly and professionally as she could. But now that they were alone, now that Mulder couldn't look at her, she knew. She had ruined their budding romance. She had proven to him that he was about to lose his level-headed partner and she couldn't help but think that he was wondering if the trade off of partner for lover was an equitable deal. The silence continued. XXXXXXXXXX As soon as they got to the motel, Scully left the car and practically ran to her room. Mulder's long legs kept right up with her-he didn't want her to shut him out completely. Scully turn as she entered her room, surprised that Mulder had followed her in the door. "Mulder, I need some time..." "Scully," Mulder began. "I... I need a shower, Mulder. Can you understand that? After everything that happened today, I need to get clean." Scully whispered the last statement. "Fine, I do too. I'll come back over as soon as you're done and we'll decide what to do next." Mulder said. He was relieved that she hadn't said that she would see him in the morning. Maybe if they ate and relaxed a little, they could talk about the experience with Detective Ellis and get beyond it. He moved to the connecting door, but stopped. Scully nodded reluctantly and had begun to close the door when Mulder halted. "Scully, are we okay?" The fear in his voice made her lift her eyes to his. The pain she saw there went a long way to alleviating her own fears. "Yeah, we're okay. We need to talk, but I think we're okay." Her faint smile was returned by Mulder's. He stepped towards her and placed a tentative hand on her shoulder. She turned into his arms and the hug they shared was gentle and loving. XXXXXXXXXX Scully had decided that she needed more than a quick shower and had filled the tub for a long soak. Mulder's knock on the bathroom door did not surprise her. He was anxious to talk and wasn't going to let her postpone their conversation. "I'm soaking, Mulder. I'll be out in a while." She said through the door. "Are you hungry, Scully?" Mulder opened the door a crack and asked. "Yes, I am actually." Scully was surprised that she was starving. "How about I go down the street to the KFC and get us a couple dinners?" "Mulder, deep fried chicken will kill you one of these days." Scully gently scolded. "Don't worry, Scully, I'll pull the skin off and just eat the chicken." Mulder lied. "I'll take cole slaw with mine," she said. "No fries." "Be, right back," Mulder chuckled and left. 'I'll be here waiting for you, Fox Mulder.' Scully thought. As she continued to soak, she thought about Detective Ellis and Mulder. She couldn't blame Ellis for wanting Mulder. He was eye candy to begin with and when you got to work with him and know exactly how intelligent and special he was, it was difficult to believe that any woman would not want him. Last night he had pledged his heart and soul to her. Things would work out-they had to. He said he wanted her, even if he was excited by the sight of a lovely woman like Ellis. He said he loved her and she was going to focus on that. Suddenly refreshed, Scully left the tub and completed her bedtime preparations before Mulder returned. They ate while watching the news, not surprised that it was full of the capture of Dr. Knapp. After they had cleaned up and Mulder had taken their trash out the dumpster in the parking lot they settled down on the bed to talk. Neither one knew how to begin. The silence stretched and began to become uncomfortable again. Both Agents screwed up their courage and started at the same moment. "Mulder..." "Scully..." They laughed and tried again. "Scully, I'm sorry..." "Mulder, I'm sorry..." This time Mulder placed his fingertips on her lips and started. "Scully, me first. I'm sorry I behaved so unprofessionally earlier. I know you saw my erection. I couldn't help myself. I know how important it is to you for us to comport ourselves in a professional manner and I let you down. Now you." She kissed his fingertips gently and held his hand as she spoke. "I am sorry that I behaved unprofessionally. I was furious with that woman and I allowed myself to let my personal feelings interfere with our partnership. I know that you depend on me to be the level-headed one and I lost it today. I just couldn't bear to see that woman flaunting herself in front of you and taunting you. I don't blame you for becoming excited. She is quite beautiful..." "Wait a minute, Scully. You think I was excited by Detective Ellis' bare breasts?" Mulder asked in astonishment. "Well, yes. After all, she is your type..." Scully began. "Stop. First, let me assure you that I have no interest in R. E. Ellis, and frankly, Scully, telling me she's my type is something of an insult to my manhood." Mulder teased her. "I did not get excited by the vision of Ellis's bare breasts. I was extremely turned on by the red-headed wildcat that charged into that room to protect her man." "Me? You were turned on by me going commando on Detective Ellis?" Scully gasped. "What can I say, Scully. It always turns me on to see you 'Go Commando'. Why do you think I never schedule my recert for the hand-to-hand training at the same time as yours? I always want to watch you. A Scully aggressive mode has always been a big turn-on for me. Another time I will tell you about fantasy number eight and number fourteen." "Then why were you so silent in the car?" Scully asked. "I thought you saw my erection and was upset with my unprofessional behavior. I was scared that you would change your mind about trying to work out a relationship and a partnership. I don't want to lose you Scully-as my partner or my mate. Why didn't you say something?" Scully blushed and looked down, "I thought you were having second thoughts about our relationship. I... When you didn't look at me or touch me, I thought you found me... well, lacking." Mulder groaned and pulled her into his arms, "Scully! I couldn't look at you for more than a second at a time. And as for touching you, if I had laid one finger on you, even on your back like I normally do, I would have ended up ripping off your clothes and fucking you in public." Her gasp was loud in the room. "I wanted you so badly, Scully, I didn't trust myself not to rape you." Scully was quiet for a moment, searching his eyes for the truth of his statement. "It wouldn't be rape if I were tearing at your clothes too, would it Mulder?" she asked solemnly. She was answered by Mulder's delighted smile. Their lips met in a long kiss. A kiss that led to another and another and another as they made love throughout the night. Their bodies had surrendered to exhaustion and the night was long gone when a knock on the door woke them. It was mid-morning and Scully came awake with a start. "Housekeeping! Housekeeping coming in!" The knock sound again. "Mulder, get up! The housekeeper is at the door." Scully pushed him awake. "Tell her we don't want any," Mulder mumbled into his pillow. "Mulder! Get dressed and get out of here." Scully was frantically trying to get him to wake up. "Scully, just tell her we're checking out in a half hour and to come back later." Mulder stood up and stretched. Scully stopped mid-stride to gaze at him. He was nude, and the morning light made his skin glow with a golden color that made her mouth water. His hair was tousled and he had a slumberous, sensual look in his eyes as he started to move towards her. "Mmmm... Scully skin." Scully looked down and realized she was as naked as he was. The door handle wiggled again and she could hear the housekeepers keys jingle as she started to open the door. Scully quickly moved to the door and said, "That's okay. We're going to be leaving in a few minutes. Both this room and number 109, will be vacant in a few minutes." "Thank you!" came the pleasant reply. "Uh oh, Scully. You shouldn't lie to people like that." Mulder moved towards her with a gleam in his eye. He pulled the 'Do Not Disturb' sign off the inside knob and carefully placed it on the outside. "What do you mean, Mulder? We have to check out in just a little over an hour." Scully said. "Yeah, but I have no intentions of checking out of this room until we get to fulfill fantasy number three by taking a shower in that great big tub together." Mulder pulled her against his body and began to kiss her neck. "Number three?" Scully muttered. "What happened to number one and two?" She was kissing him everywhere she could reach. "Number one was fulfilled by our first night together." Mulder pulled her towards the bathroom. "And number two?" Scully smiled. "Number two was fulfilled around three o'clock this morning." He waggled his eyebrows at her. "But I think I could go for that one several times a week." Scully blushed, but nodded. "Me too. Now let's work on number three and get out of here. We have a plane to catch." An hour later, Scully was finishing her packing while Mulder checked them out. She pulled her cell phone off the charging wire to pack and was surprised when it rang. "Scully." "Dana! I caught you. Did you have your phone off until just now?" Maggie asked. "I've been calling since last night." "Mom, I'm sorry. We wrapped up the case last night and my battery was almost totally dead so I put it on an overnight charge. Is something wrong?" "No, dear, but, I have a surprise for you." Maggie laughed. "A good surprise or a bad surprise, Mom?" Scully smiled as she teased back. "A good one, I hope. I'm out here in San Diego for a surprise birthday party for Tara and she just told me she ran into Mulder in Los Angeles. Are you both still there?" "Yes, we are. But we just wrapped up the case and were getting ready to leave for DC." "Oh, dear. I was hoping that you two could come down and join us. Charlie and Mary are here with the kids. Tara's parents, Mr. & Mrs. Banks, are here too. It was all planned by Billy to surprise her. It certainly would be perfect if you could join us for a couple days. Do you think you could get some time off?" Scully was at a loss. She really wanted to see her brother Charlie and his family, but knew Mulder wouldn't be thrilled about visiting Bill. "I don't know, Mom. Let me see what I can do and get back to you." Scully said. Mulder walked back in the room as she was saying goodbye. "Was that your Mom?" Mulder was concerned by the sad expression on her face. "Is everything all right?" "Umm.. Oh, yeah, everything is fine. Mom's actually down in San Diego for Tara's birthday. Billy arranged for her parents and Mom and Charlie and his family to fly in for a surprise. Mom just was asking if I... we could join them for a few days." "What did you tell her, Scully?" Mulder asked. "I told her I would see what I could do." She replied. "I don't know if I can get hold of Skinner before our flight. What time is our flight by the way?" "Well, that's something you and I need to talk about," Mulder stalled. "You see, with all the excitement of yesterday, I forgot to tell you what I was doing in that office in the first place." Scully waited for him to continue. "I had called Skinner and reported that the case was closed and the arrest was made. I also asked him for a few days off-you know-to replace the long weekend we lost when we started the case." Scully began to smile, "And?" "And, he said we could fax in the completed report including the expense report today or tomorrow and have the rest of the week off. We don't need to be back to DC until Monday." Mulder smiled back at her. "Mulder, you're a doll! I can't wait to see everyone." Scully was grinning. "I'm glad you're going to get to spend some time with your family, Scully." Mulder said with a smile. He picked up her suitcase and walked towards the door. "Wait a minute, Mulder. What do you mean I'm going to spend time with my family? Where do you think you're going? You are a big part of my family, Mulder. If you aren't going, I'm not going." Scully said decisively. "Scully, you know Bill doesn't like me and I don't want to ruin your time with your family." Mulder tried to reason with her. "Uh uh, Mulder. I finally get a man to ask me to marry him-one that I adore and want to spend the rest of my life with-and he doesn't even want to go with me to tell my family about our engagement." Scully teased him. "Sculllyyy!" Mulder groaned. "Are you going to be one of those wives that have their husbands wrapped around their little fingers?" Mulder was teasing her and loving every minute. Scully gave him an appraising look before answering, "No, I'll let our little girl have that privilege." Mulder felt tears gather in his eyes. "Sure of that, are you?" he whispered as he wrapped her in his arms. "Yes, someone I trust told me not to give up on a miracle. I believe whether we adopt or are blessed with a baby, we will be parents eventually, Mulder, in God's time." They embraced for a long moment, then Mulder leaned back to look in her eyes. "I guess, we should stop at a jewelers on the way down to San Diego and pick out a ring for you. I can't have my fiance show up with a bare finger. Bill will really want to kick my ass if he thinks I can't even buy you a ring." "Does this mean you'll go with me to San Diego?" Scully smiled up at him. Mulder gave her a squeeze and moved towards the door with the final suitcase. "Yeah, Scully, I'll go. Call your Mom, but don't tell her our news yet. I want to watch Bill's face when you tell them all together." "I don't even know that Bill will be there, Mulder. The last I heard he was going out on maneuvers." Scully began to dial Bill's number. "Ah, the things I do for love," Mulder heaved a huge sigh as he quickly vacated the room. XXXXXXXXXX Their drive to San Diego was relatively easy. Scully pointed out various landmarks that she remembered from when Captain Scully was stationed at Miramar. Both Mulder and Scully were at a loss as to which of the many jewelry stores to go to for Scully's ring. Neither one of them had a clue about shopping for jewelry. Mulder had wanted to go to a jeweler on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, but Scully absolutely refused. Finally Mulder called the Lone Gunmen. They were their best resource when looking for clues-maybe they would have some insight as to where to stop. Scully was astounded when Mulder called the guys. She was sure three confirmed bachelors wouldn't have a clue about jewelry, but once again Mulder's intuition paid off. They called back in a matter of moments with directions to a surprisingly reputable establishment in San Diego and instructions to speak to Jocko. Jocko was a tall, thin man with an honest face and the spiel of a used car salesman. After they introduced themselves and told him what they wanted he walked them over to a flashy display case with two comfortable chairs in front of it. The overhead lighting made the diamonds displayed sparkle like small stars. Scully was still skeptical that this man wasn't going to rip them off and glared at Mulder to let him know that she wanted to leave. Mulder smiled gently at Scully, reassuring her that everything would be okay. "Now, Mr. Mulder, exactly how big a diamond did you have in mind?" Jocko's jovial voice boomed. Mulder wanted to give Frohike's cousin a chance so he told him the truth, "I don't have a clue, Jocko. I want whatever Scully likes, but neither one of us knows much about diamonds. That's why I call my friend, Frohike, and asked where we should go. He said his cousin Jocko would give us an honest deal." "Melvin? Melvin Frohike is a friend of yours?" Jocko's voice was suddenly quiet and reserved. "Yes," Mulder confirmed. "Just a moment, folks. I'll be right back." Jocko walked into the back room. "Mulder, I don't like any of these rings. They're all too big for my hands and I'm sure they're way over priced." Scully whispered. "Just a minute, Scully. Let's see what this guy has to say," Mulder answered. They walked around the store for a few minutes, waiting for Jocko to come back. He finally reappeared and motioned for them to come to the counter. "Ah, Mr. Mulder, Ms. Scully, please follow me," he buzzed the gate that separated the display area from the work area and back room. "I just spoke to Melvin and confirmed that you are indeed friends of his. I have a room in the back where I keep the kind of gems I am sure a couple like you would be more interested in." He led the way to an office with a huge safe in the wall. "A couple like us, Jocko?" Scully said suspiciously. "Yes, you know. Hard-working, honest, employees of the FBI." Jocko grinned, "Friends of family." He seated them before a table covered with black velvet and then opened the safe to pull out a large, flat box and a rack of envelopes. Mulder and Scully looked at each other quizzically. "Now. Here we are. Just what kind of ring did you have in mind, Ms. Scully?" "I don't know. Truthfully, I've never given it any thought." Scully blushed as she answered. "Well, why don't we get to know each other for a few minutes and perhaps I can get a sense of the true you and the kind of gem that will personify the real Dana Scully. Would you two like a cup of coffee or a cold beverage. I have sodas and bottled water available." They all decided to have a cup of coffee as they talked. Scully had set aside her cup after a few minutes. She was surprised when Jocko took left her hand in his and examined it closely with a jeweler's loupe. "You hands are very strong, yet soft. You maintain them with care, but not flash. You are a forensic pathologist, you say? What interested you in the FBI?" On and on the questions continued. "When did you meet Mr. Mulder? "Where did you go to college?" "How long have you been engaged?" "Where did you study medicine?" "When did you realize you were in love with Agent Mulder?" "When is your birthday? Agent Mulder's birthday?" "What is your favorite color?" "What is your favorite flower?" "When do you plan to marry?" He questioned Scully in a rapid fire manner-almost as if he were badgering her to tell him everything about her in fifteen minutes. And all the while he held her hand in a friendly, yet professional grip. Mulder began to lose patience with his questioning. Jocko seemed to pick up on his mood change immediately and finally finished the inquisition. "Well, Ms. Scully, I believe I know what you are looking for." Scully's lips curled up at the corners of her mouth but her eyebrow showed her skepticism. "Really, Jocko? Am I that transparent?" "Not at all, Agent Scully. You are a very complex woman. I get the feeling everyone thinks that Mr. Mulder is the mysterious one, but you, Agent Scully are an enigma wrapped up in a puzzle and hidden in plain sight." Jocko laughed. "An apt description," Mulder interjected. Jocko smiled at Scully and continued, "You are a very forthright person, yet you value tact. You are a scientist, yet you believe. You care deeply for others, yet hide this caring behind a mask of professionalism. You are loyal, selfless and insightful. You have a genius IQ and have never failed to attain any goal you've set your heart on, yet you have sacrificed much to follow this man. You seek the truth and love and in Agent Mulder you have found the one soul on this earth that can give you both. I have only scratched the surface, Agent Scully. You are a very deep, complex individual. And one of the oldest souls I have ever had the privilege to encounter." Scully was blushing and uncomfortable by the time Jocko's description ended. "So you learned all this from my hand and your questions?" Jocko nodded and began to unlock the flat box as he answered, "Yes, your hand and your answers, and the fact that I am probably one of the few true empaths you will ever meet." "What was wrong with the jewelry out front, Jocko?" Mulder was curious. "Nothing. Not a thing!" he quickly assured them. "For special customers, though, I have a better grade of diamond available. But first, the setting." He flipped the case open and turned it so that Mulder and Scully could see the selection of settings available. "These are beautiful, Jocko, but here are so many of them." Scully said. "Not to worry, Agent Scully. I have narrowed your selection down considerably already." He plucked three setting out of the case and reached for her hand. He slid the first on her finger. It was a perfect fit. "Do you always get a perfect fit the first time?" Mulder mused. "I try." Jocko smiled. He slid the first off and handed her the second to try on. After a few moments he gave her the third setting to try. "What do you think, Scully?" Mulder asked. "I don't know Mulder. They're all lovely and they are the right size for my hands, but..." "But something is not perfect." Jocko confirmed. He sprang up and walked back to the safe, returning with a small black box. "This design is one of my originals. It haunted me until I made it up, but it's never been just right for any of my customers. Perhaps this is for you?" Jocko opened the box to reveal an absolutely stunning ring. When Scully offered her left hand to try on the ring, it was trembling. Jocko held the ring box out to Mulder and let him place the ring on her finger. It fit perfectly. Mulder held Scully's hand as they stared at the ring. It was a simple band in white and yellow gold and had three diamonds. The band was mostly white gold and the center diamond was a square, brilliant cut stone of about a carat, mounted with an invisible setting. There was a yellow gold X on either side of the center diamond, flanked by two more square, brilliant cut diamonds, slightly smaller. The entire mounting was enclosed in a thin yellow gold frame. The ring was perfect for Scully. Mulder gazed into Scully's eyes and said, "We'll take it." Scully was shocked by his words. "Mulder, you don't know anything about this ring." "I know it's perfect for you, Scully. That's all I need to know." Mulder kissed the back of her hand. She gave him an affectionate but scolding look and then turned her best bartering glare on Jocko. "Why don't you tell us about this ring before we make any hasty decisions." "A wise choice, Ms. Scully." Jocko seemed amused by their words. "This is a design that came to me in a dream about six months ago. I couldn't shake the vision of the design and it plagued me until I actually sat down and created this ring. You will notice that the center diamond is almost a full carat and the side diamonds are each seventy points. I chose each diamond carefully to be attuned to the setting." He continued to lecture them on the importance of the 4 C's of diamond buying, finishing up with, "These diamonds are all flawless, grade D, brilliant cut square diamonds. They will retain their value forever. The invisible mounting will allow you to wear this ring as you would a plain gold band. Once you put it on, you will never have to take it off. I suggest that you get it engraved before the wedding." "That's very interesting, Jocko, but you forgot one thing." Scully said with a smile. "Oh, whatever could that be, Ms Scully?" Jocko seemed puzzled. "How much?" she asked. "Scully," Mulder interrupted her. "Jocko, could we have a moment?" "Of course, Mr. Mulder." Jocko took no offense. He replaced the tray and the rack of diamonds in the safe and spun the lock after shutting the door. Both Agents grinned when he shrugged and said, "Insurance company rules." He stepped back up front to give them the privacy they needed. "Scully, I don't care about the cost. You obviously love the ring and you're going to wear it for the rest of your life. The cost is of no concern." "Mulder, I don't want you to go in debt to buy me a ring. Yes, I do love this ring and it's absolutely perfect for us, but I am not marrying you for the ring." Scully firmly stated. "Oh course not, Scully. Everyone knows it's my body you're after." Mulder teased. "Scully, let me do this. I know we haven't discussed this before, but I'm not exactly poor. When Mom and Dad died I inherited a lot of land and money. We don't have to worry about anything, Scully." Scully stared at him for a long moment before nodding. "If you want to buy this for me, I accept. I don't think that we could find another ring more appropriate for two Agents in the X-Files." Mulder kissed her softly. "Thank you, Scully. Thank you for choosing the X-Files and especially for choosing me. I love you, Scully." "I love you too, Mulder," Scully said as she looked at the ring on her finger again. "Now that we've found my perfect ring, what are we going to do for you?" "I don't know. Let's ask Jocko." Mulder went up front to get Frohike's cousin. They explained that they wanted a band for Mulder and Jocko's eyes lit up. "I have the perfect compliment to your ring in mind for Mr. Mulder. Just follow me." He led them back out the to main display area and motioned for them to sit down. Jocko pulled out a tray of men's rings and swooped up the ring for Mulder to try. It too was a precise fit and absolutely perfect. The band was wide and made from the same combination of white and yellow gold. The four diamonds on the top were triangular instead of square and mounted invisibly in a yellow gold X. "This is a little under two carats total weight. but the color and clarity match Ms. Scully's ring." Jocko was pleased with their response. Mulder said, "We'll take them both" and pulled out a card from his wallet. Jocko smiled and accepted the card and the two rings and moved back into the back room to clear the transaction. He was grinning widely when he returned. "Would you perhaps want to have the rings engraved while you wait?" Mulder and Scully exchanged glances and said yes at the same time. First Mulder with Scully's ring followed Jocko back to give him the words for her ring. Then Scully followed with Mulder's ring. They decided to share the inscriptions on their wedding day. XXXXXXXXXX The next two days passed in a blur. Mulder and Scully had chosen a motel off base and used the privacy to complete the reports Skinner needed right away. The time spent with the rest of the Scullys had been surprisingly pleasant. Mulder had been thrilled to find out that Bill Scully's ship was still out on maneuvers. Charlie and Mary Scully and their boys, Will and Sam were openly accepting of his place in Scully's life. The only problem he had was remembering to call Scully, Dana. Every time he called her Scully, unless they were alone, several people would respond. Thursday was Tara's birthday and Mr. & Mrs. Banks insisted on taking everyone out to dinner. They had chosen a family-friendly restaurant that catered to kids, but managed to maintain an excellent variety of food for adult tastes. Everyone had a great time, but the kids were anxious to get home to have cake and ice cream as promised. Tara was the first one in the house and her squeal of surprise caused Scully and Mulder to rush the door right after her. The entire family crowded in behind them just in time to see Tara and Bill Scully in a passionate lip lock. Their kisses and murmured words of love were interrupted when Matty got a look at the man who had his Mommy wrapped around him. "Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!" Matty pulled away from Maggie and launched himself at his father. Everyone started laughing and talking at once. Mulder stepped back out into the hall to close the door. He was sure Bill Scully didn't want his homecoming spoiled right away. Tara was laughing and crying and kissing Bill and Matty. "Oh, Billy, you made it. I was so sure we were going to be apart this year. I thought that's why you made sure everyone was here for me." Several passionate kisses later she continued, "And you even managed to get Dana and Mulder here. Bill Scully! You're the best!" Mulder could tell by the pained look on Bill's face that he hadn't even registered the fact the he was in the house. Mulder was waiting for the explosion when he got the shock of a lifetime. "Hey, he's family Sweetheart! If Dana loves him, then I couldn't very well exclude him from a family gathering, could I?" Bill gave Mulder a look that threatened all types of bodily harm if he did anything to burst Tara's bubble. Maggie had tears in her eyes when she smiled up at her son. "Let's have that cake and ice cream now, before one little guy has to go to bed." "I'm not tired, Gramma! Honest!" Matty said with a big yawn. "Let's go sport! Cake and ice cream and how many candles for your Mommy? Twenty-one?" Bill lifted his son up on his shoulder and lead the way to the dining room. Everyone was seated and enjoying dessert. Tara had opened all her presents and the family gossip had started over coffee when Scully squeezed Mulder's hand before clearing her throat. "Mulder and I are getting married tomorrow," she said casually and took a sip of coffee. All conversation in the room ceased. The silence was so deep that you could hear the rustle of clothing as heads turned towards them. Dana couldn't help herself-she had to pull their chains a little more. Everyone was gaping at her as if she had grown a second head. "We don't know if we want to get married here or drive over to Los Vegas and find an Elvis Chapel. What do you think, Mom?" Mulder knew what she was doing and chimed in "Oh, Scully! You know what I like." He then turned an innocently curious face towards Maggie, presumably waiting for her input on their choice. Everyone began to talk at once. Maggie calmly stood up and walked over to Dana and Mulder. She hugged Dana and then kissed each of them. "Do you think you could find a Catholic Elvis in Las Vegas, dear?" she said with a twinkle in her eye. Everyone broke up laughing and the congratulations began. After the kids were put to bed, all four of the Scully women claimed the kitchen as off limits for the men. They had some serious planning to do and wanted the men out of the way. Mulder was uncomfortable being sent to the living room with the two Scully brothers at first, but they found a showing of "The Dirty Dozen" just starting and settled back to bide their time. "Lee Marvin was great in this movie." Bill said. "I liked him in Cat Ballou better," Charlie countered. "I liked him in Paint Your Wagon with Clint Eastwood," Mulder couldn't resist. Both Scully men frowned at him and he laughed and recanted. "Actually Delta Force was my favorite Marvin movie." "Yeah," Charlie grunted. Dana Scully suddenly appeared at Mulder's side. "You okay, Scully?" Mulder asked. "I just needed to step away for a moment. Do you want to go outside?" Scully obviously needed to talk to him. They walked out the door and down the sidewalk for a way. The street was dark and the stars were bright above. "Mulder, I'm sorry," Scully started. "Sorry? Sorry that we're getting married tomorrow?" Mulder stopped suddenly. "No, no!" Scully said emphatically. "I'm sorry that my family has taken over the plans for our wedding day and you're being left out." "Scully," he said as he lifted her hands to his lips. "I love you and your happiness is what's important to me. I want our marriage to be about you and me and how we feel about each other, but I understand that there's more to a wedding day for the bride and her family. You are my family, Scully. Anything you want is all right with me. I just want you." "Mulder," Scully laid her head on his chest. "Just keep reminding me why I love you so much, will you?" "No problem, partner. Wait until I get you back to the motel a little later and I'll be happy to remind you all night long." Mulder wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. "Ummm... Mulder, about the motel? My mom wants me to stay here tonight so that we can get an early start on the preparations in the morning," Scully said. "Did you agree?" Mulder asked. "Well, I said I would talk to you about it. Mulder, I don't want to be separated even for one night, so I have an idea." "Let's hear it. I don't want to be separated either," Mulder agreed. "I think we should let Tara and Bill use our hotel room and we could both stay here tonight." "Where would we sleep?" "Well, that's the only down side. We'd have to sleep on the couch in the living room." "I can live with that, Scully. That's a lot better than going back to the motel room alone." Mulder smiled at her. "I've slept alone for most of my life, and I don't want to do it any more." "Yeah and gives you brownie points with Bill too, huh?" Scully teased him. "Well, I'll take all the help I can get right now." They turned and walked back towards the house. Scully stopped suddenly and asked, "Speaking of sleeping alone reminds me that we haven't decided where we're going to live. We need to think about this so we can make a decision before we get back. What are we going to do about all your stuff? And all my stuff and..." "Scully, Scully, hold it. I have something to tell you," Mulder said, trying to soothe her. "Do you remember that apartment down the street from yours?" "The one we looked at together?" she asked. When he nodded she said, "Of course, who could forget a place like that?" "Well, when you were packing, I went back and put a deposit down on it. We can move in as soon as we get back and finalize the deal." Mulder thought for a moment that he had made a mistake by telling her about the apartment before the wedding when she didn't say anything. "Were you so sure about my feelings for you, Mulder?" her voice was unsteady as she spoke. "No," he responded. "But I was sure about my feelings for you." Scully pulled him to her and silently hugged him. "So, we're really going to do this tomorrow?" Mulder leaned back and asked. "Yeah, unless you're having second thoughts and want to back out now. We really are." She smiled up at him. "Nope. No second thoughts," he smiled back and drew her into his embrace again. They stood quietly for a moment, just enjoying the peace of the night and the comfort of their embrace. "Mulder?" "Hmmm?" "What did you have engraved in my ring?" Scully asked. "I thought we were going to wait until the wedding to share." Mulder teased her. "I'll tell you what I asked for in your ring if you tell me mine." Scully ran her hands up his chest and around to the back of his neck. "You first, Scully. What did you choose?" Mulder coaxed her. "Always," she whispered. "And you?" "One word, Scully." Mulder said as he leaned down to kiss the only woman in the world for him. "Forever."