From: Imadethis1013ms@aol.com Date: Sun, 25 Mar 2001 21:36:30 EST Subject: A Long Day Source: direct Title: A Long Day Author: Bridget Delia O'Loughlin Category: MSR Rating: G-PG Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me. I'm Just borrowing them for a little while. Summary: Mulder and Scully have dinner after a long Day. All Feedback is welcome. Mulder and Scully had had a nightmare of a day. Everything that could go wrong did go wrong. Kersch had been on them about their latest case. They both knew it wouldn't matter what they did they would never please him. How they missed Skinner. AD Skinner was tough on them but would recognize when they had done their best. Even with Kersch they still maintained their high closure rate. It wouldn't take a genius to realize that Kersch wanted them to quit, but neither would give him the satisfaction. It was after six when Scully finally told Mulder she was leaving for the day. "Mulder, I'm gonna head out. I'll see you Monday." "Scully, where are you going?" "I'm going home, it's been a very long day." She sighed. "Wait, I'll walk you out." "Okay." She sat back down in her chair and watched him get his things together. "Ready, lets go." Mulder waited for Scully to go ahead of him and lead her out the door. They walked over to the elevator in silence. When it arrived they got in and hit the lobby button. Both their cars were parked in the garage across the street. When they reached their floor in the garage Mulder turned to Scully. "Scully?" "Yeah Mulder." "Have dinner with me?" "I'm really tired Mulder." "I know, so am I but you have to eat." "Yeah... "C'mon a nice dinner will relax you, I won't keep you out too late and it is Friday night." She smiled at him. "Okay, where do you want to go?" "Your choice, we can go somewhere in your neighborhood if you like." "Are you sure?" "Yeah I don't mind." "Okay how about Antonio's?" "Sounds great, why don't I follow you home and we can walk from your place?" "Okay, that will give me a chance to change out of this suit." "Ohhh Scully." "Don't get too excited Mulder, I'm putting on a pair of jeans." She smiled. The traffic was pretty light considering it was the weekend. It only took about a half hour to get to Scully's. Scully parked and headed into her apartment. She was in the bedroom when she heard Mulder knock and then use his key. She heard him go into the bathroom and smiled. When she returned to the living room Mulder was still in the bathroom, she headed to the kitchen and got a glass of iced tea and poured one for Mulder. She was sitting on the sofa when he came into the living room. "Mulder, where did you get those clothes?" He was looking relaxed in his black jeans and v-neck sweater. "From the bag in my trunk Scully, what did you think?" He laughed at her. "You keep a bag in the trunk?" "Yeah, don't you?" "No Mulder I don't." "I'm surprised Scully, considering how often we have to leave on a moments notice." "I keep a bag in my closet Mulder not in my car." "Oh." "Do you want a glass of iced tea?" "Yeah thanks." He took the glass and sat next to her on the sofa. They talked and drank their tea for a little while and then decided to head out to the restaurant. When they got to the sidewalk Mulder took Scully's hand, he looked at her and she smiled. They walked slowly enjoying the contact. Scully broke the silence. "Mulder, what are you thinking?" "I was just thinking how nice this is." He smiled at her. "Yeah it is." She smiled back. "It's a beautiful evening, look at the stars." "It is beautiful." "Oh, here we are." Mulder pulled her across the street. She had to take two steps to his one to keep up. Dinner was very nice, the food was good and the company was better. They strolled back to Scully's apartment hand in hand, talking and laughing. Both very relaxed. Scully invited Mulder in for coffee. When they turned the corner to her house she saw someone standing on her stoop. Scully stopped in her tracks and quietly cursed. "What, what is it?" Mulder thought she was sick or something. "My brother." She said quietly. "What?" He was very concerned. "My brother Bill is on my stoop." "Oh jeez." Mulder looked and saw Bill looming on the steps. Bill walked over and looked at Dana's car and then back up at her building. Dana had left the living room light on. "What do you want to do?" Mulder asked. "I really don't feel like dealing with him tonight, can we just pretend we didn't see him?" She wrinkled her forehead. "Fine by me. How about a cappuccino at Starbucks? He hasn't seen us yet." "Great, lets go." Mulder was thrilled. The last thing he wanted was to do battle with Scully's brother. Bill couldn't be civil to Mulder and it upset Scully. They were having a nice evening together and he didn't want it spoiled. They entered Starbucks and Mulder led her to a table in the back. "What would you like?" He spoke softly. "Cappuccino sounds good, but make it decaf okay?" "Anything sweet to go with it?" He whispered in her ear. "Ohh, yeah a biscotti." She smiled up at him. "Be right back." He smiled at her and kissed her temple. Scully blushed and smiled back. When Mulder returned Scully was having a case of the guilt's. "I can't believe I just did that." "Scully, don't feel bad. Do you want to go back and try to catch him?" "No. I really don't. I'm so sick of his attitude towards us." "He's not mad at you it's me he has the problem with Scully. If you want me to leave so you can talk to him, I will." "No, I don't want you to leave. I'm really enjoying this. We don't spend this kind of time together." "I'm enjoying it too. I just don't want you to feel bad." "Damn him, what is he doing here unannounced?" "Scully, please don't let him spoil this evening, okay?" He squeezed her hand. "I'm sorry Mulder. I won't talk about it anymore okay?" She smiled and kissed the tip of his nose. "Okay." They stayed for about a half hour and then headed back to Scully's. Mulder checked to make sure that Bill was gone and then they headed into her apartment. The message light was flashing on her answering machine. She knew it was either Bill or her mother. Mulder headed into the bathroom to give Scully some privacy. "Dana, it's Bill. It's Friday night, where the hell are you? I hope you're not out chasing god knows what with that nutcase partner of yours. I'm at Mom's. Call me." "Damn him. He can't even leave me a civil message." She didn't realize that Mulder was standing in the doorway. "Scully, I'm sorry." "Mulder, I'm sorry you heard that." "Scully, maybe you shouldn't tell him we were together tonight. It will only make things worse." "Hey." She stepped over to him. His eyes were downcast. She tried to get him to look at her; she put her hand on his arm and kept trying to see his eyes. "I have no intention of keeping this evening a secret from Bill. I had a wonderful time tonight and it's none of his damn business where I was or who I was with." "I don't want to cause more problems with your family." "Mulder, you are not a problem. Bill is the problem and I think it's time I deal with it." She headed to the door grabbing her coat and her keys. "Scully..." He just looked at her not knowing what she was doing. "Are you coming Mulder?" She said curtly. "Where?" "To my mother's to deal with Bill." She turned the knob and started out the door. Mulder ran to stop her. "Whoa... I don't think this is a very good idea Scully." "I've had enough of Bill and his closed minded snit. I want this to end." "I understand that, but don't go over there when you're so angry. It won't solve anything." "Mulder, I want to have more evenings like this with you, what do you want?" "I want that too, Scully. I always want to be with you. I... I love you. You know that don't you?" "I love you too." She hugged him. "Can't we just stay here and enjoy this, do we really have to deal with Bill tonight?" He whispered in her hair. "I want to go over there, you don't have to come with me if you don't want to. I'll understand." She hugged him tighter. "Where you go I go. I just wish you didn't feel you had to take this on." "I know you do, but it enough already. I just don't want this to go on any longer. It's way past time to straighten out Bill." "I can't talk you out of this?" He held her tightly and kissed her. "Nope, are you coming?" As much as she was enjoying Mulder's kisses, she had to deal with this. "Yes. If you're going to do this let's get it over with." He was thinking he could talk her out of it before they reached her mothers. Not a chance. Mulder drove because Scully was too distracted. He held her hand tight to let her know he supported her. About an hour later he pulled into Maggie Scully's driveway. "Scully, Dana, please let's not do this." He spoke softly and kissed the back of her hand. "I really don't want to cause more trouble with your brother." "Mulder, it's not you, it's him. This is long overdue." Dana got out of the car and waited for Mulder to join her. He took her hand and they walked up the walk and rang the doorbell. Maggie Scully answered as if she had been waiting for them. "Dana, this is a surprise." She hugged her daughter. "Fox, how nice to see you. Please come in. Dana, Bill is here." "Yes Mom, I know he left a message on my machine, that's why I'm here." Her voice was cold. Maggie looked at Mulder with concern. Mulder whispered to Maggie, "I'm really sorry about this." "Dana, what is it, what's wrong?" Maggie didn't like her daughter's demeanor. "I need to talk to Bill, Mom. You can stay if you want to, but I don't think you're going to like what I have to say." "Dana, why don't you tell me what's going on, come into the kitchen with me." Maggie took her elbow and tried to steer her into the kitchen. "No Mom, where is he, in the living room?" "Dana, please." Maggie could see she couldn't stop her. Just then they heard Bill's voice. "Dana?" He walked into the hallway with a smile until he saw Mulder standing there. "What the hell is he doing here?" He bellowed. "Bill stop it, this is my home and Fox is always welcome here." Maggie said angrily. "He's here because I want him here. I have a few things to say to you." Mulder put his hand on her shoulder. "Dana, honey, take it easy." He whispered in her ear. Maggie heard him and suppressed a smile. "I don't intend to talk to you with him here." Bill turned and walked back into the living room. "That's just fine, it's time you stop talking and start listening." She was right on his heels. "Now just a minute..." He yelled. "No! You will hear me Bill." She shouted at him. Mulder looked to Maggie and Maggie nodded to him to let Dana have her say. Mulder held back. "I have no intention of listening to you judge me or my life. I will not have you talk about Mulder or to him the way you have been. You will not leave a message on my machine like the one you left tonight. What you don't seem to understand is that this is my life not yours, you have no right to say anything about how I live it. I will not listen to you tell me how I'm supposed to live. I will not have you speak to Mulder the way you have in the past. Whatever you think about my life you will keep to yourself. You have brought this on not me. I intend to spend the rest of my life with Mulder and you have no say in it what so ever. I am telling you this once and for all, if you force me to choose between you there is no question I chose Mulder. I will always choose Mulder. You can be in my life or you cannot be in my life. But it ends here and now. Do you hear me?" "Dana you can't mean this?" Bill stammered. "Do you understand me!?" She yelled at him. "Dana..." Bill approached her. "Don't you dare touch me." She pulled back from him. "I just want what's best for you and for the family." "I've got a hot flash for you Bill. You don't get to decide that for me. You don't know the first thing about me. Who the hell do you think you are to decide what's best for me? I am not a child I'm a grown woman who has chosen a path in her life. If you don't respect that than you don't respect me and I don't need that in my life. And I don't need you in my life." "He's to blame for this. He put you up to this." "Jesus Christ, are you really this dense." Mulder shouted. "I'm sorry Maggie, but..." "Don't apologize Fox, go on." Maggie stood with her hand across her chest as angry as he had ever seen her. "What does it take to get through to you? This woman, your sister is not some puppet that I control. She is the strongest most independent person I have ever met. Nobody forces her to do anything. You really have no idea who she is do you? You've never even bothered to see her as she is. You can't get past your own narrow-minded view of who you think she should be. She is not your wife, she will never be happy being cooped up in a little house taking care of her husband and children. She is so much more than just that. She has so much to give and so much to do with her life. Why can't you see that? Why can't you see her for the beautiful brilliant woman that she is?" He took a breath and he was shaking. "I love her more than I ever thought possible. I was against coming here tonight, but we're here aren't we? And as usual she was right. This has to stop, you have to stop hurting her." "Me!!!" Bill shouted. "Bill that's enough!" Maggie stepped in. "Dana is right and so is Fox..." "Mom, I'm just trying to..." "You are trying to run your sister's life. She is right, you don't know anything about her you don't know anything about what she does and who she is. You've never bothered to ask and you have never listened to her." "I..." "No Bill. This is my fault I allowed this to go on. I thought it was wrong to step in between my children. You have no idea what these two have been through. I'm thrilled they have finally admitted their feelings to each other. They belong together and you have to accept that. You don't have to like it but you do have to accept it. I know my daughter she will cut you out of her life. Is that what you want?" Maggie waited for his answer. "No, of course not, but she is throwing her life away with this guy. Just look at what he has cost her." "That comment just proves how little you know about your sister's life. Fox is right, you are narrow-minded." Maggie just shook her head. "Bill, Fox is always welcome here and I am grateful that Dana has him in her life. I'm sorry if you can't accept that but I will tell you that I will no longer allow you to speak to Dana or Fox the way you have in this house again. I'm sorry Bill, but Dana and Fox are right, this ends here and now." "Mom, you can't mean this. You're choosing him over me?" "Bill it's not a choice, you're behavior towards them is unacceptable. You will be civil or I will ask you to leave. I thought I raised you better than this." "Mom, I..." Bill had no idea what to say. "I'm sorry about this Mom. I just couldn't let it go on any longer." Dana spoke softly. "Dana, you have nothing to apologize for, you are right it's gone on to long." Maggie smiled at Fox and Dana. "I think we need to get some rest." "Thanks Maggie, I'm going to take Scully home and make sure she gets some sleep." Mulder smiled back at Maggie and then turned to Dana. "Come on Rambo, it's time to go home." He tugged on Dana's arm. "Rambo?" She said with a smile. "Um hmm. Come on let's give your mother and brother some peace and quiet." "It's a good thing you're cute." Dana kissed him lightly on the lips and they headed out giving Maggie their thanks and a hug. It had been a very long day.