Scully sat in the bath, her head back, and her eyes closed. She let the scent of jasmine permeate her senses as she relaxed in the water. Mulder humming and singing in the shower as she did.
Mulder had treated her to breakfast in bed after treating her to wonderful morning sex. He had been extremely careful and concerned about their lovemaking recently, following the doctor's orders at the last checkup. He took his time and always made sure she was okay. She loved him more in those moments than any other. When his focus was solely on her care and then her pleasure.
She sighed and then lightly moaned. Even with the ease they were taking, her body would be a little sore after. Having a growing baby pressing.. everywhere, would do that to a person. He had drawn her the bath after she expressed some aching.
He had looked at her with concern, opened his mouth to say what she was sure would be something she did not want to hear, so she silenced him with a kiss. A kiss that left him panting as he looked at her with desire in his eyes. She raised an eyebrow and he huffed out a growl, but nodded his acceptance.
He had surprised her with jasmine bubble bath and by the look on his face as he took off her robe, she knew what he was thinking about. A night long ago when he had stood nervously in his bedroom, jasmine scented candles filling the room, waiting to see her reaction. The love they expressed in words and then with their bodies that night, would forever remain locked in that scent.
"So I was thinking we should go get some baby stuff today," Mulder called out over the sound of the shower, breaking into her thoughts. "Maybe hit up Ikea or a baby store. Didn't you say the girls at the hospital were throwing you a baby shower? We should make one of those registry list things for what we'll need."
"You want to do that today? On a Saturday? It's going to be pretty packed," she said, eyes still closed, raising her voice to be heard over the shower.
"Eh, we'll be okay. We need to get the stuff sorted before the time gets too close. We could get some lunch, then pick out paint colors for the bedroom?" He said, his words muffled at times as he washed.
"My my, aren't you the busy little bee?" She teased him. "How about we flip the plan and pick out colors first? Then we can see which color crib and whatever we get looks best," she said running her hands along her stomach, smiling as she felt the baby moving, apparently happy with that plan.
The water turned off and the shower door opened. Mulder stepped out, grinned at her, and grabbed a towel. He dried himself off, then wrapped the towel around his waist. He put in his hair product and ran his fingers through his hair.
She watched him clean the steam off the mirror and look at himself as he stroked his face.
"You gonna shave?" she asked, knowing he was debating it.
He turned to her and met her eyes. "You don't like the scruff? I think it gives me the rugged look," he said as he stroked his face, smiling at her.
"Hmmm.." she said swirling her fingers around the bath water. "True. But.. it's scratchy sometimes in..places."
She gave him a look and watched his eyes widen as he swallowed. "Didn't hear you complaining earlier," he said leaning against the sink, acting a little too casual. She knew he was trying to appear as if her words did not affect him.
"Well.." she said, holding his gaze as she raised an eyebrow. "earlier your face wasn't where the scratchiness causes a..problem."
He exhaled and stared back. She saw him swallow again and then he cleared his throat. He turned and reached for the shaving cream and razor. She chuckled and he met her eyes in the mirror as he put the shaving cream on his face. She stared him down, his eyes creating a liquid fire in her veins. God, there was a possible chance they might not make it out of the house today.
He finished shaving and walked over to her. He helped her out of the tub and dried her off, kissing places he met along the way. He pulled her toward him, as he knelt in front of her and kissed her hips, her inner thighs. He rubbed his smooth face across her skin, causing a breathy laugh, then a gasp as he moved closer to his goal.
She tugged gently on his hair. He took the hint, rising to his feet, and led her to the bed. He helped her lie down and then settled back down to business. He kissed her center, his tongue sliding in and tasting her. She gripped the sheets and opened her legs wider, silently asking him to love her with his mouth. She started panting and felt her orgasm approaching. He continued using his mouth and then slid two fingers in and out, driving her over the edge. She breathed his name over and over, holding onto the sheets for dear life. Her heart racing as he joined her on the bed.
He made love to her again, slowly, both of them breaking together, calling out each other's names. She was pleasantly surprised at his ability to be ready so soon again after their morning romp. She expressed so to him as he lay next to her, still joined, her fingers in his hair as he lay with his head at her throat.
He laughed and raised his head to kiss her, tasting herself on his tongue as she moaned into his mouth. He pulled back, his eyes mirroring the desire she felt. "You taste so delicious, Scully. Your scent, your eyes, and Jesus, your words. I don't have a need for any little pills, when I've got a gorgeous redhead telling me that if I shave, I'm guaranteed to spend some time in my most favorite place." He whispered before kissing her again. His tongue sending jolts of desire to her core.
She laughed as she pulled back, stroking his smooth face. She kissed him again and began to untangle herself from him. They did need to get out and get items for the baby. They had nothing and only two months to go. As much as she would love to spend the day in bed with him, they needed to go. He had to help her up and they both laughed at how the simplest task was made harder with a big pregnant belly in the way.
A short time later, she was smiling at the wind blowing through the windows, as they headed down the road. She had her eyes closed, letting the wind cool her down and bring her calm.
"So, where to first boss?" He asked her as he reached for her hand and held it loosely in his own, turning to her with a grin.
She turned her head toward him, opening her eyes. "Hardware store for paint samples and possibly ordering the paint, to be picked up later. Then the baby store, then.. Ikea. It's going to be busy regardless of time, so let's save it for last," she said, squeezing his hand.
He smiled at her and nodded.
"Then.. Mulder, if it's not too late, I'd like to stop by Melissa's grave," she said quietly. "Having the stuff from my mom's place at the house, has had me thinking about her and Melissa. I wish mom knew her last words had not been said in vain and we found William. I wish she knew about this baby and she and Melissa were the ones planning the baby shower, not the women at work..." she trailed off and sighed.
He looked at her and squeezed her hand. "First. We'll go there first, Scully. It shouldn't be an afterthought or if we have time. We'll go there first, okay?"
She nodded and wiped her eyes with her other hand. She closed her eyes again, holding his hand tightly, and took a deep breath.
They stopped at a florist shop on the way to the cemetery. They picked out white roses and yellow daisies. Melissa had loved them when they were younger. Mulder paid for them and asked that they be wrapped together.
They pulled up close to Melissa's grave and Mulder turned off the car. He got out of the car and opened her door for her, helping her out and handing her the flowers.
"Take all the time you need, okay? If you need me, I'm here," he said softly, as he stroked her cheek.
She nodded and touched his hand. She turned and walked over to the grave. He knew. Without her saying anything, he knew she wanted to be alone and take some time.
She laid the flowers down and stood looking at the headstone as the usual guilt rose to the surface. If she had just waited, she would have been home and armed. No one would have gotten in and Melissa would still be alive. Melissa had not deserved to die for this quest that Scully willingly participated in, but never wanted or expected to reach those she loved.
Talking out loud to her sister seemed odd and something people only really did in movies. She thought about what she wanted to say instead. The apologies she made every time she was here, which was not enough, and the things that had transpired recently. Mulder, William, this new baby. How she wished she could share it all with her. To hear Melissa's take on the connection she and William shared. She laughed and then choked on a sob. She put her face in her hands at the same time she felt a hand on her back.
Mulder. She had not even heard his approach, but there he was, right when she needed him. He rubbed her back and she turned into his chest, wrapping her arms around him. He held her as she cried, saying nothing, simply offering his strength.
They stood there holding each other, as her tears subsided. She pulled away but kept her arm around his waist. A few minutes passed and then she squeezed his side before pulling back and turning around. She turned back when he did not follow.
She saw him place a hand softly on Melissa's headstone. He murmured something she did not hear, then stepped back and walked toward her. He reached for her hand and they walked back to the car.
She was quiet for a bit as they headed toward the hardware store. Thoughts still swirling around. Her guilt still weighing heavy upon her. She needed to let it go, to find that point where she could. It would not be today, but she would keep trying. She breathed deeply, gave a little shake, and then gave him a small smile. It was the best she could do.
When they arrived in the paint section of the hardware store, they had quite a debate over which colors they wanted. Neither of them wanted pink or purple even if they knew for sure it was a girl. Scully was not a "pink kind of girl" she explained as they looked at the samples. He looked at her pointedly, as if he did not know everything about her.
Finally, after much back and forth, they picked a light slate blue for every wall but one, which would be beige. The sand and the sea, Mulder said and Scully smiled. Without really intending to, they had settled on colors that had connections to their childhoods. Scully growing up near the ocean, him near lakes and oceans.
They ordered the paint, picked out all the supplies and arranged to pick it up on the way home. The man working at the counter was incredibly kind and told them he and his wife owned the store. He said if they had other purchases to make, they could pick up the items when it was best for them. They thanked him kindly and headed back to the car.
Scully took out her phone to get directions to the baby store once they were inside.
"Baby Mine?" Mulder asked as he looked at her screen. "Seriously?"
She looked up at him as she programmed the address in and hooked the phone up to the holder. "And what's wrong with that store? They have really nice stuff. I was looking at the website the other day. There is a really cute crib I want to check out," she said as he backed up the car and began to drive.
"The name though," he said, waiting for the light to change to get on the highway. "That has to be the worst name for a baby store, ever." He shook his head and proceeded as the light changed.
"What in the hell are you talking about?" she asked him, completely confused.
"Dumbo, Scully. Didn't you ever see that movie as a kid? People always say how Bambi is so sad, and it is..Jesus, but Dumbo.." he said shaking his head slowly.
He glanced at her and saw her perplexed look. He sighed. "In the circus, the people were allowed to come up and see the animals. Some asshole kid was making fun of Dumbo's big ears, of which that kid had some himself, and then he was teasing and poking at Dumbo. His mother protected him. She spanked that kid with her trunk, and that little fucker deserved it, they locked her up because she went after him. They put her in chains, away from her baby," he was almost shouting as she tried to remember the movie.
"So, he's all alone before he finds that mouse. He takes Dumbo to visit her in her train car jail and she put her trunk out to find him and he reached his up to find her," he stopped talking, shaking his head and breathing deep.
"He was so happy to see her, to feel her, he hugged her trunk and she slid hers down. She rocked him in her trunk and that "Baby Mine" song played and Jesus Christ.. it made me sob like a goddamn baby," he said, his voice breaking.
She looked at him and felt tears in her eyes. She could not remember that movie that clearly, but of course he would. His hands were gripping the steering wheel so tightly, his knuckles were white. He shook his head again.
"My mom almost had to take us out of the theater because Samantha and I were crying so hard," he said, his voice quieter now. "The movie was rereleased when I was eleven and Samantha was eight. My mom took us as a special treat and had no idea we would react that way. She held Samantha on her lap, but I was too big and should have been past such emotional outbursts."
Scully scoffed and looked at him with disapproval. "Because you were eleven? You shouldn't have emotions anymore? That's ridiculous. You were still a kid."
"Scully, it was the 70's and it was my family. My father especially. "Have to be a man" and all that bullshit," he said by way of explanation. "My mother never told him how I reacted. She kept it between us. She and I were closer for about a week after that, before I moved on to other things. I was up late one night, years ago, and that movie was on some channel. It got to that part and I cried like a baby again," he shook his head and laughed as he glanced at her.
She smiled back, put a hand on his leg, and squeezed. He took a hand off the steering wheel and held her hand. He squeezed it and she squeezed back. He shook his head again and she stared at him and smiled. His passion and emotional expression, was and had always been something she loved.
The store approached and they turned into the parking lot. It was a large store with cute window displays. Scully unbuckled her seatbelt and started to gather her things when she heard Mulder sigh. She looked at him and saw he was looking at the store sign.
"An elephant, Scully. The sign has an elephant on it," he stared at her, but she could see he was beginning to smile.
She smiled and kissed him, then stepped out the door. He met her at the front of the car, looked at the sign again and shook his head. He opened the door for her and walked in behind her.
They spent the next couple hours looking at cribs, strollers, clothes, sheets, toys, car seats, and books. Scully watched Mulder's eyes widen as the sales assistant kept suggesting items. He asked about a registry and happily took the scanner gun and went off adding things to it.
Scully found the crib she was looking for, in a beautiful dark chocolate color. She asked them about it, before adding it to their purchases. She sat in one of the glider chairs for a while "testing it out" before deciding on which one to buy. The motion began to make her sleepy, when Mulder came up to her, holding an outfit with spaceships and aliens on it. He grinned at her and she smiled back. He helped her up and they continued their shopping.
By the time they had filled a registry, picked out the bigger items, loaded up the car with their purchases, and arranged for delivery of certain items, Scully was ready to get some lunch.
They found an Italian restaurant nearby and ordered their meal. Scully ate all of hers and half of Mulder's before he laughed and ordered an extra plate of pasta. If she did not have a hungry baby growing inside her, she would have been embarrassed to eat as much as she did. She just laughed and grabbed the last piece of bread.
She watched Mulder swirl the pasta on his fork then messily shove it in his mouth. She reached over, wiped his mouth, and he winked at her. His eyes burned a fire in her as she remembered a barbecue place where she experienced very unpartnerlike feelings for him.
She smiled as she shook her head. He tilted his head to the side, silently asking her what what she she was thinking about.
"You know, Mulder," she said with a mischievous smile. "All the things that we bought today- the crib, the bassinet, the changing table, the stroller, and then whatever else we buy, you have to put together."
He blinked at her and swallowed his bite. "What exactly are you implying, Scully?" he asked with a smile of his own.
She raised her eyebrows and stared at him.
"I put the bookcase in the living room together, if you recall," he said to her, as if that proved his point.
"Oh, I recall," she said, reaching for her water and giving him a look.
He stared at her. "The books only fell off one time, Scully."
She nodded her head, twirling her straw around her drink, staring in the cup, then looked up at him.
They had a stare down as she let him realize what he just said. He finally sighed, nodded, and took another bite.
"I'll call Skinner. You know he's got a toolbox full of tools he never gets to use," he said, his mouth full.
She snorted and nodded. "I'm sure he will be more than happy to help once he hears about the bookcase."
"You wouldn't dare," he said staring at her, his fork frozen on the way to his plate.
"Tell him one of the reasons we have books on the stairs and on so many surfaces is because you are not exactly a "handy" handyman? That bookcases and other things that need to be put together are not exactly your forte? No.. I'd never dream of it," her voice dripping with sarcasm.
He narrowed his eyes at her and she started laughing. He shook his head and began to ready another bite.
"It's okay, Mulder. You don't have to be good at everything. The things you are good at, make up for the ones you are not. More than make up for it," she said with a look.
He paused with the fork in midair and stared at her. She watched his eyes realize what she said and how it made him react. He swallowed, shook his head, and shoved his bite in his mouth. She could not understand the words he said as he mumbled around his bite. She laughed and took another drink.
They left the restaurant a little while later, full of delicious food, and laughing as they discussed whether it was truly necessary to go to Ikea. They ticked off the items they had and what else was needed. A dresser, maybe a rug, shelves, or a bookcase. The car was kind of full, but they could move some stuff around.
They pulled into the parking lot and both looked at each other as if wishing the other safe travels on their journey. Seeing how crowded the parking lot was did not bode well for the hope of a small amount of people on the inside.
Scully grabbed a cart, they went up in the elevator, and began to meander through the store. They passed through the living room and kitchen sections. Scully walked through the little "apartments" they had set up to show the use of minimal space. She always found them interesting and somewhat cozy feeling. All the stuff that was needed in one small area. It made a person really think about what was truly important.
She glanced at Mulder as she looked around one of the rooms. She thought about how they had lived when they were on the run. The clothes on their backs, minimal extras, just each other. She had learned then what was truly important. The man she loved at her side was all she needed to make her feel complete. Everything else, that was an afterthought and so minuscule to what was truly needed in life.
Mulder was watching a mother and her children looking at things by him. He was smiling at the kids and said something to the mother that made her smile and then they both laughed. She walked away and Scully walked up to him. He was watching the mother and smiled at Scully as his head turned back toward her.
She reached up and kissed him, surprising him for a second, before he put his hands lightly on her hips and kissed her back.
"What was that for?" he asked, placing his forehead against hers.
"I love you," she whispered to him, her hands lightly holding his upper arms.
He pulled back and smiled at her. "I'm sorry ma'am, but I'm taken. Have you seen a gorgeous, pregnant, redhead walking around here? She gets awfully angry when I kiss random strangers."
She laughed and put her head on his chest as he wrapped his arms around her, his laughter mixing with hers as they held to each other, the other shoppers rushing past.
He rubbed her back and still chuckled. He put his mouth by her ear. "The feeling is mutual Ms. Scully. So much more than mutual," he breathed, giving her the chills.
She pulled away from him and smiled. Patted his chest and stepped back. She grabbed the cart and started walking again.
They picked out a bookcase and a dresser, both in dark brown, then moved onto the children's section. It was packed, but they navigated it easily. Since they had already purchased many items, they had an idea of what they needed.
Mulder put almost every stuffed animal in their cart, but not the elephant she noticed, then started to walk away. Scully grabbed his arm and brought him back. She looked at the animals and then at him.
"Yes, Scully, all of them," he smacked a loud kiss on her and walked away.
She shook her head and kept walking around. She checked out the curtains and the rugs. She picked a gray rug with stars that she knew Mulder would enjoy. She did not find any curtains she liked so she went to find Mulder.
She found him with his arms full of toys, checking out the others on the shelves.
He saw her and sighed with relief. "There you are," he said as he set the stuff down in the cart. "What do think about these?"
She looked at all the things he added to the cart and she shook her head.
"Mulder, no. We don't need all these toys. The baby won't even be playing with anything really, for six months, at least. Wooden trains, kitchen toys, wooden figures. Mulder, we don't need these right now," she said, putting them back on the shelf.
"Scully!" he said, trying to stop her.
"Mulder, the baby doesn't need all these toys, and they will just clutter up the house for now," she tapped his chest, forcing him to raise his sad eyes to hers. "We'll come back, okay?"
He nodded his head, his lip sticking out a bit in a pout.
"Good. I'm glad we could easily reach that compromise," she put all the toys back, except the stuffed animals, shaking her head.
As she walked past him she said under her breath, "What a baby."
"I heard that," he said, grabbing the cart from her and bumping her shoulder. He stared at her and then smiled.
They took the elevator back down and walked through the remaining rooms, grabbing a couple of lights for the room and heading to the warehouse. They traded their cart for a flat one, adding the items they were looking for to their other items, and headed for the checkout lines.
The lines were at least eight people deep. Mulder grinned at her and walked away. She rolled her eyes and leaned against the cart. Her back was aching a little and her feet were tired.
She moved up a couple spots in line when Mulder walked back with two ice cream cones and a bag of bulk candy under his arm. He smiled as he handed her hers and set the candy in the cart. She smiled her thanks as she ate her ice cream and eyed the bag of candy.
"It's all chocolate, in case you were wondering what I picked," he said as he licked the side of his cone.
"Good man," she answered him.
He chuckled and they ate their cones as they waited in line.
Once they had paid, repacked the car so everything fit, with Mulder lifting his arms and proclaiming "Tetris!" while she laughed, they were on their way home.
They pulled up to the house and Scully grabbed a few bags and went in to start some dinner. Mulder unloaded the car and set all the stuff in a corner of the living room. He had said there was no need to put it all upstairs until the room was painted and he would be doing that soon.
After they ate their meal, they took stock of the big items they had purchased: a crib, bassinet, stroller, dresser, bookcase, some lights, and a rug. They also had some smaller items: the stuffed animals, the spaceships outfit and some others, crib sheets, and a couple lightweight blankets.
The crib mattress and glider chair would be delivered in a couple weeks since they were in no immediate hurry, and had painting to do first. Car seats and other items would be ordered online after they searched for the ones they wanted. The registry was full of items they could use that were not too overwhelming in price. Mostly clothes, storage items, pacifiers, little toys, bottles, nursing pillows, more blankets, and bath items.
Scully shook her head at the amount of stuff in the house and still what was needed. God, a baby needed a lot of shit for something so small. Mulder suggested they go upstairs and look in the other room to get an idea of how they want it to be arranged.
There was stuff stored in there that they would need to go through, but not too much, thankfully. They looked around and discussed which wall to paint which color, where the placement of items would be best, and laughed about how insane it was they were having this discussion. Planning for a baby was never something they had thought of, nor expected, yet here they were.
Mulder went downstairs to straighten up and lock up the house. Scully used the bathroom and changed for bed. She got under the covers and sighed as she put her head on her pillow. It had been a long day. A long "normal" day and god knew they needed those kind of days. She was tired but happy with all they had accomplished. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
Mulder came barging in the room in his usual Mulder way- like a puppy whose legs were too big for its body. He hummed as he changed and used the bathroom. He slid under the sheets and cuddled up behind her, pulling her close. He kissed her temple and laid his head on his pillow.
They were quiet for a few minutes. Then Scully spoke, asking a question that had been on her mind all day.
"Mulder?" she asked, seeing if he was awake.
"Hmmm?" came his sleepy reply.
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but.. I was just curious what you said at Melissa's grave today," she said quietly.
He pulled her tighter and took a breath, nuzzling her neck. "I told her I was sorry," he said quietly into her hair. "Then I thanked her."
Scully's heart pounded and her breath caught. She started to ask what he meant when he spoke again.
"I thanked her, Scully, because.. you were the target. Someone was sent to kill you. Use you as a pawn again and take care of loose ends. They thought I was dead, and needed you gone too. If I had come back and found you.." he gripped her as tight as he could with the baby blocking him. "I didn't want her to die. I would have protected her if I could, but I, we, weren't there. But if I had lost you, Scully, I would have lost everything. Even then, you were the only thing I gave a damn about. You, your safety, you, Scully. I never wanted anyone to get hurt, but if I had lost you.." he took a shuddering breath, as tears fell from her eyes. She gripped the hand he had around her belly.
"I thanked her, Scully, because as perverse as it sounds, and I'm sorry that it does, I'm thankful it wasn't your grave I visited today," he whispered, as she cried.
She turned over and held his face in her hands. She cried, putting her forehead against his, and tried to catch her breath. She felt a weight, that had been sitting on her, begin to dissolve. He said what she was so afraid to say. So terrified to voice her relief without sounding as if she was okay her sister had died, had been killed in her place. She had to reassure him, to tell him he was not alone.
"Mulder," she whispered, her voice still shaking. "For so long, the guilt of that night has weighed on me- if I had only been there, if I had waited for her instead of leaving, so many if's. The worst guilt was that I lived and she died," she stopped and took some sobbing breaths. "I thought of how it would have been if it had been me who was killed. You alone, on your own, the guilt you would have felt.." she gasped a cry.
"Alone I could handle, Scully. Alone without you..was a future I could not foresee. It's..it's not a future I ever want again," he whispered to her.
She took big breaths, her eyes closed. " I have felt guilty relief that it wasn't me who died, for years. I don't visit her often enough because of that guilt, but I know I can't do that anymore. I need to let that go. She would tell me the same thing. Call me foolish and silly for holding this like a poison inside me. That everything happens for a reason and it was how it was supposed to be. So many things, Mulder. So many things have happened, I have to believe she would be right. I need to," she lifted her head and looked in his eyes.
He had tears in them and she wiped them away. They stared at each other, both feeling that guilt and that messed up form of relief. She pulled him close and held him with his head in her neck. They held each other, as Mulder whispered his love and comfort to her.
She thought of Melissa and how she would look at her, knowing she had held her guilt for so long. How it had blocked her from her grief and kept her from expressing it. The guilt she felt sitting in her like a clogged drain, allowing only so much through, but leaving the core problem behind. She knew Melissa would not want that for her.
She took a deep breath and whispered to Mulder she wanted to do it together, to let that guilt free. He breathed into her neck and she took a breath. Together, they let that guilt release from their lives, letting the two people affected most by her death, breathe easier than they had in years.
Scully stayed holding him for awhile. The silence in the room bringing a peaceful feeling into her heart. Mulder pulled back from her, lying back on his pillow, bringing her with him. She lay her head on his shoulder, his arm around her, her hand gripping his shirt.
"As much as it hurts and makes us feel like shit, it's good we're doing this, Scully," he said quietly, squeezing her arm and kissing her head. She lightly chuckled, a sob punctuating her feelings. "I'm serious. This breaking us down, will help us move forward. I don't want to hide our feelings from each other anymore. Jesus, Scully, that has not led us anywhere good and I don't want that to happen again. Never again, Scully."
She nodded against his shoulder. He was right. No more hiding how they felt or what they thought. This was their second chance. Fuck that, it was more like the millionth chance to get their shit together.
She wrapped her arm around him and took a deep breath. "No more hiding, Mulder. Reason and faith in harmony is hard to achieve if the harmony is offkey. We'll just need to keep fine tuning this old song until it's perfect," she said, sleep beginning to take over.
"I don't know if we will ever achieve "perfect," Scully, but we will keep strumming the tune until we get it right. A million and one will be our lucky number," he pulled her closer, his voice sleepy once again.
She smiled. A million and one, that seemed like a fitting number. Each of them on opposite ends, two opposing viewpoints, but with paths shaped like circles in between so they could never stray too far from each other. Scully snuggled closer to him and he softly breathed her name. A million and one. It was about time they got it right.