Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Dana Scully, Fox Mulder, Donald Pfastar, Duane Barry or the Flukeman. They are property of Chris Carter and Ten Thirteen Productions, no copyright infringement intended.
While in the shower Scully reflected back on the past few years and what it had been like for her and Mulder, the sacrifices, the moving. So many places with only each other for a constant. She thought about the history they shared and how much that meant to her and how important it was to help them get through the rough spots. As she reaches for a shampoo bottle, she remembered a particularly awful day back in January of '95 when she called him for her local store in the middle of a panic attack in the shampoo aisle. Her, Dana Scully, having a panic attack. This was something that neither of them shared with anyone else. Only he understood what Donald Pfastar had done to her and how much he had effected her. She replayed that scene in her memory.
"Mulder" he answered.
"Mulder, it's me I need your help."
She remembers hearing the panic in his voice, not realizing at the time that she said the same thing when Duane Barry took her. "Scully, what's wrong? Where are you? Are you hurt?"
"No, I'm not hurt I just need you, I'm at the store on Reservoir Road can you come get me please?"
Relief flooded his voice as he realized she's OK, but in a bit of a shock that she seemed so vulnerable and was actually asking for his help. "I'll be right there, Scully."
She was never quite sure how many speed laws he broke on his way to her, but it seemed that he was there the second after she hung up the phone. She sees him running up and down the aisles looking for her, she turns and calls out to him as he passes the aisle she's in "Mulder!" He freezes and runs back to where her voice came from, running up to her watching her the whole time, trying to figure out exactly what had happened. It's not until he notices which aisle they're in, which products are on display that he gets it. "Scully" he says, touching her shoulders, and gently gathering her into his arms for an embrace. He begins walking her towards the exit, his right arm around her shoulders "C'mon, let's get you home."
She doesn't remember the drive home, only the care and concern he had for her making sure she got in all right, making sure everything was in order before he left. She uttered her classic, "Mulder, I'm fine" remark before he left, knowing deep down she wasn't fine and that it would be awhile until she was. The next day at work he had a present for her, industrial sized bottles of shampoo and conditioner- so much that she wouldn't have to buy any for a while. She smiles at the memory, of how much he cared for her even back then.
Suddenly there's a knock at the door, very uncharacteristic of Mulder because they both understood that this time was some of the only time they spent all day alone. "Sorry Scully, but it's getting late. You don't want to be late on your first day of school do you?" She hears the gentle teasing tone and a smile crosses her face before answering him.
"I'll be right out Mulder". As she is getting ready to start her day she catches her reflection in the bathroom mirror, her right hand instinctively goes up and touches her hair. Every so often she finds herself shocked not to see her trademark red hair, but that was the first thing that people noticed so she had dyed it shortly after they left New Mexico. At first Mulder was as shocked at it as she was, but after awhile he came to look forward to whatever new color her hair would be. He said that "it felt like he was cheating on her". Currently her hair was a light blonde, longer than she had worn it before with just a trace of a curl around the ends.
She finishes up in the bathroom, and as she leaves the room she smells the delicious aroma of coffee from their kitchen. She lets out a small moan of pleasure as she walks into the room. Mulder raises his eyebrow as she enters the room, Scully pretends not to notice as she walks towards the counter, grabs her mug and fills it up with whatever wonderful concoction her husband made. She takes a sip, throws back her head enjoying the taste, "thank you" she says with her eyes closed.
"If that all it takes Scully, I'll open a 'Starbucks' franchise for you."
She laughs enjoying the moment, this relaxed part of the morning in the kitchen with her husband before they started their day. It was strange that they weren't working together anymore, she no longer expected to see him at whatever school she was at, but the first few months going from job to job that's exactly what she did. She expected to see him come into whichever establishment she was working at and tell her of some extraordinary phenomenon he had just found and how they were running off to check it out.
Mulder watched his wife enjoying her coffee and noticed the look she had on her face, knowing that she was probably thinking of the past again,of their past. I hope it's nothing too bad, no flukemen or Donald Pfastars he thought while watching her. Scully looks over and catches Mulder looking at her, she raises her right eyebrow at him wondering what his look meant, that look of concern. Mulder says nothing, just smiles at his wife as they get ready to begin their day.