What the Heart Needs

by HeatherWest

The death of Mulder's mother brings Scully and Mulder closer than they expected.

TITLE: What the Heart Needs

AUTHORS: Heather and Strbck23

EMAIL ADDRESSES: Heatherwest80 and strbck23

DISCLAIMER: Not ours. Wish they were.

SPOILER WARNINGS: SUZ/Closure, small ones for FTF and Millenium

RATING: T for some drinking

SUMMARY: The death of Mulder's mother brings Scully and Mulder closer than they expected.

Strbck23 AUTHOR'S NOTE: in all of our work together, Heather and I both collaborate on the ideas. She writes like 95% of the story. I just add a couple conversations, if that. But I am just happy to be along for the ride when we're throwing around ideas, giving my thoughts on "what Mulder and Scully would do if…" Thanks for reading! Give Heather the feedback she deserves and I will stalk the feedback page. My story, still a WIP, is titled 'I'm Yours' and yes, that was a shameless promotion.

Heather AUTHOR NOTE: Strbck is great to work with, we bounce really great ideas around and she keeps me focused. She always adds the extra flare that sometimes I am missing. Please leave us feedback.

I stood in front of the mirror, checking my hair and makeup. I took a deep breath, making sure I looked good; as good as one should for attending a funeral. Mulder was a little hesitant about even asking me to join him. I knew he needed a friend, so I volunteered to come.

The service was fairly short, and there weren't a lot people there. I sat next to Mulder the whole time, holding his hand and letting him cry. He didn't look at me, but he needed this last release. He had dealt with most of his emotions about his mother passing that night in his apartment.

I reflected on that night. I had to be honest with Mulder in my autopsy findings; his mother indeed committed suicide. He was fixated on the idea that someone killed her. It was hard for him to hear the truth. I tried to comfort him while he broke down sobbing. I told him I would stay the night, knowing he shouldn't be alone. We ordered food. I watched him pace his living room floor and bounce his basketball against the floor. Then while I was in his kitchen, getting a soda out of his fridge he came up behind me and brought his arms around me, holding me tight against him. He then let me turn around and look at him, only to kiss me. The kiss was amazing, so passionate, full of love and underlying current of lust. If it had been at any other period of time, I would have acted on this display of attention from him. His body language told me he wanted more, but I quickly and nicely dissolved the situation by asking him to watch a movie, that he needed to relax a little bit. I know it probably hurt his feelings a little bit, but I wasn't going to let anything happen under those conditions. We both deserved better. We got closer that night; he opened up and let me comfort him.

I snapped back to the gravesite, realizing Mulder and I were the last two people standing there. We hadn't spoken to each other since we left the motel; he was in his own world and I let him be there. He just stared at the coffin, in total disbelief. I gave his hand a squeeze. I figured he wanted a moment alone, to say his final goodbyes. I started walking away.

"Scully?" he said softly.

"Hmm?" I stopped walking, turned back to face him.

"She liked you."

"What?"

"She liked you being my partner. You looked out for me."

I smiled at him, "I always try to."

"I'll catch up with you in a minute."

"Take all the time you need."

I returned to the car, giving him some time alone. I was emotionally drained. I knew Mulder was far worse than I was, even though he wouldn't ever admit it. He hasn't gotten any rest in days. He just about found out about his mother, and was called back to California. He got some sleep there, but then after he found out about Samantha, he was restless. He was at peace with the closure he finally had, but at the same time, he didn't know what to do with himself. He was always chasing his sister. He didn't have to run, but he also didn't know what to do with himself now.

I don't know how long Mulder was saying his goodbyes; I had dozed off in the car. I didn't even hear him getting back in the car. I felt him touch my face, causing me to jump. He chuckled a bit.

"Sorry," I apologized, sitting up more in the seat.

"Don't be. It's been a rough few weeks, for both of us."

"Rougher for you." He just smirked at me. "I worry about you," I admitted.

"I'm fine," he said, starting the car. He threw it into drive and slowly took off. I assumed we were headed back to our hotel rooms.

"I know you're not," I told him.

"I will be, I promise." I just smiled at him. His face changed, became a little more serious. He shifted in his seat, a little uncomfortable. "Hey, umm, Scully, we aren't going home until tomorrow."

"Yeah, I know."

"So, umm, what are you doing for dinner tonight? It's getting late."

I was wondering why he sounded so nervous. Maybe he was just tired, so I let it go without a second thought. "I didn't even think about it. We could order a pizza." I looked over at him.

He glanced over at me. "No, not pizza. I gotta treat you to something better than pizza for our first Valentine's Day."

Wait, what? I was trying to process everything he just said. First, it was Valentine's Day? When did that happen? I really did loose track of days I guess. And OUR first? Did he just imply we are together? I looked over at him, confused. I had no idea what to say to him. He just smiled shyly at me. He was as uncertain about this as I was, which was a little bit of a comfort to me. He kept clenching his bottom jaw. I always noticed these subtle movements and gestures that he made. After seven years together, I can read this man like an open book. I also know he was stressing out and feeling like he was loosing control. I wanted to put whatever control I could back in his hands. "You can pick a place," I told him.

He was biting on his bottom lip, which could only mean he was thinking. We drove in silence. He pulled into a crowded parking lot of the Cheesecake Factory. I knew the wait to be seated was going to be long, but we might as well try, right? We went inside, him guiding me with his hand on my lower back, the way he usually did. We were told it was going to be a two hour wait. He turned to me. "What do you want to do?"

"We can go somewhere else."

He nodded, walking back outside with me. We got back into the car and drove up the street a little bit. We saw an Applebees that didn't look as crazy so we pulled in there. He looked over to me with an apologetic smile. "I guess I should have thought this through a little better, huh?"

I smiled warmly at him, "this is fine, Mulder."

We only had to wait for fifteen minutes to be seated. He stood right next to me while we waited. I could tell he was nervous. I didn't know why, he didn't need to be. We sat down and he buried his face in the menu. I watched him studying the pictures. We both knew where our relationship was headed. I knew Mulder enough to assume he was nervous about messing this up with me. Mulder is a rare breed of man when he was around me. He was a little unsure on how to proceed with me, and I knew that. But, this was his game tonight and I wanted him to take control, even if it meant me giving him a little push.

"You umm want an appetizer?" he asked me. He sounded so nervous. He sounded like my high school boyfriend on our first date. But there was something else in his voice. I couldn't put my finger on it, but there was something else bothering him.

"If we get the two-for-$20, we get to split one." He nodded, flipping to that page of the menu. He still wasn't looking at me. After a few awkward moments, we figured out what we were ordering. He ordered for both of us when the waiter came back. He also ordered us each a beer. We both needed to take the edge off. He was staring down at his hands. I finally reached over and took his hand in mine.

"I'm sorry," he said immediately. He practically jumped when I touched him.

"For?" I arched my brow.

"Not taking you someplace nicer."

It wasn't just nerves, it was disappointment; he felt that this date wasn't good enough for me. I just smiled reassuringly, "you remembered, I didn't. That means a lot to me."

"I knew the other day we would be down here, and I wanted to take you out. I should have planned better and made a reservation somewhere nice. I messed up."

"No, this is just fine," I tried to reassure him. "I would have enjoyed the pizza, as long as we were enjoying it together."

"I've never been good at this," he admitted.

"At what?"

"All of this. Mostly taking a beautiful girl on a date."

"We're friends," I tried to comfort him. We both knew it was far more than that, but I didn't want that pressure on him, especially tonight. He had been through a lot, and this should be a night for him to relax. He already won me over. He just has to keep being himself and he will keep me.

"And without you, I would really be lost," he admitted.

I squeezed his hand. Our beers came just in time. We both took a long drink. We started talking about other things. He told me about how relieved he was to know Samantha has moved on, and that he can now move on. He told me about some of his childhood memories that he shared with Sam. With his past finally behind him, he was finally able to confide in me. He rarely opened up about anything, so I was glad to hear whatever he had to finally say.

Our appetizer came while Mulder continued to talk about his childhood. I threw in a few stories of my own. After a while, our meals came, with two more beers. We were in silence the first few minutes before Mulder took a bite of my pasta, and I stole one of his fries. I was smiling warmly at him as I ate the fry with little regard for my diet. The pasta had done me in for today, anyway.

"What?" he asked, looking down at his tie. "I get some on me?"

"No," I smirked. "I just find it amusing that we share food like we do. You ever think about that? It bothers a lot of people."

He shrugged and stabbed a piece of my grilled chicken, eating that too. "I couldn't be with a woman that wouldn't share her food."

My turn to smirk. "Simple as that, huh? Well I'm glad I meet that qualification." I smiled at him and he looked away, giving me a view of his shy, boyish side. I took one last bite of pasta before pushing my plate away.

"He's gonna go for it." Mulder said before taking a swig of his beer.

"Hmm?" I asked and followed his eyes. He was watching a man walk up to a woman at the bar.

"See her?" he said, gesturing to the beautiful blonde woman at the bar. He looked at me long enough to catch my nod in the affirmative. "He's been watching her since her girlfriend left ten minutes ago. She's finishing her martini, waiting for the man that *isn't* this guy to come talk to her." He pointed at the other, more handsome man at the corner of the bar that was more interested in a text conversation on his cell phone. The guy that *had* gotten up the nerve was a short-ish, thirty-something, sweater vest-wearing, average-looking man who probably worked in the IT industry. His drunk, jock-ish friend had obviously talked him into going and speaking to her.

He walked up and nervously touched her arm, then quickly recoiled at her look. She had given him one glance and made her decision, that she did not want anything that he had to offer before he had even spoken. But still, he had tried. He said something to her, and she laughed in his face. "Oh, poor guy." I really felt for him, he turned on his heel and all but ran away, back to his friend.

"What a shame, I bet he used some lame line his friend gave him."

I smiled, "Can't be worse than a few I've heard."

He smiled also. "Let's hear one."

"All right. But you have to promise you won't go try them on some unsuspecting woman."

"Well, Scully, if you've heard them I wouldn't want to repeat them to you." His flirty smile made me smile even wider.

"Good one…okay. 'You know, that shirt's very becoming on you. Of course, if I were on you I'd be coming too.'"

Mulder choked a little on his beer, his eyes wide. "You're kidding." When I shook my head, he asked, "when was this?"

I laughed a little at his reaction, "back in college."

"I was about to say, don't tell me that was from a grown man."

"No…another I heard back then: Did you clean your pants with Windex? I can practically see myself in them." Mulder laughed, and I smiled at the sound of it. "Or how about, 'I'm not Fred Flintsone, but I can make your Bedrock."

He smiled again. "Now that one I've heard."

"Pretty cheesy, huh?"

"A lot of them, yeah. But I know a few that work. You just gotta find the right one, for the right woman."

I smirked. "Mulder, please!"

"I'm not kidding. Say at a sci-fi convention in my 'glory days.'" We both smiled at that term. "I had a few I'd use on unsuspecting young girls."

"Let's hear 'em," I said as I snatched another fry from his plate. He had just finished his burger and motioned to my pasta, silently asking if he could finish it. We had both skipped lunch, so I wasn't surprised that he was still hungry.

"All right, there was the often used 'Beam me up, Hottie.'" He smiled at my smirk. "Or 'Did someone shoot you with their phaser set on stunning?' Don't laugh, a few of these have worked. 'Princess Leia's buns have got nothing on you."

"Mulder! Please tell me you didn't…" I was on the verge of laughter, trying to picture him saying these things to some young girl.

"I did…" He said, smiling a little bashfully. I'd never tell him, but his odd mix of confidence and shyness were actually pretty attractive. "I have some more that I'm not sure you'd appreciate."

"Why?" I asked.

He smirked. "They're a little…ah…Well, I rarely used these. They're more for shock value."

I stole one more fry, his last, without even asking. I know he left it for me, anyway. "I suppose my virgin ears can take it."

His eyes opened wide at my comment, then he really laughed, and I really enjoyed it. "All right, you asked for it. 'Your pants are the final frontier.'"

"Mulder!" I covered my mouth to hide how big my smile had gotten.

But he saw it in my eyes and smiled back at me. "Not only can I beam you aboard, I can beam you a woody." I laughed once, sharply. "My erection will live long and prosper," he said in mock seriousness.

I giggled loudly, my eyes actually tearing up a little. I waved the hand that wasn't covering my mouth between us, trying to stop. "Oh God, that's enough."

He smiled at me warmly, almost proudly. "I've never really heard you laugh before, Scully."

I smirked, wiping my finger under my eye gingerly so I wouldn't run my mascara. "I hate my laugh. I sound like a six-year-old."

"Are you kidding me? No one could hate a laugh like that."

"Unless it's yours," I rolled my eyes.

"Stop it, it's charming." He smiled at me and I felt myself blushing a little. "Anyway. Those were the lines I used on the girls I was going after back then."

"Uh huh…" I sipped on my beer and raised an eyebrow at him.

"Today, I suppose I might use something a little different." The way he was looking at me actually made me blush a little, Mulder was upping his game now that I was welcoming it even the slightest bit.

"Like…?" I bit my lip, returning his gaze.

"I'm writing a new make-out program, would you like to join the beta-test?" I rolled my eyes, slightly disappointed. That was no better than I'd heard in college.

He laughed. "I'm shitting you. That's one Frohike told me he'd use on you."

I had to laugh a little. "Very funny…"

"Ok, umm…" He was back to being nervous. I batted my eyes at him. "You'd need a smart one. 'If I were an enzyme, I'd be a helicase so I could unzip your genes."

I smirked, "cute, but your Trekkie lines were bolder than that. Are you holding back, Mulder?" I thought about it for a moment. I was officially flirting back with Mulder, and it felt good. I got a flashback to the night in his apartment when he had kissed me and I smiled.

He laughed, covering his mouth, trying not to smile so wide. "All right, um…" He looked down, Mulder was actually openly staring at my chest. I could tell he was half joking, half serious in that way he sometimes was so that he could gauge my reaction and go from there. "That dress would look even better accelerating toward my bedroom floor at 9.8 meters per second, squared."

I smirked, then blushed. "Hmm…gravity. Nice touch, appealing to the physicist in me."

He quirked his eyebrows at me, he wasn't done. "I know you're a physicist, but are you a Bohr in bed?" He was referring to Niels and Aage Bohr, father and son, both physicists and Nobel prize winners.

We stared at each other for a moment, he was waiting for my reaction. I was actually a little turned on by his attempt and success to appeal to my interests. I smiled and took his hand. "Maybe my mother was right about you."

"You two talk about me?" He smiled a little at my nod. "About what?"

"That you can relax, even go on a date, given the right opportunity."

He smiled at me. "I hope my mother is finally proud of me."

"Mulder, don't say that. You are a great son, you have a great career, and you've always been really smart. She has had a lot to be proud of."

"It's not about that. She was never happy with the women I choose to be a part of my life."

"Oh," was all I could say.

"My high school girlfriend was a bitch according to my mother. Maybe that's because she turned me into a man. Phoebe she never met, but she told me she didn't like the man I was when I was around her. She just outright despised Diana, even when I was married to her. Not once could my mother be happy for me when I was in love. But she always said there was something different about you."

Did he really love them or was the relationship he had out of convenience? I can't speak for high school girlfriend, because I never met her. But I can see Mulder falling for the wrong girl when he was younger. He grew up with a lot of issues, especially after Samantha got kidnapped. He would have clung to the first girl that gave him a sense of security. Phoebe and Diana weren't right for him either. I got the impression that his relationship with Phoebe was a clever game that all boiled down to sex. The short time that I spent with her, I could tell she didn't love him, she rather have played him and watch him follow her around. Diana was probably a decent match for him, but she didn't intellectually challenge him. She was on the same page as he was, not allowing him to spread his wings. And none of them ever respected him for the beautiful man he was.

"I respect you," I just blurted out.

He looked up from his plate. It was like those three words were the answer to all the mysteries of his love life. "Yeah, you do. You're smart, beautiful and you respect me." He said them more to himself than to me, like he just understood a complex problem. He gave me a little smile. He put his fork down, finished with my pasta. He looked over at me again.

"You want dessert?" I asked him.

"What's on the menu?" he asked with that devilish smile.

I chuckled, shaking my head. "Not that. Not yet."

"Damn, okay," he pretended to sound disappointed with a pout on his lips.

I just shook my head. We decided on something we could both enjoy. I just remember thinking that I never wanted that night to end. Did I need or want dessert? Not really, but if it got us to stay sitting there longer, I was willing to eat it. That night was all about us. He was paying attention to only me. The nerves he had were the same ones I saw at midnight, two months ago, when he kissed me. He was relieved when not only did I not get mad, but I kissed him back. The tides were changing for us, we both deserved some happiness.

We shared dessert. He playfully fed me mine, one forkful at a time. He was being cute and bold at the same time. He did have a romantic side hidden inside him causing him to step up his game with me, and I was loving every moment of it. While eating, I got chocolate sauce on my bottom lip. Mulder spotted it just as I went to wipe it off w. He grabbed my wrist, stopping me. He leaned closer me, and at first I thought he was going to lick it off, but then took his finger and wiped it off. He looked at his finger, then back at me; what he did caught me off guard. He put his finger into his mouth, sucking the chocolate off. Did it just get warmer in here? I bit my bottom lip, staring at his mouth.

This relationship was headed to the bedroom, and quickly. I had to be strong. This teasing was killing us both, but neither wanted to stop. I finally dropped my gaze down to my hands, so did he. He was playing with the fork. We had these moments of total boldness, then we both retreated, now knowing what to do next.

"We don't have to let this night end," I told him, breaking the silence.

"What did you have in mind?" he asked, a little flirty, but he was definitely holding back.

"Nothing dirty," I smiled.

"We could drop the car off, go for a walk. I think there's a bar up the street from the motel, maybe grab another beer or something?"

"Sounds good to me," I smiled at him.

He paid the bill, even though I offered to pay for my half. We drove back to the hotel and changed into more comfortable clothing.. I chose my jeans, a t-shirt and a sweater over the top. It was February and it was cold outside. When I came back out, Mulder was waiting for me wearing those ass-hugging jeans I loved with turtle neck and his leather jacket.

We started walking down the street. I reached over and took his hand in mine, entwining our fingers. He looked at our hands then at me. He was nervous again, I was too. This physical connection was new territory for us. We both feared our friendship could be ruined. No matter what, I was going to be his friend. I squeezed his hand a little, as I leaned into him. He let go of my hand so that he could bring his arm around my shoulders.

We finally got to the bar, and Mulder ordered us beers. It was fairly empty inside. Guess most people were still eating, or back home celebrating in other ways. I looked over at Mulder, thinking about what our first time was going to be like. I had a fantasy in my head, but I knew realistically it was still going to be a little awkward, but passionate.

He came back with the beers and sat down with me at the table I picked in the corner. I was watching two guys play pool. Mulder and I didn't talk; we just enjoyed the few beers we each had. He had more than I did; he had a nice buzz going for himself.

When they finished, I looked at Mulder, "will you teach me?"

"Pool?" he asked. I nodded. I knew how to play. I wasn't horrible, but I wasn't anything to brag about though either. "You don't know how to play?" he asked me. I shook my head, giving him an innocent look.

We went over to the table; he racked up the balls. "You want to try to break?" he asked.

"The balls?" I asked, laughing after I said it.

He smirked, "yes, these balls," he motioned at the table. "You break mine enough." We just shared a smile.

He showed me how to break by leaning over me, showing me where to hold my hands on the pool stick. I played stupid, making him show me a few times. After a few missed shots, he came back over to me, leaning against me again, lining up a shot with me. He said, a little louder than a whisper in my ear, "You know, it's not the length of the vector that counts, it's how you apply the force." I turned and looked at him with a flirty smile.

"But a wider vector sometimes is all you need to do the trick."

He cleared his throat, standing upright. He fixed his shirt, looking away from me. He licked his lips and went back up to the bar to get himself another beer. We had another beer, and Mulder got himself a shot of something before we walked back to the hotel. He held my hand on the way back. It felt so comfortable, my hand fit perfectly in his. I felt the smile plastered to my face until we got back to our doors.

We stood outside, freezing. We just looked at each other, not sure what to do. "Why don't you join me?" I asked, opening my door.

"You really think that's a good idea?"

"It's better than standing out here freezing." I walked into my room, leaving the door open, letting him decide what he wanted to do. He looked at me, then over at his door to his own room. He quickly came inside, closing the door behind him. I smiled, taking my coat off, tossing it onto the chair. Mulder slid his coat and sweater off, letting them join my coat.

"I won't stay long. I know it's getting late."

I smirked, "I didn't say I was in a rush to have you leave."

I sat on the bed, waiting for him to join me. I flipped the TV on, trying to break the tension.

"Scully, I…" he started. His nervousness was pouring out of him again.

"Mulder, relax. If we were home, we would be in your living room, watching television. There's no living room here."

He nodded, as he sat down on the edge of the bed. I kicked off my shoes, and then pushed myself back, resting my back against the headboard. He watched me for a moment before he took his shoes off, joining me. His outstretched body made mine look so small. I looked over at him, as I put my hand on his thigh. He jumped out of bed. I smirked, looking up at him.

"You really need to relax," I told him.

"Maybe I should go," he said quietly.

"That's your choice, but I want you to stay." He looked at me, very uncertain of what to do. I got to my knees, moved over to him, taking his face in my hands. "Why are you so nervous?"

"Me. You. Alone. And a bed."

I smiled then kissed his forehead. "That's not why you are here, Mulder."

"It's not?" I shook my head. "Really?"

"No, we aren't ready yet."

"I just want it to be perfect."

"Nothing is perfect, but it will be beautiful."

I could see him physically relax, his shoulders loosened up a little. He had been trying hard to make me happy lately. He was doing a great job, I smiled a lot more, and felt less stressed. I fell in love with him the way he was; I didn't want him to try to be someone he wasn't.

"I want to kiss you so badly right now," he said, barely a whisper.

Our faces were only inches apart. He bit his bottom lip. I could see him thinking about it. His eyes were hungry for me. If he did kiss me, it was going to be passionate and forceful, much like Mulder. He was still just looking at me for what felt like forever. I finally said, "are you going to kiss me, or am I going to have to lie to my diary again?"

He took me up on that challenge. He leaned in and kissed me, much like the kiss we shared two months ago. We both wanted more; I didn't know why he was holding back. I took charge, putting my hand on the back of his head, deepening the kiss. He welcomed me, spreading his lips slightly, inviting me in. He was still shaking a little. He loved me, and I knew that. He also didn't want to mess things up with me.

I started moving backwards, pulling him onto the bed, so that we were both kneeling. Our lips never separating. His hands had moved to my hips. I wanted more than just this. I pulled him with me as I moved onto my back. He straddled my hips. We broke the kiss, only to catch our breaths.

Before he could second guess the situation, I pulled him down for another kiss, deeper than the previous one. He moved his hips so that they were resting against mine. My arms were around his neck. I moved my mouth to his neck. He tilted his head to the side, giving me better access. I nibbled on his ear, then sucked on his neck, letting my teeth gently run along his skin. He moaned against me. He did the same to me, only he sucked on my neck. I was pretty sure it was going to leave a mark. I arched my hips up, wanting more contact with him. I could feel his arousal through his pants. I wrapped my legs around his waist; I didn't want to lose that contact with him.

He started grinding his hips slowly against mine. We went back to kissing each other deeply. After a few seconds, Mulder suddenly pulled back, climbing off of me. He sat towards the end of the bed, grabbing a pillow from me and putting it in his lap. I sat up and looked at me. He was staring at the bed. "I should go. Just give me a minute."

"Why?" He looked over at me, but didn't say anything. "Because you are as turned on as I am? Isn't that the point of making out?"

"You are too?"

"Of course I am. If we weren't, that would be a problem." I reached over and touched his face. I took the pillow away, despite his attempt to keep it. "Don't be embarrassed." I stroked his hair, leaned in and whispered, "I like the way it felt."

He stood up, moving over to the empty chair in the room. He buried his face in his hands. It took me a moment to realize he was crying. I sat on the edge of the bed, facing him. "I'm sorry," he sobbed. "I didn't ask you out to get you into bed. I'm so sorry. Things got carried away tonight. I screwed it up. I should have taken you someplace really nice. And not let any of this happen. I want to be able to act on my feelings when I'm fine, not all upset or drunk or under the influence. I really do feel these things for you. I am just trying not to screw this up."

"Mulder," I said quietly. I went over and knelt down in front of him; I put my hand on his arm. I knew this was my fault. I shouldn't have pulled him into bed with me the way I did. He was emotionally worn out, he was buzzed and overtired. I overdid it and he was feeling guilty for something we both wanted and needed from each other.

"Scully, don't. It's not supposed to be like this. I wasn't supposed to be alone like this. I wasn't supposed to have the best thing that has ever happened to me standing in front of me being so understanding that my life is so screwed up that we can't catch a break." He looked at me, wiping his eyes with the back of his hands. "You deserved better than I gave you tonight."

I put my arms around him, pulling him forward so I could hug him. "Mulder, don't think like that. I am happy. As lame as it sounds, Mulder, good things come to those who wait."

He smirked, "can we start over from when you invited me in?"

"What do you mean?"

He sat in the bed, his back against the wall. He spread his legs a little. I smiled, climbed in between his legs, my back against his stomach. I leaned back against him. He brought his arms around me; his chin resting on my head.

He gave me a gentle squeeze; I rested my hands on his legs. We found something agreeable to us both on television. In the middle of the movie, he said to me, "You are worth waiting for." He kissed the top of my head again.

"So are you."

Some time in the middle of the night, we both fell asleep. When I woke up in the morning, Mulder was gone. There was a card sitting on the nightstand, next to my bed. It said 'DANA' on it. I picked it up with a smile on my face.

I took a deep breath and opened it up.

"I wish I could have made last night as special as you are to me. Enter some lame line about our feelings here. Yours always, FM"