Fox Mulder's Apartment

Washington D.C.

9:04 pm

Agent Mulder sat slumped into the curvature of his old brown couch staring at a blank TV screen as he pondered the events of his and his partner's most recent case. He had his doubts about it being an X-File at first, but by the end of those few days there was no other explanation for what he had seen. Scully, per usual, had missed all incriminating evidence to point to a supernatural phenomenon and was doubtful of what he and she had discussed on the flight back to Washington. They had "solved" yet another case that was defined by the Bureau as unsolvable and as usual were going to receive no credit for it. Skinner hadn't even demanded a case report from their time in California, instead choosing to reprimand them for turning up no solid evidence on the mysterious disappearances of three other members of the planned community. The man Mulder had arrested wasn't even going to court for what he had done on account of the fact that Skinner said quote, 'No judge in America would take this insane story crazy'. So in hindsight this case had essentially just wasted precious FBI resources. Not that he gave a shit about FBI bureaucracy, but he did feel bad for Skinner who had to deal with all the quote 'useless theories' that he reported. Lying there on that couch three beers in though Mulder did realize that probably the only reason they were allowed to pursue X-Files anymore was because of his skeptical, over-bearing, analytical, stick-up-her-ass partner, the wonderful Dana Scully.

She had kept him honest even in the face of overwhelming lies and cover-ups, something he had actually confessed to her in the hallway outside his apartment not too long ago. He thought about that night quite a bit actually. He had held her face in his hands and she had held his in hers…he had looked down into her deep blue eyes as he had tried to kiss her. He had wanted to kiss her for so long but never knew how before that night. She had been taken from him…and when he had found her in Antarctica and muttered those words to him he realized he felt something more for his partner, more than a friendship.

'Had you big time' she had said after he had resuscitated her. Oh how he loved those words coming from her mouth.

But of course he had reverted to his friendship and work relationship with her afterwards. He didn't want to ruin what they had now by pressing her. If there was one thing he knew for sure about Dana Scully, it was that she didn't like to be put in a corner.

After they had been assigned the undercover case in California, he got to live out some parts of his fantasy life. He of course didn't wish to become a stay-at-home husband and live in blazing hot California pretending to be enjoy simple things like fresh coffee in the morning or the smell of freshly mowed lawn. However, there was one thing from this case he had enjoyed more than anything. He wondered if she felt the same way…

Mulder reached for the phone next to his couch and gave in to the urge to call her. It rang once before she picked up.

"Scully," she said simply.

"Hey Scully it's me," he replied.

"What is it Mulder?" she asked after an awkward pause.

"Oh," he said realizing he had really just called to hear her voice. "Uh just wondering about the case in San Diego, you really didn't see anything while you were inside that closet?" he asked trying to sound like that was his only reason for calling.

"No Mulder," she replied back sternly. "For the last time I did not see anything to substantiate your version of events."

When did she ever… "No dirty trash monster?" he asked.

"Nothing," she answered. "You need to let go of this case Mulder, Skinner doesn't want reports from us, hell, be happy for once, we don't have to do any paperwork."

Be happy for once. He let that statement simmer in his head. Is that really what she thought? That he was never happy? How could he not be, he spent all week with her.

"Mulder? You there?" she asked a few seconds later.

"Yeah Scully," he said sighing. "I just wanted to prove this one ya know?"

"Well you proved one thing Mulder," she said calmly.

"What's that?" he asked quizzically.

"You're a terrible husband Rob," she said jokingly.

"I was not!" he responded defensively but was secretly glad she had brought it up. If she was thinking about it, like he was, maybe that meant something…even if he had been a terrible husband.

"Oh sure Rob," she teased getting into character. "You completely overstepped your boundaries this time."

Oh God, boundaries. Now they were getting somewhere. "Excuse me? When did I do that?" he asked trying to sound as surprised as possible.

"Well when you didn't have your arm around me, which was 24/7," she reminded him, "let's see, you called me honey bunch or perhaps when you enticed me to sleep with you."

Hearing her just say those last three words got him excited in more than one way. He wished they could talk like this after every case. "I did not entice you to sleep with me Laura," he said coolly, "I was just motioning that you could sleep next to me, we were newlyweds after all."

She could practically see him grinning over the phone, but he couldn't see her doing the same.

"Mulder."

"Mhm?"

"You have the sex-drive of a teenage boy."

Now that one caught him off guard. "Touché Scully," he replied. He heard her sigh.

"Goodnight Mulder," she said sweetly as she had done so many times before.

"Hey, Scully hold on a sec," he said not entirely sure what he was thinking. "I just uh…wanted you to know that I uh…well I…you see-,"

"Spit it out Mulder," she said not as sweetly this time.

He sighed and gave up, letting those few fleeting moments of courage disappear into thin air.

"Never mind, goodnight Scully," he said plainly.

There were a few seconds of nothing where he thought she might have been thinking about what he might have said, but it quickly ended with her beautiful voice taking its place.

"Night Mulder."

He heard the line click and set the phone down back onto the receiver. He fell over on the couch and covered his face in his hands trying to wipe the tiredness from his eyes. He was not successful and fell asleep shortly thereafter, his last thoughts consumed by images of his favorite G-woman standing next to him, not as his partner, but as something more.