Marriage of Deceit

by Trycee

Time-Line: Season 6, After Dream-Land but Before How the Ghosts Stole Christmas

Disclaimer: I do not own the X-Files, it is owned by Chris Carter. This was written for fun not profit.

Mulder made his way into the lobby of his apartment building and walked straight for his mailbox. He opened it and a flood of envelopes fell out until the floor. He gathered them up with one hand, as he gripped his overnight bag in the other and pushed the elevator door to his floor. He then pushed open his door, then slamming it shut with his foot and dropped his bag by the door and then headed straight for his nearly empty fridge. He found a diet soda Scully had left in there and then sat down on his nice leather couch, lifting his tired feet onto his coffee table. He closed his eyes, grateful they had made it home in one piece after their last case that had nearly had them both killed. They had been searching for a Free Mason conspiracy in New York City and had ended up being chased with a gun stuck into their faces before the two men were killed in front of them by an unknown assailant. They were afraid they too would be killed but found no other shots as they ran to safety. His bones ached and he knew that all he wanted was to feel the hot spray of a shower over his bones and sink into his bed, his new bed that he had found when he arrived home just two days before.

He picked up his mail and thumbed through it. Thanks to Scully his bills were usually all paid up. She'd arranged for him that all his bills automatically paid out of his check after worrying that he would get evicted for non-payment of his rent. Mulder was usually too enthralled in some case or evidence, dragging her around the nation to worry about simple things like the stack of unpaid bills that seemed to dot his apartment and his side of the office. And so she had taken it upon herself to not only organize his side of the office but to make sure his bills were paid, after all, she was the more organized of the two. But his X-rated bill he made sure to keep from her and pay on time, he wouldn't dare let her see how much he paid per month for porn, that he only shared with the Gunmen. He opened each envelope, PAID, thank you Scully, he thought. Then he opened another envelope he didn't recognize, the outside had a storage facility address on it. Maybe this is where my stuff is, he thought to himself. First she bought me a bed with my money and then she makes me pay for the storage...He looked at the address again, he didn't recognize it. It was the Quick Storage Facility in Arlington, a place he had never heard of. He knew he should probably just call Scully and ask her about it but he stood up, and grabbed up his car keys and headed to her apartment anyway.

He knew before he knocked she was in the shower, he pulled out his key and let himself in and then sat down on her couch, listening to the water turn off. He could smell a mixture of vanilla and strawberries and he waited for her to open the door. She walked out the bathroom, dripping wet with a towel around her head and her fluffy white robe which was the only thing that separate her from being completely exposed when she stopped at the sight of Mulder sitting on her couch. She didn't get upset, instead she sat closely next to him and placed a hand on his forehead. "Are you sick? It hasn't even been 2 hrs since we got home, Mulder...what's wrong? Is it what happened in New York?'

Mulder could see Scully was wrapped tightly in her robe but he let his eyes wander over the small amount of skin her could see. She didn't adjust herself, which was a first, he noted, but instead she watched him, her head on his forehead, dipping into his hair and then her hand ran down the side of his face until it fell to her side. She shifted herself next to him, looking down at her hands, waiting for him to speak. He cleared his throat and then pulled out the envelope he had in his pocket. Scully grabbed it up, looking it over. It was a bill for a medium sized storage area. She turned to look up to him, they were seated so closely that she could feel him looking her over. "Mulder...what's this?"

"I don't know," he said, in a low voice. "You tell me..."

"Why would I know?", she said confused.

"Isn't this where you put my stuff when you bought me my bed?"

He could see her eyes grow wide. Did he say bed?, Scully thought to herself. Mulder has a bed...He watched as a flood of images flipped through her mind and then she made an "Oh" sound so low he could barely hear her. Her face then flushed and she looked back down at her hands. Mulder's thick hand lay on his lap but it was touching her's as she sat mere inches away from him. "I didn't buy you a bed, Mulder," she said, pink faced.

His hand drifted over to hers and laid his hand on top of hers. "You didn't?"

She looked up into his deep hazel eyes. "No, Mulder...I would never purchase something as big as a bed for you...I don't have money like that."

"No, it was with my credit card, I just thought maybe you were giving me a hint...I mean, it was a nice gesture...It took my entire paycheck but I don't mind. It's nice really. Thank You."

She looked back down at his hand resting on hers. What hint does he think I'm giving him, she thought to herself. "What are you saying, Mulder?"

"No," he blushed. "Not that, I thought maybe you were either getting sick of me crashing on your couch or guest room or you were tired of seeing me knocked out on my couch..."

She shook her head. She still couldn't get the images that were flooding her mind of them together in his bed out of her mind. She couldn't help but blush slightly, a wide smile crossing her face. She tried to keep her head low so he couldn't see but Mulder could see her turning a bright shade of red and he knew exactly what she was thinking. There wasn't a moment he himself didn't think about the same thing. And he could tell when she too thought those forbidden thoughts because her eyes would get a glossy look and then the shading of her cheeks would change. Mulder had to resist the urge to kiss her, she was so cute whenever the thought of them being together crossed her mind. But as much as he enjoyed watching the wheels turn in her head, it was also hard for him to not touch her in anyway because he knew that underneath her robe she had nothing on. So, he tried to keep his mind out of the gutter and onto the reason for his visit.

"So my recent gift of a bed wasn't from you?", he said, surprised. "Who then?"

"I don't know," she placing a hand on top of his. "I didn't do it..."

"You are the only person that would buy me a bed," he said, gripping the bill in his other hand. "Whoever did it also put my stuff in this storage facility and now I'm getting billed for it."

"It wasn't me Mulder," she said, looking up to him. "I'd tell you if it were me..."

"I know," he said, interlacing his fingers with hers. "Will you come check the place out with me?"

"Mulder, we just got home...I haven't even gotten a bite to eat yet."

"I'll buy you something."

"You'll pay?", she said, skeptically.

"Of course," he smiled, untangling their fingers and standing up. "Most of the stuff are old things I could probably get rid of...maybe I could throw out some stuff and maybe put it in a smaller storage area. One that doesn't cost this much!"

She stood up with him. "Fine, let me get dressed. Mulder...the things I do for you," she sighed, turning towards the bedroom.

Mulder pulled up to the brightly lit storage facility and then pushed the intercom button for the office and a woman's voice floated back towards them. "Can I help you?"

"I'm Agent Fox Mulder," he spoke into the intercom. "I need to check out a storage locker."

"You'll need a key," the woman said, buzzing him through.

Mulder pulled up to the office and turned to face Scully. "Stay here,"

He stepped out and went inside the small office. Scully looked around the rows of buildings, each row was painted in one single color which differed from the previous row. Mulder hurried out and stepped back into the car. He looked puzzled which alarmed Scully."What's wrong?"

"She told me I rented it...She even has my badge on record...She showed me."

"That's odd...", Scully said, raising both eyebrows. "And you don't remember that?"

"The bed is new...it was there when we got back from Rachel, Nevada...", he said, looking her over. "I came back and there it was...my stuff was cleared out. Before I could find out about it we had the case in New York..."

"Mulder I swear I had nothing to do with it."

He nodded his head and started the car. He drove past a few rows until he got to Row G. He pulled up to the orange door, and unlocked it. His stuff came billowing out which made him jump back.

"Mulder...", she said, shaking her head. "If I didn't know you better, I'd say you were one step away from hoarding..."

He smiled. "Come on Scully, you telling me you don't have boxes of your past stuffed away somewhere?"

"I do...at my mom's...but its all keepsake stuff," she said, rifling through one of his boxes.

"I have keepsakes," he said, pulling a box down to the ground and opening it up.

Scully pulled out a dusty video cassette. "Mulder...Wild Girlz is not a keepsake..."

"It is to me and Froehike," he said, shooting her a smile.

"Do I have to use gloves to sift through this stuff?", she said, arching her eyebrow. "Is it safe to handle or is latex needed?"

"Oooh...Latex...", he said, leeringly. "Scully..."

"Shut up, Mulder," she said, tossing the tape to the ground.

"Careful, that might be worth something," he said, as he pulled down another box.

"Only to creepy men who can't get a woman..."

Mulder faked a hurt look. "Scully, I can get a woman...it's just the one I want isn't ready yet..."

She looked up at him and noticed that he was avoiding her gaze. "Blow up or Virtual?"

"Funny, Scully...you'd be surprised..."

"Oh?", she said, standing up and folding her arms.

He could tell from her posture that she was put off at the mention of him possibly having another woman interested in him. They had been getting back on track as far as he was concerned ever since the interruption of Diana which had caused a rift between them. He had just told Scully he loved her in the hospital and she had acted as if she didn't believe him but he could tell from her eyes that she did and so after the useless trip to Rachel, Nevada, he was hoping he could show Scully how he felt. He knew she was still hiding her feelings from him though she would become instantly jealous when Diana or any woman approached him.

"I'm a one woman type of guy, Scully," he said, looking directly at her.

She relaxed her shoulders though her arms remained folded. He could see the worry lines in her forehead relax as well. She looked down at the boxes, avoiding his gaze as she continued to sift through his stuff. Another box fell down as he tried to make a path through the mess. He was caught off guard when Scully stood up gripping a piece of paper and screamed. "What? What?", he said, rushing to her side.

He looked down at the paper she had in her hand and then stepped back. Her eyes were wide in horror, her mouth was gaped open as she stared at the marriage certificate of him and Diana. She turned her eyes towards him. "You were married to her?"

Mulder covered his mouth. Damn, he thought. Damn, damn, damn..."Scully...I..."

"You son of a bitch...You didn't even tell me!", she said, looking over the date of the certificate.

"Scully," he said, grabbing the certificate out of her hand. "It was a mistake...We didn't make it past a month...It was annulled."

She shook her head and stared back at him with icy blue eyes. "I'll catch a cab home...You betrayed me Mulder...In more ways than one..."

She turned and began to walk towards the entrance gate but Mulder grabbed her arm and wouldn't let her go. "I need to explain..."

"I don't want to hear it...", she said, as tears formed in her eyes. "You told me you were dating but you married her?", she said, with her voice cracking. "I feel so stupid..."

"You're not stupid, Scully...You're the most intelligent woman I've ever known..."

"You married her," she said unbelieving and shaking her head. "Let go of my arm, Mulder..."

"No!", he said firmly. "I'll take you back home and I'll explain the whole thing, Scully. I don't want this to get in the way of anything between us..."

"It already has," she said, as a single tear fell down her cheek.

He let her hand go and stood there watching as she walked toward the office door.

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