All characters belong to Chris Carter.

Dulles Airport

August 18th

14.46

Oh my god. She's been gone for almost three weeks, though it felt like three months, for that shitty pathologist seminar in Los Angeles as the key speaker and now she is coming back – in my arms. Mulder smiled thinking about the few weeks they had been spending before she went away. In those weeks they had confessed their love for each other. Yes, she loved him and he loved her with all his heart, and lower parts of his anatomy. Oh boy, he couldn't wait to see her again.

Dana Scully's apartment

June 26th

19.14

It was a very hot and sticky summer in D.C., not the weather for a black Armani suit and a bloody tie. But Scully wanted him to look decent on the job, so he obliged. It's Friday and Scully went home a bit earlier than usual, so she could at least try to have a "normal" life from time to time.

Mulder parked his brand new black BMW 550i outside Scully's apartment building, but when he got out of the car his heart sunk. The first thing he saw was the sight of Richard Flyers old, but beautiful, jaguar. Mulder tried to look at one of Scully's windows, but her beautiful pastel curtains blocked them all. A real home, Mulder thought.

Richard Flyers was one of the most newly successful lawyers in D.C. and he was one of the most recognized too despite his few years of experience. And of course Mulder did not like him. At Easter at a family gathering Scully's mother Maggie introduced her daughter to Richard and after some time and a lot of phone calls from Richard, Scully had surrendered and went on a date with him. One date became two then three and now Mulder stood, with his sad hazel eyes, outside Scully's apartment door in Georgetown. As far he knew everything went really well with Scully and Richard, he even talked with Maggie today when she called the office to talk with her daughter. She asked for her, but Mulder told her she was attending a meeting at Quantico.

Earlier today

J. Edgar Hoover, D.C.

Basement Office

June 26th

10.43

"Oh, hi Fox. I thought I called Dana."

Mulder smiled every time he heard the name of his love.

"Sorry Mrs. Scully, but she's at a meeting. Do you want to leave a message? She'll be back in a few hours."

"That's all right, dear. I just wanted to hear how it went with Richard the other night".

He could easily hear how happy she sounded, he did not hope she could hear how he sighed when she mentioned Richard.

"Oh yeah, Richard… That's the lawyer, right?"

Mulder already knew everything about this guy, because first time Scully mentioned his name, he immediately ran a background check on the FBI database, but found nothing.

"I think they are doing all right, Mrs. Scully." He said politely.

"Please call me Maggie, Fox."

Mulder was glad; Maggie actually meant a lot to him after his own mother died. She continued; "I'm sure they are, but you know Dana she won't say much without a bit of pressure. But that's all, dear – I'll call her later today."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. Listen Mrs. Scul…Sorry...Maggie… I'll tell her you called and please have a nice day."
"Thank you and you too, bye Fox."

Mulder almost cried thinking about Scully and that Richard guy together, but after his talk with Maggie he became a bit suspicious. How serious could their relationship be? They only had a few dates in a couple of months. As far Mulder recalled Scully only mentioned Richard about two or three times. Maybe it was time to pay Scully a visit.

Dana Scully's apartment

Georgetown

June 26th

19.17

Mulder had been standing outside her apartment door for a couple of minutes and first now he heard the yelling from the other side of the door. It sounded like Scully and Richard were arguing.

"Do not touch me, Richard! Please leave me alone." She begged.

"You know Dana, you're really sweet when you're mad at me. I like when you are afraid of me." Richard said coldly.

Mulder could hear Scully had been pushed to the floor, so he tried to open the door while he almost screamed at Richard through the door.

"LEAVE HER ALONE YOU FUCKING BASTARD!"

But the door wouldn't open, therefore he took the key she'd given him year's back and opened the door.

The first thing Mulder saw when he entered the apartment was Scully on the floor with Richard on the top trying to rip the clothes of her. Mulder grabbed Richard by his shoulders and punched his face twice. Scully got up from the floor and tried to calm Mulder down, but he just continued to beat Richard.

"Mulder, please stop. I think he got enough."

Mulder threw Richard against the floor and stood beside Scully.

"You okay, Scully?" He asked with his eyes locked with hers.

"I'm fine, Mulder." She didn't look away.

They could hear Richard was trying to get up and he managed. They looked at him while he was reaching for Scully one more time, but Mulder pushed her behind him.

"Leave her alone you sorry piece of shit!" Mulder yelled in his ears.

"I didn't do anything. I was just trying to calm her down, she was yelling like a lunatic."

"Calm her down, how? While you tried to beat and rape her? You are damn lucky I got here in time you son of a bitch."

Scully flinched at the word rape.

"Richard please just go away. I don't want to be with you anymore." She said standing behind Mulder.

"Ha! You don't know what you are doing. You want to be with that sorry FBI partner of yours instead?" He tried to wipe the blood under his nose away, but it was probably broken, so it wouldn't help anyway.

"It has nothing to do with Mulder and you know that. I don't wanna be with you; I'm afraid of you."

Richard looked at the door. "You'll regret this, Dana." And with that he left.

Scully still stood behind Mulder putting her arms around his waist and buried her head between his shoulder blades. Mulder took a hold of her hands and whispered;

"I cannot believe he tried to hurt you". He turned around and kissed her forehead. Lasting a bit longer than usual. "You sure you're okay, Scully?" He whispered in her ears while caressing her back.

"Yeah, I just think I need a long nice bath to get the smell of him away." She kissed his cheek. "Thank you, Mulder."

Mulder let go of her and she went to the bedroom. Mulder took his jacket of and threw it on the couch. He rolled up his shirtsleeves and walked to the kitchen. He opened the fridge and found nothing but rabbit food. 'Typical' he thought with a smile on his lips.

He walked to her bedroom and found her standing in front of the floor long mirror. She was wearing her dark turquoise silk bathrobe. 'Oh god she is beautiful'. He could see she had been crying, but said nothing – he knew she needed the space to heal and waited for her to talk. She turned around and faced him.

"What's up Mulder?"

He leaned against the doorframe.

"Ehm, I was just thinking we could order a pizza and watch a chick flick movie?" He teased her and she liked it.

"Mulder, you don't have to stay. It's okay."

"No Scully, I want to be with you. I know you need your space, but I really don't like to see you hurt." He had a sad expression on his face. "Plus I could really eat a meat lovers pizza right now."

"Yeah, me too."

"What? Say that again. Who are you and what have you done to my Scully?" Mulder winked at her.

"Your Scully? Geez Mulder, don't get to attached. There really is a caveman inside of you, huh?" She teased.

"You know what I mean. But what do you say?"

"Chick flick and pizza it is. Thank you." He smiled and turned around but she grabbed his arm and kissed him quick on his soft lips and whispered "Mulder, one day it will happen. We just need time." She turned quickly around and went to draw her bath.

Mulder just stood there trying to figure out what just happened. He turned around with a smile on his lips and called their favorite pizza place to order.

Half an hour later

Scully walked out from the bathroom wearing her pajamas blue silk shorts and a beautiful cream white top. She was heading for the kitchen while she tried to towel dry her red auburn hair. She found Mulder standing at the kitchen table trying to make a salad.

"I thought we were having pizza, Mulder?"

"We are and it's on the way, but I thought you would like some salad too." He smiled without looking at her.

Scully dropped the towel on the kitchen stool and started to pick the plates from the cabinet.

"You don't have to deck the table, Scully. Look in the living room."

She did and what she found was really beautiful. Mulder had put a red tablecloth on the coffee table with two half melted candles in the middle. On the floor were about three light blue big pillows she recognized from her bedroom. The table was decked with two white plates and green alien napkins. 'Yeah, it really is Mulder'. She laughed inside and looked back at Mulder in the kitchen, who was trying to find the salad cutlery.

"Wow Mulder, you really know how to impress a woman." she said.

"You know, Scully. They usually first decide to keep me when they see my incredibly huge…"

**KNOCK, KNOCK**

"Just get the door Mulder." she deadpanned and headed for the kitchen to get the salad bowl.

Mulder opened the door carefully and found a maybe 16-year-old schoolboy looking right through him. Mulder turned his head around and saw Scully bending down trying to light the candles on the table. Mulder turned back and looked at the boy.

"Okay, pretty boy. I think it's time to give me that pizza and head home to your collection of Star Wars." He said with narrowed eyes.

"Oh sorry, Sir. It's 21,50 please."

Mulder gave him 22 dollars and just closed the door quickly as possible. He placed the pizza and sat down on the opposite side of the table.

"So, I got extra cheese on half the pizza. Knock yourself out, Scully."

"Gee', thanks Mulder." And with that she took the largest piece of pizza with extra cheese.

Mulder looked puzzled at her.

"What, Mulder?"

"Seriously, who are you and what have you done to my Scully?"

"Shut up and eat, caveman!"

Scully sat back on the big pillows and padded her now full stomach.

"God, I think I'm going to burst!"

"That's okay considering YOU ate over half the pizza PLUS that rabbit food of yours."

Scully threw her alien napkin at him and stood up and asked.

"You want something to drink?"

"What do you have?"

"I have some beer. GOD! I could drink a cold beer." She giggled.

"That's my woman."

'I don't think I ever heard that woman giggle before' he thought.

Scully smiled at him and went for the beers.

When she came back Mulder had eaten the rest of the pizza and now looked at some old girl movies.

"So, girly girl. What would you like to see?" He asked teasingly when she was sitting down. But her face was blank and she looked like she just seen a ghost or something.

"Scully, what's wrong?" he asked concerned. He put down the DVD's and crawled over to her. She now sat with her arms around her knees. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked placing himself behind her with his back against the couch.

"Mulder, don't ever call me that again!" she snapped. She tried to wiggle herself out of his arms, but they remained on her shoulders.

"Hey hey! Sorry, I did not know. What's wrong with it, Scully?"

She sniffled. "I'm sorry Mulder, I didn't mean to snap at you." She rested her head against his shoulder and buried her nose in his neck. He tried to place a kiss on her temple, but it was a bit awkward with the position they sat in. But he knew that she found it comforting anyway. They sat for a few moments when she tried to explain. "When Pfaster…" she began. "You mean Donnie Pfaster? The man who kidnapped you?" He asked silent. "Yeah…when he kidnapped me he called me… that… so it just brought a few bad memories when I heard it again." The last part was almost a whisper only she could hear, but Mulder understood. Like he always did. He hugged her closer to his chest and began stroking her back in slow circles. He put his hand under her top and continued caressing her back. 'God her skin is soft'.

She almost sat in his lap now and tried to snuggle closer.

"Mmh, your hand is warm."

"Yeah?" He smiled and rested his chin on her head.

"Yeah." And with that she kissed his chest.

He did not know for how long they have been sitting on the floor like that, but he loved it. He felt safe and loved like never before in his life. He noticed her eyelids were beginning to droop.

"You wanna go to bed?"

"Are you coming on to me, Mulder?" she teased.

"Maybe, you never know." he teased back.

He knew they loved each other very much, but he also loved how they could tease each other sexually. He just wished they could take the next step in their relationship - from best friends to lovers. But he knew she needed time to heal after this evening with a very violent Richard. He wished she would tell him about it all, but she will tell when she's ready.

Scully stood up and Mulder felt the loss of her heat immediately and he already missed it. She reached for his hand to help him get up. They faced each other now.

"I better get home, Scully." He said sadly.

"Yeah, even though it's Saturday tomorrow we have that meeting with Skinner in his office." She whispered looking in his eyes.

"Thank you Mulder. For everything."

"You know Scully no matter what I will always be there for you. That's what best friends and… you know…are for." He kissed her forehead and grabbed his jacket.

"See you tomorrow Scully."

He gave her that boyish smile she liked and was opening the door when she pulled him down and whispered in his ear: "Yours." With that she backed away and closed the door.

Mulder stood outside her apartment door and grinned so much he could easily been taken as a guy who was trying to catch flies with his mouth. He took his car keys from his pocket and headed for his car.