Mulder's eyes opened slowly. The apparition emerging before him caused a wide, delighted grin to creep over his features. On the pillow, hands between cheek and linen, delicate fingers locked in a gesture of supplication, Scully appeared to be praying. He loved watching her while she slept. In slumber, the worry fell away from Dr Dana Scully making her look year's younger. Twenty years ago, she'd first walked into his basement office, innocent, inexperienced and intact.

By the end of their first case he'd come to trust her. By the end of the year, he felt a growing attraction. By the time Duane Barry took Scully from him, Fox William Mulder could no longer deny his deep and devoted feelings. Maggie and Melissa Scully witnessed the raw emotion pouring form him on Dana's return as she hovered between life and death. Mulder finally acknowledged he loved her, unconditionally.

As the seconds turned into minutes, Mulder continued to drink in her appearance. Scully's left arm trapped the sheet between her shoulder and ribs. It allowed Mulder to gaze on the soft, tantalizing skin of her exposed limb. Beneath the blankets, she'd be naked. They'd slept this way for years now.

'Morning, Sunshine,' Mulder's grin split his face as Scully's eyelids began to flutter. He loved waking up with this woman. She'd become his life, his reason for living, his motivation to continue.

Remaining still, Scully's ice blue opened wide. 'Morning, Mulder,' she returned in a sleepy tone, a twinkle of mischief in her eye and a smile turning up the corners of her mouth.

'What do you have planned today, Doc?' Mulder asked seductively, not daring to touch her.

'I've got appointments all morning,' Scully replied, a huge sigh escaped as she her eyes moved heavenward.

Reaching out a hand to caress her cheek, Scully rolled off the bed. Got Yah, the twinkling orbs stated. Standing naked, she began to dress. This seductive Scully had become his morning treat.

'Come back to bed,' Mulder whined, still watching her form as she slipped a silk gown over her head. Wriggling to make it slide down her body, Mulder felt his response.

'Sorry,' the disembowelled voice stated from under the soft material, 'I've got a really busy day.' Scully's head reappeared with a wicked smile. Leaning over the bed she laid a quick kiss on Mulder's lips before heading out of the bedroom. 'Meet me for lunch at Michelle's, Mulder, noon and don't be late,' Scully insisted from the door, 'I can only spent half an hour with you.'

Falling back onto the mattress, Mulder covered his eyes with his arm and groaned. The picture of Scully, shimming into that concoction continued to increase the size of his morning glory. The woman's trying to kill me; his mind played the litany over and over.

Needing to do something to relieve the stress, Mulder headed for the bathroom. He didn't need to go into the office until seven, at least an hour away. Deciding to use the time, he promptly stepped into a warm shower and pictured sharing it with a red haired bombshell. That's done the trick; a gratified smile covered his face a half hour later.

'Good Moring Mr Mulder,' Sara, his sectary greeted in her overly cheerful voice.

'Morning,' Mulder grumbled. Taking the offered coffee and a first sip, his demeanour improved significantly. Well trained, his assistant following him into his office.

'I have your appointments for the morning,' Sara placed the open diary on his desk for Mulder's perusal as he sat and took yet another mouthful of coffee. Pointing out several names, she continued, 'nothing out of the ordinary, mostly case updates and reports.'

'I'm going out to lunch,' Mulder noticed a space between eleven thirty and one, tapping it with his finger.

'I've called Michelle's and booked a table,' Sara shook her head at the weekly ritual. She'd forgotten to book a table her first week on the job. Sara never made the same mistake again after her boss's explosion.

'My afternoon is blank,' Mulder stated, noticing the lack of appointments.

'Deputy Director Skinner called,' Sara bit her lip. 'He asked for you to join him at three this afternoon before the Assistant Directors weekly meeting.'

'I hate those,' a petulant Mulder turned his swivel chair towards the large window behind his impressive desk. 'You know Sara, they only kicked me upstairs to get rid of the thorn in their sides. I never thought I'd make a good Section Chief, let alone an Assistant Director. I always thought Scully would be in an office just like this one.'

'From what I hear,' Sara looked saddened by the conversation, 'she should have been a Deputy Director by now.'

'Yes,' Mulder's eyes glazed over. In one of his lightning fast mood swings, something that still drove Sara mad after seven years as his assistant, Mulder's attention returned to his desk. Taking pride of place, a photo of Scully and Mulder sitting on a rug in a park sat just to the left of his name plate. Touching the frame, he sighed before turning to the diary before him. 'Send Agents Downton and Paisley in as soon as they arrive.'

'Yes, Sir,' Sara removed the diary to lay the file with their expense report on his desk. Grunting, Mulder opened file and began to read. Wondering if he realised he made the noise, Sara pulled open a draw and replenished the sunflower seeds in the small dish before leaving. In seven years she finally managed to get her boss to spit the seed shells into a disposable receptacle.

The morning passed in the blink of an eye. Hands on the clock above the doorway to Sara's outer office stalled. Each time Mulder looked up he could swear the laws of physics didn't exist in this room. For him time stood still. Eventually, after four appointments, four sets of agents parading before him with tales he used in the day, Mulder finally considered himself free.

Straitening his tie and jacket, Mulder prepared to meet Scully for lunch. Calling to cancel the table at Michelle's, he had a devious plan instead. Arriving several minutes before his date, Mulder held a picnic rug in one hand and a brown paper bag in the other. Today the March weather held out, promising a cool but pleasant hour in the park, if Mulder could get Scully to stay that long.

'Not going in, Mulder,' Scully asked, standing behind him. She approached quietly as if appearing out of thin air, startling him.

Grinning for ear to ear he shook his head. 'I want to take you somewhere we use to go,' Mulder stated, remembering the photo on his desk. It'd been taken a mere week before his "suicide" and Scully hospitalisation for cancer. The park, the picnic and the company remained special to Mulder, allowing the picture to live in his memory with all of his senses. He took it out and played it often.

'You want to relive the glory days,' Scully teased.

'Anytime I'm with you, I relive the glory days, Scully,' Mulder returned.

Raising an eyebrow in typical Scully fashion, she allowed Mulder to lead her toward the park. Conversation between sparse, the walk pleasant, it didn't take long to cover the three blocks. Mulder spread the rug and began to take food out of the bag.

'We met almost twenty years ago, to the hour,' Mulder stated, lying back on an elbow so he could observe the woman at his side. So far neither of them touched the food between them. 'The 7th of March, 1992 at three in the afternoon.'

'I remember,' Scully's gaze peered through him to a memory.

'You thought me a jerk,' Mulder smiled.

'You wanted me to think that, Mulder,' Scully reminded. 'We've been through so much in the years since.'

Nodding, Mulder began to eat. Nothing tasted as good as a freshly made roll from Scully's favourite deli washed down with a fruit smoothy. He lived for these days, spent carefree, Scully at his side. Her influence changed every aspect of his life. Healthy food, healthy lifestyle, healthy mind, it could all be attributed to Scully guidance.

'Skinner wants to see me this afternoon,' Mulder stated, a grimace creeping over his lips.

'What have you done now?' Scully berated. When he didn't answer, she wondered, 'or was it something you didn't do.'

'Probably the latter,' Mulder concluded as sly grin reaching his gaze.

'I still can't believe they promoted you,' Scully shook her head in amazement.

'You're not the only one, Scully,' Mulder's grin doubled, 'and I think I surprised them all at being good at my new roll.'

'That's because you'd used every excuse in the book and knew exactly what the agents in your department were really up too,' retorted Scully.

'True,' he agreed. Giving an almighty sigh, Mulder confessed, 'I think the Skinman has put my name forward for advancement.'

'Really,' Scully couldn't hide her surprise.

'I'll find out this afternoon,' shrugging his shoulders, Mulder added, 'not that I wanted or asked for it. I now have more influence than I ever had on the X-Files. The only thing I don't have Scully, is you.'

'Our paths diverged a long time ago,' she agreed with a heavy, heartfelt sigh. 'Some things in this world just aren't meant to be, Mulder.'

'I guess not, but if I couldn't see you,' Mulder's attention arrowed onto blue eyes he come to know as well as himself, 'if I didn't have you near me every day, I don't think I could have achieved everything I have.'

'You know my Mother's going to ring tonight,' Scully reminded.

'I know,' heaving a heavy sigh, Mulder allowed a frown to cover is expression. 'Maggie still rings twice a year, on the anniversary of our first meeting and…'

'Mom's going to ask how you're doing,' warned Scully, 'and she's going to know if you lie to her. She's always known when you don't tell the truth.'

'I'm fine, Scully, really,' which caused both of them to grin. Usually Scully used the line. Just another thing that's rubbed off in all the years of our association, Mulder realised. 'It's you I worry about. You've stayed fifteen years longer than you should.'

'I have no intention of going anywhere, Mulder,' Scully stated determinedly.

'No, I don't believe you do,' looking into those blue, blue eyes, Mulder's expression turned serious. 'Do you see the White Light Dana or choose to ignore it,' he asked, intrigued.

'I'm not ready to leave you,' Scully almost spat at the idea, furious he could suggest it.

'Maybe,' Mulder allowed his intention to boar a hole through Scully's sprit, 'I'm ready to release you.'

Shock showed on Scully face. She fought a valiant fight, trying to hide the emotions passing, one after another across her features. 'Mulder,' she gasped, understanding his meaning.

'Scully – Dana,' as much as Mulder wanted to lean over and take her hand, it was impossible, just as it had been for the last fifteen years, 'you have other places you need to be, not trapped here on earth looking after me. I needed you after you passed away from your cancer. I always considered myself responsible that you contracted the disease and will always blame myself for your death. But I've had you at my side for years, keeping you with me in sprite because I see dead people. Finally you've done all you can. It's time for you to go.'

'I've had plenty of chances to go, Mulder,' tears burnt her eyes.

'Then go,' he pleaded, 'for me. I can't move on while your ghost continues to haunt me, Scully.'

'I love you,' the apparition began to fade as tears streamed down her face.

'And I you,' Mulder whispered to the faint image of the woman he'd always loved, 'but it's time for you to go. Walk into the light, Scully and be a peace. Do it for me, because I'll join you there when my time comes.'

'Mommy,' a little boy walking with his hand firmly clasped by a larger one asked, 'why is that man talking to himself and crying?'

'I don't know,' the woman pulled the boy quickly down a path leading away from the man, 'there are some very strange people around, Son.'

'How are you, Fox,' Maggie asked later that evening when she called.

'I believe I'm finally at peace,' he declared, realising the truth of his statement.

Now read it again if you dare and find all the carefully imbedded clues. Oh and a review wouldn't go astray either.