Jan 1 2000 6:45 AM

Scully awoke to a light dancing across her face. Damn I forgot to close the motel black out curtains, she thought to herself and rolled onto her back. An arm snaked around her midsection causing her to freeze as she remembered the events from last night. She smiled and cuddled in closer to the man in the bed, but it was too late. He had already felt her stiffen and was quickly pulling away from her. She rolled onto her side and opened her eyes to take in the wonderful man that lay beside her.

He looked at her sheepishly, not knowing how she would react to last night's dalliance in the light of the day. "Good morning Scully." He said.

"Hmm morning." She replied in a sleepy voice.

"Do you want me to make you some coffee?" He asked still not sure that she wouldn't run screaming for the door the second he got out of bed.

"Um…. Yeah." She replied somewhat cautiously.

He smiled at her and got out of bed reaching out for the bottom draw of his side table where he kept his pyjamas. He through on a pair of old grey faded sweat pants that he liked to sleep in and headed for the kitchen.

Scully sat up and looked around for her clothes, seeing her panties and slacks lying on the floor at the end of the bed and her bra hanging haphazardly off the dresser. Where is my shirt? She thought to herself before remembering how Mulder had ripped it off out in the lounge room. She sat for a moment wondering how to proceed before she thought, screw it. She reached down to retrieve her underwear and headed over to the dresser. She opened the top draw and pulled out and Oxford tee and threw it on. It was way too big for her, the end of the shirt coming down to her mid-thigh. She shrugged and headed out to the kitchen where she could smell the coffee percolating.

She stood at the end of his kitchen bench with her arms crossed over her chest. "Mmm smells good." she said.

Mulder turned from the other side of the bench where he was busy with the coffee machine and mugs and looked at her. She looked incredible, wearing his old school t-shirt and her hair tousled and slightly curling at the ends. Any remnants of her make up where all but gone and her face looked rosy skinned and fresh. It was amazing but it seem to Mulder that she looked younger without all the paint and creams on her face.

"Wow Scully, you look…. Beautiful." He said and was pleased when he saw her face flush red. That's what he didn't like about make up, it hid all those wonderful emotions.

"Really Mulder." she replied "My hair is a mess and my breath probably smells like death."

He walked over to her and kissed her forehead. "You're perfect." He said with a smile before walking back to pour the coffee. Scully, still red faced headed over to the refrigerator to pull out the milk and hand it to him.

"Thank you." He said

"Welcome." She replied as he poured in the milk and handed her a cup. She stood there for a moment nursing her cup before taking a cautious sip, Mulder liked his coffee piping hot while she preferred hers to cool a little while. She was surprised to find the temperature just to her liking, she couldn't remember ever telling him how she took her coffee.

She sighed thinking about last night.

He froze like a deer in headlights, here it is, and he thought, Mulder I love you but I'm just not in love with you like that. I think I should get a transfer, I think it would be better if we never saw each other again. He winced while he waited for the words to come.

"Last night was….. Good." She said cautiously.

"But." He followed thinking, this is it. Here is where my heart breaks.

"But, I don't want to rush into anything. " His heart sank.

"Oh….. Alright Scully." his face dropping.

"Mulder, it's not like that, I just want to take things slow." She smiled encouragingly at him, and took his hand in hers.

"Alright Scully, whatever you need." Mulder replied. On a whim she pulled him in for a hug. As they broke apart she said. "But now I have to go home."

"But Scully," Mulder whined. "It's the weekend"

"Yeah and you need rest, and to put your arm back in your sling." She said gesturing to the lounge room where his sling lay on the floor. "And we both need to finish our reports on the millennium case to present to Skinner on Monday morning." And with that she walked into the lounge room to collect her shirt and coat off the floor and disappeared back into the bedroom to get changed.

Mulder sighed to himself and headed to collect his sling, he would need to change his bandages too as they had slid down his arm somewhat through the night. He was busy fussing with them when Scully walked out of his bedroom now fully dressed.

"Here." She said. "Let me do that." And sat him down on the couch so she could remove his bandage. She studied his wound thoughtfully. "It looks a little inflamed, you need to keep it clean."

He shrugged away from her. "I'll be fine Scully."

She caught his eye and gave him one of her patented no nonsense looks. "Where do you keep the iodine?" she asked.

He sighed, he hated it when she fussed over him. "Bathroom cupboard, under the sink." She walked into the bathroom to collect what she needed. Scully came back with his first aid kit and dropped some iodine on to a wipe, he winced when she touched it to his wound. "You're a baby." she laughed.

"Yeah well, you tell me how you would feel when your primary physician is a pathologist." he retorted.

She just shook her head and continued her work. When she had finished cleaning and dressing his wound she stood up. "Make sure you bring your first aid kit in on Monday so I can dress your wound again, I know you won't do it yourself if I leave it to you."

His only reply was to stick out his tongue at her, which just made her laugh. "Okay, I guess I will see you Monday." She said as she made her way to the door.

He quickly got up to follow her and stood right behind her as she reached the door. "Hey Scully." He said in a low voice.

"Yes." She said and turned to face him.

He reached around to the small of her back and pulled her into a passionate kiss, "See you Monday." He said as they broke apart. Scully just looked up at him before walking out the door and towards the lift.

He closed the door and smiled to himself as he walked back to his room and flopped down on his bed. The pillows still smelled of her shampoo and perfume, a curious blend of apples and vanilla, and sighed. She wanted to make this work, he thought.