Chapter 4

the reunion

Scully stifled a laugh as she walked into the high school gym and saw all of the balloons and crepe paper decorations. It was as though she had suddenly travelled back to junior high, where boys stood on one side of the gym and girls on the other. Were all reunions decorated in this way? Or was it a hick thing? She had not attended any of her high school reunion parties. Her family had moved around so much, deep friendships were tough to maintain, and she didn't care to be the one at the reunion no one knew.

Of course, the residents of the town were not lined up on opposite sides of the gym, they were out dancing and groping each other just like teenagers at the prom. Over to the side she noticed a buffet table with a massive punch bowl. She wondered what was in that punch.

Even more awkward, everyone here was dressed to the nines, and she was stuck in her plain black suit, the one she had worn on the plane down here. In D.C. she felt sharp, purposeful, and stylish in suits. Here she felt utterly out of place amidst sequins and ruffles and bows.

To top it all off, she was soaked to the skin, her makeup was likely running rivers down her face and her hair was moments away from uncontrollable frizz. She felt like a wet dog. Not that it mattered. Her "date" was obligated to take her home tonight, as she had driven. But it wasn't like she could expect much romance anyway.

She felt a hand on her elbow and heard Mulder's voice in her ear. Her stomach flipped, even though she didn't hear what he said. "What?" she asked over the din of the reunioners, the music, and the pounding rain.

"I said we need to find Holman quickly. The storm sewers are going to fill and this place is going to flood if it keeps raining like this." He said, putting his mouth close enough to her ear that she could feel his breath.

"I bet if we find Shelia, we'll find Holman" Scully suggested. "I'll go look for her." Besides, she needed to stop in the ladies room. She needed to fix herself up at least a little so she didn't look entirely like a drowned rat.

Obviously, even if Shelia was in the ladies' room, Holman would not be, but Scully made that her first stop, and lucked out in finding Shelia by the sink, crying.

"Ms. Fontaine?" She asked gently.

"Oh Ms. Scully." Shelia sighed and began crying anew. "You must think I'm a complete idiot."

"No." Scully said, trying to decide what to say. "I don't think you're that."

"I just never seem to be able to luck out in love like so many people." Shelia sobbed. "You know I been married twice and divorced twice, and I don't know if the third time will be the charm." She sighed and wiped mascara off her cheeks. "Agent Scully?" she asked.

"Yes?"

"How is it that you spend so much time with Agent Mulder, so close, you can read each other's minds...but you don't tell people you're in a relationship?"

Flustered, Scully didn't know how to answer. "Well, we're not in a relationship. That's why we don't tell people. Agent Mulder and I are just...friends. That's all." Did that sound believeable? She wasn't sure.

"Agent Scully do you mean you've never even kissed? Or nothin'?" Shelia looked stunned.

"No. We're just very good friends." Scully was no longer sure if she was trying to convince Shelia or herself. "Shelia, have you ever thought of...Holman?"

"Thought of him how?" she was clearly confused.

"As a relationship." Scully wondered if, with Shelia at a weak moment, if she could get her to consider something she had never considered before. Worth a shot. She heard a gurgle in the pipes and feared that Mulder's prediction about the storm sewers filling was going to come true. She took a deep breath. "You know all those strange weather phenomena that happen...and mostly around you?" she asked.

"You mean they ain't my fault?" Shelia asked.

"No. They're not your fault. I'm not sure how to explain this, but Shelia, Holman is very much in love with you."

"Holman?" she asked, incredulously. "Why, we're just friends! I've known him for years!"

"No it's true, he loves you." Scully said, and then had to move to the really strange part. "Agent Mulder believes that Holman's feelings for you manifest in bizarre weather phenomena." She didn't know how she was going to convince Shelia of that one. But Shelia's eyes opened wide as if in revelation.

"The snow? On my weddin' day?" she asked.

"Yes."

"The heart shaped hail? On Valentine's Day?"

"Yes".

"What about...tonight? This storm?" Shelia also glanced down at the sink, which had issued another ominous gurgle.

Scully nodded. "That too. And you see, Shelia, if this rain continues like this, this entire town is going to flood."

As if she had invoked it, dark, murky water began to fill the sink from the drain. "Oh my God." Scully gasped, grabbing at Shelia's arm. "We have to find Holman."

The two women ran out of the bathroom to see a number of roof leaks had sprung in the hallway. Weaving their way back to the gym, Scully wondered how they were going to find Holman in this sea of dark suits.

It seemed luck was with them, however, as the first person she saw was Mulder, who was dragging Holman by the arm. Shelia's face lit up and she put her hands on Holman's face. "Holman, are you doing this? This rain? Because of me?" she asked in her cutesy little drawl.

He nodded helplessly. "I guess so."

"Well Holman, why didn't you ever say nothin'?" she asked, and leaned over and kissed him. As suddenly as it had started, the rain abruptly ceased and the noise level suddenly dropped.

Mulder did not know where to turn his eyes. He didn't want to stare at Holman and Shelia, who were noisily kissing and nuzzling off to his right. But he didn't want to stare at Scully either. Awkwardness swelled up in him. Scully was mad at him for kissing Shelia. He had told her it wasn't consensual, but he wasn't sure she believed him. Furthermore, in order for her to be so upset, she had to have some feelings for him that she wasn't sharing. Yet his previous confession of her claim over him had been ignored. He didn't know what to say.

Scully didn't know what to say either, nor did she know where to look. Her words to Shelia were echoing in her ears-plaintive assurances that what she and Mulder had was merely friendship and nothing more. But back in the room, before they came here, he had said something about having a claim over him. Did he mean that? Or had he simply been trying to comfort her? She knew such a statement was something extremely important coming from Mulder; he would never say such a thing lightly.

"Mulder, I need some air." she said, motioning to the big double doors at the end of the gym. He nodded and followed her out the door into heavy, humid air. Puddles littered the sidewalk and part of the parking lot appeared to be a pond. Cicaidas had begun to sing in the heat.

"Pretty gross air out here." he commented with a smile. "Almost better inside."

She took a deep breath. "Mulder." She turned to face him. His eyes looked gently on her and a small smile played on his lips. A twinge of fear seemed to spark behind his eyes, however. He was scared of what she was going to say. Touched by this, she reached up and stroked his cheek. "Mulder, I'm really sorry about this afternoon." She swallowed hard. "I guess I was kind of...jealous." she looked down, not able to look him in the eye.

She felt, rather than saw, his expression relax. "Scully." he said softly, putting his arms around her.

She looked up at him again. "Mulder, do I really have...a claim on you?" she asked, a small smile twisting her lips at the funny expression. "For real?"

"Scully, I can't believe you never knew." She saw tears sparkle in his eyes. "Since the first day you walked into my office. Up until right now."

Emotion washed over her and she suddenly felt flushed, warm, a little dizzy. A huge smile broke over her face and she began to laugh with the relief of these feelings suddenly being out in the open-no longer tormenting her, no longer such a source of confusion.

"Mulder, I..." he cut her off by leaning down to kiss her. The kiss sent tingles through her entire self and set her heart to racing. His mouth was soft and warm, she felt like she was melting into him, despite the wet clothing between them and the thick air around them.

"I love you." Once the words were out she feared she had pushed things too far. A cold spike of panic raced through her and she avoided his gaze for a moment. But then she felt his hand under her chin, lifting up her face to look right at him.

"I love you too." he said, a sweet smile spreading over his face and his eyes sparkling warmly.

Back in the hotel room, they dried off and snuggled into bed together. With a slight smile at the remembrance of the awkward night before, they suddenly both began to laugh and fell into the center of the bed together, arms around each other. She snuggled right up next to him, placing her head in the hollow of his shoulder and feeling the warm length of his body up against hers. She felt warm and safe and cherished.

"Good night Mulder." she murmured, already drifting off to sleep.

"Good night Scully." he replied, gently brushing her hair behind her ear, and placing a kiss on top of her head.

The End