Scully sat back in her camping chair and carefully picked a toasted marshmallow off the stick held out to her by her partner.
"Thanks," she smiled at him gratefully.
"You can't say I don't offer the best service, a fine meal and dessert," Mulder teased.
Scully blew on the gooey treat, then popped it into her mouth and smiled at him. Once she'd swallowed Scully lay back her head and closed her eyes. "The burgers were good…" She was silent for a couple of minutes and then added, "There's quite a bit of food, but probably not enough to last more than a couple of days."
Mulder smiled and carefully bit into his own marshmallow, "I might have mentioned the cabin?"
Scully nodded, "Of course, but…"
"Two days camping now…three nights in the cabin…and then two more nights under the stars. The cabin is going to be fully stocked, we can even take half a day and do some laundry, then on the final day I've ordered a delivery from the local town to restock our camping food before we head out," Mulder explained.
Scully looked impressed.
"It's a service they offer, I didn't become a camping guru overnight," Mulder admitted with a smile.
She laughed, "It's still thoughtful, Mulder. I can't believe you arranged all this, what would you have done if I'd said that I want to go home?"
Mulder thought for a second then shrugged, "Called and cancelled the delivery?"
Scully smiled gratefully, "You're a good friend, Mulder, I think this is just what we needed. What would I do without you?"
Mulder smiled sadly, "Have less call for a relaxing and distressing vacation?"
"I stress-free life is underrated, Mulder," she brushed off his comment. "I've been thinking a bit lately, people spend their lives trying to protect themselves from pain, you know what they get?"
"Peaceful happy lives?" Mulder suggested.
Scully laughed and kick his leg lightly, "Boring lives, Mulder. Maybe my life would be less stressful if we'd never met…maybe it wouldn't…but you know what I know for sure?"
Mulder looked genuinely intrigued and shook his head.
"No conceivable alternative could convince me to give this up."
"This?" Mulder looked around at their little campsite and shrugged, "...it's nice, but your life..."
"This," Scully confirmed confidently. "Sitting here with you, enjoying our vacation, eating really unhealthy comfort food and watching the sun go down over this beautiful landscape. I wouldn't give up this, or my life with you, for anything."
"Your life with me?" Mulder asked softly, surprised to hear his voice catch a little.
Scully reached and took the stick from Mulder's hand, she pierced a marshmallow on the end and then leaned forward to start toasting it on the fire. "I'm not going anywhere, Mulder. I'm afraid you're stuck with me now…"
Mulder heard the teasing lilt in Scully's voice but couldn't hold back the tear that slipped unnoticed down his cheek.
Mulder woke at about 10 pm to find Scully looking down at him with a smile on her face.
"Come on, Mulder, let's get to bed. We have a long day tomorrow, at least twenty kilometres to walk," she squeezed his shoulder lightly.
Mulder smiled and stretched in his seat, "Been reading the maps and directions, have we?"
"Well, someone fell asleep on me for over an hour," Scully grinned.
"Oh Baby, only in my dreams…" Mulder teased, but then realised his half-sleeping brain had failed in its role of editing the words in his mind and stopping them from flying out of his mouth.
Scully looked shocked but smiled self-consciously. "Very funny," she stumbled over her words a little but then recovered, "let's get to bed."
"Sorry, I don't know why I said that…" Mulder winced as he stood.
She laughed softly as they turned towards the tent.
"You get changed and get into bed, I'll change out here and then let me know when your ready…for bed…to sleep…" Mulder winced again and looked at Scully with a pleading expression. "I don't know what's wrong with me, sorry."
Scully laughed easily now, "You're tired, Mulder. It's been a long day and we both need a good nights sleep, just give me two minutes."
Mulder nodded gratefully and then as soon as Scully was in the tent slapped his head hard before quickly tugging off his outer clothes and digging in a nearby bag for some joggers and a t-shirt.
"You've tied up the food?" He asked Scully through the canvas.
"In a tree down past the fire," Scully replied. After a couple of seconds she added, "Okay, I'm ready."
Mulder smiled at what sounded like an intentional tease in Scully's voice, trust his partner to go out of her way to try and make him feel better.
He pulled back the opening of the tent and found Scully already curled up in her sleeping bag on the mattress.
"Is it comfortable?" Mulder asked as he carefully made his way forward and climbed into the bag in front of her.
Scully snuggled in and smiled, "Really comfortable, this mattress is gorgeous…you have to let me pay you for half."
Mulder laughed and turned to face her as he zipped up the bag, they lay looking at each other on the mattress and both smiled. "This is my treat, Scully…I wanted to do this for you, well for both of us really."
She nodded and decided to leave this debate for another day. "I'm grateful, Mulder…I'm so happy."
He nodded and ran his teeth over his bottom lip lightly, "Then that's all the payment I need."