disclaimer: i don't own these characters... duh. 1013 productions, chris carter, and FOX own them, but i'm just using them for a little while. no infringement intended. besides, i'm not making any $$ off this...


Chapter 9: Moving In

As Dana was driving, she noticed just how right Mulder had been about getting lost in the city. Even though he was in the passenger's seat, by the time they finally made it to the store she had made three wrong turns. He just laughed every time she did.

"Don't feel bad, Scully. I still do that," he assured her. It scared her how comfortable she felt with this guy. It scared her to the point where she had become short and uninviting with her comments to him. He noticed.

"Maybe you should've just left me back at the house," he told her. She looked over at him. They were going home after purchasing enough food for probably the rest of the winter. Two of the worst times to go grocery shopping, Dana thought to herself, when you're hungry and when you're with somebody you shouldn't be comfortable with but are. And right now I am both. Mulder was a surprisingly big help, though, with reaching things on the top shelves and holding William while she bent down to get something. He could be useful, she thought, but that's not what he wants.

"Why do you say that?" Dana asked, knowing full well why he said that.

"Because you've been very uncomfortable this whole trip. I know it's because of what happened with you and Diana, but I said I was really sorry and I don't know how else to please you."

"You don't have to please me," Dana fired back incorrigibly, "and I know you're sorry about that and it really wasn't your fault to begin with…"

"But…" Mulder crescendoed, knowing there was a but somewhere.

"Nothing. I guess I'm just stressed out about moving all my stuff up today and how sad it is that I've already had problems because of William," Dana sort-of lied.

"You still have to move your stuff up? Do you need any help?" Mulder asked.

Dana didn't want to say yes, but she knew he would know she was pretending.

"I'm pretty sure that some help would be beneficial, but I can manage just fine on my own," she told him. Mulder wouldn't take this.

"Let me help you move in," he suggested.

"Why? You've already helped me go grocery shopping. I can't help but think that there is something under your helpful intentions. If you're doing this because you still feel bad about what happened, don't. I'm over it, really. If you're doing this for some other reason then I suggest you start thinking otherwise, because I'm not that kind of girl." Mulder was astounded by her last implement.

"Scully, Dana," he referred to her by her first name, "I would never, ever, take advantage of someone's emotional needs like that. I don't know what your past is, but I'm certainly somebody you can trust. Honestly, I just want to help."

"I still don't need your pity."

"Then I promise I will not give it to you." With that, and even though she was surprised when she did, Dana told Mulder that he could stay and help her. She heard Melissa in the back of her mind for the second time since she left.


"You're stronger than you look," Mulder remarked to her once they were back at the building and taking stuff up to her place. They had everything unpacked from the car, but they still needed to put it all where it was supposed to go around the dorm. Mulder had been surprised at just how much the tiny woman could handle. Like steel, he said to himself, cold and hard but light and strong. He felt such an admiration for his new friend that he couldn't describe it, not even in the deepest recesses of his mind. And he didn't know why he longed to be near her. Maybe he was just trying to find something about her that would make her seem more real, but he could find nothing. In his mind, Dana Scully was retained the image of a superwoman.

"It helps when you carry around a baby on your hip all day," she brushed off his compliment as she set the box that had William's disassembled crib in it down on the floor in her bedroom. Mulder was staring at her, and she felt a pang of embarrassment run through her.

"Did you want me to set that up for you?" Mulder asked.

"No, I'll do it later. I think we've earned some food," she smiled. He smiled back. I absolutely love it when she smiles, a song rang through his head. He followed her into the kitchen, where William was messy from playing with his baby food. It was all in his hair and on his clothes. When Scully had been willing to let him go with her to the grocery store, Mulder had thought it was because her son was really hungry and she didn't have the time nor the resolve to fight with him. Looks like he got more on himself than he did in himself. Maybe that's just the way babies are. That was the first time Mulder realized that he had never, in his life, spent time with a baby. Well, with the exception of his sister. That didn't really count, though, because he was four when Samantha was born. Those thoughts made him feel ignorant and stupid. He didn't know anything about babies.

"William!" Dana exclaimed, closing her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose. The baby smiled happily at them, already coming to accept Mulder's presence. Dana couldn't resist him when he looked at her like that, and broke out into a big smile herself. She turned to Mulder, who was on the verge of chuckling.

"I'll get him cleaned up the best that I can. I have to finish putting some things away, though, so after I warm up another can of baby food, would you feed him?" Dana asked Mulder. His eyebrows darted up.

"Of course. But I can't promise that he won't look any different," Mulder joked. Really, though, he was honored.

"I'm sure you'll do a little better job of feeding him than he did himself."

"Let's hope." Maybe it was a trick of the sun that was filtering in through the window in the living room, but Mulder thought he saw a look of gratitude spread over Scully's face. She deserved to be helped, if anybody did. That was most of the reason why he stayed to help her, even though it was probably against her better judgment. Most of the reason why he stayed. The other part of the reason was right across the hall.


A half hour and one jar of mashed up baby peas later, and William was falling asleep in Mulder's arms. Dana had finished most of the unpacking by then, and she sat at the kitchen table, admiring how well Mulder interacted with her son. Mulder couldn't believe how much fun it was to feed the baby. He loved it when William giggled as an "airplane" of peas flew in for a landing in his mouth. Mulder couldn't imagine himself being that age, so excited and curious about the world. Willing to love almost anybody who paid even the smallest amount of attention to you. Needing nothing but food, rest, and a diaper change every now and then. Having complete and total faith that somebody was going to be there to take care of you always.

William was done eating but stayed in the high chair while he and Mulder played their own screwed up version of patty-cake. Dana hadn't heard her son laugh like that in ages. When his eyelids started to droop, Mulder picked him up and gently rocked him back and forth until he was sound asleep. Mulder didn't know it, but he had just impressed the hell out of Dana. It had been a long time since William received that much attention. As Mulder sat, staring at the baby, Dana sat, staring at Mulder. They were both fixated.

He was the one to break the silence, but only after almost fifteen minutes of just rocking back and forth.

"I've never played with a baby before," he admitted quietly.

"Could've fooled me," Dana remarked.

"Really, I've never…"

"Well he seems to like you very much. And if he likes you…" Dana took a big gulp of air, knowing what a step she was taking, "then I guess you're not that bad."

"I don't think I'm a very bad guy," was all Mulder said.

"I guess I see that a little more clearly now. I'm sorry, Mulder, but before I was biased and I believe that I had every right to be--"

"Oh yeah. You totally had every right to be biased."

"I'm just sorry that I was rude earlier. You didn't deserve it."

"Scully, you were just trying to protect yourself and your child. And anybody with half a brain would understand that. Diana, though, she's a different story." They both shared a laugh at this. Dana checked the time. It was almost 1:00.

"Jeez, Mulder, you've been here the entire day!" she exclaimed, getting up and realizing all that she had to get done. The things in the bathroom weren't put away yet, William's crib needed to be reassembled, all the electronics needed to be hooked up, she had some books and a bookshelf that needed to be put together…

As if sensing the to-do list running through Dana's mind, Mulder slowly stood up with William still in his arms. Dana reached for her son, but Mulder pulled away, silently insisting that he could put the baby to bed. Dana didn't reject. He came back a few minutes later, still being as quiet and gentle as if he were still holding him.

"Scully, is there anything else you need help with? You still have a lot to get done," Mulder offered his help.

"You've been a really big help today, Mulder. I honestly don't know why I let you do all these things for me, but I really appreciate it. You really gave me a head start."

"It was nothing… I figured I owed you one."

"You didn't owe me anything."

"Well, I'm saving up my credits, then, for when Diana really pisses you off."

"Mulder--"

"Shush, she was in the wrong. She doesn't know what she's talking about. That's why I left. I thought I explained this to you already."

"You did… I just wanted to make sure."

"Make sure of what?"

"That you really wanted to be here."

"Oh. Don't worry about that." A pause. Dana was trying to figure out whether or not it was awkward. She reverted to her old self, rushing off to do the things that made her comfortable in those types of situations. When she rushed off to the bedroom, he followed.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, "I thought I heard William cry." Mulder knew she was lying. The baby slept on, unperturbed.

"You know," he started, "we never got around to eating lunch."

"Oh my God, you're right. I'm sorry, you must be starving!" she exclaimed and briskly walked into the kitchen and started fumbling around in the cabinets. She pulled out a few cans of soup, the bread, and then went over to the refrigerator and pulled out some cheese. Then, in the freezer, there was a bag of vegetables that she would make…

"Scully, relax. I don't need a three-course meal," Mulder told her.

"It's really no problem, Mulder. Especially after all you've done for me today--" Mulder had grabbed her hand and slowly pulled her away from the freezer.

"How about we just order a pizza?" he suggested.

"Mulder, I just bought all this food. I don't want to order a pizza."

"My treat," he said playfully, doing a little dance with his eyebrows. Dana laughed and sighed. Nobody could make her crack like this man, not even her own son.

"Fine… but I'm giving the tip."

"No, you are going to do me a great service by going over there on that couch, turning on the oldest movie you can find, and relaxing for the first time today."

"Mulder--"

"No 'Mulders.' Go on, go do it."

And she did.


ok, here it is. scully's finally listening to mulder... now you KNOW it's a fanfic. sorry about the wait, all you who've been really excited. there was a huge ice storm where i live, and i've been without power for what seems like an eternity! haha, alright... please review... you know you wanna. JUST PRESS THE BUTTON!!!!!