EPILOGUE

Mr. & Mrs. Geo Hayle were ensconced in the Jacuzzi in their three-room suite, a half-empty bottle of good champagne chilling in a silver bucket beside the tub and Beethoven playing softly on the in-wall stereo system. "Well, Mr. Hayle, I'd have to say you did very well," Scully said, lounging in her partner's arms and sipping from a crystal champagne flute. He was sitting in one of the wide seats with his long legs braced against the opposite wall of the tub, she sideways on his lap with an arm around his neck holding her in place against the jets. He had one arm around her waist, the other laying along the rim of the tub where it met the wall. "How did you find out about this place?"

"Rosie Rosenfeld," he grinned at her. "I wanted something really nice but that wouldn't break the bank, and I figured she was just the person to ask, which she was. The Madraises are a little too high-class snooty for me."

Scully laughed and kissed his evening-scratchy cheek, snuggling closer to his bare skin, which was a few degrees warmer than the water they were in as they'd been in the tub for a while. His arm tightened around her waist and he turned his head to brush a kiss over her lips, then both sighed with contentment. "About ready to get out?" she murmured, setting her flute on the flat rim of the tub. "We're going to turn into prunes if we stay in here much longer."

"Hold up a sec," Mulder said, holding her in place while reaching to the side with the other arm. He took a deep breath, then handed her a small, black velvet ring box. In a fast, nervous rush he said, "I know we can't right now, but if we could or when we can, will you marry me?"

She stared at him open-mouthed, slowly taking the box with one hand and removing the other arm from around his neck. "Jesus, Mulder, I had no idea…!"

He smiled at her stunned reaction, hiding the quiver of nervousness that shot through him when he realized that she hadn't answered. "Been thinking about it for a while now," he admitted. "At least look at the ring, would you?"

Almost fearfully she opened the lid and blinked in surprise at what was there. Rather than a standard engagement ring, a finely braided, flat silver band rose from the black velvet. She looked up at him, wordless, then plucked the ring from the box and held it up.

"It's a friendship ring," he explained, taking it from her and holding it on the outside with two fingers. "I figured that, for now, it wouldn't require as much explanation as a regular engagement ring, which we can always get later. That is, if you want… to, uh, get engaged… but if you don't, I'll understand—"

"Oh, Mulder," she breathed, inserting her left ring finger into the band he held then turning her hand to cup his face, "I'd marry you right now if we could, right here in this damn tub. Was there ever any doubt?"

His grin rivaled the evening sun shining through the windows on the other side of the room. As their lips met he pulled her close with both arms, vastly relieved and happier than he could ever remember being in his life.

At last.

finis