Author's Notes: Hello, hello! Thank you to all who are sticking around, I appreciate you so much! I just went through an 'insecure about my writing' phase, but I got so many sweet messages from everyone. Thank you so much, your kind words were really uplifting to hear.

He'd been fantasizing about this paramount moment in their relationship for longer than he was proud to admit. He knew it was childish, imagining what it would be like asking Scully out on a date. He contemplated it anytime he was alone with his thoughts for too long, especially after spending a significant amount of time near her, which just so happened to be nearly every single day since she was assigned all those years ago. When he was trying to fall asleep at night, when he was driving down a long stretch of American highway going nowhere, when he couldn't keep his eyes off her in the office, it was a comforting daydream always niggling the back of his mind.

What could he say? He was a hopeless romantic at heart, and Scully has always been the woman of his dreams. He'd imagined how he'd take her by surprise, she'd be shocked by his romanticism that years of partnership hadn't prepared her for. Sometimes he imagined offering bouquets of flowers, other times he pictured that he just shows up to her apartment in the middle of the night because he simply can't take waiting anymore. He imagined she'd be smitten with him, maybe half as nervous as he was. Even in his own fantasies, Scully was far more composed than himself. His fantasies always included her telling him it was unprofessional, or that she was scared about how it might affect their partnership and friendship.

Never in his wildest dreams did she simply say "Yes, I will go out on a date with you," with a beaming smile on her face as she held his shaking hand in her steady ones. He never thought it would happen in this shoddy, faux retro diner, nor did he think asking her out would come after becoming physically intimate. It was perfect for them, nothing about it was what could be expected, and he loved it. Naturally unconventional.

He smiled back at her and for a moment he was afraid his face was going to split open from pure exuberance. His cheeks ached and he felt like the muscles in his face were quivering from holding the same position for too long. It took a few moments for him to even process that time hadn't stopped with him when those words left her mouth. Customers were still chatting amongst themselves, servers were still bustling around the room, and Scully was smiling expectantly, waiting for some acknowledgement to her answer.

He squeezed her hand and let out a long breath, making her chuckle. He was glad there wasn't a reflective surface near him because he knew he must look ridiculous right now, a man nearing forty wearing the expression of a jubilant child. He didn't even know what to say right now, just 'thank you' seemed awkward, but the phrase was repeating on a deafening loop in his head.

Scully, with her neverending understanding, put him out of his misery. "So," she prompted, making sure he was back in reality before asking, "Where will we be going?"

"It's a surprise," rolled off his tongue without thought. In all honesty, it was going to be a surprise, for both her and himself. He didn't even know today was the day he'd ask her out until less than an hour ago. Ever since, he'd been so caught up in the asking, he hadn't even planned past that part.

If she knew that was just code for 'I don't know yet,' she didn't let on. Instead, she simply nodded and retracted her hands so she could finish the last bite of her sandwich, yet again reminding him of the fact this was really happening. They weren't in one of his daydreams, they were just taking their lunch break, like they had been doing every single day for the past six years. She looked unfazed by the seriousness of this new leap and it excited him to think romance also could become a part of their routine, an everyday normalcy.

He started eating some of the remnants of his fries, now cold from neglect, when she spoke up again, "Could you give me a hint so I know what to wear?"

He pondered for a moment before answering, "Wear something you're comfortable in." He still was brainstorming every date option he'd ever heard of, but since they just had to dress up last night, he wanted them to be able to just have fun and relax. She cocked an eyebrow in amused curiosity and he added, "Does seven work for you?"

"Yeah, all I have to do after work is take a taxi back to my apartment. I'll be ready by seven." Her smile hadn't fully left her face yet and, after taking in the gleam in her eye and the fidgeting of her hands, a small part of him realized she was just as excited as he was. It almost felt too good to be true, but, after all, this was inevitable. He just never thought it would be so easy for them to accept.

They finished up their lunch and started their trek back to the office. While they were waiting at a red light, he watched as she brushed some haphazard tendrils of hair out of her face and when she, without even looking at him, declared, "You can't being doing that for the rest of the day though."

Her comment took him off guard and he asked, "Do what?"

She let herself look at him out of the corner of her eye as a smile tugged on her lips, "You can't go around looking like you just won the lottery. No normal person smiles that much."

"I feel like I did though," he murmured close to her ear as he started to make his way across the crosswalk. He heard her chuckle followed by the sound of her heels clicking against the pavement. They hadn't even gone on the date yet and he considered himself a winner. What were the chances he'd meet her? Of all the millions of people, they were alive at the same time, they were together, and she just said yes to him. He felt like the luckiest man in the world.

It was hard, but he was able to reel his enthusiasm in for the rest of the day. Well, at least he was doing the best he could. He checked his watch more than he had in his entire life, for the first time actually wishing the work day would come to an end already. All he was doing was moving his gaze between a solved case file, a blank computer monitor, and his equally distracted partner.

When five came around, they both stood up in perfect unison before laughing in mutual embarrassment. He was just grateful to know Scully was just as enthusiastic about this as he was. She grabbed her bag, he locked the door, and they headed to the exit with an extra bounce in their step. They stood at the side of the road outside the Hoover Building as the first taxi drove up. He offered her his hand and helped ease her inside as he gave a reminder he knew neither of them needed. He just wanted to speak it into existence once more. "I'll be at your place at seven, okay? Don't forget, comfy clothes."

She smiled at him from her seat and pulled the door shut, winking at him through the window as an answer before the taxi drove away. He only had to wait a minute more before he got in his own taxi and had a moment to brainstorm what he was going to do tonight. He kind of regretted not asking her if she had a preference, but he did genuinely want to surprise her. If he had to place a bet on it, he'd guess surprising Scully was a rare feat, and he was always up for a challenge.

He rested his forearms against his thighs and watched glimpses of the city through the window, almost as if he expected to see a place with a sign that said "Take her here" in bright, bold letters. He really didn't know what type of date she'd want. What did teenage Scully dream about? He realized there was so much he didn't know about her. He knew she liked it when his tongue did that thing that made her legs quiver, he knew she liked it when he used his strength to move her body atop of his own, but he didn't know the first thing about how she liked to be romanced.

He could tell she liked the flowers from yesterday, his silent admission of love, but he figured bringing more to her apartment wouldn't be as much of a romantic gesture as it would be him starting a mini botanical garden in her apartment. Shit, he was really out of his element here. When was the last time he went on a date? With a wince, he realized it hadn't been since Reagan was president.

The taxi dropped him off outside the convention center and his attention was drawn to a series of colorful flyers stapled to multiple wooden streetlamps. He read the advertisement and moved his gaze across the street to see if the flyer was accurate. Perfect. It was an unexpected choice for a first date spot, but something drew him to it. Now with a plan in mind for tonight, he confidently strode towards the parking garage to get his car so he could speed home and get ready.

The two hours between work and picking her up passed by in the blink of an eye. He didn't really know what to wear, so he just kept his work clothes on, sans the jacket and tie. He also unbuttoned the wrist cuffs so he could slide the sleeves to expose his forearms, hoping she'd think it was good enough. He spritzed on some cologne and that was pretty much the extent of his preparation. Then he drove over and sat in his car for half an hour before he thought he could go up and just be reasonably early.

He didn't know why he was so nervous. He'd had plenty of conversations with Scully before, they spent alone time together every day, they were far more than comfortable in each others company. He just hoped she didn't see something in him tonight that turned her off or made her regret saying yes.

The way her eyes lit up when she opened the door told him that he had no reason to be nervous. "Hey," she greeted with an unusual shyness as she opened the door for him to come in.

"Hey," he responded as he took her invitation. As she closed the door, he took the opportunity to get a better look at her outfit. She was wearing a deep purple sundress that fluttered around the top of her knees as she moved with thin spaghetti straps that revealed her freckled shoulders to the world. She looked beautiful.

He must've said that out loud because she turned around and beamed, "Thank you, you don't look so bad yourself." As she passed by, he also saw that she'd applied her normal makeup on, making her eyes look sultry and intense, "I just need to grab my purse and then I'm ready to go."

Mulder couldn't help but notice she seemed shorter than usual and immediately saw why when she returned with her bag. He glanced down at her footwear and a snicker escaped his lips and echoed in the room. Scully was wearing thin, black sandals, but that wasn't what amused him, she had a series of bandaids adorning her achilles heel and a few other sporadically on her feet. She cocked her head in confusion before following his glance and giving him a playful glare. "Hey, those heels may have looked better, but they took a toll on my feet," she laughed, shifting her feet with slight embarrassment. "Do they look bad?"

He put his hand on her shoulder as he placed a kiss to her temple, "I think you look gorgeous." She smiled appreciatively and he took the initiative to open the door and offer a grandiose gesture, "Our night awaits, m'lady."

"Do I get a hint?"

"Nope."

The ride there was pleasantly comfortable. They talked about nothing and enjoyed every minute of it. The only time the chatter stopped was when that Elton John song came on the radio and they both took a silent moment to laugh at the irony. The damn Lion King came out years ago, but the song seemed to be following them, background music that fit them perfectly.

After twenty minutes of driving, Scully started to get suspicious. "Mulder, are we just going back to the convention center?"

"No, not exactly," he teased. As they passed the building in question, he could tell her curiosity was just building. As the destination came into sight, he started to worry; would she think this was childish? Did she even like this kind of thing?

However, as the tinkling melodies started permeating the car and the flashing lights began dancing across her face, he saw her lean forward to get a better look. Her smile and enthusiastic tone were all the comfort he needed. "I didn't even know this was going on!"

He pulled into a parking spot and turned off the car. "I didn't either until earlier today. I hope you don't mind, I thought it would be-"

He didn't even get to fully voice any concern he might have had, she was already unbuckling her seatbelt and giving him a smile brighter than any light he'd ever seen. "Mulder, I haven't been to a carnival since I was a kid," she laughed.

It was bold, but he thought his no-nonsense partner might enjoy something so silly and carefree. He just wanted to give her an opportunity to totally let loose. From the way she was impatiently waiting for him to get out of the car, he was willing to say she was happy with the idea. They deserved this bit of happiness, away from the cruel stress of their job.

They made their way to the front gates and Mulder payed for their tickets, surprisingly getting no resistance from Scully. Even more surprising, as they started walking into the festival, he felt her tiny hand slip into his, asking silent permission for this intimacy. She intertwined their fingers as she, Dana Scully, willingly held onto his hand. Just because she could, just because she wanted to. It was one of the best gifts he'd ever received.

He hoped that she couldn't feel how sweaty his palm was, but if she did, she didn't seem to mind. She was just wearing the same content smile he was. Mulder wanted to take a moment to commit this to memory; him and Scully, walking hand and hand proudly, illuminated by the flashing lights of carousels and tacky carnival games. To everyone who saw them, they looked like a happy couple. Then it really dawned on him, they didn't just look like a happy couple. They were a happy couple.

Finally.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" He was broken out of his tranquility as a woman in a cloak jumped out in front of them. "Now you look like a pair willing to see what the eyes cannot."

"You could say that," he laughed, sensing Scully's amusement. She glanced up at him and he felt like he could read her mind; 'I can't take you anywhere.'

"May I interest you in a reading?" the woman asked, already dragging them into her tent without hearing an answer.

"What type of reading?" Scully asked, but as the crystal ball came into view, the question was redundant.

The apparent psychic spun on her heel and ran a finger over Scully's cheek, "A reading into your future, my love." He had to applaud Scully, he knew how badly she wanted to laugh, but she kept a face of pure earnest.

"How many tickets?" he asked, pulling out the strand from his pocket.

"For the beautiful couple? I will do a discount. Two tickets please!" She exclaimed in her airy, almost cartoonish voice. Mulder complied and tried his best not to look at the sign that said 'Reading: one ticket per person,' even though he knew damn well that's why Scully was biting her straining lip right now.

The woman stuffed the tickets in her cloak before dramatically sitting down, motioning for them to do the same across from her. "Beauty first," she declared, expectantly holding out her hands for Scully's.

Scully did her best to be polite as she gave the woman both her hands, up turning them so her palms were visible. The psychic gasped and stroked the lines of her palms with the utmost care. "My, my, these are talented hands." A juvenile chuckle escaped Mulder's lips and he felt Scully hit his leg with her own in a playful warning.

The woman didn't seem to notice and continued as if she was entranced, "You are reserved with your affection, but when you give it, you give your all." While he knew Scully didn't believe in this stuff whatsoever, let alone when it was in the middle of a carnival, he could see her cheeks tinting red at the woman's assessments. "You have loved a few times, but there will only be one love of your life. You, my lucky one, have a true soulmate. No matter what you will never let that go. Nothing about your journey in life is easy, nor will it always be pleasant, but you would have it no other way. If you don't want to do something, you would not do it. You are strong in your convictions."

They both jumped as the woman, as if possessed, let go of Scully's hands and clutched Mulder's. Her eyes shot open wide and she glanced at him with an amused grin, "My, my, my, you're a little spooky aren't you? A fox on a hunt."

Even he had his reservations about this, but that was just creepy.

She didn't wait for a response and just continued, "To say you're obsessive is an understatement, though it's not a bad thing. Obsession and loyalty can sometimes go hand in hand for you. You have been affectionate in your life, but you too will only have one true love." He involuntarily glanced at Scully with this comment and she looked away shyly. "Fate has not always been kind to you, but it has also given you the best gift of your life. Sometimes you should rest your eyes, when you're always searching, you might miss what's right in front of you. All sadness will pass, but you will let it consume you for bouts of time that, to your loved ones, will feel like an eternity."

She paused and released his hands before grabbing the crystal ball. Her eyes were closed and they took it as an opportunity to glance at each other, their smiles holding back both amusement and confusion. The woman sounded like she was spouting off a list of anecdotes, but some just happened to hit the right mark. Though, he supposed that's what the whole point of this was, stabbing in the dark and eliciting a response when one hits.

They snapped their attention back to her when she asked, "Does the name William mean anything to either of you?"

"Both our fathers are named William," Scully offered.

"And her brother," he added.

"And it's his middle name," Scully said, gesturing to him.

The woman shook her head as if everything they said was wrong, "No, no, maybe that's how you know it now, but it's not how you will," Scully cocked an eyebrow at Mulder at the woman's babbling and he just shrugged.

"All paths will lead back to each other, even if that feels impossible, when you are seperate, it will always be temporary. There are many along your path; the skin-man, the dog person, and the woman who sings the songs of whales." He heard a snort and he looked over to see Scully holding her hand to her face, trying her hardest to reign in laughter, but struggling. The sight brought a smile to his face and he had to bite his lip to keep composure.

He felt Scully's hand grab his own and they squeezed each other hard, trying not to offend the woman with their blatant amusement. She didn't seem to notice, as she was doing a lethargic swaying motion before lifting up her head and asking, "Do either of you have any questions?"

There was a moment of silence before Mulder joked, pointing to the crystal ball, "Do you happen to have the winning Powerball numbers in there?"

The woman's voice lost the entrancing quality, instead becoming deep and gravelly, as she pulled out a cigarette and lit it, "Honey, I wouldn't be here if it did."

They offered their polite thanks as they left her tent, only able to hold in their laughter a few feet. "It sounds like she thinks our life will be a disturbed Wizard of Oz. The skin-man, the dog person, oh and don't forget the woman who sings the songs of whales," Scully exclaimed, giggling openly in amusement.

"I don't know, never say never," he laughed.

She stopped for a minute, placing a hand on his shoulder, "Mulder," she stated with amused conviction, "please don't tell me you believed that woman?" She was trying to ask him seriously, but her lips were quirking at the edges.

No, he didn't. Well, at least not everything, but some sounded right to him. Especially as he looked into her bright blue eyes as her hair became fire under the shining lights. Scully was strong in her convictions. That was true. He was obsessive with his loyalty. That was just hitting the nail on the head. Did he think there would be one love of his life? Yes. And she was right here in front of him. He leaned down closer to her, so much so that he could smell the faint aroma of her favorite perfume, and teased, "Scully, she knew I was spooky."

She just rolled her eyes and continued walking with his arm now draping gently around her shoulder. Another thing he'd keep to himself; even though he liked to put his arm around her to have her near him, she was really the perfect height to rest on.

They walked around for a little bit, enjoying the sights of carnies juggling and children running around with their face painted like various jungle animals. Eventually, they stumbled to the entrance of the ferris wheel, much to Mulder's excitement. That's honestly what drew him here in the first place. What could possibly be more romantic than sitting in a tiny cart with Scully? Alone with just the comfort of the night air as the entire city of D.C glimmered below them. "Hey Scully, let's get on the ferris wheel!"

Her eyes darted from the wheel to him and back to the wheel again with an unreadable expression. "You want to ride the ferris wheel?"

"Come on, it'll be fun. Have you ever been on one before?" he asked as they strode towards the surprisingly short line.

"Um, n-no, actually I haven't," she offered, looking high up at the top of the wheel.

Before he could respond, the carnival attendant held out his hand for Mulder to put the tickets in as he gave a rundown to Scully, "Well, little lady, you're in luck. This here just happens to be one of the biggest ferris wheels in the carnie circuit."

"Oh really?"

"Yep, you can see the entire city from the top. You can even see where city life ends and the country begins, it's quite a sight" then he turned to Mulder and slapped him on the arm playfully, "but I have a feelin' that won't be the most beautiful thing you'll see while you're up there."

Scully looked flattered as Mulder agreed, and she took his hand as they stepped into the metal cart. It was essentially a bench with an enclosed area for their feet, but just a metal bar came down over their legs. It was quite open, but secure nonetheless. The man double checked the bar, gave them a thumbs up, and then they were slowly going backwards on the journey up.

Scully shifted slightly in her seat as she look in her surroundings, staying still with her back against the seat. "Have you been on one of these things before?" she asked.

"No, actually, it's my first time at a carnival. We didn't really go out to things like this when I was growing up," he admitted. She made a sound that she heard him, but didn't really add anything else.

They were probably a third of the way to the top when the skyline started to become visible. He nudged her with his elbow and pointed off in the distance, "Hey Scully, look. You can see the tip of the Washington Monument. See it?"

"Y-yeah," she responded shakily. He thought she sounded a little odd so he turned to look at her and saw she was sitting as deep into the plastic plush seat as she could possibly go. One hand was clenched in her lap while the other was still wrapped around his arm. From what he could tell, she was staring at his pant leg with surprising intensity. Her entire demeanor reminded him of how she usually acted on planes.

Oh, shit.

Realization dawned on him in a big wave and he immediately exclaimed, "Scully, are you afraid of heights?" His question grabbed her attention and her gaze flitted to meet his. Any curiosity was settled when he looked into her eyes, he knew how she looked when she was scared and this was a perfect example.

She attempted to smile reassuringly, but it just looked like a grimace. She also tried to shake her head, but she clearly didn't want to move her body in any way. Instead, she settled on a stammered, "N-no, no. Of course not." The carriage above them was filled with a teenage double date where the boys were trying to scare the girls by rocking in their seats. It was harmless, but it created an audible squeaking sound that made Scully jump in place and deathgrip his arm, destroying the weak mask she was trying to wear. She let out a self deprecatory laugh before admitting, "Okay, yes. I know it's irrational, but yes absolutely."

He knew she'd kill him if he said it outloud, but she looked absolutely adorable like this. Usually when she was scared, it was understandably so and in extremely unfavorable circumstances. However, right now, there was no real danger, just the two of them sitting on a carnival ride as Scully burrowed into his side. Special Agent Dana Scully, Medical Doctor, the woman who had looked into the eyes of evil, who had fought the most atrocious monsters, was currently digging her fingers into his arm because of a ferris wheel.

It was almost as if she was under the irrational assumption that if they started falling, he'd be able to catch her and protect her from injury, swoop her away like Lois Lane in Superman's arms. Or as if his arms wrapping around her would provide more protection than the metal bar resting atop their thighs. He started to understand why horror movies were so popular for dates. He loved feeling like he was her safe harbor, especially when she'd spent so many years being his.

He retracted the arm she was clutching and wrapped it fully around her shoulders, drawing her closer to him so that their sides were completely flushed. He offered his free hand to her and she clutched onto it like a lifeline. "Scully, why didn't you tell me?" he asked, trying to keep any traces of amusement from seeping into his voice.

"Because I'm having such a good time," she mumbled into his shirt.

"We're on airplanes all the time?" he posed, trying to assess her fear.

"I take an ambien as we go through security so I can be asleep before take off," she admitted.

Huh, he'd noticed, but he hadn't really considered it. He'd thought the few times she was awake, that she was just uncomfortable that she wasn't getting sleep, not that she was terrified. "What sparked your fear?" he asked, stroking his fingers through her soft hair.

She rested her chin on him so she could look up at him and the mere sight took his breath away. "I'm not sure, I've just never been a fan."

He kissed her forehead, deeply inhaling the comforting smell of her shampoo before reassuring, "You could have told me, it wouldn't have bothered me at all if you didn't want to go on this."

She smiled at him and ran her thumbs over his knuckles. "I know, but I wanted to experience this with you. I don't regret it for a moment, and look, the skyline truly is beautiful."

He took his gaze off her for a moment, realizing that they had reached the top of the ferris wheel. He truly could see everything, the Monument Building, the Capitol Building, the Hoover Building, but the man had been right. The best view was in his arms right now, so he turned back so he could look at his everything.

In the comfort from her position in his arms, she was scanning the horizon, her eyelashes fluttering as squinted to take everything in. Then, as if she sensed his focus, looked back up at him, smiling when her suspicions were confirmed. Then, without warning, she scooted closer to him so that she could place a soft, warm kiss to his lips. It was as gentle as it was heartfelt. He pressed back and she opened her mouth softly in invitation. He felt her soft breath against the skin of his cheek as he ran his hands deeper into her auburn tresses.

He internally rejoiced at this moment, this was their first real kiss. Not just a lead up to hot sex, but a kiss solely because they wanted to express their affection for each other. He loved it.

Apparently they both loved it a little too much because the only thing able to separate them was the attendant telling them the ride was over and it was time to get off. They jumped in their seats and looked around. Sure enough, they were on ground level, the attendant waiting expectantly so he could lift the bar as the people waiting snickered.

With an embarrassed laugh, they disentangled their entwined limbs and scampered off the ride, Mulder earning a congratulatory wink from the man as he passed. When they were in the middle of the dirt path away from the ride, he got to enjoy the swollen lipped, flushed face, thoroughly kissed expression on Scully's face. They made eye contact, but no words came to them to describe what they were feeling. Instead, they just let out a bit of embarrassed laughter as Scully grabbed his face between her hands. He thought she was going to kiss him again so he bent down, but stopped as her thumbs started rubbing his lips. Ah, he was wearing her lipstick again.

When she was done, she took his hand in her own and started walking towards the rest of the carnival. As she took in the sights around her, he continued taking in her. His partner, his confidant, his lover, his life, standing right beside him proudly. Eventually, he noticed her eyes fixated on something and he followed her gaze to a mock shooting range. However, instead of bullets and targets, it was mini darts and a wall with balloons taped to it.

That little macho part of his brain that sought to please and impress her ended up being the driving force that brought them over to the stand. Mulder paid the man a ticket and grabbed three arrows. One balloon was a small prize, two a medium, three a big one. Naturally, he was aiming to get Scully a ridiculously huge stuffed animal that she didn't need. Aiming being the operative word that he just happened to be lacking with. The first dart bounced off the balloon, the physics behind that completely alluding him, then the second hit the cardboard in between two large balloons, one of which he finally hit with his last dart. He ended up getting a sparkly purple barrett that she playfully clipped her hair back with, somehow managing to make the most childish accessory look beautiful.

"Can I try?" she asked, expectantly holding out her hand for the ticket she knew he'd give her. He smiled and leaned against the counter to watch her, knowing damn well she was about to show off. Scully had the best aiming proficiency scores at the Bureau.

Thow, pop, throw, pop, throw, pop. It took a matter of five seconds for Scully to impress the man behind the counter and remind Mulder of reason 2398435 why he loved her so much. "See anything ya like missy?"

Scully turned instinctively and pointed to something in the corner that Mulder couldn't recognize. "Can I have that green guy?"

"Sure thing," the man said, grabbing it and handing it to her.

Scully offered it to him proudly with a smile on her face. "I finally got you what you always wanted. We can retire now," she joked as the plush green alien smiled up at him with a waving hand. "Too bad it's not realistic. If only it were grey." God, he loves her.

With that last comment he swooped down and picked her up around the middle, the alien getting crushed in their embrace as he kissed her passionately on the mouth. While it only lasted a fraction as long as the last one, it left them both breathless. "Wow, if I had known this was the way to your heart I would have shown you my dart skills a long time ago," she laughed while her feet dangled a foot off the ground.

I love you.

The words wanted to come out of his mouth, but they got caught in his throat. Was it too soon to say it on the first date if it had been years in the making? He didn't know, and he didn't want to risk it. This night was perfect so far and he didn't want to taint it by declaring a truth that had a series of consequences attached to it. Even if the benefits completely outweighed it. He could see it in her eyes regardless. She knew.

"What can I say? Your demonstration of womanly power makes me weak to your will," he teased, setting her back down on the ground, holding the alien preciously in one of his arms.

"I'll keep that in mind," she purred with a wink as they continued their path.

The carnival was starting to close down, lights dimming, children sleeping on their parents shoulders, but Scully still managed to find one last thing for them to do. "Hey, Mulder. How many tickets do we have left?"

He looked around to try to see what she was alluding to, but didn't see any stands near them. He checked his pocket and showed her two remaining tickets in his grasp. It seemed to please her because her because her face lit up and she pointed to a man sitting on a stool by himself. "Could we do that?"

Upon further inspection, he saw the seats in front of the man, along with the tote and easel beside him and Mulder felt his face light up too. She wanted to get a caricature of them. "Absolutely," he answered, following her already moving body to the area.

The sign said "Caricature in Five Minutes or Less" accompanied by a series of exaggerated portraits of celebrities ranging from Jodie Foster from Silence of the Lambs to O.J Simpson wearing an orange jumpsuit. They gave the man the tickets and sat side by side in front of him, their faux alien baby sitting upright in Scully's lap. The artist stared at them for a moment before putting the magic marker to the canvas. "So, how long have ya been married?" he asked.

They both let out a shy chuckle and Scully responded, "We-," she paused for a second before a mischievous smile took place of the shy one, "six years actually."

He looked over at her and saw her shrug with amusement. "Yeah, I figured as much. Ya look plenty comfortable with each other. So how'dya meet each other?" he asked, pulling out a reddish orange marker and marking furious lines, presumably drawing Scully's hair.

"We actually work together, we're partners," he answered, trying to discreetly tickle Scully's side to make her move, only to get elbowed in return.

"Where at?"

"We're actually FBI agents," she admitted, trying not to let laughter seep into her voice.

This made the man pause for a second and look at them in confusion. "Whaddya mean? Like you're playing FBI agents in a film or somethin'?"

"N-no, like we are agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI agents," she explained.

The man's eyebrows shot up and he just shook his head and returned to the task at hand, muttering to himself, "Best lookin' feds I've ever seen, that's for damn sure."

They sat for only a minute or two more, having a hard time keeping their hands to themselves as the man finished up. Eventually, he stood up and put a protective cover over the canvas and handed it to them. Mulder appreciatively put a tip in the man's upturned hat and turned around to catch up with Scully, who'd walked a few feet away to get a better light on the picture.

He heard her laugh and immediately saw why when he looked over his shoulder. The man decided to theme their caricature, and, of course, there was extraterrestrial themed. The alien sitting in Scully's lap grinning heartily as a cartoon UFO shot over their heads in the night sky. It was honestly pretty good, as long as he humbly accepted the exaggerated nose drawn on his face. It was absolutely, 100% them. Little hearts around their heads and all.

"I love it," she declared proudly, stroking it delicately with her fingers as if it was her most treasured possession. She looked up at him to gauge his reaction and he pressed his lips against her once more. This was one of the best nights of his life.

He wanted to live in this moment forever.

They finally went on a date! I hope you enjoyed it and it wasn't too out of character! It's so weird having them actually enjoying life and, you know, be happy for once. I'd love to hear from you guys! Thank you so much for your time! -Nicole (Twitter/Tumblr: gaycrouton)