Scully didn't listen to rumours. Well, not usually. This new rumour, though, had piqued her interest. One of the younger doctors was dating an older man, they said. Scully didn't care. Said older man had a bit of a UFO obsession, apparently. Scully found herself listening a little more closely.

When she'd left Mulder, they hadn't really discussed what might happen if they met other people. She had just assumed that he felt the same way she did- they were each others person, and even though she left, they would be together again one day. Maybe it would be one day when they were old and grey and had nothing left to give the world, or maybe one day when the pull of the past began too much to ignore they would reunite. But either way, there would never be anyone else.

Except now, though she told herself it was gossip and that Mulder would never leave the house long enough to woo a busy professional woman anyway, Scully still found that her heart ached.

The man they described sounded just like her Mulder- dark hair that was always a little messy, tall, strong, lips that always pouted just a little, even when he was happy.

She thought of how Mulder was when they'd first started to admit they had feelings for one another. He still brought out his perfectly timed pout, his grumpiness, but there had been a light in his eyes that danced, his smile coming out a little more often. Scully tried to think hard about how Mulder had behaved the few times she'd seen him recently. The very last time, he'd met her at the front door with a smile. He hadn't once mentioned anything x-file related that visit. Oh god.

Still she tried to tell herself it wasn't Mulder. If he had decided he wanted to date someone, he wouldn't be so cruel as to pick one of her colleagues, surely. He would tell her, anyway.

She could have visited him and asked, she supposed. She could have even called him back when, concerned that she hadn't showed up on the weekend as she usually did, Mulder had made the trek into town to call her from a phone box and had given the number to her and a time he would be waiting there. But she didn't. She didn't want to know.

Except she still listened when they were talking in the break room. Apparently the doctor would be going to his house tonight for the first time. She was taking him some novelty flavoured sunflower seeds. Scully thought she might be sick.

For the first time in her life, Scully cried off work. She had been due to work the night shift but had claimed sickness, barely giving her boss time to respond before she was out the door and walking to her car.

Mulder's house was pitch black when she arrived. She couldn't see any other vehicles, but that didn't mean anything.

Her anger, her hurt, had been building the whole way there, so Scully made no attempt at being quiet as she barged into the house, flicking on lights as she went.

Nothing looked different in the lounge, nothing pointed toward anyone else being in the house besides Mulder, except in the kitchen where she found two empty ready meal containers still sitting on the table.

Taking the stairs as quickly and loudly as she could, Scully made her way to the bedroom. There was no one in there. The sheets were still as smooth as the day Scully had optimistically changed them in the hope Mulder might sleep there instead of the couch.

A categorical search of the upstairs showed no one, not even Mulder, and the downstairs similar. By the time Scully reached the door of the last room, his study, the fire inside her was not merely ash. She knocked softly, but when no reply came she pushed open the door.

And there was Mulder. Alone. Fast asleep with his head resting on a file. Stepping closer, Scully could see that it wasn't actually a file, but an album. An album with her photo in it right beside William's. Inside were newspaper clippings dating from the day William was born, of strange things happening involving boys of William's age. He was keeping an eye on their son. He was looking after him, as best he could.

"Mulder." She shook his shoulder gently, then bent down to kiss his hair. "Mulder?"

He drew in a deep breath, a slight smile pulling at his lips before he opened one eye to look at her. "You came."

Scully frowned a little, tilting her head to the side. "You were expecting me?"

"It's your birthday."

Scully lifted her eyes to the calendar above his head, and a smile began to twitch at her lips. "It's been four years since the last time you remembered."

"Exactly." Mulder nodded his head. "I made you dinner."

"A ready meal. Which you ate along with your own." She replied dryly, though her eyes sparkled.

"Not just any ready meal, Scully. Mac and cheese."

"Oh, be still my beating heart." Scully couldn't help but smile, reaching out to try and smooth down his hair. "Did you get me a present, too?"

"Mm-hmm. From a catalogue, because I know you always adore things from catalogues." Mulder shot back, standing. "Don't get too excited, though. It's no Apollo 11 keyring."

"I'll try to rein in my disappointment." Scully sat down in the chair, hand moving to brush over the photo of William.

"Close your eyes."

Scully did as instructed, leaning back in the chair with a smile. "You know, I came here tonight because I got it into my head that you were having an affair with one of the other doctors at the hospital."

"Were you jealous?"

"So jealous I almost replaced her shampoo with hair removal cream."

"Dana Scully! Mean Girl. Who would have thought it."

Scully was grinning now, reaching out her hands in the direction she could hear him talking from. "The nurses said he was devastatingly handsome, an expert pouter, loved UFO's and was always eating sunflower seeds. You can hardly blame me for thinking it was you."

"You think I'm devastatingly handsome?"

"You know I do. Where is my present?"

"…I am seeing someone."

Scully's smile fell and her eyes flew open to look at the man before her when she heard the hesitant note in his voice.

"That's your…well, part of your birthday present." Mulder offered as he rummaged around in a draw.

Scully frowned, studying him intently. "Seeing who?"

"A psychiatrist. She's put me on medication, and I'm taking it." Mulder paused briefly to motion towards a packet of medication that was thrown on the desk.

Scully picked it up and turned it over in her fingers. "Why? I mean, why now?"

"…Because one day William is going to need our help, and I can't help him holed up in here feeling sorry for myself." Mulder replied. As though it was that simple. As though years of her begging him to get help had been for nothing. But Scully didn't feel hurt or upset. She felt happy that somehow, William had helped his father. She felt a sudden hope for the future. A future with Mulder and their son.

"That's why you've been doing this?" Scully motioned to the album.

Mulder only gave a nod, finally holding out a small box.

Raising her eyebrows, Scully took it off him and opened it carefully. She stared at its contents for a long time before a laugh bubbled out of her. "Really?"

"The kids will like it."

Still chuckling, Scully pulled out the rubber stethoscope attachment of a glow in the dark alien head. "You, Spooky Mulder, are crazy.

"And you wouldn't have me any other way."

"No, I wouldn't."

Scully tried not to listen to rumours after that, but sometimes they just got to her. Another doctor dating another strange man. A man who visits the hospital at strange times and disappeared when anyone knocked on the office door. The office door that people could hear giggling on the other side of, or infectious laughter that always made the passer-by smile.

They could never work out this visitors name, for he gave a different one every time he showed up, but the person he visited was always the same. Dana Scully.

She didn't really mind being the subject of gossip.

Scully didn't mind anything so much anymore, now she had her partner back.