'Mulder, you need to come inside,' Scully stated as his car came to a stop on her family's driveway. Unbuckling her seat belt, Dana faced him with determination in her expression. Needing to cement the connection between them, Scully reached over, placing her hand on his elbow. 'My father and brothers don't know anything about you or my situation. They think I left for a date this afternoon. Mom and Missy wouldn't tell them my story. I'm not sure my mom entirely accepts the truth. The boys, they wouldn't understand let alone believe.'

Nodding his understanding, Mulder remained quite. His active mind sifting through Dana's dialogue, incorporating it into the profile he'd built on the subdued drive. He'd come to a conclusion. Placed in the same situation, returning to a point years in his past, Mulder would feel displaced, dispossessed and uncomfortable. With an eidetic memory allowing instant access to recollections, he'd achieve some level of comfort. Dana had struggled today, grappling to come to terms with the loss of professional acumen and her personal life.

'You have a much better chance of surviving this assignment if I'm with you when my family discovers our "marriage".' Waving her finger encircled with the claddagh ring under his nose, Scully rolled her eye's, 'and, believe me, it will come out. Too many people observed the dressing down I gave Daniel today. I've always kept my professional and private life well separated. By tomorrow it'll be all over the hospital. Not only does Charlie live in Baltimore, his wife works as a nurse at Baltimore General. If I don't come home for days off, or Dad and Bill get wind of this, they'll send Charlie to look for me.'

Nodding his understanding, Mulder asked, 'how are you going to explain it,' tapping the gold band on his finger, Mulder reminded, 'Dana, you left home this morning very much unmarried.'

'I'm not lying to my family,' Scully's expression became mulish and she removed her hand from his arm in response. 'While I'd do almost anything to protect you, I won't go against my personal moral and ethical beliefs, which include not telling my family the complete truth.'

'Yet you can with me,' Mulder felt bereft at the loss of her touch. He refused to let his mind consider the reason. He had enough to cope with in the form of one Dana Scully and her assertions.

'That's different,' Scully defended.

'How?' he asked, astounded at the duality Dana expressed.

'The things I know, you don't want to know,' Scully sounded angry. She felt like banging her head against a brick wall. They'd been over this already. Mulder's questioning her judgement meant he didn't completely believe or trust her. Not that Scully could rationally blame him. Given the circumstances, she'd be hard pressed to give credence to his assertions if their roles reversed. 'You don't have to believe me, but I'd rather not know some of the events from the last nine years. They're just too painful. Besides, I'm not really lying to you, just not telling you the complete truth as I've experience it. In this time, those things haven't happened. They might never come to pass. If I told you everything, it might change this time more than I'm suppose too.

'You just keep telling yourself that, Dana,' exasperation coloured Mulder's comment, 'if it means you can live with your choices.'

'Mulder, if I could, if I thought it'd benefit either of us, I would tell you the complete and unabridged version of my life up to last night,' Scully announced with sarcasm. Sighing deeply, she prepared to get out of the car, leaving the decision of accompanying her to Mulder. Leaning down to speak to him through the open door, she remarked, 'I'll promise you this,' honesty infusing her tone, 'if the situation arises and you need to know, I'll tell you.'

'Somehow I believe you,' Mulder retuned, preparing to exit his side of the car. He really didn't have a choice in following her. Dana made a good point, her family needed to know she'd be living on campus with him. Building up his courage, Mulder got out of his car. He could gladly do without this confrontation. It'd been a long, tiering and frustrating day.

'Then please,' she begged, 'drop it. I've told you everything I can.'

'For now,' Mulder stated his eye's boring into Dana's across the roof of his Taurus. The sincerity he'd expected, but the fear surprised him. He came to realise Dana Scully held some very dark secrets and she'd have to be forced to reveal them. A shiver ran the length of his body. Mulder couldn't help wondering how many of those deep, dreaded mysteries included him. Maybe Dana's right, Mulder considered, maybe its better I don't know. She's mentioned the death of my father and health issues for my mother. I don't want to think about either. They're all the family I have left. Still he couldn't help baiting her with, 'but no promises.'

'I can live with that,' Scully agreed easily, closing her door.

Shaking his head, Mulder really didn't feel he had a choice. He needed to follow her and not just for the University assignment. For what ever reason, he felt their lives had intersected for a reason. Not entirely sure Dana's version held all the answers, he knew they travel a path together for now and it seemed right.

'Wait up Mrs Mulder,' he called. Unfazed by her reaction to the name, he hurried to Dana's side. Unaccustomed to being addressed that way, Scully hesitated mid step. It gave Mulder a chance to catch up with her, linking their fingers. 'How are we going to play this, Dana,' he enquired.

'My family know about you,' Scully took the time to explain as they moved slowly towards the front door. 'Your name came up a breakfast. They know I'd arranged to meet with you today but not why. I let them think we had a date.'

'Oh,' Mulder murmured, unsure how to acknowledge this. It confirmed her story or at least the fact Dana had prior knowledge of him.

A knowing smile broke out on Scully face. Her blue eye's twinkled with mischief. Silently she led the man at her side into the house. Bill and Tara, staying for the weekend, sat in the living room with Scully's parents. Missy, Charles and Chloe hadn't left for their own homes. They'd stayed intent on discovering how Dana's date turned out. When she walked in toting Mulder in her wake, Scully couldn't have been happier with the reaction from all in sundry.

'I've brought someone I'd like you to meet,' Scully announced, a hint of mischief in her tone. Pulling her helpless captive further into the room she introduced the man at her side, 'this is Fox Mulder.'

'Your date,' Missy eagerly watched the body language between the couple. A delighted smile broke out on her face. Although Dana and Mulder hid their left hands, their aura's told her a story. The clairvoyant moment she'd experience this morning, had come true.

'The FBI has requested I help Special Agent Mulder with a delicate assignment,' Scully continued. 'They need a recent graduate to go undercover as his wife and I've agreed.'

'Dana,' Maggie's tone implied so much, 'are you sure about this?'

Ahab's face fell as he realise his wife knew something about the situation and she hadn't informed him. Bill's expression took on the ruddy glow of anger. Tara's hand streaked out to clasp her boyfriends, calming him enough to think before he opened his mouth. Charlie shared an astounded look with his wife, both wisely said nothing.

'Dana,' Mr Scully spoke, confusion lacing his voice, 'this morning…' he tailed off, lost for words.

'Sir,' Mulder drew the attention of the room, 'I'm sorry this has come as a surprise. Originally a trained operative would have joined me on this case. Circumstances have arisen and your daughter, although not a member of the FBI yet, has the necessary qualifications to aid my investigation.'

'What investigation?' Ahab watched the body language between Dana and Mulder, not entirely sure he liked the intimacy they shared. Fatherly instinct informed him more went on here than met the eye.

'I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to say,' Mulder looked the older man in the eye, demonstrating his sincerity. 'As a military man, you understand the federal statues limiting the information I can supply. I will promise to do everything in my power to see no harm comes to your daughter.'

'You're going to put my sister in danger,' Bill Jr, no longer able to contain his anger burst into the conversation.

'Not intentionally,' Mulder told him, 'like you, your brother and father, the work we do is sometimes hazardous. We minimize the risks. Including Dana in this case as a civilian has been taken into consideration by the Bureau and deemed the best possible solution.'

'Bill, just working at the hospital, places me danger every day,' Scully glared at her older brother. The animosity Bill displayed towards Mulder filling the air. He'd always acted like this the first time he met any man entering Dana's life. As much a test as anything else, Scully still didn't appreciate Bill's heavy handed tactics. Maybe this Mulder would be better able to defend himself.

Rolling her eyes at the comment, Chloe chimed in, 'you have no idea how the general public can react, Bill. All the men under your command are well trained sailors who obey orders. Try nursing an addict high on speed.' Scully shot her sister-in-law a grateful glance. Chloe returned it with a smile.

Bill stood, about to open his mouth, when Maggie asked, 'how long do you expect this assignment to last?' The comment went some way to diffusing the building tempers. Bill, at least, realized he'd been deliberately silence by his parents. As much as he didn't like it, his mother and father took this adventure of Dana's seriously.

'It should be complete by Christmas,' Mulder informed them.

'If it's not?' Ahab caught his wife's uncertainty and returned it with a quick glance. On the same page, they felt a vague sense of for brooding. Dana had informed them, if this went as she wanted, they'd be seeing a lot more of this Mulder character. It seemed her wish had been granted.

'We'll have to wait another year to get a chance to catch the perpetrator,' Dana told her father easily.

'You'll play the happily married couple all that time?' Ahab did not attempt to conceal his thoughts and feelings on the subject. He didn't like the idea at all. Living in such close quarters for all that time and with the attraction Bill Scully could see between them, spelt trouble.

'It's important to the assignment, Sir,' Mulder kept his tone low and even, 'we need to live on campus. The FBI has arranged an apartment which Dana and I will move into tomorrow. I take up a teaching position with the Human Sciences Faculty on Monday. Dana is to continue her current employment at the hospital. Only her marital status will change.'

Dana attempted to sooth her father's ruffled feathers. 'When we talked this morning, you wanted me to find a better living arrangement. This is a good compromise.'

'I didn't expect the FBI and a false marriage as a solution,' her father returned fretfully, even if he did see the sense in her statement.

'You can't deny it works,' Scully retorted, seeing his capitulation.

'No, I can't,' Ahab sighed. Taking a long, hard look at the young man standing beside his daughter, he couldn't find fault with him for the moment. 'Nor am I completely happy about it. As I said, this is your life Dana, and these are your decisions to make.'

'Thank you dad,' Scully rushed over to her father, hugging him tightly. He always understood. 'I wanted to inform my family. That's why I bought Mulder here tonight. While you know the truth about our relationship, as far as the rest of the world is concerned, we've newly weds.'

'You're sure this is what you want Dana,' Maggie asked, concern clearly printed on her face. After their discussion earlier, she knew how much this man meant to her daughter. Margaret Scully couldn't stop being a mother, even if her child had mentally aged nine years overnight. Her concerns, wishes, and dreams remained the same for all her children. Maggie wanted to see Dana happy and she had the feeling this man would prove to be the one capable of that feat.

'It is, Mom,' Scully confirmed with a decisive nod. The shared a moment of silent communication which satisfied Maggie. Dana knew exactly what she wanted.

'Then come in and sit down, son,' Ahab offered, 'it appears you going to be part of this family for some time to come.'

'Thank you, Sir,' Mulder took the only empty seat in the room. That went better than I expected, he thought, I guess the inquisition start's now.