Ever since early childhood, the sounds of bagpipes had soothed Scully. Whether it was on the various naval bases they'd lived on or during the Memorial Day parades throughout the years, something about the tone and regality of the instrument made her feel safe. It was a feeling she felt less and less as she'd aged: safety. When she first began her life on the X-Files she had no idea what horrors life could hold. Then as she grew older and closer to Mulder, she started to know safety at the hands of another. Over time this had become a constant her life. However, after all the recent events in her life, it was nice to feel secure again.
Granted, the fact that she was surrounded by almost 1000 police officers made her feel safe too. It was Boston Police Department's annual Independence Day picnic and Scully was actually having fun. She had really tried her best to warm up the people who worked with and around her every day. It was a different atmosphere than back in the Bureau; to have coworkers that smiled in the hallway instead of whispering. To have a team to delegate to instead of doing all the work in secrecy.
The sun was warm but it wasn't humid - a perfect day for eating outside. Over 20 grills were lined up in the field behind BPD. The training field that was normally littered with training recruits and officers taking PT tests, was filled with raucous laughter and coolers packed with cheap beer. The test dummies had been pushed aside and each one had a photo of a department head taped to the face. Later they'd be used in a game of "Pin the Brass on the Cop".
Scully didn't really enjoy partaking in any games, she just wasn't the type. However, her "date" was currently holding a baseball looking determined as she focused on the bullseye ten feet in front of her. Inside the dunk tank was Frankie Rizzoli, wearing only a pair of hot pink swim trunks. A few people had tried to dunk him, but alas he still sat on his podium smug and dry.
Jane threw the first ball and clipped the edge of the target, making the paddle wobble back and forth. The loud noise made everyone nearby stop and stare at the two siblings, who at the moment were exchanging taunts.
"Jane, if you dunk me I'm telling everyone about the time you pooped your pants at Chuck-e-Cheese!"
"You tell that story and I'll make sure everyone at BPD sees your senior photo!" Jane taunted, her eyebrows raised.
Scully just smiled at the pair. It was cute. She missed her brothers, especially Charlie. But, after their mother had passed it had been radio silence from the Scully men. She tried not to dwell on it, the fact that everyone she'd ever loved had either abandoned her or been killed. Some days it was hard. Sometimes, she felt the love of her friends and their families so much that it dulled the ache a bit. Fall and winter were the worst, with Mulder's birthday and the haunting memory of Emily. But, as time went on she'd gotten better at coping with her losses.
A warm hand landed on her shoulder. Scully turned around to see Angela Rizzoli with a content look on her face.
"When they get competitive like this, they usually end up wrestling. My bet's on Jane this time. Don't tell Frankie I said that though, he's a little sensitive to it."
Scully laughed silently, her shoulders bouncing. She decided to let go of the daunting memories a little bit and just focus on the scene in front of her.
"If you dunk me Janie I swear I will tell everyone what I found in your underwear dra-" Frankie's sentence was cut off as Jane hit the target.
The crowd was silent for a moment as Frankie plummeted into the cold water. Jane jumped up and down and did youthful dance. Soon she morphed into some sort of touchdown dance and Scully knew it was time for an intervention before Jane pulled a muscle or something.
"Jane!" she called.
"Didja see that? I NAILED it! Boom! Right in the kisser!" Jane punched the air a few times. "I hope someone got that on camera."
"You did great! And all the money goes to charity, so I won't yell at you for spending $5 a ball." Scully laughed and handed Jane a beer. They stood there for a moment, sipping from their bottles and watching the mass amount of people around them.
"Do you ever play baseball?" Jane asked, breaking the silence and motioned for them to walk. They moved away from the dunk tank and took and walked around the field.
"I played in school but only sporadically after." Scully smiled at the memory of the impromptu baseball lesson from Mulder. "I wasn't very good once we graduated from Tee ball to an actual softball, but Mulder was a big fan. He taught me 'hips before hands'."
"He's a Yankess fan I'll bet," Jane said with an eyeroll. When Scully nodded she added, "Figures. Gross."
"I assume the Yankees are the Red Sox's mortal enemies?"
Jane's eyes went wide and she nodded. "Something like that. I can't believe you married a Yankees fan!"
"Hey now, at least I made it to marriage," Scully raised an eyebrow and cocked her head to the side.
Jane was quiet for moment Scully began to worry she'd gone too far. But, after a moment the Detective released a hearty howl that was contagious. "Ouch, asshole. That was good! You've been with the Rizzoli's too long!"
"Well, you could prove me wrong by actually making it work with Maura again." Scully said.
"I guess I could. Anyway, did I ever tell you about the year that Maura played as a sub on the BPD Co-Ed softball team? Because of her we won every game that year. Set a precinct record!"
"She was that good? You've often described her as 'coordinated, yet clueless' when it comes to sports"
"Not quite," Jane laughed and opened a can of beer. "She wore this skin-tight wind suit and everyone on the opposite team was so distracted by her that they forgot how to play or something. Plus she gave us tips on where to hit based upon wind patterns or somethin'."
Scully laughed at the imagery presented to her.
"So, when is she coming back? Did you get an exact date?"
"Yeah! She flies in on July 31st." Jane looked down.
"Have you been talking again?" Scully asked with a smile. She could see Jane trying to hide her excitement and giddiness. "I can't believe that's only three weeks away!"
"We've been Skyping a lot. It's been good for us. I think our problem was that since we met at work, we had a hard time separating personal and professional. We never really dated, we didn't need to! I'd worked with her for years. I was her best friend. But, being best friends is one thing. Being a spouse is way different." Jane took a long drink of her beer. "I'm actually so excited, I can't explain it."
"I understand all too well," Scully said. "When Mulder and I started seeing each other, we were pretty much already committed to each other minus the physical contact. It didn't help that everyone already assumed we were sleeping together long before we actually were."
"Same! I think it took us so long because we were so busy trying to combat the rumors that we didn't even think about what could happen if everyone was right. We just assumed we were incompatible, and I assumed she was straight!"
"Well, Jane, I can assure you that you're going to get your happy ending. Also, I want to Skype with her soon so I can thank her for the meticulous notes she left. Oh, and for the candy drawer too."
"Not for the photo of Mulder? I seriously can't believe they met like that."
"I agree, the chances of that happening are highly improbable. I think had she and I met under different circumstances, we'd be good friends as well. You'd love Mulder too!"
"I doubt it, I can smell a Yankees fan a mile away." They shared a laugh at that.
The sun was going down and the crowd was gathering towards the far end of the field. There was a makeshift shelter at the end where Vince Korsak stood with the Fire Marshall. Scully waved at Jane's partner and smiled when he waved back. They decided to follow the crowd and after a few minutes, found an empty picnic table facing the shelter.
"This is good spot for fireworks." Jane observed.
"I agree. Want another beer?" Scully dug in one of the coolers and came up empty sans a blue can. "All they've got are cans of Bud Light."
"I'll take it. It's free so I won't be too picky." Jane huffed dramatically. "Listen, ah, I'm really happy, Dana. Like, happier than I've ever been. I have you to thank for that too."
It took a moment for Scully to reply, mostly because she could feel herself getting emotional. "That came out of nowhere. What makes you say that?"
"Because last year, I got down one knee and asked Maura to marry me during the finale. Honestly, the memories don't hurt anymore because she's coming home. I was working myself to death when we started talking and honestly I don't think I would have made it much longer. I owe a lot of that to you. I hope you're happy too." Jane grabbed her hands and squeezed tightly.
Scully exhaled slowly, "I think that in time I will be happy too. I do."
"Do you think Mulder will come back?" Jane asked.
Scully looked to the heavens, willing tears not to fall. "I'm not sure. He still hasn't contacted me. But, I think I'm coming to terms with it."
"You sure? I don't want to pour salt in the wound with the Maura thing."
"No, please continue with your joy - it's contagious. You are now one of my best friends and I cannot wait until you see Maura again."
The fireworks started up and they both focused their attention on the sky. Sometime during the display, Scully's head landed on Jane's shoulder and Jane's arm ended up around her neck. They stayed like that for the rest of the night; two friends seeking safety and comfort in each other.