Mulder sat on the porch swing, the newly minted spring air, still a bit chilly. He could hear Scully inside, through the partially opened front door, as she cleaned up Faith's toys and talked to Bella about their day.

He smiled as he listened, wondering if she knew how much she talked to Bella. She carried on full one sided conversations and it was absolutely adorable. He worried if he called attention to it, she might stop, so he kept his mouth shut and his ears open.

Glancing over at the rental car, the reason he had sought the quiet of the cool outside, and he shook his head. He sighed as he looked down at the notebook in his lap and the words he had scrawled hastily at times and slowly and precisely, needing to get every detail correct.

It was strange how a rental car could ignite memories the way it had, but it did, and he would be foolish to ignore the words that demanded to be written down.

The screen door creaked open and he looked up to see Scully and Bella came out to join him. He smiled at them both as Scully sat down beside him, smiling back as the swing began to move.

"You've been out here for awhile, whatcha doing?" she asked, reaching for his hand and putting her head on his shoulder.

"Well…" he started to say, but stopped as they heard whining, and he leaned forward and found Bella by their feet, staring at him with her puppy eyes.

He stopped the swing, bending to pick her up, her body wiggling as she tried to lick him. She was like a little corkscrew at times, her body winding around and around in her excitement. He set her between them and she settled down as he rubbed her ears. Scully sighed and looked at her with a smile.

"I absolutely made the right decision," she said, petting her back and he laughed.

"Of which you have mentioned many times in the last few months," he said with a laugh.

"Just want it to be known."

"Uh huh," he laughed and she grinned.

"So what are you up to out here, Mulder? Aren't you cold?" she asked and he shook his head.

"Well, maybe a bit, but I needed to collect my thoughts."

"And write them down?" she asked, picking up the notebook and flipping through some of the pages.

"Yeah."

"What is this?" she asked, looking at him curiously.

"Well, you might call it spooky but," he said with a sheepish grin. "Today I… I don't know, there was something about-"

"The rental car?" she asked and his eyes widened.

"Yes! How did you know?"

"I… I don't know, it was weird, spooky even, but when we got in today… I don't know, it was like we had gone back in time. As though I could see us and how much of our lives we spent in cars so similar to that one. I thought of so many places, conversations, how I felt driving along dark highways and busy city streets with you…" she trailed off, looking into the distance.

"Exactly," he whispered, shaking his head, with a laugh.

She shook her head and looked at him with a smile. "We spent a large portion of our lives traveling in cars like that one or in motel rooms with scratchy sheets and towels."

"I know. And… that was what sparked my need to write it down. There is no way to put our memories into words that will be the same as living it, but I want her to know how our life was. The story I started for her last year, it is more about our cases we worked on but that," he said, gesturing toward the rental car in the driveway, "that is us." He looked at her and she smiled.

"I wanted to write it down, to have the tangible proof to show Faith how and where I fell in love with you. To tell her a story of all the places where I lost my heart along the way." He looked at her with a smile and she raised her eyebrows at him.

"All the places? Is there more than one?"

"Oh, Scully… You really have no idea do you?" She smiled at him as he took the notebook from her, flipping through the pages, and starting at the beginning….

Oregon

She stood with him in the graveyard, the rain pouring down, and a huge smile on her face. In that moment, though he did not mean nor plan to, he fell in love with her.

She had been assigned to work with him, to report back her findings on the cases he investigated. They wanted her to debunk the validity of his work and shut him down. At the moment however, it did not look as though that carefully constructed plan would work the way they wanted.

She was there. She may not believe the way he did, but she had not shaken her head or thrown up her hands and left.

At least not yet.

Having no field experience, he had been curious how she would do. She had been a quick study, and fallen into it with little ease. Small in stature, she commanded a large presence, and he was happy to give it to her.

Now, standing in the rain, the freezing water running down both their faces, she began to laugh. Not at him, of that he was sure. No, she was laughing at how the crazy ideas he had laid out, now made sense. They underestimated her, and he could see it happening before his eyes. She was listening, even if she did not completely believe as readily as he did.

Watching her laughing, the sound of it like beautiful music, he knew how dangerous it was to fall in love with a colleague, but he could not stop it if he tried. She was simply adorable in the soaking wet jacket that was too big for her, her hair in a ponytail which made her look much younger than she was, and the beautiful smile on her face.

And she was listening to him.

How could he not lose his heart to her just a little?

Iowa

They sat at a table waiting for their flight, Scully was tired and nearly falling asleep. He watched her fight against it, her chin in her hand and he smiled. Moving her cup out-of-the-way, he continued to look at her. She was not wearing much makeup and he could see her freckles. She looked younger when he could see them, like a fresh faced college student. Sighing, she opened her eyes and sat up as she found him watching her.

"What? Why are you staring at me?" he shook his head and shrugged. She frowned and rolled her neck. "As soon as we get on this plane, I'm going right to sleep."

"Just try not to drool on me."

"How dare you suggest I drool," she said, her voice scratchy with sleep. He smiled and she put her chin back in her hand. "I'm so tired."

He nodded and then their flight was called. They got up and walked to the gate and stopped as they waited to walk onto the plane. As they sat down, and buckled their seatbelts, she closed the window and leaned her head on his shoulder. He smiled and closed his eyes, tired himself. She sighed and shifted a little, getting more comfortable.

"Wake me when we land," she said quietly.

"If I'm not drowning in drool," he teased and she exhaled a laugh, but did not move.

She was asleep before they took off and he recognized once again that a little piece of his heart seemed to have been left at a table in a small airport in Iowa.

Washington D.C.

Another expense report meeting, dull and soul crushing. Two other agents had joined to also discuss their expenses. Two men, Agents Burke and Mills, whom he had never cared for.

He had endured their mocking but one day in the locker room, after a basketball game, he had overheard Burke saying something rude about Scully. As Mulder came around the lockers and he saw him, the laughing stopped and Burke's smile disappeared.

"What was that you were saying, Burke?" He asked, walking closer to him. "I don't think I heard you clearly."

"Hey, man, it was just a joke."

"Huh, and yet I'm not laughing. Maybe I missed the punchline."

"Don't do this, man."

"Me? Don't do this? Hadley, how about you tell me the joke that seems to be so funny," he said turning to another agent.

"Come on, Mulder. It was just…"

"A joke, yeah I've heard, except it's not. It's rude, it's degrading, and it's wrong. I don't care that you think that since she didn't hear what you said, that it doesn't matter, the problem is that you were saying it. And it's about my partner, so you and I have a problem."

They stared at each other and then Burke looked away, saying nothing.

"Any of you got something to say?" No one said anything and Mulder shook his head. "Keep it that way." He walked away and they stayed silent.

Now, Burke kept glancing at him and he knew Scully noticed, if her glances to him meant anything. He ignored her as he stared at Burke, not backing down.

When they broke for lunch, Burke hightailed it out of the room and Mulder laughed bitterly under his breath. Scully stared at him and it caused him to sigh, knowing he owed her an explanation.

"Gina's?" he asked, knowing she liked that place. She stared at him and nodded. "Let's go eat and I'll tell you."

As they ate, she listened to his story and she sighed uncomfortably, but did not seem as upset as he thought she would be.

"This doesn't bother you?" he asked almost angrily.

"You think it doesn't bother me?" she asked in disbelief.

"You don't seem perturbed."

She laughed bitterly and shook her head.

"Mulder, it's not the first time or the last that some asshole man thinks it's okay to joke about a woman he would never have a chance to bed," She shrugged and he stared at her. "Trust me, he would have no shot and it makes him crazy. Makes all men crazy when they can't have something they find desirable."

She picked up the check and gave it to the waiter. "Doesn't make it hurt less or make it right, but…" She looked at him with almost sad eyes and he hated Burke more in that moment than any other.

Hated his own gender a little for that matter.

They went back to the office and Scully made a point of saying hello to Burke and smiling kindly, taking him by surprise. He glanced at Mulder, who nodded at him, letting him know that she knew. His face reddened, and he sat far away from them. Just before the meeting began, Scully winked at Mulder and it felt as though another piece of his heart was left in the meeting room.

Maine

He was angry with her, so very angry. A case with a missing child was always harder on him than others and she knew it. Normally, she would treat him gentler, but this time she acted as though his feelings did not matter. She made a cutting remark about his past and he had to physically walk away from her. He could feel her eyes following him, but he did not turn around and look at her.

He got in the car, driving away, not caring if it left her stranded. She could find her own way back to the motel, he needed time away from her and the case.

He drove until he found himself at the coast, the waves crashing angrily. He got out of the car and stood looking out at the water. The wind whipped around him and he shivered in his suit jacket.

The gray of the day, the chill of the weather, and now the ocean air made him think of the little girl they were trying to find. He knew the statistics and yet… He hoped against the odds, but he knew it was most likely an empty hope.

He hated these cases at times. Hated how they pulled at him, left him empty, even as others found the answers they sought after.

Closing his eyes, he shook his head, his anger beginning to subside. Scully had been right, he knew it, but her words hurt, causing him to abandon her and drive away.

He listened to the familiar sounds of waves crashing against the shore and breathed deeply as he did. He remembered how the sound brought him peace when he was younger. The days he would ride his bike to the beach when the silence at home became too loud.

Shaking his head, he opened his eyes, watching the waves for a bit, before getting in the car and driving back to the police station, sure she would have left already.

Walking inside, he heard her voice and waited until she saw him to let her know he was there.

She sighed and excused yourself to walk over to him. Staring at him as she stepped closer, she touched his arm lightly, her eyes telling him she was sorry. He nodded and glanced back toward the officers, but her grip tightened and he looked back at her. She shook her head and he dropped his own.

"No news yet, Mulder," she said quietly. "No news is good." He nodded, not looking at her. "Let's get out of here."

He looked up at her and she smiled slightly, before he looked back again and she pushed him gently toward the exit.

He let her lead him out and he handed her the keys. She touched his back as they stepped in front of each other, switching spots. He was quiet as they drove and she said nothing to break the silence.

Almost to the hotel, she stopped at a drive-through and grabbed some food, ordering for both of them, without asking what he wanted.

Pulling into the motel, they each grabbed a bag and the drinks. He followed her into her room and they ate, not speaking, finding comfort in the silence.

They cleaned up and he started to go to his room, through the adjoining door. She stopped him and he looked at her. She sighed and he touched her upper arm, knowing what she was trying to say.

"I know, Scully. It's okay," he whispered.

She nodded and then stepped forward and embraced him. He was surprised but hugged her back, hearing her soft apology as they stood there in the quiet of the room. She stepped back and he walked into his room, closing the door behind him, leaving a piece of his heart in her room, for her to heal, as only she could.

Washington state

She had been unfazed for most of the case. Seeing the incandescent bugs however, and realizing that they were all over everything, including them, seemed to be her undoing.

She had flailed about, yelling for him to get them off of her and only seemed to calm down when he physically held her, to stop her from breaking the one remaining light, that kept them out of the dark.

He calmed her down and she was quiet as they sat on the cot together. He watched her and thought of how she kept surprising him with her ability to stick around with the cases they investigated. This one… he was worried they might not make it, but did not want to show it.

They had made it, however, and when he was well enough to leave his quarantine room, he watched over her for three days before she woke up, her eyes asking questions, as she was unable to speak at first.

"You're okay," he whispered, and she nodded, closing her eyes. Her hand came out from under the blankets, and reached for his, causing him to smile as he grasped her hand.

She sighed and he squeezed slightly. She squeezed back and fell asleep. He watched her sleep and felt again the way he had in a wet and muddy graveyard. He did not want to do it, tried to stop it, but a piece of his heart was lost to her once again, in a quarantine hospital in Washington state.

"So, that's five different states, where you feel you lost a piece of your heart to me?" she asked, staring at him with a smile as he laughed softly.

"Well, losing sounds like the wrong word," he said with a smile. "Because I didn't lose my heart, as you can't lose something, if you freely give it." She smiled, shaking her head as she laid it back on his shoulder.

"What? No come back? You're not going to say that I'm cheesy or that my words are gross?" She laughed and then sighed.

"I'm turning over a new leaf here, Mulder, I'll allow the mushy…" He shifted and she sat forward to look at him. "To a point, so… tread lightly." He laughed again and they sat back, the porch swing moving slowly.

A few minutes passed and he sighed, petting Bella as he rested his head against Scully's.

"It is getting cold. Do you want to go inside?" he asked and she sighed.

"No, not yet. I'm thinking about the places you wrote down and it's interesting. They seem so commonplace and unimportant. I don't mean they were, don't get me wrong… but it's such normal times and yet to you, they were special and important and I love that." He hummed in agreement and they were quiet for a few minutes.

"How about this? Why don't you go make us some tea and bring out a blanket?" she said, sitting up and looking at him, as she took the notebook and the pen. "Leave this here with me. I have some things I'd like to add to our story.