What if it HAD been an iced tea in that bag? What could have happened?

The car stank from not only the stench of takeout bags and containers, but the man sitting beside her. She could smell the sweat on him and the unmistakable scent of a body unwashed in days. He needed to go home, rest for a bit, but she knew he would not do so without a fight.

"Mulder, it's getting a bit ripe in here, don't you think?" she asked, teasing slightly as she picked up some containers and looked at him before setting them back down.

He reached into the glove compartment, and pulled out an air freshener, tearing off the wrapper and holding it up.

"Pine-scented," he said, smelling it, then holding it close to her nose.

"Ooh!" she exclaimed, pulling away from it, the scent incredibly strong.

"Better?" he asked after hanging it on the rear view mirror. She smiled slightly as he exhaled deeply. "Tooms hasn't come out of the house all day. I sat through a Phillies game, an Orioles game, and four hours of Ba-Ba-Booey. When it got dark, I took a walk around the block. Do you have that sandwich that I asked you to bring?"

"Mm," she hummed, opening up the paper bag and taking out a sandwich. "It's liverwurst." She teased with a smile and he smiled back.

"Ha-ha."

She watched him as he opened the sandwich and knew this was her opening. Time to state her case.

"Mulder, you know that proper surveillance requires two pairs of agents, one pair relieving the other after twelve hours."

"Article 30, paragraph 8.7?" he countered in a snarky tone as he chewed a bite of the sandwich.

"This isn't about doing it by the book. This is about you not having slept for three days. Mulder, you're going to get sloppy and you're going to get hurt. It's inevitable at this point."

"A request for other agents to stake-out Tooms would be denied. To them we have no grounds."

"Well, then I'll stay here. You go home," she suggested and he sighed as he looked out the window.

"They're out to put an end to the X-Files, Scully. I don't know why, but any excuse will do. I don't really care about my record, but you'd be in trouble just sitting in this car and I'd hate to see you carry an official reprimand in your career file because of me."

His words, as well as the way he was looking at her, sat heavy inside her. The thought that he cared for her that much, while not caring about himself, she had to tell him, to let him know she felt the same for him.

"Fox…" she began, wanting him to understand the importance of her words, but his laughter stopped her and she looked at him in surprise.

"And I... I even made my parents call me Mulder. So... Mulder," he said, seeming awkward and uncomfortable as he looked away from her and out the window.

"Mulder, I wouldn't put myself on the line for anybody but you," she said sincerely, her eyes on his profile, watching to see his reaction.

He turned his head and she held his gaze, hoping he felt the weight of her words settling in as his words had done to her. He glanced down and took a breath.

"If there's an iced tea in that bag, could be love."

Of all the responses he could have given, that was not one she had not been expecting. She played along however, knowing his penchant to use humor in serious moments.

Opening the bag, not remembering what she had added, she took out the can and smiled as she looked at it.

"Must be fate, Mulder." She handed it to him and as he held the can of iced tea, his eyes widened as he looked back at her, searching her face. She smiled as he opened his mouth to say something, but she stopped him. "It's just tea, Mulder. Go home and get some sleep. You're delirious." She started to gather up her things, smiling as she did.

"You were just saying two agents should be on a stake-out."

"Yes, I was," she said looking at him. "But you've been here for-"

"I can stay. I'll sleep here."

"Mulder, no. There's no reason for that, I'm perfectly capable of staying on my own."

"I know you are," he said, looking down at the can in his hands. "It's just…"

"Because of the… love tea?" she teased, and his head snapped up. "Mulder, I grabbed a can out of my fridge. You had a 50/50 chance of that being root beer." She smiled at him and he shook his head.

"That's not it."

"Then why?"

"If it was found out you were here, like I said, I don't want that blemish on your record." He stared at her, his expression serious, and her heart began to pound as her breathing increased. "One day, Scully, you're gonna be in the running to be head of the bureau and I don't want this to be anything they can use to hold against you."

"Mulder…"

"You will be. This… our partnership, is merely a stepping stone to the career you will have." He smiled softly at her and she let out a breath. "One day, this will all be fodder at lunches and meetings you will attend."

Reaching out, she placed her hand on top of his with a heavy sigh. He turned his over to clasp hers, his thumb running gently over the top of her hand, both of them watching as he did.

"Mulder… that would never happen. Even if I was actually running the bureau," she said teasingly in a soft tone, watching him smile. "I've seen so much with you. I've seen you… how you care for people, especially those that others may discredit or discount. You see the beauty in the broken, empathize with their pain, and want to help them. It's one of the things I admire most about you." She smiled and glanced up at him, though his gaze remained on their joined hands.

"This would never be fodder. I'm with you, you know that. Even if they shut us down, you and I will still be partners. You can't get rid of me that easily, Mulder." At that, he looked up and shook his head, letting out a deep sigh.

"That's not something I would ever want to do," he said quietly and again her heart pounded. "I… I didn't want you around, tried to push you away, and now I can't imagine my life without you in it."

"Mulder…" she said, dropping her eyes and watching his thumb circling the top of her hand.

"I know it might not be the ideal time to tell you this, what with a liver eating mutant on the loose and all, but…" She looked up at him with a chuckle, his smile soft and sweet. "Scully, you have become exceedingly important to me."

"Exceedingly important?" she teased and he exhaled a laugh.

"Exceptionally would probably be a better word. Exceedingly? Exceptionally? Yeah, I meant to say exceptionally."

"You're exhausted," she said with a small laugh, squeezing his hand and taking hers from his grasp. "Punch drunk even. You need to go home."

"It has nothing to do with my state of exhaustion," he said, continuing to stare at her. "I'm being completely sincere. I didn't work well with other partners, but with you… it's effortless, easy…

"Exceptional?" she asked with a half smile.

"Exceedingly exceptional," he said with a nod and a smile as she licked her lips and looked down for a second before raising her eyes to his, seeing the exhaustion within.

"Mulder, you need to go home and sleep," she said softly. "I don't want you getting hurt." He sighed and then nodded. "Or… if you promise to sleep, to lie down in the backseat of my car and actually sleep, I will allow it to be sufficient."

He smiled and looked down at the iced tea still sitting in his lap.

"I appreciate it, but I think I should go. I could do with some sleep."

"And a shower," she said under her breath, raising her eyebrows as she looked at him, and he laughed softly, then took a deep breath close to his chest.

"Mmm, yeah I think you may be right."

"Oh I… I definitely am," she said, touching her nose and quirking her mouth. He laughed again and nodded, smiling at her as she smiled back.

"Here," he said, handing her the sandwich she had made for him. "Take the sandwich, I only had the one bite. You're gonna want it later, believe me. And if anything happens, call me. I'll be here."

She smiled as she started to get out of the car, turning back when he called her name.

"At 11:30, on station 790, it's the Pete Rose Late Night Sports Talk Radio Show. Trust me." He winked with a nod and a grin, as she rolled her eyes slightly.

"Goodnight, Mulder. I've had an… exceptional time," she said with a smile.

"Exceedingly so, I hope," he said and she nodded, reaching to pat his hand. He grasped it and squeezed her fingers before letting go. "Goodnight. Call if you need anything."

"I will," she promised as she got out and bent at the waist to look at him again.

"Sleep. But a shower first."

"Oh, definitely a shower first," he said, turning the car on and smiling at her.

"Good. Go."

He waved and pulled away as she turned to her car, her hands full. Setting them down on the passenger seat, she smiled as she turned the car on, needing a bit of warmth.

Something changed between them tonight, something she had not been expecting. After Jack, she had made a vow to not become entangled with someone in a superior position to her. She had kept that vow, but with Mulder, there was something different.

He drew her to him, not simply the cases, but him. He was different than anyone she had ever known, his passion and drive unrelenting. It both excited and terrified her, but at the moment, the excitement outweighed any worries and she smiled.

Setting the radio to 790, she locked the doors and leaned back. Crossing her arms, she scanned the area around her for the aforementioned liver eating mutant, and shook her head.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," she whispered with a grin.