Time Well Spent4- Smiles
My life stopped when Mulder proposed to me. I felt like my heart was about to burst with happiness. Never had I dreamed, in all those years, that Mulder would come back to me unscathed. I still don't know what happened to him. He seemed reluctant to tell me.
Our happy reunion was put on hold as Skinner walked in, hands filled with two cups of coffee and a donut. " Here Mulder, I-" he stopped, seeing the three of us. " Well Scully, it seems like Mulder got a happy greeting." He came up to us and kissed me on the cheek. Then he stooped down to say hi to Sam. " How oyu doing, kiddo?" he asked. Sam looked away shyly.
" Why is your head shiny?" she asked. I burst out laughing despite of my horror. " Sam, don't say that! You know better!" I said through my laughter.
Skinner looked at us, then began to laugh also. " Well Sam," he said, " when I was a little older than you, I was really bad, so my mommy decided that each time I was bad, she would cut off a bunch of my hair. I was bad a lot."
Sam looked at Skinner in horror. " Mommy," she said, her eyes fixed on Skinner's head, " don't do that to me."
I laughed and placed a hand on Sam's shoulder. " Don't worry, Hon. Your not that bad."
Our reunion was happy, and we sat talking in Skinner's office for a while, catching up on things. Skinner noticed the engagement ring and started asking questions about the wedding: when it was going to be, who's going to be invited, etc.
I had never felt happier. It seemed that I had carried a weight since Mulder disapeared, and it was finally getting lifted off my shoulders. Sam could see how much happier I was, and that made her happy.
The day ended quickly, and soon it was time to go home. Sam had fallen asleep on Mulder's lap, her thumb in her mouth, snoring lightly. " Mulder, where are you going to stay?" I asked, knowing that his apartment had been rented out. Mulder shrugged. " I'll probably stay at a hotel or something." he said nonchalantly. I looked at him bemused. " Mulder, you were mising for seven years. I don't think they kept your bank account open." Mulder looked at me, a puppydog look in his eyes. He moved carefully off the floor with Sam in his arms. He placed Sam on the floor and made sure she wasn't uncomfortable. He came and sat next to me on the little chair. " Mulder!" I protested. " There's not enough room for both of us." I said. Mulder picked me up off the chair and sat down, plopping me on his lap. " There now. That's better." he said. He kissed my temple, and I leaned against him, grateful all the more that he was home. " Mulder, you can stay with me." I said. " We can go out tomorrow and get you new clothes. Then we can get your job back."
Mulder chuckled, and the sound rumbled against my face. " You would really do that for me?" he asked. I looked up at him, my face reflecting my disbelief. " Mulder, I'm your fiancee. I feel horrible if I didn't." I kissed him lightly to let him know I was serious. A tiny giggle floated up from the floor. Sam was sitting on the floor watching us. " Oohh, Mommy's in love." she sang. Mulder and I laughed.
A clap of thunder made me jump in Mulder's arms. The patter of rain started on the roof. " We should go home." I said. Mulder's face grew passive. " Home. It's been seven years since I've even thought about having a home. It's been longer since I've thought about having a home with you." He smiled at me, and my heart fell into his lap. " I would'ce thought that you would've been dating someone, if not already married." he said gently.
I felt tears rise into my eyes again. " It's only been you Mulder." I whispered. He kissed me again, and I felt the tears float down my cheeks. No, they weren't my tears, they were Mulder's. It tore my heart to see him crying. I wiped the tears away and stood up. " Come on Mulder. Let's go home." I grabbed Sam's hand but she shied away. " No, I want to hold hands with Daddy." she said. I smiled. " Go ahead."
The ride home was uneventful. Sam was really warming up to Mulder. She chattered all the way home about preschool, toys she wanted for Christmas, and, of course, Mulder. Mulder sat with a polite smile on his face, pretending to listen. I looked over at him, and he looked at me, his hazel eyes laughing.
When we got home, Sam ran into the apartment, dragging Mulder behind her. Smiling, I closed the door. I realized that there would be lots of smiling in my future...
TO BE CONTINUED...
My life stopped when Mulder proposed to me. I felt like my heart was about to burst with happiness. Never had I dreamed, in all those years, that Mulder would come back to me unscathed. I still don't know what happened to him. He seemed reluctant to tell me.
Our happy reunion was put on hold as Skinner walked in, hands filled with two cups of coffee and a donut. " Here Mulder, I-" he stopped, seeing the three of us. " Well Scully, it seems like Mulder got a happy greeting." He came up to us and kissed me on the cheek. Then he stooped down to say hi to Sam. " How oyu doing, kiddo?" he asked. Sam looked away shyly.
" Why is your head shiny?" she asked. I burst out laughing despite of my horror. " Sam, don't say that! You know better!" I said through my laughter.
Skinner looked at us, then began to laugh also. " Well Sam," he said, " when I was a little older than you, I was really bad, so my mommy decided that each time I was bad, she would cut off a bunch of my hair. I was bad a lot."
Sam looked at Skinner in horror. " Mommy," she said, her eyes fixed on Skinner's head, " don't do that to me."
I laughed and placed a hand on Sam's shoulder. " Don't worry, Hon. Your not that bad."
Our reunion was happy, and we sat talking in Skinner's office for a while, catching up on things. Skinner noticed the engagement ring and started asking questions about the wedding: when it was going to be, who's going to be invited, etc.
I had never felt happier. It seemed that I had carried a weight since Mulder disapeared, and it was finally getting lifted off my shoulders. Sam could see how much happier I was, and that made her happy.
The day ended quickly, and soon it was time to go home. Sam had fallen asleep on Mulder's lap, her thumb in her mouth, snoring lightly. " Mulder, where are you going to stay?" I asked, knowing that his apartment had been rented out. Mulder shrugged. " I'll probably stay at a hotel or something." he said nonchalantly. I looked at him bemused. " Mulder, you were mising for seven years. I don't think they kept your bank account open." Mulder looked at me, a puppydog look in his eyes. He moved carefully off the floor with Sam in his arms. He placed Sam on the floor and made sure she wasn't uncomfortable. He came and sat next to me on the little chair. " Mulder!" I protested. " There's not enough room for both of us." I said. Mulder picked me up off the chair and sat down, plopping me on his lap. " There now. That's better." he said. He kissed my temple, and I leaned against him, grateful all the more that he was home. " Mulder, you can stay with me." I said. " We can go out tomorrow and get you new clothes. Then we can get your job back."
Mulder chuckled, and the sound rumbled against my face. " You would really do that for me?" he asked. I looked up at him, my face reflecting my disbelief. " Mulder, I'm your fiancee. I feel horrible if I didn't." I kissed him lightly to let him know I was serious. A tiny giggle floated up from the floor. Sam was sitting on the floor watching us. " Oohh, Mommy's in love." she sang. Mulder and I laughed.
A clap of thunder made me jump in Mulder's arms. The patter of rain started on the roof. " We should go home." I said. Mulder's face grew passive. " Home. It's been seven years since I've even thought about having a home. It's been longer since I've thought about having a home with you." He smiled at me, and my heart fell into his lap. " I would'ce thought that you would've been dating someone, if not already married." he said gently.
I felt tears rise into my eyes again. " It's only been you Mulder." I whispered. He kissed me again, and I felt the tears float down my cheeks. No, they weren't my tears, they were Mulder's. It tore my heart to see him crying. I wiped the tears away and stood up. " Come on Mulder. Let's go home." I grabbed Sam's hand but she shied away. " No, I want to hold hands with Daddy." she said. I smiled. " Go ahead."
The ride home was uneventful. Sam was really warming up to Mulder. She chattered all the way home about preschool, toys she wanted for Christmas, and, of course, Mulder. Mulder sat with a polite smile on his face, pretending to listen. I looked over at him, and he looked at me, his hazel eyes laughing.
When we got home, Sam ran into the apartment, dragging Mulder behind her. Smiling, I closed the door. I realized that there would be lots of smiling in my future...
TO BE CONTINUED...