**I know, I know…sorry but this is my favourite chapter…hope it's yours too.**

Mulder walked into the Jefferson resident bar and scanned the room for Chuck's familiar head. He cursed himself in the short cab ride over for not explaining to her where he was going and who he was meeting and he still wasn't sure why he hadn't.  The words seemed to get stuck in his throat, refusing to surface.  He spotted Chuck sitting by the window with two women and he fixed a smile on his uncooperative lips as he walked over.

"Mulder you made it," Chuck said standing to greet his friend with some relief.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, I had some trouble at work."

"Well you're here now, this is Charlotte Byrne," Chuck said indicating a blonde that sat to his left.

"Hello," she said shaking his hand lightly with little effort.

"And this young lady, who I want you to show a great time," Chuck said turning to the other one, "Is Sarah Wilson."

"Hello Sarah," Mulder said approaching her with an outstretched hand.

            Sarah stood to meet him and shook his hand firmly and Mulder found himself looking eye to eye with a deep pair of brown eyes.  Her hair was a dirty blonde and fell in loose curls about her shoulders and framed a face that was smiling warmly at him.

"Hello."

"Can I get you a drink?" he asked eager to get the night started so it could finish.

"Please, I'll have a Jack Daniels and Diet Coke," she said surprising him with her choice.

"Chuck? Charlotte?"

"No thanks, Mulder, we're fine."

            Mulder went over to the bar and ordered her whiskey and coke and got himself a whiskey, neat. When he returned he sat onto the small two-seater couch next to Sarah and passed her the glass.

"Thanks," she said taking a small sip.

"No Problem."

"So Chuck says you're and FBI Agent."

"Yes."

"Interesting job.  It's one of those jobs that you know people do but you never meet any."

"It is?"

"You know like map drawer, or something."

"I suppose," he admitted with a chuckle.  "But this is Washington.  You can't turn around without tripping over an FBI Agent."

"I'm not from around here.  I just came into town for the conference."

"Where are you from?" Mulder asked trying to kick-start his brain into an interesting conversation.

"New York."

"I was born in New York."

"So you'd be a Knicks fan then?"

"Definitely!" he said suddenly relaxing into the chair and easy conversation.  "So what do you do?"

"I'm an engineer.  Electronic engineer."

"Yeah?" he said surprised as he took in the long fitting baby blue silk dress that hugged her slim figure.

"I know.  Most people think I'm just hanging on the end of some nerd when in fact I'm a nerd myself," she said smiling.

            Mulder found himself warming to her self-depreciatory humour and tried to shake images of Scully's face before she left, out of his mind and concentrate on Sarah's conversation.

"I went to university with Chuck and we always had this agreement to go to these things together.  Protect ourselves from the over exuberant engineers.  But Thursday night he rang me up telling me that he actually managed to convince someone to go with him, forgetting that I had already booked my flight down," she watched his face as she sipped her drink.  "So I guess you got roped in to entertain me."

"Something like that."

"Well after we get to the conference you can leave, I mean I'll be mingling all night with the other nerds, you'll only be bored."

"Not at all. I couldn't do that," he said with a crooked smile.  "I wouldn't be a very good escort if I skipped out on the first opportunity."

"Escort? More like victim!"  They both laughed making Chuck and Charlotte look over.

            Mulder surprised himself with the conversation and Sarah surprised him with her charming unassuming personality.  He supposed he had been expecting the worst and she was nothing like he imagined so it was long before the hours slipped by.  The dinner was bland and the speeches went over his head, but the wine was free and the company was captivating.  Sarah made a running commentary on people that wandered in her line of sight with a humour he wasn't used to but was mesmerised by.

            After the tables were cleared the music began and Sarah excused herself to speak to some engineers and Chuck saw Mulder sitting n his own.

"Hey Mulder, how's it going?" he asked as he sat down.

"Great, she's very nice."

"Thanks for doing this.  Sarah wanted to come alone but I insisted."

"No problem Chuck.  I'm actually having a good time."

"I knew you would.  Sarah is one of a kind."

"She is," Mulder agreed as he spotted her being led out to the dance floor by an old man that Mulder thought would be better suited in a coffin.  He smiled at her rolling eyes and jerking head movements as the man twirled her around the floor.

"Looks like she needs rescuing," Chuck said with a smile.

"I better get out there."  Mulder dodged his way past the sidestepping couples and tapped her dancing partner's shoulder.

"May I cut in?" he asked sweetly.

"Well…I…" the older man stumbled searching for the right excuse to deny his request.

"It's just that my wife and I rarely get to dance anymore."

"Oh, of course," he released her hand into Mulders and stepped away."

            She stepped fully into the circle of his arms and Mulder immediately regretted his decision to join her.  Her other hand rested on his shoulder as he placed his tentatively on her waist.

"I'm not much of a dancer," he admitted avoiding her eyes.

"Don't worry, it can only be an improvement."

            Mulder thought back to the last time he had danced.  It had been with Scully at that Cher cover concert and he remembered looking down to her smiling face.  His own smile suddenly changing from one of simple joy to a realisation that there was where he belonged, drowning in the power of her gaze.  Focusing his eyes again Mulder found his face aligned with Sarah's a curious expression covering her smooth features.  He tried to smile but she saw through it and knew that it wouldn't reach his eyes no matter how hard he tried.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes I'm just trying not to stand in your toes!"

"You seemed to disappear there for a moment," she commented hoping he'd continue but when he didn't she did.  "Its woman trouble right?"

"Woman trouble?" he said hoping he was carrying off a confused face well.  "No."

"Am I stepping on someone's toes?"

"No not al all.  It's nothing like that."
"Go on tell me.  It's always good to now I'm not the only workaholic social outcast."

            He chuckled softly and wondered briefly if he should talk about it.  She was going back to New York in the morning and a second opinion couldn't hurt.

"It's a friend.  My best friend, someone I work with."

"Your partner?"

"How did you know?"

"Two and two Mulder," she said never surprised at the blinkers men sometimes wore.  "So what's the problem?"

"I guess I'm just reluctant to press the issue in case it destroys what we already have."

"A friendship is good Mulder but a relationship is amazing.  Anything worth while holds a certain amount of risk."

"A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush."

"As far as I can tell, your hands are empty."
            He smiled at her words and she let him retreat again to collect his thoughts but all too soon the music ended and the band announced a ten minute break.

"There are some people over there that I really need to talk to," she said.

"Okay, I'll go and get us some drinks."

            He watched her glide over to the table of men all of whom stood up at her approach and he smiled.  Standing at the bar he waited for the bartender to pour their drinks when he felt a slap on his back between his shoulders. He whipped around only to see Byers and Frohike standing behind him their smiles wide and knowing.

"Another raid Mulder?"

"No, I…what are you guys going here?"

"Are you kidding? The biggest Electronic show this side of Tokyo? Wouldn't miss it for the world," Frohike said rubbing his hands together.

"Is Langly here?"

"Not in person," he said showing Mulder a small pin that he took to be a camera.

"So who's the chickadee Mulder?" he asked bluntly.

"A friend of a friend," he said neutrally.

"Is Special Agent Dana Scully here?" he asked fixing his bow tie.

"No she's not," Mulder answered sharply taking the two glasses from the bartender.

            Byers and Frohike exchanged glances and turned back to Mulder who was sipping his whiskey, relishing the taste of the warm sharp liquid.  He held out one of the glasses to a tall woman who seemed to appear by his side in a long blue dress.

"Thanks," she said taking a sip and eyeing Frohike and Byers.

"Sarah this is John and Richard Campbell, two friends of mine.  Gentlemen, this is Sarah Wilson."

"Hello," Frohike said shaking her hand while Byers made a small bow from the waist.

"So which company are you representing here today?" she asked.

"I'm afraid it's a Government Institute, we're not at liberty to say," Byers offered quickly.

"Oh right I understand," she said with only a hint of a smile on her lips.

"Anyway we must get going," Frohike said slapping Mulder forearm and following Byers into the crowd.

"Strange company you keep Mulder," she muttered and smiled before she took another sip.

"You don know the half of it."

"I well believe it.  Chuck has told me a few stories."

"All good I hope."

"All good if a little bizarre."

"Story of my life."

"So tell me Mulder," she said suddenly, turning he whole body towards him.  "Why were you free on this lovely Friday evening?"

"I'm in the middle of a case," he said thinking of the time wasted in Seattle.  "So everything else takes a back seat."

"Right," she said exaggerating the vowels to emphasis her disbelief.

            She could almost see his distant wandering thoughts and wondered where he was going with, what she was sure was, a detailed imagination.   Mulder cold still smell her perfume.  The faint floral aroma mixed with soap and her herbal shampoo.  It was a fragrance he associated with comfort and safety.  He wondered what he might be doing and he pictured her sitting on the floor by her couch studiously working on her laptop, oblivious to the Friday might festivities going on in the bustling city around her.  But all of a sudden she wasn't alone and strong fingers reached for her face to turn her into a warm kiss.  He shook his head and turned to see Sarah watching him.

"You haven't heard a word I just said."

"I'm sorry Sarah," he said not wanting to insult her with platitudes.  "I guess I'm a little pre-occupied."

"Get out of here Mulder," she said taking the glass out of his hand.  "And promise me something."

"What?"

"Go to her.  Please, for your sake and hers."

            He smiled warmly at her and for the first time freely as he let her know how much he appreciated it with only a simple look.  He left mouthing his thanks as he pulled his jacket on and rushed into the street to hail a cab.  Climbing into the back seat his head whirled with thoughts and words he might use to tell her all the while trying to calm his rapid heart beat.

"Georgetown please."

***

            The laptop sat unopened and unused on the kitchen table.  She felt like it had betrayed her, showing her the side of Mulders weekend she didn't want to see.  It was much better when she thought he was in a bad mood due to the long empty weekend ahead of him which would almost definitely prompt a late night visit with a movie and probably a bottle of wine.  But not tonight. 

            She had changed immediately out of her suit and decided on a light pair of black linen trousers and a white fitted long sleeve.  Wandering back to the kitchen she put the remainder of the lasagne in the oven to heat up while she carried her laundry down to the basement.  She swapped idle chat and building complaints with the other tenants before rushing back up to rescue her dinner from burning.  Eating it in front of the TV with the paper opened in front of her she tried to catch up with the news as the evening passed.  The image of him in the tuxedo was unexpected and lingered in her thoughts popping to the forefront when she didn't expect it.  She imagined what type of function he was attending and tried not to imagine his company.  But regardless of her thoughts her self-delusion was evident when she could feel her pulse quicken at the sight of him and felt his beat against her fingers when she'd fixed his tie.

            Feeling restless now she spotted the time was nearing ten o'clock and she couldn't take the stillness any longer.  Rushing into her bedroom she discarded her clothes and changed into a pair of shorts and a sweatshirt whose sleeves had long since been ripped off.  Grabbing her house key she bounded into the cool night welcoming the fresh breeze that caressed her skin.  She set a pace and allowed the rhythm to pound through her body, regulating her thoughts and her heart.  Random thoughts spun her mind but the beat of the streets kept her going.

***

            Mulder paid the driver and all but ran up to her door. Standing still now he ran both of his hands through his hair dislodging the wavy locks enough to make it fall over his forehead.  He sucked in a deep breath and pushed it past his lips.

"Okay Scully, I hope you're ready for this," he said before knocking loudly, urgently as if he was in danger of changing his mind.

            Taking a few more deep breaths he waited for her familiar footfall, her familiar mock annoyance at the late hour and her eventual smile at his presence.  He waited a few seconds…more…minutes, before knocking again.

"Come on Scully," he muttered.

            He'd only taken his apartment keys out this evening so he couldn't let himself in.  He knocked again and waited again but finally he resigned himself to the fact that she wasn't here, or worse she wasn't answering.  He slumped low onto the steps and dropped his head into his hands.  His physical deflation soon followed by an emotional one as he realised what little courage that had pushed him this far was rapidly disappearing.

***

            Her legs screamed for a rest and her arms felt as though they were carrying two tonne weights.  Her lungs stung with every intake of air but she felt alive.  She had been concentrating on her pace so well that she hadn't realised how far she had run and it was some relief that she finally made it back onto her own street.  Slowing down she started to walk as she fished the key out of her pocket, taking big steps to stretch out her muscles she stopped in her tracks when she spotted him sitting on her doorstep.  His figure instantly recognisable to her especially with the tux he was wearing.

            He heard the running footsteps and looked through his fingers to see her jogging down the street.  Her hair had been tied into a high ponytail exposing her neck and the shorts she wore revealed more of her legs than any of her skirts ever did.  He watched her pace slow down to a walk before she spotted him and stopped completely.  Slowly he stood up to greet her, a million witty thoughts and comments ready but the courage he thought had abandoned him earlier surged through his body invading his senses and taking control of his body.

            He closed the distance between them in three steps and grabbed her face with both hands.  His mouth fell over hers as he spoke her name with a sigh.

"Scully…"

            Their lips met in a stormy clash of a couple that had been without for too long and he parted her lips with his probing tongue with ease.  The feeling of her hands curling around his waist under his jacket sent a wave of approval through his foggy senses as he deepened the kiss, moving one hand to bury in her hair while the other caressed it's way down her back to claim it's usual spot as his own.  Her tongue matched his in a duel that jolted the senses all over his body with every excited stroke until finally they became languid and deep.

            Eventually the need for air forced them apart and he looked down to her swollen kissed lips as her tongue reappeared to sooth them.  She could taste the sour whiskey he'd been drinking a stark remainder of their actions that she was sure she'd never forget.  They still clung together closely and his fingers moved leisurely and gently on her neck.

"Mulder," she said in little more than a whisper but the look in her eyes of fear and joy both battling for prominence stopped him from kissing her again.  His courage took a step back and he followed it with his body as he released her from his grip, his eyes never leaving hers as they read the questions that lurked behind them begging for answers.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help it," he said as he reached up to brush her cheek with the back of his fingers.  "I just couldn't help it."

"I don't know what to say."

"It's okay, you don't need to say anything."  He pulled his hand back and pushed them both in to his pockets before they betrayed his need to touch her again.

"Oh okay then, see you Monday!" she said and the sound of rejection screamed before him so loudly that he missed her mocking tone.  "Are you crazy?" She took his arm and led him into the apartment.

"Mulder you cant…do that…"

"Look-," he began the words finally returning to his brain.

"No, you look," she all but shouted.  "What do you think you were doing?"

"Kissing you?" he feebly, smiling sideways.

"Yeah I got that bit, but why?"

"Why?" he asked incredulously.  "Oh I suppose maybe it's because you are the most beautiful, intelligent, funny, tolerant and caring woman I've ever met.  And I've been wanting to do that for so long…I was tired of hiding, of being scared, of the restraint."

            His eyes swarmed around her face gauging every movement every twitch for a clue, an insight into her thoughts.

"I know I went about it all wrong," he continued hurriedly, "but I had a big speech prepared and you weren't here to hear it.  Then when I saw you walking up the path in those gorgeous shorts my vocabulary deserted me so I did the only thing I could think of."

"You kissed me."

"You kissed me back."

"I did, didn't I?" she admitted with a shy smile and he nodded his head with a little chuckle.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he said with a small grimace, making her smile wider.

"Couldn't we just pretend…" she began struggling to find the words to the courage to continue.

            His heart stopped and his mind reeled with the possibilities of how she might finish that sentence.  Pretend it never happened? Pretend he never kissed her?

"Pretend we're two normal people without the weight of the world on our shoulders and just enjoy the moment?"

"I'd love to," he said breathing again and stepping forward to enclose her in his arms relishing the feel of her head resting on his chest and her arms wrapping tightly around his waist.  A gentle kiss placed on the top of her head where he could rest his chin showed him just how perfectly they fit together.  They stood like that for a moment standing still their hands holding on tightly for fear the other might leave.

"So what happens now?" he murmured into her hair.

"I need to take a shower and stretch before my legs give out."

"Not the answer I was expecting but better than others I thought of," he said laughing as he released her.  Shyly almost demurely she backed away from him watching the smile cross his lips as more and more of her short clad legs came into his view. 

"I'll be back in a minute."

            She hurried to the bedroom and carried a change of clothes into her bathroom to take a quick perfunctory shower.  Slipping back into the linen black trousers and white long sleeve she towel dried her hair before walking out to the living room where she found Mulder sitting on the corner of the couch his head bent in thought as his hands fumbled amongst themselves.  He looked up as she approached and smiled softly.  She perched on the opposite side of the couch turning her whole body side ways curling one of her legs beneath her as she looked at him squarely a smile tugging one end of her lips up into a half smile at the sight of his tie undone and hanging loosely down his chest and the top buttons of his shirt opened.

"Do you want to air out your speech or is it all a bit moot now?"

"Well it was all based around good reasons for you to let me kiss you but…I guess I showed them all to you with the practical earlier."

            Her soft laugh caressed his ears easing some of the tension that he felt building while she was in the shower, and he let out a slow shaky breath.  A wary hand reached out from his lap and landed on her knee in a friendly gesture that all of a sudden meant much more.  Their eyes locked and they froze unexpectedly bombarded with uncertainties that passed between them without words.

"I said I have been thinking about this for a long time Scully," she said, his voice hoarse and uneven.  "But it's not fair for me to expect you to accept everything as is."

            She let him ramble on with the thoughts he'd developed since she went to the shower and smiled at his unease as he struggled to find the right words, the right feelings to make it all easier for her.

"I understand that this is all a bit of a shock to your system so maybe it would be best if I gave you some room to digest as it were…everything I've said and done tonight."

            She wanted him to stay but part of her needed him to leave.   To give her the space he was offering to give her the time to think about what he had done and where he was leading her.  She nodded her head slowly and his shoulders slumped slightly as if he hoped for a different answer. 

"You know where I'll be."

            He squeezed her knee gently and stood with an almost silent groan.  She followed him to the door and held it open, leaning against it for strength.  He hesitated a moment considering his options before capturing her lips with his own in a soft tender kiss.  The type he imagined their first would be if his instincts hadn't over run the fear in his brain.  Her hands suddenly appeared on his neck pulling him lower as she stood on her tiptoes to enable the kiss to deepen, rivalling the passion they discovered earlier out side her apartment.  But with a firm grip on her hips he pushed her back down to the ground and prised his mouth away from hers.  The crooked smile he wore spoke volumes to her and she briefly wondered why he wasn't kissing her.

"Scully I only have so much will power and it is draining me to walk out this door.  So you either stop and let me go or…god help me…I can only refuse so much," his voice was husky and rich with need but she knew she had to let him go.  She wanted to go to him for the right reasons and not on a whim.  Her nod was barely perceptible but as she released her grip on his neck he stood to his full height and took a step back, afraid of the power of their closeness.

"I'm going home.  I'll be there if you want to call me…and talk," he said evenly and seemed about to walk away but turned back to her swiftly. "Scully whatever you decide, you're my best friend and you always will be.  Never forget that."

"I wont Mulder," she said looking him in the eye and believing every word he said.

            She watched him leave and listened to the heavy slam of the outer door before going back to her couch and falling onto its soft cushions.  A long shuddering sigh escaped past her lips and her senses were suddenly filled with the aroma of familiar aftershave he left in a lingering trap to lure her into following him.  It worked.  She hurried into her bedroom and put on some sandals before grabbing her car keys and rushing out of the house.

            Mulder drove easily through the empty streets and made it to his place in no time.  The drudgingly slow journey up in the elevator annoyed him in its ordinariness.  The night he kissed her for the first time was supposed to achieve a level in his life never felt before.  And although the sensation he felt on his lips, could still feel on his lips, as they touched hers was indescribable, the tremor of fear he could feel on his way home growing uncontrollably in the pit of his stomach wasn't part of the plan.  He pulled the tie from his neck and threw it onto the couch dropping the suit jacket next to it.  As he walked into the bedroom he kicked of his shoes and slowly escaped the confines of the formal tux in favour of a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.  He padded out to the front room too wired to sleep and slipped on a pair of socks.  With his feet propped up on the coffee table and the remote control firmly encased in his hands he settled for a long night of restless thoughts and broken desires.   The old laurel and hardy movie did nothing to alleviate his worries and it was all he could do not to call her, to beg her to come over.  But he crossed his arms in defiance as if he could keep them away from the phone and patiently waited for when she'd call him.

            His head rested back against the couch and his eyes drifted closed but he was no closer to sleeping now than he ever was.  With no lights on and the TV turned low he could hear a couple across the hall arguing and caught the shadows moving passed his door as one of them stormed off.  It was with some surprise that he heard the knock on his door.  Too afraid to hope it was her, to afraid not to, he tentatively walked over and rested his hand on the handle.  He took a deep breath and pulled the door open quickly wanting to know straight away if it was her, as the smile spread across his lips freely before she stepped in and covered them with a kiss.

            With their lips still locked in soft kisses he walked backwards, holding her close and slammed the door behind her.  Not wanting to break the spell and not wanting to question her presence or motives he kept her lips connected with his in a motion that stirred senses in both of them.  But her hands came up to his chest and pushed him away.

"Mulder I've been thinking."

"Good news I take it by your greeting."

            She chuckled softly as he took both her hands in both of his and led her back to the couch.  They sat like teenagers discovering their first relationship with secret smiles and stolen glances until she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

Mulder I've been thinking," she began with her eyes still closed.  "About what you did."

"You mean kissing you?" he said and with her eyes still closed she didn't see him move in closer and touched his lips to the corner of hers making her jump a little.

"Yes…and I don't want to change the dynamics of the relationship we already have…but I don't want you to stop," she added softly, so softly that he strained to hear her.

"I don't want to."

"Where are we going?" she asked suddenly opening her eyes and he watched as her pupils settled in the dimly lit room.

"Does it matter? As long as we're together?"

"But Mulder…there is so much at stake, so much to think about and factor in…"

"Listen to me Scully," he said cupping her chin with one hand and pulling the other up to his chest.  "The only thing we need to think about right now is us.  Whether we want to travel down this path…nothing else matters now."  His voice was firm and she let the strength sink into her ears covering her body with a growing sense of certainty that she knew was lurking just below her surface.

"Okay Mulder, I'm ready if you are."

"I've been ready Scully for a long…LONG time!"

            He pulled her forward and she lined her small body against his, sitting onto his lap to wrap herself in his warmth and exploring touches.  When their lips met this time it was with a feeling that it would not be the last time as his hand found the rim of her top and slipped under it's flimsy cover to touch the soft skin on her back. With a hushed whimper she squirmed beneath his touch and pushed her body closer feeling his chest move with laboured breaths as he struggled for air.

            It was all happening so quickly and he couldn't process the sensations quick enough as her hand found his skin and her slender fingers pressed a gentle pressure onto the sensitive point along his spine, astonishing him in the way that she found his sensitive spot so quickly.  They pulled apart panting with need as they both suddenly realised the power behind their desire. 

"This is going to be an interesting path Scully," he whispered into the room whose silence was only punctured by their short sharp breaths

"I know…" she said her eyes falling down to his lips where they lay parted at wet.

"Do you know what you do to me Scully?" he asked watching as her eyes devour him openly.

"I'm beginning to get an idea," she muttered throatily making a delicious shiver rattle his spine.

"Well let me show you just to make sure."

            He sat forward pushing her onto her back on the couch and covered her with his body as his kisses began.  She relaxed under his touch and let the sensations swarm over her body following the trail of kisses he made from her lips to her jaw and as low as he dared to take them.  A feeling of comfort and belonging settled over her surprisingly quickly as if her body had been waiting all this time for her to make her mind up and finally fall into his waiting arms.  With that reassuring thought she met his lips with a flurry of hot insistent kisses and switched of her mind and let her body take over.

TWO WEEKS LATER…

            She walked into his bathroom and was immediately hit by the familiarity of it all.  The sight of his favourite brand of aftershave, his shaving cream toothpaste and black toothbrush that she knew was around longer than her.  Cupping her hands loosely she reached them under the cool water and watched it for a moment as it pooled in her palms before spilling over the edge.  Lowering her face closer she splashed it against her skin, slightly shocked by how cold it really was, but loving the invigorating sensation. 

            With a soft gasp she stood up fully, ignoring the cold water that ran off her face in quick lines down her neck wetting the collar of the t-shirt she wore.  She looked into the mirror, his mirror; with a wicked smile she patted her face dry with a towel and she could all but see him looking back at her, wearing a smile that she couldn't place but with a gleam in his eyes that was transparent enough to explain his intentions. 

            She wandered back to the bedroom where he lay motionless, the moonlight bouncing through the open blinds and highlighting the smooth tanned skin on his back.  Standing at the foot of the bed she watched him for a moment, letting the steady rise and fall of his body as he breathed contentedly in his sleep, sooth her worries.  But as she turned to walk away his back stilled.

"Where are you going?" he asked his voice muffled by the pillow.

"Home."

"So late?"

"It's Friday night Mulder.  Tomorrows Saturday.  I intend in getting a long sleep in tomorrow," she said as she took another step towards the door.

            He exiting footsteps sent a rush of urgency through him and he pushed himself off the soft mattress and followed her into the living room where she was slipping on her sneakers.

"And before you say anything," she began without looking up.  "Yes I know it's four thirty and I am going to plug out my phone, so don't try any emergency ghost crap with me Mulder."

            He smiled at her and she slapped her hands onto her knees as she stood and turned to face him.  His arms were crossed and he leant against the doorframe, his legs crossed at the ankles.  Wearing only a pair of boxers and with his hair askew she wasn't sure how she tore her eyes away from him and grabbed her light jacket to fish her keys out of the pocket.

"Goodnight Scully," he muttered lowly.

"Goodnight Mulder."  He didn't move towards her as she stepped out and locked the door behind her but she couldn't have reached the ground floor when he grabbed the phone.

            She stepped into the car and gripped the wheel as she tried to steady her rampaging thoughts.  The image of him leaning against the doorframe would haunt her for the rest of the night.  But only in the most delicious way, she thought smiling as she drove into the empty streets.  Her smile stuck as she made the short distance home and still hadn't faded when she locked her door behind her.  Walking into the bathroom she brushed her teeth in a futile effort to get rid of the stale taste of beer and as she went back to the kitchen to grab a glass of water she noticed the light flashing on her answering machine.  She pressed it and continued her journey to the fridge to pour herself a cool glass of water.

"This message was left today at 4.35am," he metallic false voice announced.

"Hey Scully," Mulder's voice flooded the room and she turned to face the phone as she realised that she must have rang as soon as she left his apartment.  "I just wanted to say thanks for joining me for the Planet of the Apes Marathon tonight.  I had a great time." He paused for a moment and she stepped closer to the phone. "Goodnight," was all he said before the sharp beep indicated the end of the message.

"This message was left today at 4.39am."

"Scully I was just wondering.  Do you really thing Charlton Hesston could have survived on that planet? I mean someone so used to civilisation to suddenly be immersed in a society that wouldn't acknowledge his stance as a human being? What kind of psyche would you need to survive? Just a thought."
            Again the beep cut off his message and she stood buy the machine waiting for the final message to play and let Mulder's plan reveal itself in all it's intended glory.

"This message was left today at 4.51am."

"Hey Scully…open the door."

"You have no more messages.  If you would like to-."
            She reached down and switched the machine off and slowly walked to the window, where she couldn't spot his car.   With a little laugh, an almost nervous chuckle she started to walk back to her bed but something stopped her.  Some part of her wanted to check the door if only because she wanted it to be true.  Her first few steps were tentative but as she passed the kitchen she placed the glass on the counter and walked a little quicker.  She resisted the urge to look through the peephole, wanting to, needing to, keep the minimal hope she felt alive.  She ran her hands down the sides of her legs in a futile effort to dry them before she reached for the handle.  Ever so slowly she pulled the door opened and her smile broadened, her heart all but bursting in her chest when she saw him standing there. 

            Still clad in only his shorts but this time wearing a pair of sneakers he pulled the same stance he was in when she left him at his place with his ankles crossed and his arms, and his hair still askew but this time she acknowledged his eyes with their wicked gleam full of intentions.

"Mulder…" she said with a laugh that delighted his ears telling him he didn't make a wasted journey.  But before she could continue he stepped into the room, making her step back and as he kicked the door closed behind him he gathered her into his arms and caught her lips with his own.  She quickly melted into his kiss and circled his neck with her arms making sure he didn't move away.

"I missed you," he murmured against her lips never breaking contact.

"I missed you too."

"I thought you might want some company for your sleep in."

"I'd love some."

            She ran her hands off his shoulders and traced her fingers with feather like touches down his arms until she could interlock them with his. Silently they walked into her room where she undress and he removed his shoes before they climbed into her bed.

            Lying on his side he draped and arm lazily over her as if it were so natural when only two weeks ago he had been fretting whether to kiss her or not.  So much had happened and yet so little had changed.  Their relationship seemed to be heightened by their closeness and the new discoveries were still amazing them both as the shared an insatiable hunger for each other. 

"How long were you out there?" she said as she clasped his arm and kissed it gentle in a series of soft kisses that sent hot sparks though his skin.

"Only a few minutes.  I wanted to make sure I was there when you opened the door."

"What if I didn't?"

"Then it would have been a long night with quite a story to tell your neighbours."

"Imagine if you got pulled over?"

"I was driving like a maniac so it would serve me right."

"Maybe next time you'll think about dressing first," she said smiling at the sensation of his hand curling under her top and playing gently with her belly button, his fingers teasingly and purposely brushing the rim of her underwear.

"And spoil the surprise?"

"It certainly was a surprise."

            He was silent for a moment and the gentle motions of his hands even stopped.  She wanted to know what he was thinking about but preferred to leave him mull it over and share it in his own time.

"Thanks for letting me in Scully," he whispered meaning more than the entry she permitted into her apartment tonight.

"Thanks for coming over Mulder," she replied meaning more than his stance by the front door.

            Pulling her back against him he placed a few kisses against her neck and shoulder before settling back onto the pillow and holding her steady against him.  The steady rhythm her body fell into as finally the sleep claimed her was relaxing to him and soon he became a victim of it himself.

**I was going to break this into two chapters but once I started I had to finish it.  Hope you enjoyed my departure into fluff…back to reality now…**