Chapter 6

A/N: Hi everyone...don't eat me. I know that I made you all wait a very long time, but the next chapter after this will definitely be up Friday night/Saturday morning, and sadly, that will be the end of my fic! Its been a great run, and there is still one more chapter. Thanks so much for the reviews, they mean the world...I might break 100 with this fic. How cool is that?! Thanks always to my bestest beta ever...Jen, and to Kayla, who helped with these last two. The LGW rock!

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When Mulder and Scully reached their bedroom, Scully was no longer drowsy. She left the door open, since she'd need to go to into the bathroom to change, but closed it over so that no one could see her whispering to her partner.

Mulder was just happy to get upstairs and away from big-brother-Bill. As much fun as it was to torment him, and though Mulder knew that they had the upper hand, the glares of death were starting to get to him. It wasn't that he feared Bill at all; it was more or less that he was tired of being a constant point of attention.

Scully walked over to him and smiled. He smiled back, wondering what she was up to. She put a finger to her lips to signal silence.

Whispering into his ear she said, "I'm pretty sure that he'll stake out our room for a little bit. He thinks we're together by now but has no way to gauge how serious we are. He'll probably listen to us before going to bed, thinking that we'll act more natural when we're away from my family."

Mulder listened to this, understanding now why she was whispering, but what did it matter if Bill listened to them snore?

"What we need to do is a little acting for him. I say we put on a heck of a performance involving us and the bed and a lack of clothes...how's that sound?"

Mulder didn't respond right away...he was too busy staring with wonderment and possibly drooling...

"Mulder....what do you think? Bill sees me come back in a my little bathrobe and we make some conversation to fit, roll around on the bed and call it a night?"

Dear God...she was serious...dreams apparently do come true. Mulder gave his famous look of complete amusement. "I think...that that is an interesting idea. Definitely paranormal...probably unexplainable. We should definitely check into it."

Scully laughed. "I'm going to get a shower. I'll be back, okay, sweetie?" She said raising her voice and giving him a playful look as she left.

Mulder collapsed onto the bed, a very happy man. He wasn't sure how his partner was feeling by now, but he liked to think that they were on the same page as far as this charade went. He had fallen for her long ago, but let those feelings remain buried. They focused on their work and everything else and never got close to one another...but then, this Christmas Eve was happening. It was amazing. They'd made more progress in one day than in seven years; even if it was all supposed to be fake. There had to be real emotions in it, right?

Meanwhile, in the shower, Scully let the warm water hit her back and run down her body. It felt great, and she was pretty amused by her own idea. It wasn't like they were actually going to do anything. Bill wouldn't be able to see them, just hear them...so she'd giggle and get quiet and then they'd roll around on the bed or something. She really didn't know how it would turn out, or if Bill would even stay true to form, but she suspected that her brother was more than a little concerned about the way she and Mulder had been acting during the day.

Scully turned off the water and dried herself off, putting on a silky, strappy, short, and otherwise sexy night gown. Slipping into her bathrobe, and examining herself in the mirror. Her hair, well protected from the water in an unattractive shower cap had curled a little from the heat and steam, that still filled the bathroom. Sliding into her slippers, she headed back to her room.

Bill was across the hall, supposedly waiting while Tara got the baby to sleep and busily examining one of the Scully family portraits that hung on the wall.

"Were we ever this young, Dana?" He asked her, curious as to whether or not she'd answer him.

"Of course we were," she replied curtly. "Good night---"

She was about to open the door when it swung open from the inside. Mulder stood there, wearing dark sweat pants and no shirt. There was a genuine grin on his face at the sight of her and a complete look of surprise from her at his appearance.

"You ready for bed?" Mulder asked her menacingly, looping his arms around her waist and pulling her close to him and halfway inside the room.

Scully giggled. "I don't know if I'm too tired...yet..." She mused, playing her flirtatious cards as well.

Mulder was surprised, but kept it up. "We'll have to do something about that then..." He watched Bill's eyebrows shoot up and his eyes blaze with anger. For dramatic effect Mulder added an overly sugary, "Good night, Bill!" as he pulled Scully into the room and closed the door.

Scully was overcome with giggles even before the door was closed. When it was she looked at her partner, wondering if he was planning on releasing her from his grip.

He smiled at her. "You ready to get rowdy?"

"You have no idea..." She said, laughing as he swung her around away from the door and toward the bed. "I just wonder what you've got up your sleeve." She was asking seriously, having no idea what Mulder was going to say or do during this little acting game.

"Oh, baby...what don't I have up my sleeve? I've been waiting for this allll day," he said, getting into his role easily. Hell, he'd been waiting for it seven years.

They paused for a little, assuming that they'd be kissing at this point and finally Scully suggested aloud, "Why don't we move this party on to the bed."

"Good idea...Here, allow me." Mulder picked up his tiny partner and dropped her, gracelessly onto the bed. She made a small thump as she hit and bounced.

"Room for one more," she said, giggling.

Mulder leaped at the bed, landing beside her, face down and with a huge noise that probably woke up some of the kids downstairs and may have alerted her mother...

"Mulder!" She said, flirtatiously and giggling more.

"You want me to stop?" He asked, getting up and draping an arm around her for no particular reason.

Scully snuggled below his chin and breathed deeply. "Mmm...no. I don't ever want you to stop. This is great."

Mulder and Scully remained where they were, barely moving for a minute or two. Suddenly Mulder near shouted, "Wow, Scully...I wasn't expecting that," with a silly grin on his face.

She looked at him, completely surprised that he'd say something that drastic. "Well, what did you expect? THIS?!" As she emphasized the last word she pounced on him, literally, knocking him back on the bed. She was still beside him, but her upper body hovered over his, her hands resting playfully on his chest. Her hair hung lightly in front of her face, dangling above his.

"Jeez, Scully...you know how to get what you want..." He said, lounging back and staring into her beautiful eyes.

"Of course I do," She said softly. "I've already got you, and you're all I've ever wanted. In fact, I have you right where I want you as well...."

Mulder reached up and gently tucked her hair behind her ear. He stroked her face lightly with his hand, and held it there, frozen mid-gesture.

"Should I keep going?" He asked her, not even thinking about what he meant by it.

"Definitely...we're not through yet!" She said, resuming her act and pull away from him.

She waited a few minutes and started jumping lightly on the bed. Mulder gaped at her, a little afraid but more amazed than anything.

"This is going to be so much fun..." Scully panted, in between jumps. "I love doing this, but is it a little too wrong?"

"If it makes you happy, go for it," Mulder replied, still staring.

"Oh it makes me very happy." She made a noise as she jumped one last time and landed flat on the bed beside him. "You make me happy," she said quietly.

"I love you so much," Mulder said, finally able to say those words to her. Even if she assumed he was acting, he meant them with all his heart.

Scully seemed to realize that there was more in the phrase than a few empty words. Mulder gave them meaning when he said them. He really did love her then...

"I love you too. Thank you for giving me such a good time tonight," she said, snuggling up next to him.

Mulder wrapped his arms around her and they laid there quietly for a good fifteen minutes. They knew that Bill would have stayed for the entire thing if he'd been interested or angry at all. Scully had hoped that he would storm in, angry as a hornet and thinking he'd stop them, only to find them sitting next to each other, or better yet, to see her jumping on the bed. He didn't come in the room though. Maybe he wasn't even out there and that entire time was a waste. Whichever...it didn't matter. Right now she had Mulder's arms around her and his warm body pressed up against hers.

Scully felt herself drifting off, and was almost completely asleep when she heard Mulder's voice calling her quietly.

"Scully..." He whispered in her ear.

"Mm?" She mumbled, drowsily.

"My guess would be that if he stayed for that he's gone now."

He? Oh...Bill. Scully woke up a little more and realized how close she was to Mulder. Instinctively she scooted away from him.

"Oh....I'm sorry," she said, smiling and then yawning.

"No problem..." he said, worried that she didn't want to be close to him anymore now that the game was over. "Um, do you want me to take the floor or something?"

"No," she said quickly. "I mean, the bed is plenty big enough for two. It'll be fine for us to share. The floor wouldn't be comfortable anyway."

Mulder listened to what she said and decided to take a chance. "Speaking of which...you seemed pretty cozy over here. You didn't have to shy away, you know."

Scully looked at him, wondering what he was saying. Was it an invite?

"You can come back, if you want to..."

Definitely an invite...

"You don't have to if you don't want to..." he began.

But she was already back in his arms, where she drifted quickly back to sleep.

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That's all for right now! One more chapter, and I promise its a fun one. This chapter was great to write, but the next one is even better. Hehe. Reviews are always welcome! Thanks!