This chapter is dedicated to RussianWolf7. I wasn't going to post another chapter until tomorrow but I got a nice review from Wolf within an hour or two of my post. Enjoy and I hope you feel better RussianWolf7!

CHAPTER 2

A WEEK LATER

A week later Mulder and Scully arrived at Mrs. Scully's house. They were late because Mulder, although they were only spending the night,didn't know what to pack. With a little help from Scully they were packed and ready to go. When they finally arrived, the street was already packed with parked cars. With anxious smiles they made their way down the block and to the house. Scully slowly opened the door and called for her mom. Soon Mrs. Scully came scurrying into sight with a casserole fresh from the oven. "Oh! Dana I'm so glad you could make it!"

She moved toward Dana as though to huge her but then realizing what she had in her hand turned sideways and bent in to give her daughter a kiss. She then turned and looked at Mulder with only a look a mother could give. "And Fox! It's so nice to see you again! I'm so glad you could make it."

She moved toward him and he bent down to receive her kiss. Scully watched the exchange with a small smile on her face. "Well, you two should get outside and meet everyone. Dana they're all dying to meet Fox."

"What? Why?" A blush was forming across her face.

"Well they heard you bringing a handsome man…"

Scully rolled her eyes and sighed "I wonder how they heard that?"

Mulder on the other hand was pleased. A handsome man, Scully hadn't disagreed.

"As I was saying, they heard you bringing a handsome man and they are assuming you two are a couple." With a smile and an over exaggerated "I tried to tell them different but you know these women…" it seemed as though Mrs. Scully hadn't really put much effort into extinguishing the rumor.

As she left the two of them in the hall she called over her shoulder, "Oh well. Just go and socialize, lunch will be ready soon."

Mulder still had a smile on his face but it quickly disappeared with a "oh stop" look from Scully.

They went out back and slowly made the rounds. Introducing Mulder turned out to take a lot longer than she had expected. Questions about their relationship kept surfacing and they had to keep explaining that they were only partners at the FBI (although the looks on their faces as they explained this suggested that they wished it were more) "Dana! Oh Dana!"

Scully looked and saw a slightly overweight Mrs. Cobbs pushing her way through the crowd. Scully pressed her forehead on Mulder's upper arm to hide her face "Oh God… please hide me."

Mulder just looked down at her with a smile. He could only see the top of her head but he could picture the tired looking face pressed against his arm. All of a sudden the woman was in front of him. "Oh! Well you must be Fox!"

Mulder looked up with a smile and extended his hand "Yes, and you are…"

Shaking Mulder's hand and oblivious to the meaning of Scully's position she looked from Mulder to Scully. "Oh I'm surprised Dana here hasn't mentioned me."

Slowly Scully raised her head with a fake smile plastered on her face. "Let me introduce you. Fox this is Mrs. Cobbs. She lives down the street and is in charge of the neighborhood watch."

With a smile Mulder turned to Mrs. Cobbs "Well good for you. I'm glad that the neighborhood has someone like you watching over it. I'm sure it couldn't be in more capable hands."

Mrs. Cobbs blushed under Mulder's kind gaze and beautiful smile. Scully meanwhile tried hard not to laugh at the exchange that was taking place in front of her. "Well thank you Fox, and I'm glad that Dana has someone so strong and handsome looking after her" and with that she dispersed into the crowd.

Scully put her hands on her face and shook her head. Mulder looked down at her and laughed. He looked around and noticed that many of the guests had left. His gaze slowly made it to the pool and noticed that there were only two children in it. "Scully, how about a swim?"