Title: Amore Cieco
Author: sitarra
email: bellydancergirl7...
Distribution: All okay
Classification: S,R,H
Keywords: MSR
Rating: R
Spoilers: Goes throughout season 7 only but maybe a little into
season 8 only with a twist.
Summary: MSR
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Any character names you do not recognize belong to my partner in crime.
A/N: I know this has been done before but now I'm doing it. Did anybody know there's actually a Crittendon, Kentucky?
Progress: WIP

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ibrido

"Is it too late to decline?"

Scully looked up at Mulder. He had that panic face again.

They had just arrived at her mom's house for Easter dinner. Funny how they called it dinner when it happened mid afternoon. Mulder was still uneasy about being there. He knew he was welcome but when he heard Scully's big brother Bill was going to be there, he quickly reconsidered. Scully had won in the end, her methods of persuasion being just that, and now here he was standing on Maggie Scully's doorstep.

"You're staying. Mom made her invitation understood," she reminded, turning her body towards him. "And I thought I made myself quite clear."

"Oh, believe me. You did," he reassured, vivid reminders coming to his mind. "But I wasn't so focused on what you were saying at the time. Some words made it through, but I was definitely focused on other matters."

She hid a smile. "Need me to repeat it?"

"Scully! On your mother's porch?" he gasped out with a straight face.

"You know what I mean, Mulder."

He cracked a smile. "Yeah but we could've had fun with that."

She slapped his hands away playfully when he pulled her closer. They'd recovered from their tiff the month before, becoming closer, back to their normal selves. He was more attentive, didn't run off without telling her for work anymore. He was quicker to tell her how much she meant to him. He didn't take any moment for granted.

The white door opened in front of them revealing a smiling Maggie. She quickly pulled her daughter in a careful hug. She was still mindful of her almost completely healed wound. She quickly had Mulder in a hug, always wanting him to feel welcome.

"I'm so glad she convinced you to come, Fox," Maggie told him, pulling back. She led them into the house; children were heard playing in the background. "She must've had a good argument."

The couple smiled secretly at each other. "Oh, she had an argument I just couldn't refuse."

But Maggie was oblivious.

"I'm glad you're here now," Maggie went on. "I could use some help in the kitchen. Julia's helping and Tara's still ill so I could use some extra hands."

"Ill?" Mulder repeated.

"Pregnant," Scully answered. "She's still in her early months. We'll be glad to help, mom."

"Um, we?" Mulder said, obviously not liking the sound. Both women gave him a look.

"Unless you want to talk to Bill…" Scully started to say. Mulder headed for the kitchen.

"So what can I do?"

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interrogazione

"Dana, how are things with you and Fox?" Maggie asked her daughter. Julia smiled from her place at the counter.

"Yeah, what's your story?" she wondered.

Scully hid her smile the best she could. She looked out the kitchen window, her eyes finding Mulder talking to Charlie.

"Things are just fine between us," she answered smartly.

"Dana," her mother stressed, stopping chopping the carrots, "be honest."

"It's just us," Julia reminded.

Scully laughed at their words. "What? I am being honest."

"Tell us the real truth." The women's eyes turned to her, scrutinizing her. She was busted.

"All right, we may or may not be together." She made a face at them before resuming her duty.

"Will you be joining the ranks of us married women anytime soon?" Julia asked, eyeing her sister-in-law.

"No," Scully said all too quickly. "I don't think so."

"Why not?" her mother asked. Scully put down the potato peeler she had just picked up.

"Because mom. That's the only answer I have. Beside, Mulder and I don't talk about things like that."

Maggie came up next to her daughter, placing a loving hand on her arm. "Talk about it. You two are perfect for each other."

"Grandma!"

"Mom!"

Scully welcomed the distractions.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

imboscata in la cucina

Warm arms wrapped themselves around her waist. Lips nuzzled her neck. A firm body pressed itself against hers. She smiled at the feel.

"Mulder, don't distract me," Scully tried to protest.

"So you admit this does distract you," he teased. She giggled when he nibbled her ear.

"You know it does. Maybe this is why I never cook," she pointed out.

"Do you want me to stop?"

"No, but if someone walks through that door…" she threatened.

"I'll move," he finished. "Don't worry. Your honor shall remain in tact."

She scoffed. "It's not my honor I'm worried about. It's what I might do if you take it further."

"Feel free to slam me up against the refrigerator."

"Mulder…"

"Scully, if they only knew how you are," he muttered in her ear. "Oh, the stories I could tell."

She elbowed him in the ribs. "Don't even think about it, Mulder. I don't need a lecture from my mom."

"Why a lecture? Surely she doesn't think that you're still that innocent good Catholic girl she raised," he half joked.

"For all I know, she does," she admitted. "But if she heard about sex before marriage from her daughter, that will definitely get a lecture."

"But if she knows we're together like I think she does then she must know… something's happening," he continued.

"Mulder, in all honesty, I don't think any mother wants to think their child is having sex. Ever. They'd rather assume them innocent until death."

"Good argument."

She smiled. "Face it. You can't win anymore."

"Apparently I can't."

He pulled her closer, kissing her neck. She fought him playfully, for a moment forgetting where she was. He was more playful lately as well, causing her to often lose focus in the office. She liked this new Mulder. She only hoped he was going to be around more often.

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miracoloso

"Dana, I can't tell you how happy I am that the whole family's here," Maggie told her daughter. They stepped outside with the drinks they'd excused themselves to get. The children were in the middle of an Easter egg hunt the adults were helping them with. Most of the children were still too young to do it by themselves. Mulder was even out there, helping Charlie and Julia's middle child, five-year-old Grayson. He had taken an immediately liking to the strange man, finding his nose funny.

"You consider Mulder family?" Scully said incredulously.

"Well of course. How many years has it been now? And since I'm predicting he'll be around for many more years to come, he's family."

She called to the others that the lemonade was ready and watched as most of them came running.

"Why? Don't you consider him family?" Maggie continued.

"Of course I do," Scully gave without hesitation. Her eyes found Mulder in the yard helping Grayson with his basket. She smiled when Grayson ran ahead, coaxing Mulder into a race. It was cute the way Mulder let him win.

"Fox would be a wonderful father," Maggie mused.

Scully nodded. "Yes, he would," she agreed sadly.

A little while later, the family was spread out all around the yard. Some were being lazy and others were playing games. It was still early in the day so there was plenty of light left. The sun had been shining all day and there was hardly a cloud in the sky.

"I see a frog on a motorcycle," Mulder pointed out to Scully, pointing to a cloud above them. They were lying on their backs on a blanket away from the activity.

"I don't see it," she said, not paying attention.

"That's because your eyes are closed."

She opened one eye, squinting because of the sun. "How do you know?"

"I saw you do it," he confessed. "I love to watch you remember?"

She rolled over to face him. She ran a hand through his hair, pausing to linger at the front. She ran it through again, noticing not for the first time how soft it was. She did it again, noticing he closed his eyes.

"Keep that up and I'll be asleep," Mulder muttered. She quickly withdrew her hand. Her other hand found its way to the back of his head, running her fingers through his hair there.

"I was questioned in the kitchen earlier," she told him, her eyes fixated on his face.

"When did this happen?"

"When you were talking to Charlie."

"Ambushed by the women," he said. "I've heard it's not good. What'd they want to know?"

"If I would be joining the ranks of the married woman," she shared with him. "They just want answers."

He titled his head to look at her. "What'd you say?"

She stuttered slightly. "I, I didn't have an answer," she lied. "They had to leave the room. Heather wanted something."

He noticed how she wouldn't meet his eyes. Her hand had paused in his hair. They'd never spoken of marriage before. There had been countless times in the past four months he had wanted to bring it up but he always chickened out at the last minute.

"You know the case I was on, the Crittendon family?" he asked her. "All Ellen Adderly, her best friend, wanted was the perfect life, the perfect family. I felt bad for her actually."

"You never told me what happened on the case."

"Martha Crittendon had been missing, local sheriff, husband of Ellen, he couldn't find her. Her daughter had reported seeing a raven right before she was taken. That's why I was called in. Turns out, she was pregnant by the not so happily married sheriff. She was found buried in her own backyard.

"The next murder was a waitress who was also closely acquainted with the sheriff. They had many a rendezvous at a motel not too far from town. That one looked like the sheriff did it."

"But he didn't," Scully filled in.

"Nope, his wife did. She was the horrible creature she was seeing in mirrors and windows. She actually tried to drown me after I figured out what she was."

"That's why you were acting so funny when you came home," Scully realized. "Is that why you wouldn't join me in the shower?"

He smiled sheepishly. "Yes and I'm still regretting it."

"You can join me tomorrow," she promised.

"I'll be looking forward to it, Beautiful." It still gave her chills to here that pet name. Her hand found his, bringing it up to kiss the back of his hand. She rolled onto her back, their hands staying elevated between them.

"What's wrong, Scully?"

"Nothing's wrong."

"Yes, it is. I can tell something's on your mind." Her hand slipped out of his to come to rest at her side. He rolled over to lean over her, forcing her with his eyes to tell him what was wrong.

"You'd make a wonderful father," she told him, bringing a hand up to caress his cheek.

"That's what's wrong? You're upset, sad, depressed-whatever-because I'd make a great father?" he asked, incredulous.

"No because I can't give you children," she corrected. "It just doesn't seem fair."

He put his forehead against hers, their method of strength.

"What doesn't seem fair to me is that you can't have children. You'd be the best mother. I can't tell you how much I've thought about a family with you, how much I'd love it. I'd never even given thought to a family of my own before. I couldn't see it happening. But with you I can. It's the most beautiful thing."

She wiped a tear that escaped from her eyes. "Stop it, you're making me cry."

"Don't cry," he told her. He kissed her lips gently, the need overcoming him. "I hate it when you cry."

"I can't help it," she said, her voice cracking. She pulled his head down to kiss him again. Her lips melted against his. She could detect the faint taste of lemonade on his lips. She wanted to stay in his arms forever.

"But who's to say the option is completely gone," he continued. "With us you're always surprised right?"

She nodded in agreement. Her arms went around his shoulders, pulling him down to her.

Who knew? Maybe if she prayed enough, something miraculous would happen.

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trattare

Bill's smile quickly slid off his face when he saw his little sister leaning over his least favorite person, running her hand through his hair. He was about ready to stop it, already stomping away to separate them, but his mother's voice stopped him.

"Leave them alone, Bill."

"But mom…"

"Bill, I mean it," she said more firmly. "They've been through a lot lately. They deserve peace and quiet together."

Bill looked at his mother like she'd grown a second head. "How can you tolerate this? After all the things… I'm surprised he's even here."

"Bill!" His mother's sharp voice shut him up. "That is enough."

"I think they're adorable," Tara voiced, watching the two in the yard.

"They really are," Maggie smiled. "I can only hope a wedding's not too far away."

"What?" Bill cried in a strangled voice. "Wedding?"

Tara put a hand on her husband's arm, trying to calm him down before the vein in his head started to pop out.

"Bill, put aside your hatred for a second and see your sister's happiness." She turned him around to face the scene in mention. "She's happy, she doesn't hate him. If anything I'd say she loves him. And just because you don't like him doesn't mean she'll start to feel the same way."

He watched the scene in front of him but only because he had to. Even though he hated Mulder more than anyone, he couldn't deny that he didn't see the connection between them. But that didn't mean he had to watch them kiss.

"Bill, you just need to let them be," he heard his mother tell him. "You don't have to get along with him, but leave Dana alone. She doesn't need your criticism. Don't you think she gets enough of that? She doesn't need to hear it from you, too."

His head fell to his chest.

"Accept it or don't be surprised if one day you lose your sister because you couldn't accept her happiness."

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Continuato nel captiolo otto...

"Love is friendship set on fire."