July 2000
One month later

"Hey Bucky, how is the job going?" Charlie poked his head into her room, where she was resting quietly reading the latest Medical Journal.

"It's what it is. Not exactly what I've been doing for the past six and a half years, but I do enjoy it." She'd taken a position as head of pathology in the pathology department at the University of Penn. With her resume, they didn't need much convincing.

"How's work going for you?" She placed the magazine down and made room for him to sit down.

"Great, you know how BIG Pharma goes, slow and steady. So how are you? Are you feeling okay? You've been sleeping a lot lately, or sitting around reading this kind of thing."

"Yeah, I'm okay, I've just been tired, probably do to the hours or something."

"Yea, well we can't have you getting sick on us,"

"Hey, who's the doctor here."

"Yea, well still, keep yourself health okay." He gave her his serious look of concern.

"I will little brother, don't worry. So you're still having the get together this weekend right?"

"You bet everyone will be here."

"Well,…I was wondering, if I could invite someone." She sat up more, feeling like a child asking her parents can she bring a date over for dinner.

"A date Danes?" Charlie's eyebrows rose in surprise.

"No not a date, well technically, I don't know, just a friend for now." She blushed slightly as her brother smiled at her.

"Any friend of yours is a friend of mine." He patted her shoulder softly before rising to leave.

"Night Chucky."

"Don't stay up to late. I know how interesting Medical Journals can be and all." He smirked at her and closed the door softly. Maybe his sister would be okay after all.

Two days later

"So Dana, who is this mystery man that you've kept from us for almost a month?" Katie leered while dropping lemon slices into a pitcher.

"I haven't been hiding him from you." Scully chide smiling at her sister in law. "He's just this guy that works in the hospital…"

"Ohhh a doctor?" Katie was holding a lemon up to her nose sniffing it.

"Yes, a surgeon actually."

"So who saw whom first?"

"He apparently noticed me first. We are just friends though, nothing more." As soon as the words left her mouth she knew they were a lie. Granted it has only been a few months since Mulder, but Derrick McMann was an interesting and charming man, who was obviously enchanted by one Dana Scully. He was about 6'2 she gathered with dusty blonde hair and beautiful blue eyes. He took her to lunch or dinner almost everyday. Things were moving faster than she usually allowed, but he was incredibly good looking, intelligent and wholesome. Who couldn't blame her for testing the waters again.

"We'll I'm sure he's something, because you Dana Scully aren't one to talk to just anyone. Let alone invite him over to meet half the family after only a month." The thought had never crossed her mind that it would be exactly that, introducing him to the family. Now her stomach started to do flips and turns. She had to take a seat. This was going to be one hell of a day.

Just then there was a knock at the door. Scully could hear Charlie introducing himself to Derrick.

"Danes, Derrick is here." Charlie called out just as she walked into the foyer.

"Hey Dana, I didn't know what to bring, so I grabbed a bottle of wine, I hope that's okay and I also picked these up on the way." He handed her a small bouquet of flowers.

"Thanks Derrick, they are really nice, you really didn't need too."

"Hey, man, the wine was a good way not to show up empty handed." Charlie smiled at the man, who was obviously taking a really good liking to his sister.

"CHARLIE!" Dana chided.

"What? What? I was only kissing. He knew that, right Derrick?"

"Of course."

"See, no need to take my head off Bucky. I'll just take these into the kitchen and leave you two be." Charles turned and walked in the direction of the kitchen.

"Danes and Bucky huh?" Derrick leaned over and placed a kiss on her cheek.

"I called him Chucky and he started calling me Bucky, when we were kids not now, well you know what I mean. I didn't always have straight teeth." She blushed a little having revealed one of her pre-adolescent flaws.

"I see, so Dr. Dana Scully does or did have imperfections.?" He smiled down at her revealing that smile that always eased the comfort level around them.

"Does, but not many." They both laughed

"Come on, I'll show you around, you know the bathroom, backyard."

"Great, thanks for inviting me, I don't get out much, you know being a lonely child, so this is kind of a change."

"Your welcome." She slipped her hand into his, guiding him along.

"This is Katie, Charlie's wife." Katie came over and shook his hand firmly.

"I've heard a lot about you."

"All good I hope?" Derrick asked eyeing Scully with a affectionate smile.

"But of course, don't mind my husband, he thinks he's a comedian." Katie interjected.

"Hey, I heard that.." Charlie yelled from the pantry where he was busy gathering paper plates and other such cookout materials.

"Hey Derrick, I know we've just met, but you wouldn't mind helping me would you?" Charlie called out looking over his shoulder.

"No, I don't actually."

Scully just smiled up to him, letting go of his hand.

"Chucky behave yourself. Not everyone can appreciate your sense of humor."

"I'm sure I can humor Derrick here. Go on Danes, finish up with Tara."

Later that night

"So, lunch, Monday, right?" Derrick and Dana where standing by his car on the street curb.

"Right." She smiled and placed her hand on his. "Thanks, I think everyone really liked you, even my nephews and they are really hard to please. Thanks for coming it meant a lot to me." She leaned forward and placed a chased kiss on his cheek.

"My pleasure sweetheart." He didn't want to press his luck any forward so he returned her kiss with a kiss of his own to her cheek. "I'll call you tomorrow okay." He slipped into his silver BMW and waved once before driving off.

"So what did you think?" Katie asked her husband as they watched the objects of their discussion exchange goodbyes.

"I think he's a good thing for her. She needs the kind of attention that he's obviously welling to give. I like him."

"Me too, I think Dana does too.

"I just hope that she's completely honest with him about her past. I mean why she's here working at UPENN and not for the FBI, I know he'll ask, I can only hope that she'll really tell him.

"She will, if she hasn't already, she will.