"Dana!" Mulder and Scully turned back to look up the drive of the house they were passing.

An elderly man was waving from the porch leaning on the broomstick he had been sweeping with.

Scully peered at him, sure she didn't know the voice, although still trying to get a look at the face in the shadow of the house.

"I thought you were going to be gone all day Dana. Did you get my CD?"

Scully shrugged her open hands to show that she had forgotten the CD. As she did so she walked up the drive towards him, her gesture looking as though she was trying to tell him that she meant him no harm. Mulder followed, trying to note all that was happening.

"Never mind. You've a lot on your mind. Maybe next time you go into the city. Can I fix you and your..." The old man waved a hand towards Mulder, "...friend a drink?"

Scully indicated Mulder robotically and said, "Mulder. His name's Mulder."

Before she could decide what to do about the other man's name, he had thrown his broom to the floor, and was loping down the steps hand outstretched. "Fox Mulder? Well, hello there. What a surprise! Dan Vain, Dana's father-in-law. She's spoken about you so much, it's like I already know you."

"Likewise Mr Vain," Mulder said, taking the other man's hand.

"Call me Dan. What's this all about? You didn't say Fox was coming to pay a visit," the man said putting his arms around both Mulder and Scully and drawing them both to him. "Does Ricky know?"

"No," Scully mumbled. "I just bumped into him in the city . Totally unexpected."

"Unbelievable. What on earth could bring you out this way Mulder. One of your cases I expect – are you still in the business? Never mind that now. Ricky would love to see you, I'm sure of it."

With that Dan lead them across the road in an excited shuffle, his arms still around them, until he got to the bottom of the steps leading up to a house there. He released them and bounded up to the door pushing it straight open.

"Not much for security in this leafy suburb," Mulder noted wryly. He gently put his hand on Scully's back to encourage her up the steps.

A moment later Mulder stopped, putting the names together. "Ricky Vain..."

"Mulder!" Ricky Vain said from the doorway.

"Isn't it amazing? Scully just bumped into him when she was shopping. What a coincidence," Dan said.

"What a coincidence!" Ricky said. Only Dan missed the coolness in his voice.

"Let's go in Ricky. Aren't you going to ask us all in?"

Ricky stared at Scully for a moment. "Yes of course, come on in. I'll put some more coffee on."

Inside, the house was full and tidy. There were many photographs on walls and tables. As the group hovered in the sitting room Mulder looked at a familiar picture of Scully graduating and smiled on her happy face. It was nice to see something that hadn't changed. Ricky had put on 20 pounds and his hair was flecked with grey."

"I'll put the coffee on. You guys start catching up," Dan said waving them all towards his son's couch.

Mulder sat down with Scully next to him. Ricky sat in an armchair opposite. "Well Mulder, how long has it been?" Ricky asked.

'About three days,' Mulder thought looking at the man in front of him and trying to work out how much older he looked. "Well, I don't know Ricky. It's been a while."

Ricky nodded slowly. "About eight years."

"Eight years?" This time it was Mulder who nodded slowly. "Well, time flies doesn't it?" he said and flicked a grin at Scully. "It only seems like days ago that Ricky was warning me not to get in the way of his pursuit of Dana. And look where it all ended up. Beautiful home, by the way."

"Thanks," Ricky said. "I seem to remember you could be a real prick when it came to Dana. Not wanting her for yourself and not wanting anyone else to have her."

"Well not anybody who was just a jumped up college boy riding on his brother's coat tails," Mulder said.

"Do you two mind!" Scully said. "I don't want to sit here watching an antler fight."

Ricky glanced at her and then looked back at Mulder. "Dana, go and help Dad in with the drinks."

Scully stood up and, for a moment, looked as though she was going to let fly. Instead she walked over to Ricky and gently squeezed his hand before walking out of the room.

"No wise-cracks?" Ricky asked. "Don't you mind seeing your Scully playing housewife?"

Mulder was silent. Confused that it was his Scully that seemed, in an instant, to have lived eight years of history with Ricky Vain.

"Too much time has passed for me to worry about this bull, Mulder. Can I fix you a real drink?"

"Thanks," Mulder said and pushed himself further back into the couch.

A moment later Ricky handed over the drink and sat down next to Mulder. "Listen, Mulder. Fox, whatever you want me to call you. I was angry for a long time with you. After I left the bureau, I held you responsible. I thought I couldn't bear working with you. The truth is, I never really wanted to work for the Feds anyway." He paused. "The only reason I stuck around as long as I did was that I had my eye on Dana. And you got in the way of that with her dedication to your mission."

"Well, she's dedicated," Mulder said.

"So, yes, I was there to keep up with my brother. Maybe on his coat tails. Maybe you just underestimate me. But I know how you feel about Dana. She even told me about the trip up to Canada. We'd been dating a while when she told me and I really hated you then. More than ever." Ricky breathed out heavily and took a swig on his drink.

"She swore that was the only time you made love to her Mulder. Is that the truth. Was that the only time?"

Mulder moved uncomfortably. "I think you should just trust her, Ricky."

"I do trust her. But I want to hear it from you."

"You've got a nice set up here Ricky, and you've got the girl. If it's any consolation, then that was the only time."

"Can we be civil for my dad and for Dana? I mean, I feel OK about you Mulder."

"I guess I can let bygones be bygones. Eight years is a long time and Scully seems happy. So tell me, what have you been up to?"

"Coffee's ready." It was Scully who said it, carrying the cups, with Dan following behind with the cream.

The afternoon passed pleasantly and Mulder made up some cases to fill in his eight years that he hadn't lived yet. As he chatted he wondered if Scully looked a little older, her face rounder and eyes a little more lined. Though he thought it might be a delusion. As he thought that, he chuckled thinking the whole thing must be a delusion and he relaxed and enjoyed himself as he did on those occasions when he caught himself dreaming at night.

"Well, I better get Mulder back to to the real world," Scully said eventually.

"Surely he can stay," Dan said.

"He's a busy man, dad. You heard the kind of things he gets up to – and he always working 24/7."

"Yes, I've really got to make tracks Dan. But it's been great to catch up," Mulder said aware that the truce with Ricky was one that only physical and temporal distance made possible.

"It's a shame you didn't get to meet Christian," Dan said. Scully's son had come up in the conversation earlier and Mulder hadn't been able to read Scully's expression at all. As the day had progressed her face had become very expressionless and Mulder had even been wondering if she'd gone into shock.

"Maybe we could stay a while Mulder," Scully said.

"Well, I hope you're staying at any rate," Ricky said gently annexing Scully with a touch.

She looked at him surprised and Mulder stepped in. "Sure, as soon as she's dropped me off. I hate long goodbyes so why don't we go back to the car and she can take me back into the city. We parked up near the church so Scully could show me around."

"Nothing much to see here except rows of houses and peace and tranquillity," Ricky said.

"Well, I see lots of houses, but the rest is a novelty. Come on Scully, before you get all settled in for the night."

As politely as he could, Mulder ushered Scully out of the house thanking Ricky and Dan for their hospitality and promising to return soon. He turned to make sure that they weren't being followed and guided Scully by her elbow to the end of the street and around the corner, heading towards the bank they had originally slid down.

As they were waiting for a car to pass Scully said, "Mulder, I have a son!"

"You don't have a son Scully. We don't know what the hell this is anyway. Maybe one of us is going to wake up tomorrow and find that it's all a dream, or we crashed the car and ended up in The Twilight Zone or something. Let's just get out of here."

"Mulder, I want to stay." Scully stopped abruptly. She didn't turn to go back and she wouldn't move forward.

"Mulder!"

Scully and Mulder looked round to where the car that had passed was stopped. The door was open and leaning out to look back at them was another Dana Scully."

"Stay where you are Mulder." Mulder had been about to walk over to the car. "If you want to come visit with me you're more than welcome. You remember that." She paused. "Like I remember this."

The Scully on the road looked up slowly fearing to meet the eyes of this other woman. As they saw each other properly they took a moment to appraise the woman they saw in front of them. Agent Scully, FBI, looking at Dana, wife and mother.

After a moment Dana said from the car, "Don't worry...you'll see Christian soon enough. It's worth the wait."

A tear slid from Scully's eye and then she managed a smile before turning away. Mulder looked at her and saw she was fine.

"You're not going to be expected back yet."

Dana cocked her head searching her memory for a day some eight years ago. "I'll tell them that you insisted on hitching a ride and letting me get back to my family. A thoughtful side to you that Ricky doesn't know exists." She smiled at him. "Really, we can always make a place for you at the table if you want to visit, wherever the hell you are now." She pulled the door shut.

Mulder ran over to the car and tapped on the window. Dana wound it down and looked up at him. She had not changed much. A few extra lines, perhaps a little extra weight. Not even enough that Ricky had really noticed, although he had not been entirely at ease with the Dana before him all afternoon. But all of this was more than compensated for by the mellow beauty than infused her. "You forgot to get the CD by the way."

Scully looked round to the passenger seat where a CD lay in its cellophane wrapping. She laughed and pushed it under the seat and with a final look at Mulder, pulled away.

Mulder watched the car until it had turned the corner and then went up to Scully, still standing in the street, looking into the distance. He put his arm around her and she turned to him and put her face into his shoulder. Then she took a deep breath and stood straight and allowed him to lead her towards the bank where they could still see grass churned from their bumpy arrival.

"Well, let's hope this works. This town's only big enough for one Dana Scully," Scully said with a terse smile.

And with that they clambered up the bank and into bright sunlight which reflected off the snow that covered everything. The wind had dropped and, although it was still very cold, with the sun shining it was not deadly or even painful to walk in.

The car hadn't been covered with much more snow, but it had frozen and getting the doors open was a problem and it took over an hour to get the car running and free of the drift it had been stuck in.

They drove in silence for some miles, Mulder at the wheel, each trying to think about what had happened. If it was real, if it meant anything. Finally, Scully spoke.

"I don't know what happened there. Maybe you're just in my dream as it was all that I ever wanted. Maybe you get some idea of how I feel about Ricky now, next time you're making things difficult."

"Well, whatever happens, it looks like it turns out for the best," Mulder said.

"I don't want to think about it any more Mulder. Not out loud anyway. Maybe I'm afraid we've gone crazy, or maybe I don't want to jinx it. I'm sorry there was nothing there for you to look forward to though."

Mulder shrugged. "I don't know. It's made me feel very positive about this trip. I think our little Canadian expedition is definitely going to be worthwhile."

Scully glanced at him. "I hate it when you smile like that Mulder."