A/N: Enjoy the story!

5. 27 PM EST-Time, Friday

Lincoln Landing, Georgia

The sun was still shining, but the shadows under the trees grew longer and longer as Scully maneuvered the car through a stone gate and drove along a long avenue with old Jacarand trees to each side. Mulder brought himself in an upright position and couldn't help but stare. He was fascinated by the sight of this old peach plantation.

Scully started smiling next to him before opening the window on the driver's side. Almost immeditaely a breeze of a heavy, fruity and earthy odour filled the inside of their car. That was the odour of her childhood. "Impressed?" Scully asked proudly, while approaching the end of the avenue.

Mulder just nodded. No wonder Scully had a perfect childhood, if this was her granny's place. Millions of blue corn poppies and white daisies were growing on the meadows surrounding the avenue. Long, light green lichens and lianas were growing from the violett blossoming Jacarand trees and it all added up to the enchanted charm of this estate.

Scully slowed the car down as the huge white main house came suddenly into sight. Everything still was as she imagined it to be. Nothing had changed. The huge veranda, now completely shady, still covered with lots of exotic flowers and plants. The enormous peach tree to the right. She parked the car under one of the blossoming Jacarand trees and got out. Crickets were chirping and birds were singing. "Um, you may get out, too, Mulder!" She spoke directly to him as she noticed he was still sitting in the car.

"Scully, I … am impressed." Smiling, he looked at her and then back at the house, before getting out.

The front door of the historical villa was wide open, as if everybody was welcome. "It's still up to you, Mulder. Now is your last chance to get away."

He smiled and shook his head slowly. "And miss the chance of beating your granny in our future jogging race? No way!"

Scully pushed her sunglasses up into her hair, a smile curving her lips, and once again inhaled the familiar scent of the surroundings. "Okay then … you get the bags and I'll show you the way."

"Aye, Ma'am!"

Scully took the lead and approached the steps leading up to the veranda and towards the impressive front door. Three cats, one of them asleep, were awaiting them but didn't seem to bother. They just continued dozing and cleaning their fur with their pink tongues. Carefully, Scully knocked on the open front door and started clearing her voice: "Hello? Granny? Where are you guys?" But she didn't get any answer and so she turned to face Mulder, shrugging her shoulders apologetically when suddenly a blonde woman rushed through the hallway, taking a quick look at Scully and Mulder.

Immediately, she came to a halt and her face was covered in a huge and warm smile. "Dana!" She called delighted and rushed to her side to embrace her sister in law happily.

"Hi Tara!" Scully stepped into the embrace without hesitation and squeezed her tight, before Tara started calling the others: "Hey everybody! Bill, Mum, Granny – look who's here!"

Mulder gulped as he saw Bill Scully's shape appear in the front door frame. Bill's line of vision was like this: first a look at his sister and a bright smile for her, then … he spotted Mulder and his smile vanished in a second. Mulder tried to greet him with a friendly but decent nod and reached out to shake hands. And to his surprise Bill Scully took it even though he eyed Mulder up and down.

Right after Bill, the brown hair of Scully's mother appeared and she rushed to Dana's side to hug and kiss her. Only after her daughter's welcome ritual, her vision trailed to the side and her eyes landed on Fox Mulder. With a pleased smile she closed the distance to him and looked up into his eyes. "Fox! Why do we deserve the honour of your presence?" She asked with a joyful grin, getting up on the tips of her toes to be in a better position to hug him as well.

Mulder felt a little uneasy being confronted with such kindness and simply hugged Margaret Scully back. "Hi, Mrs. Scully!" He was really glad for finally seeing her again.

And then, there was another person appearing through the large front door. Her face was friendly and kind but undeniably old and wise. Her nearly white hair had some light red strands and one could asume that this must have been her haircolour when she was younger. Her eyes, nevertheless, had the same colour Mulder had noticed in Scully – it was an intensive azure blue.

"Dana, darling!" She called for her granddaughter with so much glee in her voice as she stepped forward to embrace her.

"Hi, granny!" Scully responded happily, giving her grandmother a tight hug.

Mulder stood aside like a little boy, hands crossed behind his back, biting his lower lip and carefully watching the scene unfolding before him.

Scully's granny had immediately noticed him – but she didn't know who he was. He seemed to be someone you just couldn't oversee. He had a friendly and soft smile and an enormously remarkable figure. Her look trailed quickly over his body and then back to her beautiful granddaughter, who was obviously seeing something more than just his remarkable figure, gratitude, friendship or pride. And so Scully's granny started smiling a very joyful smile. "Well, and you are?"

Mulder returned her smile politely and reached out for her hand just like a gentleman. "I am Fox Mulder. I'm working together with your granddaughter."

The eyes of this sprightly lady widened a little and she smiled at him with amusement. "Oh, I see – so you are the certain one."

After she said that not only Scully's eyes but also Mulder's widened immediately. What was that supposed to mean?

"Granny!" Scully hissed a little shocked and rebuked her grandmother with an angry glare. Was had gotten into her? Scully turned towards Mulder and qiuetly said: "I'm sorry, you know, she's a very old lady, even a bit hearing impaired. Don't take her seriously!"

Mulder nodded and grinned. He thought this situation was amusing, even though it was a little embarrassing.

Scully's granny laughed cheerfully, while Bill rolled with his eyes, Maggie constantly looked from Mulder to her daughter and Tara started sighing dreamily.

"It's nice to finally get the chance to meet you, Fox. My granddaughter is euphoric about you." One look over at her granddaughter and she saw that she had started blushing. Bingo! She thought and dedicated her attention back to Mulder, whose striking profile appealed to her.

"Uhm, is she?!" Mulder asked hesitantly, while Maggie Scully observed her mother in law uncertainly.

"Of course. By the way … I am Katherine Scully, the very old lady."

Again, a polite smile covered Mulder's face. Even if this woman was 84 years old, you wouldn't estiamte her age correctly. Fox Mulder wouldn't be surprised if she was really capable of outrunning him in a jogging race. She was fit, and not only physically, but mentally as well. Mulder turned to meet Scully's eyes, who seemed to be glowing from the inside because her cheeks resembled the colour of a cooked lobster. But she was happy and relieved and that was a very rare sight. No matter how good he thought he knew her, there was always something more to explore and to see about her. And while still thinking, Katherine Scully stepped into his sight and blocked it. With her words directed to her granddaughter she said: "I may be old, darling, but not stupid and there's no way of me being deaf! And now, come on – we were about to eat." With these words she entered the house, followed by her family.