November 2002
Scully's soft breathing was all Mulder heard until the first raindrops began to hit the top of their car. He listened as he tried to pinpoint the exact spots where each one would fall next, smiling when he got it right.
"Hmm," she hummed, before breathing deeply. He turned his head to watch her sleeping as thunder rumbled far in the distance.
It was still dark, too early to be awake really, but he had never been one with a normal sleep pattern. The mornings like these, when they were sleeping in the car and not a nondescript roadside motel, he tried his best to stay still and quiet, allowing her to sleep longer.
He mentally reviewed old cases, thought of baseball games, books he had read or was currently reading, movies he had seen… anything to keep him from rising and starting the day too soon.
"Hmm," she hummed again, stirring slightly and then burrowing into her pillow. He smiled as he watched her, glad she could sleep well in the somewhat small space provided in the back of their suv.
Well, small for me anyway, he thought with a silent chuckle, knowing her petite frame fit just fine.
They traveled light and precise. Everything in the car served a function and transferring from daily driving to nighttime sleeping had been done so often, it was like a well rehearsed dance at this point. It was not the best night's sleep, but they did what they could to make it comfortable with soft pads, blankets, and pillows.
The sky lit up and thunder rumbled seconds later, rain now falling faster and heavier.
"Hmm, it's… hmm," she said in her sleep, turning over and moving closer to him, a leg hooking over his before she sighed and let out a long breath.
He closed his eyes and leaned his head towards hers, attempting to fall back to sleep.
Loud thunder startled him and he opened his eyes to find that he had been successful in sleeping again, as the sky was now beginning to lighten.
Scully moaned and hummed, moving more and reaching out to wrap an arm around him.
"It's raining," she breathed and he smiled softly.
"It is," he answered and she whined.
"I don't want it to be raining," she whined and he laughed quietly.
"It's not like we have any place to be," he said and she made a disapproving noise.
"I have to pee so bad," she whined again and he laughed, rubbing her arm to remove any possible sting from his laughter.
"We have the umbrellas," he stated. "I can hold one for you."
"It won't matter. Listen to how hard it's raining. I'll be wet with or without it."
"We both will if you don't go outside," he teased and she groaned, pushing even closer to him.
"It's gonna be so cold," she said. "And wet. Mulllllderrrr…"
He laughed and kissed the top of her head, rubbing her back and nodding.
"You can stay back here and keep warm. It's not far to town and the windows are tinted enough to hide that you're disobeying the seatbelt law."
"I like the way you think," she said, nuzzling closer to him and kissing his chest.
"I'm sure you do," he said, laughing softly again and closing his eyes, thunder cracking close by.
"I thought we were going," she said and he opened his eyes.
"Oh! Right now?"
"Yes. I really need to pee," she said and he nodded, pulling the blankets off of himself and covering her back up as he grabbed his sweatshirt, then maneuvered around to get to the front seat.
"McDonald's okay?" he asked, yawning and stretching before starting the car with a shiver as he pulled his sweatshirt over his head.
"Yeah, that will be fine."
He yawned and nodded, driving from their secluded spot off the road and back toward the little town they had passed through last night.
Pulling into the parking lot of McDonald's, he shut off the car and looked back at her in the rearview mirror. She blinked as she sat up and looked around, her hair tousled. He smiled as she turned and met his eyes in the mirror.
"My shoes are on the front seat."
"I know."
"Can you bring them to me?"
"I can."
"Will you please?"
"Of course, babe," he teased and she grumbled.
"Still not sure about that nickname," she said, moving out of the blankets and yawning, as she put on her zip up jacket.
"Why I keep trying," he said, reaching behind the passenger seat for the large umbrella. "One day you'll accept it without a grumble."
"Hmm," she hummed, smoothing her hair into a messy ponytail. "We'll see about that. Shoes please, Mulder. I really need to go."
"On my way, dear," he said, grabbing her shoes and his own.
"Pushing your luck there, Fox," she said and he laughed as he opened the car door and then the umbrella.
Sliding his shoes on, he closed the door and walked to the back of the car, the rain falling hard against the umbrella. Opening the back door, she frowned and shivered as it lifted and he handed her her shoes.
When she was ready, they locked the car and walked close together under the umbrella, avoiding the puddles whenever possible.
Using the bathroom, he came out first and got in line to get them coffee and some breakfast. She came out soon after, still looking sleepy.
"Got some food coming. And coffee."
"Good."
They sat down to wait and he watched her rolling her neck and rubbing at her shoulders.
"You okay?"
"Hmm, yeah," she hummed with a nod. "Though I think I would like to find a motel tonight. With a real bed? And a toilet we don't have to drive to?"
"Yeah. I think we could do that," he said with a smile, looking around and noticing the decorations adorning the walls. "Hey, Scully, is it… I think it might be Thanksgiving."
She too looked around and then let out a deep sigh.
"I think you might be right," she said quietly and he looked at her as their food was set down, the woman smiling at them.
"Excuse me? Is it Thanksgiving today?"
"Yes, it is. Happy Thanksgiving to both of you." She nodded and walked away, leaving them staring at each other.
"Let's get that motel room," he said, smiling softly at her and she nodded, but did not smile back. "For a couple of days."
"I'd like that," she said, grasping his hand and nodding.
The rain was falling even harder when they left and drove to a small motel, checking in under an alias. They brought in only what was vital, planning to get the rest later, and then she announced she was going to take a shower. He watched her face as she walked past him and he saw the sadness etched upon it.
Once she was in the shower, he left to ask the young woman at the reservation desk if there were any restaurants in the area that were open and offering Thanksgiving meals. She smiled and told him of a couple, finding the numbers for him and writing them down.
"Thank you so much. I really appreciate it."
"Your wife likes Thanksgiving?"
"She… she does," he said, not correcting her. He nodded as he thought of Scully, knowing that she missed her family, and would be especially now as she knew today was a holiday. "Thank you again."
"You're welcome."
He hurried through the rain and came back into the room, thankfully finding that Scully was still in the shower. He called the two restaurants and the second told him they had one reservation available at three.
"Perfect. The name's Byers. See you then."
Hanging up, he smiled.
The torrential rain stopped midday, and when it had, he suggested they take a drive through town for something to do instead of staring at the motel walls.
Discovering there was a botanical garden, he looked at her and she smiled with a nod.
Taking their time, walking through the garden and admiring the flowers, they learned there was also a butterfly enclosure.
Almost as soon as they entered, a blue butterfly landed on Scully's shoulder much to her surprise. Her eyes were shining when she looked at him.
"It's so beautiful," she whispered and he nodded in agreement, wishing he had a camera to take a picture of her, as its wings opened and closed slowly. "I don't want to move in case it decides to fly away."
But it did not fly away, despite her eventually walking around the rest of the enclosure. It stayed on her shoulder until just before they left, flying away as if it knew it was time to go.
"Blue butterflies represent love, happiness, and often new beginnings," a patron of the garden said at the door of the enclosure. "I saw that one stayed on you for quite awhile. I'd say it means you were due for all three, if you're not already experiencing them."
She smiled and Scully nodded, biting her lip as she glanced at Mulder. He smiled gently at her and then thanked the woman as they walked through the door. Scully threaded her arm through his and let out a shaky breath.
"New beginnings," she said quietly. "Love and happiness."
"Hmm," he hummed, kissing the top of her head.
"I love you," she whispered and he stopped walking to look at her, cupping her cheek in his hand.
"I love you too," he said, searching her eyes. "And… you're happy?"
"What?" she asked, frowning as she reached for his other hand.
"Are you happy here? With me?"
"Mulder…"
"Sleeping in cars and rundown motel rooms? You're happy?" he asked, hating himself for the way they were now forced to live.
"Mulder," she breathed, stepping closer to him, his hand dropping from her face. "Of course I am. There's nowhere else I would want to be."
"Even on days like today? Away from your family and traditions you've always celebrated?" he asked, unable to meet her eyes as he shook his head.
"Yes," she said forcefully.
He raised his head and she placed her hands on his face, stroking his cheeks with her thumbs.
"Even on days like today," she whispered.
"You're sure?" he whispered back, holding her wrists, his thumbs brushing softly as he leaned into her touch.
"Without a doubt," she said. "There was never another option, Mulder. Not for a very long time."
"I love you so much," he whispered, kissing her softly, her hands moving from his face to his neck, her fingernails scratching gently.
"I love you too," she said, pulling back and resting her forehead against his, her nails still scratching softly. "Especially on days like this."
"Scully," he breathed and pulled her to him, holding her tightly.
"I'm serious," she whispered. "Yes, I miss my family. My mother. But you, Mulder… If I was home, knowing you were out in the world alone… that ache would not be able to be healed. If my day's worries revolved around what I would be bringing as a side dish to dinner, and if you were okay… Mulder…" She exhaled and shook her head against his shoulder. "I couldn't bear it."
"Scully," he said again, fighting back sudden tears.
"You are my family. Just as much, if not more, than my own… no, it's definitely more. Cars, rundown motels, wherever we are, my place is here with you."
He could not speak, so he simply held her, closing his eyes and breathing in her comforting scent.
Attention please- the gardens will be closing in fifteen minutes. Please make your way to the exits. Thank you for visiting us today and please come back soon.
"We better get going," she said and he nodded.
Pulling back, he kissed her again. Taking her hand and smiling softly, she nodded and they headed toward the exit.
"Wait. Gift shop," she said, tugging on his hand and pulling him inside.
Not many people were in the small room, affording them a chance to look around without feeling too crowded. He picked up a couple of postcards and a magnet, something they had been doing lately to keep track of where they had been.
Looking to his left, he saw Scully coming toward him and he smiled at the item she held in her hands: a small, stuffed blue butterfly that looked exactly like the one that had landed on her shoulder. She raised her eyebrows in a silent question and he nodded.
Their items paid for, they left the gardens. He put the ones he had chosen into a backpack and she laid her butterfly on the dashboard.
"Love, happiness, and new beginnings," she said softly and then let out a sigh. Catching his eye, she gave him a small smile and a nod and he nodded back.
Passing the motel and pulling into the parking lot of the restaurant a few minutes later, she looked at him quizzically. He grinned as he got out of the car and hurried around to open her door.
"We may no longer have the means to create our own meal, but thankfully there are restaurants out there, catering to people like us- wayward travelers or folks who don't want the hassle of cooking."
"I'm sure we'd need to have a reservation or something, Mulder," she said, not getting out of the car. "We can't just show up and expect to partake in their thought out cooking plans."
"We have one."
"What?"
"While you were in the shower, I called around and found a place offering thanksgiving meals." He smiled and she stared at him.
"Really?"
"Really."
She hurriedly unbuckled her seatbelt and got out, wrapping her arms around his waist. He hugged her back, kissing the top of her head.
"Thank you," she whispered and he hummed.
"Come along, Mrs. Byers," he said, smiling at her as he pulled back and closed the door. "Let's go eat."
"Byers is it?" she asked, smiling as she took his offered hand and they began to walk towards the entrance of the restaurant.
"For this afternoon," he replied, nodding as he squeezed her hand gently.
"Do you suppose they have homemade cranberry sauce?"
"Oh, are you too good for the stuff that comes from the can?" he teased and she simply raised her eyebrows in response. "Well, I suppose there's only one way to find out."
He opened the door and the smell of roasted turkey and stuffing made his mouth water.
"Homemade or in a can, I don't care anymore," she said, taking a deep breath and closing her eyes briefly as she let out a soft moan. "I just need some of that turkey."
"Could not agree with you more," he said, chuckling and squeezing her hand as he led them to the hostess stand, his stomach growling at the thought of the food they were about to enjoy.