His reverie long over, Mulder gradually re-emerged into consciousness on his couch, where he typically ended up dozing most nights before awakening to a less intense form of exhaustion. On this morning, he felt exhaustion of a different kind. One tempered by a sense of well-being and paradoxical vigor. Mulder procrastinated opening his eyes, knowing that it would banish the spell of wondrous dreams that had somehow overtaken his sleep the previous night.

The gentle shutting of the main door of his apartment piqued his curiosity, as did the scents of fresh pastries and hot beverages. "Mmmm. Donuts," Mulder mumbled.

"Danishes, actually. From Kirchopf's Café."

"Morning, Missy," he said contentedly, smiling as he opened his eyes.

Melissa returned the smile. "Good morning."

Surveying his apartment, Mulder asked, "What time is it?"

Melissa set the sack and cupholder on the coffee table. "Almost 9:30. I woke up around 8:00, and got some breakfast."

Mulder attempted an upright position. "That late, huh?"

"You were completely out of it. It's like you hadn't slept in a while."

"I haven't been able to get a decent night's rest in years. But last night, it was like I was in a different world. Actually, I think that's what I dreamt."

Melissa nodded. "That world consisted of your true feelings."

"How do you know?" Mulder asked with guarded surprise.

"I had that kind of dream myself. Not to get too detailed, but I dreamt that I was… with someone. Someone I met out in California, a few years ago while I was finding myself."

"Who was it?"

"Nobody you would know. What about you?"

Turning away from Melissa, Mulder contemplated the sack of danishes and attempted a casual response. "Someone from work."

Melissa nodded.

"Let's see," Mulder began, looking into the sack. "Cream cheese. Blueberry. Strawberry. Any preference?"

"No. I'm sure you like strawberry, though."

"Yeah." Mulder reached into the bag. "It's like you can read my mind." He handed the bag to Melissa. "You wanna split one of the other ones?"

"Would I know this person from work?"

A short, nervous laugh emitted from Mulder, setting the bag down in from of Melissa. "What are the odds? The Bureau's a big agency."

"I'm serious, Fox."

"For what? You didn't tell me about your friend from California."

"Yes, but I know at least one person you work with. Someone with whom you have worked very closely over the past few years."

Melissa continued to gaze at Mulder, whose sheepishly bemused grin faded. Weakly, he finally said, "It was just a dream."

"Dreams tell us important truths."

"So, what do you want me to say?" Mulder asked with a tinge of defensiveness. "That I dreamt that I did it with your sister?"

Shocked, but not surprised by Mulder's cutting tongue, Melissa's deep gaze transformed into a sharp glare. "If you want to make it sound like an empty act of hostility, that's fine."

"I'm not being hostile…"

"That's how you said it. That you did it with my sister."

"What do you want me to say? That's what happened."

"No, it didn't."

Agape, Mulder stared at Melissa for a few moments. "So, what, are you in denial now?"

"Dammit, Fox. No. You don't understand what I'm getting at."

"So, what is it? Are you going to tell your family about me?"

"Can you be quiet for a few moments? Be still?"

"What?"

"Be still," Melissa repeated.

"Why?" Mulder asked, further down his path of confusion.

Melissa waited for Mulder's agitation to wind down before she started talking again.

"The drink. Brangane's Number Nine. It made us have those dreams. I think Alma knew that it would have some kind of effect. It manipulated our dreams, so that we could unite with the person we were meant to be with."

"Your sister and I are work partners."

"At least subconsciously, the attraction is there. Whether or not you're aware of it."

"So, we should quit the Bureau? Because that's the only way that would ever happen."

"What I mean is, acknowledging it. You had an opportunity last night to do so. We both did, with different people. Mine was among the most vivid dreams I've ever had. As I'm sure yours was, too."

Mulder nodded in a non-committal manner.

Melissa settled on the sofa next to Mulder. "Fox, I didn't mean to make you upset. I just wanted you to be honest with me, and with yourself. You care for my sister very much. And, as I said last night, probably more than you want to acknowledge."

"I don't want to jeopardize everything we've built, Melissa," Mulder said quietly, shaking his head. "Your sister… Dana and I, we've developed a deep professional bond and trust. I don't want to destroy it with this."

"As you said, it was only a dream. But it is also a guide to acknowledging the depth of your caring for her. It won't destroy anything."

"It was so intense," Mulder exhaled. "But it wasn't what you'd think."

"I understand, Fox. That's why I got upset about what you said earlier, because I knew there was more to it than that."

"I just wasn't expecting…"

"It's alright," Melissa said. "Right now, let's have some danishes. I don't want to go out again to get some fresh ones."

As Mulder and Melissa progressed through breakfast, she went into further detail about the woman from her dream, and began sorting aloud the advantages and disadvantages of going back to California. Mulder knew he couldn't guide her with that, so he simply listened to Melissa and asked her a few questions to carry on the conversation.

With the coffee and pastries long gone, Melissa left Mulder's apartment around noon. She had begun leaning towards a return to California, but still felt some guilt about the prospect of leaving her mother to herself. Leaning in Mulder's doorway, she said, "With Dad gone, and Dana coming close to death, I think Mom needs some kind of stabilizing force. At least for a while. Maybe another year or so."

"You can't put your life on hold for that, though," Mulder said.

"I don't know. I somehow feel that I have work to do here. Maybe when the time's right, I'll go back."

"How will you know?"

Melissa shrugged. "Maybe I won't. Things work out that way, too."

"Well, I hope whatever decision you make is the right one," Mulder said.

"I know." She stared at Mulder for a moment, then opened her arms. "Take care, Fox."

Embracing Melissa, Mulder said, "You, too. Thanks for everything."

Melissa held Mulder more tightly. "You take care of my sister, all right? Whatever happens?"

"I will. I can promise you of that."

"I know you will. And I know you're a good man, Fox. No matter what you or anyone else might think." She turned to walk down the hall, but looked back at Mulder one last time. "There are many things you should let go. Never let go of that."

Mulder made another trip to Kirchopf's by himself, this time for lunch at around 2:00. Unlike his usual modus operandi with getting food out, especially as a solo customer, he decided to stay in the café. As he did at Namaste, Mulder grokked its low-lit casual elegance. Customers conversing among themselves, or quietly hunching over diverse reading materials. Coffee beans grinding and percolating. Classic jazz soothing and electrifying the atmosphere. For once, Mulder allowed himself to enjoy one of many ways of life that he committed himself to protecting. Even more so when he realized how close it could come to disappearing forever, at the hands of the same organization that took away two of the people whom he cared about most.

But he couldn't think about that right now. He had already been doing so for a long time. For the time being, he could just enjoy being among other people, progressing mindfully through a lunch of Meditteranean pesto Panini. A vegetarian sandwich, as Melissa's admonitions about eating animal flesh remained fresh in his mind. On the side, Kettle chips, Fuji apple, and a white mocha, with a chocolate chip muffin for after.

The outside world invaded when an electronic chirping began to emit from his jacket. He debated whether to check it, but decided to do so… just in case.

Recognizing the number as belonging to Scully, Mulder set aside the chips and flipped the phone open. "This is Mulder."

"Mulder? It's me."

His face softening into a gentle smile, Mulder said, "Scully? You back on duty? Is the Flukeman back?"

"I was discharged today."

"You were? But I thought the doctors wanted you to take a few more days of bed rest."

"They did. But they seemed to think I was well enough to leave today. I wasn't expecting it, and they weren't, either."

"Do you feel any better?"

"Amazingly, yes. I woke up this morning with… I don't know. This profound sense of well-being. Almost euphoria. Something I'd never felt before. The doctors checked my vitals, too, and determined that they were in line with how I was feeling."

With some hesitation, Mulder asked, "Any ideas what might have happened?"

Scully sighed. "I'll just say that… I'm a scientist. But knowing that people care deeply for you can help substantially in the process of recovering from illness. I'm certain that your concern for me is what helped with my own recovery."

Although he knew Scully couldn't see him, Mulder nodded. "How much?"

"More than you'll ever know."

Mulder nodded again, his smile softening and his eyes tightening to hold back the gently stinging moistness that had begun forming around them. "I think I do." He hesitated before addressing her again. "Dana."

Scully heard Mulder sniffle over the phone. "Oh, Mulder. It's all right."

"Call me Fox? At least until we get back to work again?"

Somewhere between bemused and profoundly touched, Scully smiled back into the phone. "Oh, all right. Fox."

"Yeah. Say. Ummm…"

"Yes?"

"Would you like some company tonight? Like, what I mean is, not in the sense of…"

"I know what you mean. And, yes, I would."

"Really?"

"Well, my original plan was a couple night bedrest, until the doctors said that I could go. What were you thinking of?"

"Well, I know of a nice Indian place not too far from where I live."

"Oh, yes. Melissa told me that she took you there last night."

Somewhat taken aback, Mulder asked, "She did?"

"Yes. She said she thought she'd stop by, make sure you were okay after everything."

"What else did she tell you?" Mulder asked, his tone of voice somewhat more guarded.

"That was pretty well it. She said that you had some great conversation about things. I know you share an interest in the unknown, even if your approaches to them are different."

"Oh."

"Anything else I should know about?"

"No." Mulder paused, then repeated, "No. Everything was fine."

"So, this restaurant. We go there, what time? And then maybe go back to my place to watch a movie?"

"Yeah. Namaste. At Seven. Did you have something in mind for a movie?"

"I'll give you a hint. It came out in 1958, and it stars Kim Novak and James Stewart."

"Oh…" Mulder trailed off. "I'm afraid my movie trivia is a little rusty. At least in most genres. But I'm sure you know that."

"Which genres you know well?"

"Oh, et tu Dana?"

Scully smiled warmly, almost as if Mulder were there with her. "Okay. I'll give you a hint. It isn't the one with witches."

"Huh?"

"Bell, Book, and Candle. You haven't heard of that one?"

"No."

"James Stewart plays a guy named 'Shep,' of all things."

"Are you trying to tell me something?"

"Anyway, Kim Novak plays a witch who…"

"Wait, what's her name? 'Melinda?' 'Diana?'"

"I don't remember."

"Okay. So what is the selection tonight?"

"Vertigo. My favorite Hitchcock film. I always watch it as a way of de-stressing."

"Yeah. I've never seen it myself, but it sounds a bit less stressful than Psycho. That is, unless you just take baths."

Scully smirked. "All right. Namaste, followed by Vertigo. It's a date then."

"In a manner of speaking, of course," Mulder said.

"Of course. Bye, Fox."

"Bye, Dana."

After Mulder closed the phone, he stared at it for a few moments.

Is this really a date?

Was last night?

Ist ein Traum, kann nicht wirklich sein
dass wir zwei beieinander sein
beieinand für alle Zeit
und Ewigkeit!