A/N: Almost done!

The case was over, and they would be flying home in the morning. Mulder was ready to go home, but would have liked to stay in town for longer. Over the last week, had really gotten to know Scully's grandparents, and had enjoyed seeing his partner more relaxed. Some days it had almost been like a vacation.

They were leaving in the next afternoon, and he was making sure he had all his stuff packed, when Scully walked into his room, a large quilt under her arm.

"Come with me?" she asked, holding out one hand. He took it before he asked where they were going.

"Grab a sweatshirt and a pillow."

He obeyed and she led him out the back door and across the yard to the huge maple tree.

"Scully?"

"Are you coming or what?" she asked, starting up the ladder that led to the tree house. He chuckled to himself and followed her up the few rickety steps, soon finding himself in the middle of the large tree house. There was a window on every wall, and the roof even had skylights in it. Scully closed the trapdoor behind him, then spread the quilt out on the ground. She kicked her shoes off and laid down, her hands clasped over her stomach.

"Scully, what's going on?"

"Meteor shower tonight. I'm surprised you didn't know that."

"I've been kind of pre-occupied," he answered, lying down next to her.

"You have seemed a little stressed."

"I think I have good reason."

She just nodded but didn't say anything.

"So a meteor shower, huh?"

"Yep. I'm not sure if we'll be able to see it, but you never know."

He pulled his left arm under his head, propping it up a little more on the pillow.

"I'm sorry I've been so quiet these last few days. I know you've been wondering what I've been thinking."

"Yeah, I have."

She sighed a little, staring out the window.

"I wasn't expecting this to happen, Mulder. I always thought we would just be friends for the rest of our lives. And I was fine with that. Sure, sometimes I thought that it might turn into more, but I knew that I would be okay if it didn't. But then it happened, and ever since that day, I've been so scared."

"Scared?"

"You are the most important person in my life. I don't want to lose you. I'm afraid of what might happen. That fight we had was really bad, Mulder. What if that happens again? What if we can't fix it?"

"That won't happen."

"But it might. If I lost you, I don't know what I would do. I don't want to go through that."

"Do you really have such little faith in me? In us?"

"No. But I don't want even that little chance to become reality."

"I understand that."

They fell into silence for a long time and his stomach churned. He knew how she felt; he was scared too. But he thought it was worth the risk. He thought that the good that could come from their relationship might outweigh the infinitesimal chance that they would run into problems and break up. Apparently Scully didn't share that thought.

"So what's the bottom line here, Scully?"

"I don't know."

"You want to go back to the way things were, don't you?"

"No."

"Then what do you want?"

"I just want to be sure. I don't want to lose you."

"You will never lose me, Scully. Never. Even if things didn't work and we broke up, you would always have me. I would always be here, no matter what. And do you know why?"

"Why?"

"Because I love you. Because you mean more to me than any fight, than any disagreement, than any harsh words. There is nothing that would ever take precedence over you or our relationship. Nothing. Do you believe that?"

"Yes, I do. But I'm not worried about you, Mulder. I'm worried about me."

"Why?"

"I've never been able to make a relationship work. I've always ran away scared, or the whole time I felt like something was wrong. I couldn't make myself trust anyone. I could never give my heart over to anyone."

"Scully, did you ever think that the problem wasn't you? Maybe the problem was that none of those relationships were right. And maybe deep down, you knew that."

"Maybe."

He rolled over to face her, resting his large hand over her joined ones.

"Maybe we're right. Maybe we're supposed to be together. What if we miss out on it because we're scared?"

He could tell her pulse had quickened and he rubbed her hand gently with his thumb, trying to calm her down.

"I know."

"Scully, I don't want to persuade you. I don't want you to do this to please me. I want you to do it because you want it, because you think it's right. I don't want you to resent me later and feel like you had no choice in the matter."

"Mulder, I really want this. I do. Nothing will change that," she assured him, rolling over to mirror his position.

"Then what did you have to think about for three days?"

She sighed again.

"I feel like our timing is bad. I don't want there to be anything that could mess this up. I don't want anything stacked against us."

"Nothing can be stacked against us unless we let it be. And yes, I know I used very bad grammar in that sentence."

She smiled through her near tears and reached her hand out to play with the buttons on his shirt.

"I don't want you to think I don't love you too, Mulder. Because I do. I'm just afraid of hurting you. That's the last thing I ever want to do."

"Scully do you think I would ever hurt you?"

"No."

"Do you think you love me less than I love you?"

"No."

"Then why would you hurt me?"

"Because I'm human, Mulder. I might make a mistake."

"But it would just be a mistake. There's such a thing as forgiveness you know."

"I know."

"We're doing this slowly. Just like we agreed on weeks ago. Nothing changes that. Okay sweetheart?"

"Okay."

He took her hand and laced their fingers together.

"I think it's supposed to be scary. If it's not, then we're not really in it. And you're in it, right?"

"Yes. Completely."

"Me too. It'll be another adventure in the lives of Moose and Squirrel."

She smiled and nodded.

"Agreed."

"Feel better?"

"Much. Thank you."

He leaned down and kissed her softly, resting his forehead against hers.

"Together?"

"Together."