A/N: Yay, more first person! I hate writing like this because I am really bad at English (I blame it on public school and taking the English CLEP test in college) and bad grammar rears its head mostly when I write in first person. But I am trying to challenge myself and become more well rounded. So it's either this or eat lots of cookies. And I don't like cookies all that much. Anyway, this story isn't going to just be from Bill's POV anymore.

I was surprised at Bill. Not only had he been outwardly polite, he'd even talked to me about the whole situation without raising his voice or giving me the endless litany of all the things I've done wrong in my life. I was so pleased with him, I wanted to buy him a new car, or get him season tickets for his favorite team.

We sat down at the table again, our desserts almost melted. I made a brief excuse for Mulder and mom gave me a pointed look, but I ignored it.

The conversation around the table floated from one familiar topic to the next, and I sat back, silent for the most part, thinking about how much I'd missed this. When I was a girl, this had been normal. Every evening after dinner, Ahab would make sure we all stayed at the table, for at least half an hour. And we talked. About anything we wanted to talk about, and sometimes, when a certain older sister had read your diary, even things we didn't want to talk about. The last time we had sat and talked like this, I was just getting ready to go to med school. Such a long time ago.

My thoughts eventually drifted to Mulder, as they often did, and I quickly checked my phone for the time, and to see if the Gunmen had called. Nothing. While it made me feel slightly better, the idea of Mulder alone with Fowley was enough to send chills down my spine. I didn't trust her as far as I could throw her, and the truth was that I probably couldn't throw her that far.

It was about that time I noticed that everyone was staring at me.

"What?" I asked, not knowing what else to say. For some reason, this made them all burst into laughter. I knew what was coming.

"Dana the daydreamer," Charlie teased. "How can a mind so rational be so caught up in the irrational?"

"It's the only thing that keeps such a rational mind sane," Bill answered.

"I wouldn't jump right to sane, Bill. I mean, this is Dana we're talking about."

"Shut up," I retorted, tossing my napkin at him. Charlie could tease me mercilessly, and a napkin to the face was probably the worst he would get.

"Kids, stop reverting," mom warned, standing up from the table. "Go in the other room and do something constructive."

We obeyed her diligently, knowing that excuses, even offers to help her clean up would be met with pig eyes and a rigid finger in the direction of the living room.

We sat down on the couches and Charlie immediately pulled a deck of cards from the coffee table.

"Slap Jack, Danes?"

I lifted my eyebrow.

"Remember what happened last time?"

"I remember you taking the word slap to a new and painful level."

"Right."

"Okay, how about Speed."

"Fine, if you can keep up."

He snorted and laid the correct number of cards down, then dealt us each a hand.

"So what's really up with your partner?" he began.

"Nothing. He just had to leave for a bit. He'll be back."

"That's not what I meant, Dana and you know it."

I sighed and glanced quickly around the room. Bill and Tara were playing with Matthew and were surely going to put him to bed soon. Charlie's kids had long since left the company of the adults for the basement with the Nintendo in it. Michelle was in the kitchen helping mom.

"Okay, but only because you're my favorite little brother. What do you want to know?"

"I already know, Dana. I'm just not sure you do."

"Excuse me?"

"Answer this question. When was the last time you brought anyone to a family gathering?"

He had me there.

"A very long time ago."

"I believe you were 18 and basically engaged to the little-"

"Charles Franklin."

I sounded like mom.

"Well anyway, you know what I'm saying."

"Yes, I know what you are incorrectly assuming."

"You're in love with him."

I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing outright.

"I am not in love with him. He's my best friend, Charlie. Mom was the one that requested for him to be here anyway."

"And you wouldn't have wanted him here otherwise?"

My eyes met his and I saw the challenge.

"I wanted him here too."

"And I bet when he comes back, your eyes are going to light up and you're going to smile, even if it's only for a split second."

"Sometimes I really hate you, little brother."

"I know, but eventually you give me a swirly and get over it."

I laughed and we continued our card game in silence. This affection I felt for Mulder had been getting easier to accept, even during this time when our partnership was on the rocks. It wasn't hard to admit that I cared about him. It wasn't even hard to admit that I loved him. But to say it out loud was a little much. And to admit it to my little brother, who knows me better than even Mulder does sometimes, well, that was just adding insult to injury.

"So what are you going to do if he starts dating someone else? Are you going to throw yourself at his feet and tell him how you feel?"

"I am not the type to throw myself at anyone's feet, Charlie and you know it."

"Okay, but how would you react in a situation like that."

"I wouldn't. There wouldn't be anything for me to say."

"You wouldn't be jealous?"

"I wouldn't have anything to be jealous of."

"Dana, how much do you weigh?"

"Excuse me?"

"I need to know what size straight jacket to get you because you're obviously delusional."

"I am not delusional."

"You would be spewing jealousy if he so much as glanced at another woman. Mom has told me enough about his old partner and your feelings towards her. Believe me, you would turn green."

"Charlie, it's not like that. He's free to date whoever he wants to date."

"Just not her."

"No, not her. She broke his heart once before and is ready and willing to do it again. I hate her."

"But what if he started dating someone that you actually liked?"

"There's no one good enough for him."

"Pretend there was. And he started dating her. Your relationship with him would change, would it not?"

"No, it wouldn't."

"Really? Because if Michelle saw me acting with another woman the way you act with him, she would have me in divorce court in 20 minutes."

"What? How do we act?"

"You picked lint off of his shirt, Dana."

"Well..."

"And you kept eating off his plate and you let him have the rest of your potatoes. You whisper at each other, he drives your car, he rubs your back without knowing he's doing it. I've been around the two of you enough to know how you work in tandem without speaking. You let him open doors for you and hold your chair out and help you into your coat. I've seen you fix his tie. Mom says he fills your car with gas. When someone walks into a room where the two of you are, it's like they just walked in on something they shouldn't have. I have never seen two people more effortlessly connected in my life. You two should be studied. That said, if another person were to enter into the picture, by way of either one of you, that chemistry and connection you two have would cease to exist as you know it. I'm not saying that it would disappear, but you would definitely miss what you have."

I didn't say anything for a long time, for the simple reason that nothing I could think of could honestly refute his points. Charlie has never been wrong about anything, ever. He's been the advice giver and shoulder to cry on my whole life, more than mom or Missy ever was.

"Ok, you're right. So what do I do when that happens? I mean, he's going to fall in love eventually. It's probably going to be some leggy blonde."

"You hate her already and she's just fictional."

I ignored that comment.

"So how do you propose I keep my friendship and partnership with him intact, but allow him to be happy with her at the same time?"

"I don't."

"You don't what?"

"I don't propose anything. Because it can't go both ways. What the two of you have is deeper that what any romantic couple would ever have, no offense to my wife. Your connection with him is always going to be stronger that any connection he could forge with anyone else."

"Why?"

"Because. Chances are, he's not going to be saving her life or getting his life saved by her every other week. He's not going to feel like she's all he has in the world. You're always going to occupy that top spot in his life, unless he willingly moves you to number 2. And I don't think he would do that. At the end of the day, you're his world."

"How do you know all this?"

"Because I'm really smart."

"Or really dumb."

"Either way," he said with a shrug. I smiled as the front door opened and the subject of our conversation stepped through.

"Mulder, you're back already."

I knew I hadn't been able to keep the smile off of my face, and I knew Charlie was checking for lights in my eyes, but I didn't care. No matter how mad I was at him, there was nothing like seeing Mulder come into the room. It was the closest to home that I ever felt.