The Invitation
Part 2
by Trycee
MSR Romance, Suitable for Most Ages.
Time Frame: After All Things, Season 7, but before Requiem
Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the X-Files, it is owned by Chris Carter and Fox. I wrote this story for fun not profit.
Mulder looked around at the table, a large glistening turkey sat in front of Bill, and the large dining table was littered with bowls of steaming, sweet smelling dishes. 'It sure beat the mold growing in my refrigerator', Mulder thought. Mulder couldn't quite recall the last time his family had celebrated the holidays together, not since Samantha...thats when everything in his family changed, the joy was taken away and the Mulder Family had no need for such things after that. It was too late now anyway, they were all gone.
He looked over at Scully who grinned in his direction, he smiled back at her. He had often wondered what the Scully family did for the holidays, he could only guess from his endless phone calls to her when she was with her family, usually he was interrupting their family meals, sometimes just because he missed Scully so much and didn't want to be alone. Any excuse would do, just as long as he could talk to her or see her, he knew as she did that he couldn't go very long without at least hearing her voice.
Bill sat at the head of the table, in his father's place, and Mrs. Scully sat at the other end. Bills wife sat to his right with baby Matthew next to Grandma. Mulder sat to Mrs. Scully's right and Scully sat next to her older brother, who glared periodically in Mulder's direction.
Scully could feel the tension directed towards Mulder from Bill, "Has anyone heard from Charles?, she blurted out.
"Mom?", Bill asked. "Have you?"
Mrs. Scully was busy smiling at the sight of Mulder and her daughter but she glanced up quickly. "Yes, as a matter of fact I did recently. He sends his regards. You know you're brother. He has his own family now, his own life. We'll hear from him again in about 10 yrs."
Scully smiled at Bill. "He was always different."
"Missy was a wanderer too, " Mrs. Scully spoke. "I guess all of you kind of do that in some form or the other. It's the military brat syndrome, I believe. Normally we have a room full of people for the holidays but I thought this year we'd have a small family affair. I like it with just all of us."
Bill passed a bowl of mashed potatoes to Scully, she fixed her plate and turned to Mulder. "Mulder would you like some?"
Mulder had been staring at his plate, his mind on his loses in the past few years. He'd lost everyone in his family, he was the last one to carry on the Mulder genes and yet he couldn't do that with the woman he loved. He had lost everyone he cared about except Scully. He nodded eagerly, "Yes, yes I would."
Scully ladled the mashed potatoes onto his plate as she did with each dish, almost instinctively. Her mother watched her fix Mulder's plate for him. "You know Dana, I'm sure he can do that himself."
Scully blushed, turning towards Mulder. "Its habit I guess, " she nearly whispered.
Mulder sheepishly shot a look at Bill who huffed disapprovingly. Little Matthew cried out, wiping mashed potatoes all over his baby seat. Scully looked over at her nephew. She stared at his eyes, his sticky little hands, his auburn hair, and the look of happiness in Tara's face. Mulder saw the look of longing in her eyes. He knew that look very well by now. Her family would never know how they had tried to get pregnant, how the in vitro using her eggs he had salvaged never took and how Scully had cried in his arms because it had failed. She worried it was her last chance to be a mother and it was the one thing he wish he could give her. He knew that despite the laughter, the smiles to her family, Scully was hurting deep inside because they weren't able to create a child of their own. If he could take away her pain, the same pain he saw in her eyes as she looked so desperately at her nephew he would.
Scully turned towards Mulder, she knew he understood what she was feeling at that moment. She knew that he understood her desire to be a mom, and though she tried to hide her feelings from everyone else, she couldn't hide it from him. He knew her too well.
Her mother sensed it too, "So any interesting cases lately?", she said directing the question to Mulder.
Mulder turned towards her mother, "Well, nothing at the moment."
"No little green men?", Bill snarled.
"Bill!", Scully shouted. "Don't."
Mulder shot Bill a grin. "Actually, they're gray, not green."
"Whatever..."
"So, what are we grateful for?", Mrs. Scully interjected.
"Family", Tara said, quickly regretting her words as she looked towards Mulder.
"New starts", Mulder said, smiling to Scully. She slid her hand inside his, under the table.
"Good answer, "she giggled.
"Very Good answer", Tara smiled.
"Well everyone, lets eat, " Mrs. Scully said, spreading her arms out over the table.
The wind was blowing a cold chill but they sat together on the steps, bundled up in their coats cuddled up together.
"Scully, I've always wondered what a Scully Thanksgiving was like."
She hung her head low, and then slowly raised her eyes towards his, "And?", she said gripping his arm tightly as they sat on her mother's steps.
"Very interesting...more normal than I thought it would be."
"Why thank you, " she joked.
"And your brother hates me even more."
"Don't worry about Bill. His bark is worst than his bite."
"Is yours?", he said, turning to kiss her. She eagerly accepted and they locked lips for quite awhile. He put his arms around her. "Thank you for inviting me."
"You know you would not have let me get through a family holiday without you blowing up my phone, Mulder."
Mulder turned to her, "Ah, I... never."
"Of course you have. You couldn't go one time without calling me, admit it."
He smiled towards her and she nearly melted, he still had that affect on her and he knew it. "Mulder, I know you're missing your family."
He choked slightly, "You can't miss what you never had, Scully."
"Seriously Mulder, I know its been tough on you."
She placed her hand next to his, her hands were tiny compared to his. His touch was electric and she was so grateful she could freely touch him now, they're feelings out in the open, at least outside of work, though they still sneaked a kiss each morning at work and tried desperately the rest of the day to pretend they weren't thinking of the next time and the next kiss. For months now they had secretly become lovers and it wasn't easy trying to stay professional at work. Even if they had just left each other that morning, they still had to pretend to maintain their own apartments, their own lives and arrive to work separately.
"Scully, you're making things easier for me, much easier. My sister used to be my obsession, my only reason for living and now."
"Now?", she said looking into his eyes that were so deep, so true.
"Now," he continued. "My only reason is you."
"Mulder, I love you so much, " she said, surprising herself. They had never used the "L' word before though it was unspoken between them, except when he was in the hospital after chasing after the ghost ship and had said it to her as he lay in the hospital bed, but she hadn't taken him seriously then. She looked away quickly but Mulder turned her face towards his and kissed her deeply.
"Scully, you know I love you too. You know you've been the only one I've ever loved this much. I can't even breathe without you."
Tears welled up in her eyes and she wiped them away. They sat in silence for a moment.
"Do you know how hard it is to wake up without you next to me every morning?, " he continued. "Even though I see you almost everyday, I can't sleep without you next to me any more. Not a wink!"
"And for an insomniac that's saying something", she said, tightening her grip around his muscular arm. "I know Mulder, I feel the same way...when your laying next to me, I feel so safe, so loved. Its hard to keep my feelings from spilling out at work. I want to hug you, kiss you, feel your arms wrapped around me, but I have to maintain myself. And at home, it just feels empty without you there."
"Scully, you know what I'm gonna say eventually, don't you?"
She squeezed his arms tighter, "Just not right now, Mulder, please I need to keep working for now."
He nodded his head. "Eventually Scully though, you're gonna have to step away. I can't have you out there getting hurt, I just couldn't take it. Your gonna have to stop. Your gonna have to move on and become a doctor. I don't want you to argue with me about it though."
Scully lowered her eyes. "I know Mulder, " she said. " But what about you?", she thought to herself.
"Come on Scully, I need to take you home."
Mulder helped her up from the steps and they entered into her mother's home.
"Mom, is there anything I can help you with?", Scully said entering into the kitchen. Tara and Mrs. Scully were washing dishes.
"No, you two love birds looked too content, we didn't want to disturb you. We've got everything under control."
Scully blushed realizing that her family probably saw them kissing.
"I made two plates for the both of you, " her mom said, handing her the food.
"Dana, you'll call me when you get home, won't you."
She hugged her mom tightly, "Mom, thanks for such a lovely meal."
Mrs. Scully turned towards Mulder and gave him a big hug. "Fox, thank you for coming. You make sure she gets home safe, alright."
"I will, Mrs. Scully. " He then turned to her sister-n-law. "Nice seeing you again."
Scully kissed her nephew on the forehead. "Its been too long since I've seen him."
"We know, " Tara said. "We'll fly back for Christmas or maybe you both can come to our house for Christmas again."
"Sounds good, " Scully said, hugging her.
Bill after a few Irish whiskey's shook Mulder's hand, still not speaking a word to him. He then turned to his now only sister. "Take care of yourself sis. Take care."
She nodded and waved to her family as they walked out of the door. Mulder grabbed her hand and they walked over to his car. He opened the door, and Scully slid into the seat. He shut the door and walked over to the drivers side. Scully reached over and kissed him. "Mulder thank you for coming with me."
"Don't press your luck at Christmas, Scully!", he smiled.
"Ha, Ha! You're taking me home Mulder?"
Mulder smiled wickedly. "Scully, are you coming on to me?", he smiled.
Scully reached out and held his hand, "Yes, of course I am."
He kissed her hand and she turned to wave towards her mother's house. She knew they were watching them. She could feel it. Her mother, Tara and Bill all waved back to her from the kitchen window. She smiled, she had often wondered what would happen if she had brought Mulder to a family holiday. Now she knew...Mulder pulled out into the street and they gripped each others hand. She closed her eyes, resting as he drove them home. He watched her as much as he watched the road, she could feel that too. She smiled and Mulder smiled back, he was caught watching her again.
"You're not falling asleep now are you?", Mulder asked.
She winked at him. "Just resting up a little bit."
Mulder's foot pressed harder on the pedal.
"Mulder, we need to make it back in one piece."
He slowed down a little. "Get plenty of rest Scully, get plenty of rest..."
She grinned and then turned, falling asleep knowing that he would continue to watch her, memorizing her every breath.
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