a/n: So here is chapter 15! OMG. So Lily and I are totally gonna meet this summer. Dude it's insane. I am so freakin' excited!!!!!
Forgive any mistakes. I NEED A BETA!
Dedication: Katy cause her birthday is coming up super soon! (she's old). And Lily cause, DUUUH
Disclaimer: As shocking as it may seem, I do not own The X-files or anything that they entail nor anything publicly recognizable.
Scully woke up early on her birthday, her alarm clock hadn't even gone off yet. It was five am and she was wide awake, sighing, she tossed back the covers, grabbing her clothes, she walked across the hall and took a shower. She had time to kill, so she took her time, straightening her hair, doing her make up. She wore her favorite pair of jeans, a Jasper Hollow Golden Eagles tee shirt and her black converse. Grabbing her book bag, purse and Mulder's coat she went downstairs. She paused when she reached the bottom of the stairs, dropping her belongings, "Daddy!"
"Happy Birthday Starbuck!" Mr. Scully smiled, he stood up from the kitchen table where he had been sitting, drinking his coffee. Scully ran to him, hugging him tight, "You never could sleep in on your birthday."
"How are you here? I thought you had to work?" Scully asked, her smile growing.
"You don't think I'd miss something as important as my Starbuck's Seventeenth birthday." Mr. Scully smiled, his little girl had grown up so much in the past year, "So what are your birthday plans?"
"Well, Mulder said he had something planned, but I could cancel, I am sure he'd be cool with it."
"No. Dana, go have fun with Fox." Mr. Scully smiled, "How is it going with the two of you?" he asked, genuinely interested.
"Well," The two sat down at the table, "It's really good. It's been rough, since Samantha came home, but really good too. He's so happy." Scully explained, stealing a drink of her father's coffee.
"Are you happy?" He asked, already knowing the answer.
"More than I think I have ever been." Scully bit her lip, subconsciously playing with Mulder's ring that hung on the chain around her neck.
"That's what I like to hear." He smiled.
"How long are you home?"
"Till Wednesday." Mr. Scully said and Dana hugged him again.
A short while later, the rest of the family and Monica arose, making their way down the stairs. Charlie was sitting on Mr. Scully's lap and Dana sat on the other side of the table, unable to wipe the smile from her face.
"Happy birthday, Danes." Monica handed her a package.
"Mon, you didn't have to get me anything." Scully smiled.
"Well, shut up and accept it, cause you have more coming." Monica explained, "Besides, that one isn't technically from me." Scully gave her a look and then glanced at the small card attatched, 'To Aunt Dana, Love The Baby' Scully grinned and tore the package open.
"Awww Mon!" Scully smiled, it was a framed ultrasound picture, "You do know I am gonna spoil that kid rotten."
"I realize that." Monica laughed.
"Oh." Charlie dug into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out an envelope, "Happy Birthday, Dana." He kissed her cheek.
"Thanks Charlie." Scully stuck her nail under the edge of the envelope and carefully tore it open, she pulled out the card, reading out loud, "To the world's greatest sister. Happy Birthday. Love Charlie." She smiled at the homemade card and held up the iTunes gift card that was inside, "I love it."
The door opened and in walked Mulder, "Hey Birthday Girl."
Scully jumped up from the table, she ran over to Mulder, throwing her arms around his neck, he picked her up slightly and kissed her, "Hi Mulder."
"Good Morning Fox." Mr. Scully said, clearing his throat at the table.
"Oh." Mulder blushed, "Good Morning, Sir."
"Dana you have another present to open." Mrs. Scully directed, pointing to the wrapped package on the counter.
"You guys, its just my birthday." She sighed, she was horrible at accepting gifts.
"Open it." Mr. Scully encouraged.
Scully bit her lip, she tore into the packaging and her jaw dropped when she saw what it was, "NO WAY!"
"Well you aren't going to know for sure unless you open the actual box." Mulder teased her and Scully ripped off the tape, opening the box, "OH MY GOD!" She exclaimed at the sight of her black Mac Book Pro.
"You like it?" Mrs. Scully asked, knowing the answer.
"YEAH!" Scully managed, literally shaking with excitement, "THANK YOU SO MUCH!" She hugged her dad tightly and then her mother.
"It's seven." Mulder mentioned, "We gotta get going."
"Oh right." Scully exclaimed and ran her stuff up to her room. Coming back downstairs, she grabbed her things and climbed into Mulder's truck.
"I'm seventeen!" She smiled and Mulder laughed.
"Happy Seventeenth Baby. You'll get your present from me tonight." Mulder explained.
"Mulder, why am I frightened by whatever you have in store." Scully asked glancing at him, John and Monica were right behind them in John's blazer.
"You have nothing to fear. Just be ready to have some fun." Mulder explained.
"Alright. I trust you." She relented.
"Good." Mulder smiled and parked in the school parking lot.
"Let's get this day over with." Scully said as she grabbed her bag, sliding out of the truck. She met Mulder at the front bumper, taking his hand, they walked across the street to the school.
"Happy Birthday Dana." A few people yelled at her and she smiled and gave them a little wave.
"Do I have a big sign over my head or something?" She mumbled as she kicked her locker until it opened.
"No. Most of these kids have known you since kindergarten. They can't remember the answers to their math homework, but they can remember birthdays." Mulder shrugged and grabbed Dana's books from her top locker.
"Thanks." She smiled and grabbed them from him, sliding them into her book bag.
"Happy Birthday Red." Diana Fowley quipped as she walked by, "Ha-ay Fox."
"Fuck off, Diana." Scully said as she kicked her locker shut, swinging her bag over her shoulder, she took Mulder's hand and literally pulled him down the hall.
"Did I miss something? I didn't know you two could hate each other more." Mulder wondered.
"She tried to start something while you were gone." Scully shrugged, they paused at the corner. Mulder was headed to French and Scully was off to her English class, "I love you." She said and hugged him tightly.
"I love you too." Mulder kissed her head.
--
They met up again at lunch, Scully threw her book bag under the table and sat down on one of the bench style seats, "Since when does having a birthday mean 'please smother me in homework'?"
"What?" Mulder asked as she stole a fry from his tray.
"I have like three outlines to get done. I don't even want to think of Geometry or Spanish." She laid her head on Mulder's shoulder, stealing another fry.
"I know. What is with the new super sized amounts of homework?" Monica asked and John shrugged.
"It's like they have a radar, 'teenagers having lives. must destroy'" Mulder said in a weird robot like voice.
"Exactly." Scully said and they all chuckled.
"At least this year is almost over. There's what, three..odd months left?" John said, "Then we're seniors."
"Hell yes." Was chorused around the table.
"Oh Danes." Monica dug through her purse, "This is from John and I."
"Happy Birthday." John said.
"Thank you guys." Scully smiled and ripped open the package, "Oh my God. Thank you guys." It was Coldplay's newest C.D.
The bell rang not long after, they disposed of their trash and made their way to their next classes. Scully sat through Spanish, grateful that she only had one workbook page for homework, and she was actually grateful for the pop quiz they had in Geometry because it meant no homework. Her last two periods of the day were a double internship for Mr. Spangler, her old biology teacher. The class was watching a video today and Mr. Spangler let her work on her homework. She got through two of her outlines and her Spanish homework.
"HEY DANA!" One of the sophomore boys ran to catch up with her.
"Hi... Mark, right?" Dana asked, the final bell had rung, all she wanted to do was go finish her homework while Mulder had basketball practice and then get on with enjoying her birthday.
"Yeah. I just wanted to say Happy Birthday.. I saw it on the announcements." Mark said, he was a tall, pimply faced boy who had yet to grow into his frame.
"Thanks Mark." She smiled and ran her fingers along the chain with Mulder's class ring.
"Nice necklace."
"Thanks. My boyfriend gave it to me." She quipped, Mark was nice, but annoying and she'd greatly appreciate it if he went away.
"Oh." Mark's face fell, "You're going out with that freak... Mulder, right?"
"Mark... here's a hint." Scully snapped, " One. Don't ever call my boyfriend a freak. Two. Don't hit on an upperclassman, especially if she's taken. Three. Back off." Scully glared at him and then turned.
"You're missing out." Mark yelled after her.
"I'll risk that disappointment." She shot back. Scully faced forward, not looking back, she reached the gym and climbed up to the top of the bleachers, tossing her stuff down, she collapsed on her seat, putting her head in her hands. She heard Mulder come up the bleachers, hitting them hard, taking them two at a time.
"What's wrong?" Mulder kneeled on the next bleacher down.
"Some idiot Sophomore." She mumbled into her hands.
"What?" Mulder pulled her hands down.
"Some idiot Sophomore decided to hit on me after intern." Scully rolled her eyes, "He had the nerve to call you a freak, so I told him off and came here."
"I'm sorry, Scully." Mulder pulled her into a tight hug and she hugged him back.
"FOX! GET DOWN HERE AND PRACTICE!" The coach yelled.
"That's my cue." Mulder let her go, "I love you."
"I love you too." Scully smiled as Mulder sprinted down the bleachers and onto the gym floor. She pulled out her iPod and put in her ear phones as she worked on her final outline for US History. She finished her homework, listening to Alanis Morissette while watching Mulder practiced. She smiled when he made all his three point shots without even trying. Practice wrapped up and Scully made her way down the bleachers while they did their cool downs.
Mulder was soaked with sweat and he came over to Scully hugging her and rubbing his head on her shirt, "EWW MULDER!" she exclaimed and shoved him lightly, "You smell."
"I smell?" Mulder pulled away and Scully scrunched up her nose and nodded, Mulder laughed, his arms locked around her waist, he spun her around, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU." He began to sing.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!" The rest of the team joined in, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR DANA, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!" They finished and Mulder pulled Scully in for a kiss, the team hooting and hollering.
"Okay you've had your show, now we're leaving." Scully told them all, dragging Mulder away from the group, "Later Boys!"
"Feeling better?" Mulder grabbed his duffel from the bleachers, linking hands with Scully they left the gym, walking across the parking lot to his truck.
"Much." Scully giggled, "Thank you."
"Anything for you." Mulder kissed her lightly, opening the truck door for her.
"You're too good for me." Scully teased as she climbed in the cab.
"I try." Mulder gave a little bow and then got into the driver's seat. They drove silently across town, Coldplay playing in the background, their hands linked in the middle of the bench seat. Mulder parked in front of Scully's house, leaning over her kissed her, "Dress comfortable. I'll pick you up in an hour."
"Alright." Scully smiled, sliding out of the cab, she ran inside.
"Hey Miss Dana." Mrs. Scully called from the kitchen as Dana raced up the stairs, she fell back and entered the kitchen.
"Hi." She smiled at her parents who sat at the table, drinking hot cocoa.
"How was your day?"
"Good. Well good beginning, school was school, but ended really awesome." Scully smiled, chewing on the inside of her lip.
"What does Fox have planned?" Mrs. Scully wondered.
"I have no idea. He's picking me up in an hour. So I need to go get ready." She turned and sprinted up stairs, "MON! WARDROBE!" she yelled and Monica emerged from Bill's room.
"I'm at your service." Monica said and went into Dana's room with her.
"He said dress comfortable. I want to be cute though, and I need to change, cause he rubbed his skuzzy post practice hair all over my shirt." Dana scrunched up her nose.
"Got it." Monica pulled the closet door open, she shuffled a few hangars till she found what she was looking for, "This shirt." She tossed the long sleeve purple shirt at her, "And uh... these jeans." She tossed a pair at Scully, "With your belt and Chucks. Change and then I'll do your hair and make up."
"Thanks." Scully said and ducked into the bathroom, changing her clothes and sprit zing herself with the vanilla perfume she was in love with. When she emerged, Monica redid her makeup and pulled her hair up.
"There ya go." Monica smiled, the door bell rang, "Get out of here Cinderella."
Scully laughed and ran down the stairs. Mulder stood talking with Mr. Scully, but stopped when he saw her. She walked over and hugged him tightly, "Hey Beautiful." Mulder whispered into her hair.
"Hey." She smiled.
"Home by 10." Mr. Scully explained.
"Yes, Sir." Mulder shook the older man's hand.
"Take care of our girl." Mr. Scully said and squeezed Dana's shoulder as they ducked out the door and into the chilly February air.
"So where we going?" Scully asked when Mulder climbed into the truck.
"Can you just let anything be a surprise?" Mulder chuckled.
"Nope." Scully giggled, she tucked one leg under her and faced Mulder as they headed for the city.
"Well you're lucky I didn't bring the blindfold." Mulder teased.
"Don't tell me you still have that stupid thing we used for Pin The Tail On The Donkey." Scully laughed, it was Mrs. Mulder's old sleep mask and it looked like the one out of 'Matilda'.
"Yes. In fact I do." Mulder laughed, as he pulled off the highway.
"That's just wrong Mulder." Scully was laughing, a full on belly laugh.
"What?" Mulder teased, "Are you going to analyze it? Give me your Freudian best!"
"Oh, really?" Scully thought about it, "Well Freud would look at it as some sick Oedipus Rex deal, keeping your mother's former sleep mask. I, however, would look at it as pining after me, since we used to use it for our game." Scully shrugged and then looked at Mulder, "Why are we in a Chuck E. Cheese parking lot, Mulder?"
"To celebrate your birthday silly!" Mulder parked and climbed out of the truck. They met by the tailgate where Scully gave Mulder her most bewildered look.
"Remember when we were little and every birthday we always got to go here?" Mulder took her hand and lead her into the establishment.
"Yeah." Scully nodded as they waited in the line of parents and screaming five year olds.
"I remember how much you smiled, so I.. I just wanted to do that again." Mulder explained and Scully smiled, hugging him tightly. They got their hands stamped and placed their order. They took a seat in one of the corner booths.
"Thank for for this," Scully smiled and looked around, "I love it." She giggled.
"I'm glad." Mulder smiled, "So what are the odds that you'd kill me if I got those creatures to sing to you?"
"10 to 1." Scully shot back.
"Point taken." Mulder chuckled as their Pepsi and pizza was brought over to the table. They each grabbed a slice and began to eat.
"Did you know my dad was coming home?" Scully asked as she swallowed.
"I may have been privy to certain aspects of his return." Mulder explained and Scully flung a mushroom at him.
"It was a nice surprise." She smiled, twirling a lock of red hair around her pointer finger.
"I know." Mulder grinned.
"You think you know me so well, don't you?" Scully raised an eyebrow.
"Is that a challenge?"
"Do you want it to be?"
"There is not a thing about you I do not know." Mulder said confidently.
"How'd I break my elbow?" Scully asked.
"When you were four, Bill shoved you off the back of the couch when you rough housing." Mulder said confidently.
"How'd I get the scar on my back?" Scully asked.
"Easy." Mulder grinned, "The sewer grate."
"Fine. What's my favorite color?" Scully raised her eye brow and Mulder scoffed.
"It used to be pink. When you were seven you realized pink clashes with your hair, so then it was blue, but not blue -blue, it was cerulean, which personally, I think you only liked for the name. When you were eleven it was that green color of Tinkerbell's dress and when you were fourteen, you settled on purple." Mulder gestured to her shirt, "though you still like pink."
Scully glared at him, but he continued, "You love Steel Magnolias and Titanic. You think your handwriting is too messy, so if you have the option, you'll type something for school. Melissa is your favorite sibling, but Charlie is your ally against the older two. Bill is over protective of you and you hate it. You're a Daddy's girl by nature, but you're good friends with your mom."
"So you know me." Scully shrugged, "I know you too."
"Prove it." Mulder laughed.
"Fine. Your favorite color is blue. You love the Steelers. In your world, New York Knicks rule. You used to claim John was your best friend, cause it wasn't cool to have a girl as your best friend. You broke your wrist in gym in third grade cause you were acting like a dumbass. You'd rather hang out at my house than yours and the only person in your family who comes close to understanding you is Samantha." Scully said and took a deep breath.
"I think we could safely say, we know each other extremely well." Mulder grinned and Scully grinned back.
"Can we play games now?" Scully asked.
"Yeah." Mulder finished his slice of pizza and stood up, taking Scully's hand, they joined the mess of kids, Scully held their tokens and grasped Mulder's wrist as she wove her way through the crowd. They played Whack-a-mole and Skeetball. Mulder played a round on the basketball machine, but gave his tickets to a little girl who had tripped.
"You're too cute." Scully hugged his arm as they stood in line to redeem their tickets.
"I try." Mulder laughed and wrapped his arms around Scully, holding her close. They turned in their tickets and Mulder got Scully a tiny stuffed Chuck E. Cheese. She laughed as they exited the restraunt, holding her toy in one hand, her other was clasping Mulder's.
"Let's go for a walk." Mulder said suddenly.
"What?" Scully asked.
"It's a nice night, let's go for a walk." Mulder said seriously.
"Alright." Scully said, they were right across the road from the park. Mulder held her hand and they sprinted across the road to the park, a car laying on the horn as they darted in front of them.
"People are crazy." Mulder laughed as they meandered down the path.
"No, people are sane. We're crazy. We just sprinted across four lanes of traffic!" Scully exclaimed laughed.
"Hey, we're alive." Mulder shrugged, stepping off the sidewalk and across the frozen grass. He lead her to the swings, Scully sat down on one, Mulder stood behind her pushing lightly.
"Thank You for tonight." Scully smiled, leaning back to look at him.
"You're welcome." Mulder smiled, he lived to make her happy. Nothing else mattered to him anymore, "Hey Scully."
"Yeah?" Scully asked as Mulder pulled to her a stop. He walked around the swing, kneeling on the ground in front of her.
"It's time for your birthday present." Mulder pulled a jewelry box from his pocket, he opened it, revealing a white gold ring with a sapphire stone in the center.
"Mulder..." She whispered, finding it hard to breathe.
"It's a promise ring." He explained, "I love you Dana. I want to marry you someday. You're my best friend and I can't imagine one second of my life without you in it. I haven't been able to since I was four years old." Mulder reached up, brushing a tear from her cheek.
"Put it on me?" Scully asked. Mulder removed the ring from the box and slid it onto he left ring finger.
"I love you Dana Scully." Mulder whispered as he cupped her chin with his palm.
"I love you too." Scully whispered and she leaned in, kissing him.
A/N: So there it is. Thanks to Lily for helping me come up with the idea. So guys, REVIEW. You don't have to log in or be a member, so come on, tell me what you think. Cause I have an idea of where I want this to go, but I want to write what you'll read too. SO LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!