His

Rating: Um... it's okay... I think.

Disclaimer: I don't own The X-Files or the characters :/

Summary: He knew that when the rings came off in the morning and went back to the FBI, that she would still be his.

A/N: Thank you for all the reviews! I wasn't expecting it to be this popular! Haha I'm glad you all liked it! Here's the second chapter. Listen to the songs Fate by Young Man and Isolate by Snakadaktal. They go with this chapter! :) Sorry for any grammar mistakes or errors. I can probably write one more chapter until it's done! :)

The ride to the airport had been quiet and Mulder couldn't determine whether it was a good type of silence or not. It usually meant something was on going in Scully's head. They boarded the plane and took their seats next to one another. She took the window seat and gazed out of the window until they were ready for take off.

They hadn't talked about what happened the night before all day. It was starting to worry him. Maybe she regretted it now. But the thoughts in his head shattered when she reached over the armrest and grabbed his hand.

When they made it back to D.C., she slowly twisted off the ring and handed it back to him. They were standing in the car garage, their cars parked next to one another. He had helped her put her bags in the trunk of her car before getting to his. She leaned up against the driver's side of her car and watched him, then crossed her arms over her chest as he slammed the trunk shut and came to stand in front of her.

"Skinner's probably going to want to hold a meeting early tomorrow." He decided then that he would make the first move on her since they were back to see what was going on in her head. He took a step closer, grabbing her arms and pulling them away from her chest. He slipped his arms around her waist and brought her closer to press a kiss to her forehead. She was reluctant at first, but eventually her arms went around him and he smiled against her forehead. "Come by my apartment after you get settled in so we can go over the files," she said softly, lifting her head up so she could see his face.

This was giving him hope.

–

Two hours later, he's knocking on her apartment door and there's a sense of Deja vu. She answers the door in an outfit similar to the one from their last encounter and lets him in after they exchange a quick kiss. He hangs up his jacket and she closes the door behind him. This time, there's no dinner ready and her apartment is dimly lit.

He wastes no time walking to her and wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her in for a better, more romantic kiss. She places her hands on his arms to steady herself. She's surprised that even after Arcadia, he'd still be this affectionate.

"Mulder... we have to talk." He backed away from her and looked over at her coffee table to see none of the case files were out. "Listen... about what happened in Arcadia. I think it's best that we put things on hold for now." He noticed how she went to toy with her ring finger, but when she realized the ring wasn't there, she let her hands fall to her hips.

"I don't understand." He wasn't hurt... or even surprised, but confused more than anything. "Did I do something wrong?" She shook her head and sighed.

"Mulder, you know what would happen if the Bureau found out we were together." She watched the realization play out on his face. "They'd split us up. Do you really want that?" It's a slap in the face, almost. They've been partners for six and a half years now. Was she really that oblivious to the way people talked about them?

"Come on, Scully. You know just as well as I do that this isn't what it's about. People have been calling you 'Mrs. Spooky' since day one."

She could tell an argument was about and closed her eyes to focus. There had to be some way to make him understand without hurting his feelings or having him get upset with her.

"It was fun. It was nice to have someone besides me. I'm sure you feel the same way, but Mulder... it's over. We're not Laura and Rob Petrie anymore."

"You think that was just all for show? Do you really think it was all just an act?" She let her head and shoulders fall in defeat. "Scully, I meant what I said in that hospital room. Did you think I was acting then when I told you that I loved you?" Her breath caught in her throat. This had been the first time the whole 'I love you' thing had come up since that very night she walked out on him, leaving him in his hospital room with a goofy smile on his face. "I love you." He said it again and she could feel her eyes stinging with tears.

"Don't do this to me, Mulder," she whispered, taking in a shaky breath to keep the tears from falling.

"I want to leave work with you and come back home with you." He took a step closer... and she took a step back. "I want to eat dinner with you, watch television with you, laugh with you in the middle of the night, to hold you in bed, to wake up to your face every morning." He stopped when he noticed she was moving away from him.

"I can't be the second most important thing in your life, Mulder."

It was finally out.

"But-"

"You joined the FBI because of your sister and your quest for the truth. I was merely a speed bump in your path. I'm always going to be the obstacle in your path, Mulder... never the answer to your questions."

"Scully..."

"Mulder," she sucked in another shaky breath and pointed to the direction where the Federal Bureau of Investigation was from inside of her apartment. "If they find out that we're anything more than just partners, they'll split us up. They'll take you away from me, they'll take the X-Files away from you, and all of your work... all of what you've worked your entire life for will be gone." He had never seen her so upset before and it was breaking his heart. "I can't be the one responsible for that."

The silence seemed to go on forever. She needed to know the truth... and she needed time to process it. He moved closer to her, holding out his hands to let her know it was okay. He framed her face with both hands and pressed a gentle, loving kiss to the top of her head. He tilted her head back to make her look up at him.

"You are so much more to me than that. You've never been an obstacle, Scully." She nodded. "You know where to find me." He let go of her face and left her apartment so quickly, she didn't even have time to blink.

–

The next day had come all too quickly. He had tried to sleep, but her words just kept playing over and over in his head. 'They'll take you away from me.' He closed his eyes, but the alarm clock on his night stand went off and he pushed the covers away from his body in frustration. The shut the clock off and the rings he had placed next to the alarm on the nightstand rattled with the force.

Later that day, he walked into Skinner's office with both rings in his pocket and a folder of files in his hands. He places the folder onto Skinner's desk and gives him a polite, courteous nod.

"I assume everything I'll need is in here?" Mulder nodded. "And the rings?" Mulder swallowed hard and blinked. For a second, he had almost reached into his pocket and placed them in Skinner's hand.

"Sir, both mine and Agent Scully's rings were lost in the excavation site as we searched for evidence."

By now, Skinner was flipping through the documents and pictures, engrossed in what they had found. He waved it off and Mulder let out a silent sigh of relief.

"That'll be all Agent Mulder. Good work."

He had turned and was ready to head out of the door, but with his hand on the knob, Scully's words came back to him. 'If they find out that we're anything more than just partners, they'll split us up.' It was enough to make him stop in his path. Skinner was a reasonable guy. There had to be something he could do.

–

After dropping off her report to Skinner and noticing the sly look on his face, she headed down to their office where she would find him, probably busying himself with work to keep from thinking about what happened the night before. The elevator doors opened to the basement and she took a deep breath when she got to the door to their office.

She pushed it open and walked in to see Mulder sitting behind his desk, just as she imagined, with papers spread amongst his desk. She shut the door behind her and hung up her coat.

"A piece of paper." Her head snapped back to Mulder's desk to find him holding up a single piece of paper. "A piece of paper is what will keep them from splitting us up." She narrowed her eyes.

"Excuse me?"

"You were worried that if someone found out about our relationship, that they would split us up." He shook his head. "Not with this. We just sign it, Scully. We sign it and we're good." She walked behind the desk to read what he had in front of him and to her amazement, it was an official relationship disclosure form from the human resources department, approved by one Walter Skinner.

"Mulder-"

"I already signed it. I brought it back down here to make copies... and to show you! So now... all we need is to bring it upstairs and have you sign it in front of witnesses."

"Mulder-"

"I know this is kind of sudden, but I got to thinking. Agents fall in love and get married all the time. Look at Kent and Elizabeth McVie. They've been married for almost five years now and guess how they met?"

"Mulder!"

He stopped and looked up to find her standing besides his chair. She smiled down at him and rested her hand on his shoulder. "Thank you," she whispered, leaning down to press a kiss to the top of his head after running her fingers through his hair.

A/N: So... how was it? Ready for the third and final chapter? :)