Chapter 10 (Mulder)
I stepped off the plane, still feeling a bit apprehensive. I knew I should not be so nervous; after all, I was just going to see Scully, the woman who had been a constant presence in my daily life for twenty years. But Scully had said that she had something that she needed to talk to me about, and I had seen enough movies to understand that this statement never portended good news. With a sigh, I shrugged my bag onto my shoulder more securely and started walking toward the front of the airport. Scully and I had faced fluke monsters and demons together. Nothing could possibly compare to the horrors we had seen over the years.
Then why was I so goddammed anxious?
I hailed a cab outside and told the driver the address of the motel where I had stayed previously. As urgent as Scully's news might be, I could not very well go to meet her still carrying all my luggage for the three weeks I was out of school. As soon as I had checked in and dropped off my bags, I took another cab to Scully's school. After paying the driver, I exited the car and walked toward the front of the building, glancing quickly at my watch. School would be out in fifteen minutes. Then we could talk. I shuddered a bit, and I knew it was not because of the cold.
I spent fifteen minutes walking aimlessly around the building, my hands buried deep in my pockets. Northern California evidently got fairly cold in the winter. When the bell finally rang, I circled back to the front of the building, watching the faces emerge, searching for the familiar one I had longed to see for so long. Eventually, she did emerge from the building, her head bent against the biting wind. Without a second thought, I started toward her, my pace speeding up as I grew closer. She seemed to sense my presence when I was within twenty feet of her, for her head came up, and her eyes immediately found me amidst the sea of people. Her pale beloved face broke into a wide grin, and she began running toward me. I could hear her laughter even over the murmur of the crowd surrounding me, and it was like music to my ears. Whatever she had to say could wait. For now, I was not going to let anything ruin my happiness.
We met each other, both running so hard that I was surprised neither of us fell to the ground. She leapt into my arms—yes, Dana Katherine Scully, Mrs. Tough, no-nonsense FBI agent, actually leapt into my arms. And she did it without a second thought. Ice Queen, my ass. She had to be one of the most caring people I knew.
I snaked my arms around her middle, holding her close as I spun her around. We had attracted the attention of a few of the other students, but both of us were too consumed by our euphoria to notice. I watched her eyes shine, the cerulean blue shining with a color more beautiful than any other I had ever seen. God, how I loved this woman. I did not know how I managed to spend so many weeks away from her. I did not know how I was going to return to England later.
Of course, this was no time to dwell on what was going to happen. For now, I had my Scully in my arms, and I was going to make the most of it. Yes, I called her my Scully. She can kick my ass into next week if she wants, but I will still consider her mine. Just as I am hers. We have belonged to each other for a long time now. We are two halves of a whole, the right and the left, yin and yang. I'm nothing without her, but with her—well, we might just save the world.
After a few spins, I finally set her on the ground and leaned over, our lips meeting, exploring the somewhat familiar but nevertheless new territory. I heard a few catcalls from the group around us but ignored them. I had intended the kiss to be short and sweet—a greeting that we could continue later, perhaps when not surrounded by a crowd of hormone-crazed teenagers. But as usual, as soon as our lips touched, I was lost. My arms still held her tightly, pulling our bodies together. I might have been cold before, but now I was warm to the very core, so hot that I wondered for a moment why the light dusting of snow beneath our feet was not turning to steam. Her hands entwined themselves behind my neck, pulling my lips harder against hers as our tongues began their practiced duel. It was a dance we had completed countless times over the years, but it still remained exciting.
I don't know how long we stood there with our lips locked together, enthralled by one another even after all these years together. When we did finally pull apart, both of us were breathing rather heavily, and Scully's cheeks were tinged pink. I smiled stupidly at her. "Hi, Scully," I greeted, resting my forehead on hers.
"Good to see you, too, Mulder," she returned, grinning. My hands traced small circles on her lower back as we stood there for a few more moments. Before long, a voice broke the comfortable silence that had settled between us.
"Are you two going to stand here grinning like idiots all day or do you actually want a ride home?" Missy called. We both turned to look at her, still standing so close that I could feel the warmth of Scully's body. Most of the crowd had dispersed by this time, likely to return home. After all, few people wished to remain at school for too long after the bell rang. Missy was standing a few feet away on the sidewalk, watching us with an expression that I would best describe as a cross between amusement and annoyance.
"We're coming, Missy," Scully told her sister, starting toward her. Wrapping a firm arm around Scully's shoulders, I followed her. All three of us climbed into Missy's car, and she started it, pulling out of the space a bit faster than was probably safe, especially given the icy conditions of the roads. I looked at Scully, my eyebrows raised, and she shook her head, a universal signal for me to let it go. Obviously, Melissa had been driving like Andretti for awhile. Well, I guess if Scully can relax, so can I. She's usually the one to point out how unsafe certain driving habits are.
"Missy, do you think you can drop us at Pete's?" she questioned as we drove.
"Sure. Any reason?"
"I'm just a bit hungry, and I'm sure Mulder is, too, since he just got here."
"Actually, I'm starving," I remarked as my stomach growled in agreement. I knew food was not the only reason that Scully wanted to stop, but I would go with that excuse for now. I knew she would tell me everything later.
"Are you sure, Dana? You weren't doing too great this morning."
"I think I just ate too much last night," Scully lied. I knew immediately that she was lying, and I looked to her sharply. She had not mentioned being sick. Of course, the last letter I received from her had been written six days before, so she might not have been sick yet. Still, I felt (albeit irrationally) that she should have told me about her sickness as soon as possible. How could I help her if I didn't know what was wrong? Before I could continue my contemplation, however, she turned to me, and I read the message in her clear blue eyes. "I'll tell you soon," her eyes promised.
Missy dropped us off at the diner as promised, and Scully and I walked in and chose a booth in the corner. The place had the typical gaudy decorations common to diners and the brightly colored booths that hurt my eyes. Still, it seemed like a nice enough place, and Scully had assured me as we entered that the burgers were to die for. I shuddered slightly at her choice of words. I was still on edge, worried about what exactly she had to tell me about.
After a kind, blond waitress in her early twenties had taken our orders, I turned to Scully expectedly. "So as you found out earlier, I was sick this morning," she began.
"Sick how?" I questioned. I knew the conversation would go faster if I simply let her talk, but I also knew that she would inevitably leave out important details.
"I was nauseous and threw up most of my breakfast shortly after getting to school. Missy happened to be with me when I went running to the bathroom, so she naturally found out. I'm actually surprised she had not found out earlier."
"Earlier?"
Scully took a deep breath. "I've been sick for about four weeks now. I've been hiding it pretty well from my family; my mother tends to get overprotective, and I don't want her hovering."
"Four weeks Scully?" My words came out louder than I had intended them to, and the heads of a few other patrons turned toward us. I lowered my voice to an angry hiss. "You've been sick for four weeks and you didn't think to tell me? What if the cancer's come back? Or not really back, I guess, but what if they've started again just earlier this time? We know that cigarette smoking son of a bitch knows about everything that happened. I wouldn't put it past him to-"
"It's not the cancer, Mulder," Scully assured me quietly, interrupting my rant before I could work myself up too much. "It has nothing to do with Spender. The causes are much more. . . natural."
"Natural? How do you. . ." I trailed off, understanding suddenly. She had been sick that morning but was fine now. She said that she had been sick for four weeks actually by natural causes. It had to be impossible. But then, we hadn't really been careful. We were so used to not worrying that we did not stop to think that we were in a different time now. The situation had changed. "You're pregnant," I breathed, hardly daring to believe the words that exited my mouth. Scully nodded, taking her bottom lip between her teeth. My face broke into a wide grin. "That's great!" I enthused. "God, Scully, we've been waiting for this for so long, and now we finally have our chance. And we can raise this kid right, too. We haven't started working yet, so we don't have to worry about running from the conspiracy or aliens or whatever the hell decides to have it out for us this week."
"Mulder, you're forgetting that we're still teenagers!"
"Maybe in body, but certainly not in mind."
"As far as my parents are concerned, we are."
"True." I thought for a moment before breaking out into a wide smile. "Your father and brother are going to hate me."
"Why does that make you happy?"
"I was just thinking that despite all the craziness that has happened, there are some things that haven't changed. As long as Bill still hates me, all is right with the world."
"You're crazy."
"Only for you." I know it was corny, but it still made her smile, and that was what I was going for at the moment. We spent a few moments smiling stupidly at each other before the waitress interrupted us with our drinks. As I took a sip, I suddenly realized something that I had not thought about before. "You want this baby, don't you, Scully?" I questioned.
"Of course I do. I was just thinking that the timing isn't ideal. And even if we aren't engrossed in the X-files right now, we will be eventually. The conspiracy will not just go away. The truth is still out there. We still have a quest. We still need to save the world. And our kid's going to be dragged through all of that."
"He doesn't have to be. Trust me, Scully, we can keep him safe."
"Oh, so you're assuming it's a him now?"
"Or her. I don't really care. The point is, Scully, that we're going to have a baby. A part of you and a part of me. Something we created. And nothing and nobody is going to take that from us. Not your parents, not your overprotective brother, not those government sons-of-bitches, no one. Understand?"
"I understand," she said. Looking into her eyes, I knew she did. The road ahead of us would not be easy, but we would continue on it anyhow.
Our food came, and we began eating. "So, have you gone to the doctor yet?" I inquired, knowing the answer even as I asked. Doctors make the worst patients. I should know; after all, I had first-hand experience.
"Not yet," she admitted. I knew it. "I have an appointment for Thursday. I wanted to wait until you came home to go." Okay, that was a bit unexpected, I will admit. But I'm certainly not going to complain. I would have killed myself if I had missed this.
"Thanks," I told her, grinning.
"My dad's coming home tomorrow," Scully continued. "I want to tell him and my mother tomorrow night. I'm sick of hiding it from her."
"Then I'll be there tomorrow night."
"You don't have to be, Mulder."
"Sure I do. We're in this together now, Scully." She relented after that, smiling. I meant what I said. I truly did. We were in this together now, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, til death do us part. Come to think of that. . . "Scully?" I questioned.
"Hmm?" she looked up from her fries.
Well, this was not exactly how I had planned doing this, but it seemed like an appropriate time. Without thinking, I slid out of the booth, lowering myself onto one knee beside her. I fumbled for a moment—but just a moment—before discovering the small box. I had picked it up a couple weeks before. It wasn't a spur of the moment decision—not really. It had been a long time in coming, actually. I actually had a similar box in my previous life that I had carried around for fourteen years. Yes, fourteen years. I was pathetic; I knew that. But I was not going to be pathetic any longer. Something was urging me onward, telling me that despite less-than-romantic surroundings, this was the right time.
"Dana Katherine Scully, would you do me the honor of being my wife?" I opened the box, and she gasped as she saw the diamond ring seated on the velvet inside. It had cost a pretty penny, but I had enough money from my father.
"Mulder?" I saw the question in her eyes. It was not a question of whether or not she wanted to marry me; I knew she had wanted to get married for years. She had shrugged it off, claimed it did not matter, but I had seen her eyes every time we watched a movie with a wedding ceremony or happened to pass a bridal magazine in the store. I knew she did not want all the fuss of a major ceremony, but I was also aware that she wanted something. And if I had been smarter, I would have pushed harder to ensure that she had something. As it was, I was content knowing that she loved me and would be by my side forever. A wedding was too much hassle. We had enough on our plates as it was; we did not need some elaborate ceremony to ensure that we would always be together.
No, Scully's question was "Why now? Why here?" She was right; we were still in danger even though we had not started on the X-files yet. We would have to be discreet about our marriage, but that did not mean that we could not go through with it. Though we might have to work a little harder than the normal couple, we could certainly pull it off. A little hard work never hurt anyone.
"I bought the ring before I knew about the pregnancy," I told her, allaying a fear that I was fairly certain she did not have. But that question was easier to answer.
"I know," she said simply. "But why did you buy it?"
"Because we've waited long enough. I'm sick of waiting. You deserve a wedding, a proper marriage, not some act."
"It was never an act, Mulder."
"Maybe not, but it wasn't complete either. I know you want to be married in the church, Scully, and I want that for you. I want you to feel that we're married in the eyes of God. I know that's important."
"What about in the eyes of the law?"
"I'm not so sure that's such a good idea. I still want to work with you on the X-files if at all possible. A marriage license might throw off those plans."
Scully chuckled. "I bet it would."
"So is that a yes?" I inquired.
"Of course it's a yes, you idiot." I smiled, slipping the ring onto her finger before standing, lifting her off the booth and pulling her to me. Our lips met in a searing kiss that lasted until the waitress cleared her throat, reminding us that we were not alone. A bit sheepish, we pulled away, returning to our meal. As we ate, we continued to steal glances at each other, both of us wearing ridiculous-looking grins. I felt like a giddy teenager again with his first crush, but this was a thousand times better because it was Scully and she was not just my crush. She was my partner, my best friend, my constant, my fiancee, my everything.
As we ate, I toyed with her leg beneath the table, running my foot gently up and down her calf. She shot me her patented Scully glare, but I ignored this look as I continued to tease her. We walked outside hand-in-hand, and I took the opportunity to pull her into a small alleyway between the diner and the building next to it, pushing her against the wall so that I could kiss her senseless. She eagerly returned the kiss, and before long, I found myself leaning into her with one arm on either side of her head, my lips pressed tightly against hers.
It was not long before my hands dropped to her hips, my thumbs tracing circles on her pelvic bone. She responded by moving her hands lower, raking her fingers down my spine. I wondered briefly if our actions were spurred by teenage hormones now that we were in teenage bodies, but I quickly remembered that even before our time travel, we acted like hormone-crazed teenagers. Not that I was complaining.
In another minute or so, my hands had moved farther up, toying with the hem of her shirt. My tongue had already entered her mouth, and she had taken to caressing it with hers as her hands traveled still lower. I groaned into her mouth when she cupped my ass, and my hands moved to her abdomen, tickling the smooth skin. Her body moved closer to mine, her breasts now pushed against my chest, teasing me. I wanted her so badly at that moment that I felt as if I might burst. My erection was already straining against my jeans; it did not help that it was pressed against her body. My hands moved higher, pushing her bra aside as I cupped first one breast and then the other in my large palms. My fingers traced circles around her bare skin, causing her to groan and buck her hips against me. Our difference in height meant that her legs were straddling one of my knees, and I could feel the heat of her arousal even through the two layers of fabric that still separated us.
"God, Mulder," she moaned. I moved my lips off hers, tracing my tongue across her jawbone. At the same time, I brought my leg up slightly, rubbing it against her, trying to stimulate her in any way possible. And it certainly seemed to be working; she let out another loud groan that caused me to harden more than I had previously believed possible. I thought that I might come before we had even taken off any of our clothes. I was teetering dangerously close to the edge of the cliff. How did Scully have this effect on me?
Her hands had circled to the front of my body by this time, and she took no time in resting them on my tented pants. The warmth of her palms only served to arouse me farther, and my lips increased the ferocity of their attack on her upper neck. She squeezed gently, and I moaned loudly, my fingers momentarily stopping their dance across her upper body. I was ready to take her then and there, consequences be damned. Luckily, before we went any further, a loud clanging sounded to our right.
Both of us pulled off of each other, turning, our hands dropping to the non-existent guns. A cat emerged from behind one of the dumpsters, and we both laughed a bit nervously, looking back to one another. The air was still charged with weeks of pent up sexual frustration, but we managed to keep our distance. Her hair was mussed, her cheeks flushed, and her lips full and red. It took all my willpower to turn from her and toward the street. "Come on, Scully, the motel's only a few blocks," I managed to choke out. She nodded, likely not trusting herself to be capable of speech. I myself was surprised that I was still coherent.
We started back to the motel, not touching each other, both afraid of the string of events even something as simple as a touch could set off. I set a quick pace, but for once, she did not complain; she kept up remarkably well, in fact, given our difference in heights. At one point in time during the trip, our hands brushed, and I felt my abdomen muscles clench. I gritted my teeth and took a deep breath, refusing to allow myself to come unless I was inside of her. . . no, don't go there. Nothing good can come from those thoughts right now.
We somehow made it back to the motel; by the time we reached the lobby, I was close to jogging. I think Scully was jogging in an attempt to keep up with me. There was no elevator, but I was only on the third floor, so it was not a huge deal. We approached the staircase without slowing much, and I held the door open for Scully out of habit. Her body happened to brush against mine as she passed through the open doorway, and I lost all self control. I mean, it had been nine weeks since we had seen one another; that was the longest period of time we had been apart in years. I was entitled to some loss of self-control.
The door to the staircase slammed shut behind us as I pushed Scully's body against it, attacking her lips with mine. "Up," she instructed breathlessly, pulling her lips momentarily from mine. With a growl, I lifted her into my arms and began to climb the stairs without breaking contact with her lips, a rather impressive feat if I do say so myself. Somehow, we made it up two flights without breaking anything, and I turned in the direction of my motel room. When I reached it, however, I realized that the key was in my back pocket. Placing Scully on the ground, I started to reach back to grab it, but she fisted the fabric of my shirt, pulling me to her. It seems I was not the only one feeling a bit sexually frustrated.
We continued the intense make-out session for a minute or so more until I pulled away with a groan. "If we do this anymore, I'm not going to last," I muttered, and it was true. It was already taking every ounce of self control not to let myself go. Reaching back, I found the key in my pocket and clumsily inserted it in the lock, my brain too clouded by lust to fully comprehend exactly how to use a key. Just as I was tempted to kick in the door, the lock turned, and the door swung inward. Finally. I pushed Scully inside, kicking the door shut behind me. Once more, I lifted her into my arms, letting the key drop to the floor as I did so. It did not matter. I would find it later. For now, all that mattered was the woman in my arms.
Awhile later, we lay tangled on the creaky bed, both of us covered in a sheen of sweat. Rolling over, Scully checked the time on the old clock by the bed, immediately sitting straight up when she read the numbers. "I've got to leave?"
"Why?"
"I don't want to be late for dinner. My mother would kill me." She swung her feet off the bed and began making her way toward the bathroom. "You're coming, too, by the way!" she called as she entered the room.
"What?" I, too, pushed myself off the bed. "When did I agree to this?"
"I want my mother to meet you before we tell her and Ahab the good news. If she gets to know you and like you, she might be slightly more amenable to our. . . announcement." I snorted. Having met Maggie numerous times, I seriously doubted that. Hearing my derisive snort, Scully looked back at me. "Okay, she might be less inclined to kill you. At least not right away."
"Thanks, that's comforting," I mumbled. "Feel like sharing the shower? We can both get ready to go quicker that way."
"I've shared showers with you before, Mulder, and I'm well aware of the fact that it often slows down the process." With that, she closed the door behind her, leaving me to collapse back onto the bed with a satisfied smile.