DANA SCULLY'S APARTMENT
OUTSIDE

He parked just across the street of her apartment after following her home. If his suspicions were correct, this had to be the woman he's been looking for since he read the teased chapter of the M.F. Luder novel.

He was an avid fan, and dedicated most of his time researching the truths that came from the novels, or so he believed them to be truths. He belonged to many UFO groups and researched the medical history of past abduction cases.

This was more than just a hobby for him, it was his life. It became his personal quest because he believed that he had been abducted once before.

He invested so much time into his cause, and believed that M.F. Luder knew more than just what was written in his novels. He knew that he had to write under a pseudonym so that people wouldn't uncover the actuality of his stories.

Duane Barry now also knew that the time for colonization was coming, and that this redheaded doctor was going to be the one to save them all, just as the author had written to be true. He would take the key to ensuring his future, but first he had to be sure.

He sat in his car and stared towards her apartment. He had to plan this right, to make sure that they would both help him. He knew that Luder would have the knowledge of the aliens, and that the doctor would bring the science to find the cure.

Barry sat in his world of madness that only made sense to him, and planned his next move on Dana Scully.

DANA SCULLY'S APARTMENT
INSIDE

Scully had just gotten home from her evening with Mulder, and was completely in a world of amazement. She honestly didn't know how this man was able to make her feel this way in only hours of knowing him, but she knew she was hooked. She would never admit to that of course, since that wasn't like her, and that resolve would help her keep some part of her identity.

She was confused, excited and anxious to see what this complex, somewhat mysterious man would bring to her life. She sighed with a small smile of wonder on her face as she settled in for the rest of her evening.

She began to unwind and noticed she had several new voicemails. She found it rather amusing that the one night she decided to have a life, everyone needed to get a hold of her. She got comfortable on her couch as her machine began to play the messages.

Hello Dana, it's mom. You must be working late or something, just call me when you get in so we can talk about lunch this weekend. Love you.

Scully rolled her eyes and chuckled to herself at the fact that her mom would assume the only reason she wasn't home is because of work. Oh if she only knew, she would be planning the wedding already.

Hello, this message is for Dr. Dana Scully. This is Assistant Director Walter Skinner, I am calling because we need your assistance on a current case. Your name was referred to us as a consult, and we could use your expertise. Please call my office so we can set up a meeting and I can further brief you. It is a current case that we are assisting on in California, and you would need to join the team as soon as possible. I apologize for the last minute notice, we have hit a dead end and hope that you can help us close this case. Looking forward to meeting with you soon.

Scully let out a heavy sigh and replayed the message to get the contact information. It wasn't often that she was called in as a consult, but she offered up the opportunity of her services when she began teaching at Quantico. It was even rarer for them to send her out of town. She hoped she wouldn't be gone long, never knowing how long active cases can take to wrap up. She did have an assistant who could cover her classes, but she realized that wasn't the biggest disappointment of having to leave town so quickly.

She actually pondered on the fact that she would miss not having the opportunity to see Mulder as soon as she would have liked. He hadn't exactly set a date for their next evening together, but she had a feeling that he wanted it to be soon as well. A slight frown was beginning to cross her face until the next message began to play.

Hey Scully, it's me, Mulder. I was just calling to make sure you got home okay, and uh, was hoping to see what you were doing this weekend. I know it's a little last minute, and maybe slightly desperate on my end to ask you out again so soon. I just really liked spending time with you and uh, I mean if you're not busy. You know, if you don't have plans already. Uh, just call me back and let me know, or you know, if you can't, too. Just - just call me back. Goodnight.

Her frown instantly changed to a full grin as she listened to his nervous ramblings on her answering machine. His nervousness around her was actually endearing and it made her like him just that much more.

She looked at her clock and saw that it was close to midnight. She figured it was too late to call him at this hour, and she wanted to find out more about when she had to leave for California before she gave him any answers. She also had to call her mother back and move those lunch plans to another weekend, after she got back. Everything would have to wait until tomorrow after her meeting with AD Skinner.

She laid in bed, completely exhausted from her day, but with a new feel of excitement still running through her. She drifted off to a much needed deep sleep with a smile of content on her face.

QUANTICO, VA
DANA SCULLY'S OFFICE

Scully managed to get an early morning meeting with AD Skinner to get all the details on her assignment. It was a gruesome string of murders, all young woman, definitely a serial killer based on the profile. She was asked to help find anything else that could pinpoint his MO and help the Criminal Investigative Division close in on the perp.

She had already planned for a flight later that evening and made arrangements to stay at her brother Bill's house, since she would be heading right back to San Diego. He had been sent out on his military assignment again for another 6 months shortly after she paid him a visit just last week. She would be staying with Tara until she closed up on the case.

Scully already called her mom and changed their lunch plans tentatively to whenever she got back. She didn't tell her mom where she was last night when she asked, just that she was out. She knew it made her mom suspicious, she could hear it in her voice, but she wasn't ready to let anyone in her little sanctuary of bliss, no matter how brief it may be.

She needed a break, she had been setting a lecture plan for her assistant to follow since she got back from her meeting this morning. She realized she worked straight through lunch and was now starving.

On a moment of impulse she picked up her phone and began dialing a number.

"Mulder."

"Hey, it's me, Scully." She smiled into the phone nervously.

"Scully! To what do I owe the pleasure?" He said smiling back at her.

"I got your message last night, sorry it was late before I checked them and didn't want to call back at that time."

"You can call me anytime, Scully. I stay up late." Mulder teased, with an almost sultry tone to his voice.

"Well that's good to know for future reference." She threw back at him in the same tone of voice.

She almost swore she heard him gulp through the phone, and loved that she had that kind of effect on him. "Mulder, you there?" She asked with a sly grin on her face.

"What? Yeah, sorry, I'm here. So, what did you think of my proposition for this weekend?"

"Well I would love to take you up on it, however I've been called in on a consult for an active case...in California. I have to leave tonight and I'm never sure how long it will take to wrap things up." She said, trying to mask the slight disappointment in her voice.

"You know, I've heard many excuses to refuse a date, but fleeing to the other side of the country for an unknown amount of time is definitely a new one for me. Gonna have to add it to the books." He joked in response, showing his understanding of her work.

She chuckled at his light-hearted humor. It had been a long time since someone could make her smile the way that he did. It seemed so easy to just have a casual conversation with him. "I was actually calling to see if you would like to join me for lunch. I know it's probably not the date you were hoping for but-"

Before she could finish, he cut her off by quickly agreeing. She picked a cafe near Quantico and planned to meet him in 20 minutes.

She had a smile on her face that just wouldn't leave, and she started to feel like she didn't want it to. These feelings were new to her, and she didn't know how to really handle them, especially at work. She always held her professional persona, stern and serious as it was. Dana "Ice Queen" Scully with a smile on her face would definitely raise some interesting questions, she mused. As she finished organizing her desk and began to gather her things, she was stopped at the door by AD Davis.

"Dr. Scully, AD Skinner just filled me in on your current assignment. Do you have everything set up for your assistant to take over your class while you're gone?" He asked.

"Oh, hello sir, yes it's pretty much all done. I just have a few finishing touches, but I let him know that I would email him any new additions as well." She said, moving towards the door to make it slightly more obvious that she was on her way out.

"Perfect, it sounds like you'll have your hands full with this one, so let me know if you need any further assistance to hold things down here." He responded. He could tell she was getting anxious to leave, but he was too intrigued to find out more about what put a smile on the stoic Dr. Scully's face. She didn't notice him standing at her open office door before he entered, and he secretly saw the giddy grin on her face that she was trying so hard to hide. He thought he would bask in his moment.

"I definitely will, sir, thank you." She answered, slightly rushed.

"Were you on your way out Dr. Scully?" He asked in almost a mocking tone.

"Uh, yes actually. I worked through most of my day so I'm meeting a friend for a late lunch." She answered, with her head down, and a faint rise of color to her cheeks.

He grinned at her with amusement and finally bid his farewells. He knew there was something going on, but figured he had had his fun for today.

Scully rushed out of her office to the cafe to meet Mulder.

CAFE

Mulder had arrived and didn't see her when he walked in, so he situated himself in a booth towards the back. A few moments later Scully made her brisk entrance and began to look around as she shrugged off her coat. In the minute moment that she didn't notice him, Mulder was able to capture just how beautiful she was in her candid moment. His gaze was caught by hers and she made her way over to him with a shy curve beginning on her lips.

"Hey, so nice of you to finally join me." Mulder teased.

"I'm so sorry, I was held up by my boss, it's almost like he knew I had somewhere to go and was deliberately keeping me there." She said with a roll to her eyes.

Mulder began to chuckle. "I was just messing with you, you're right on time. I'm glad we are able to see each other before you leave."

"I'm sure my absence in these last 20 hours that you haven't seen me have just been excruciating for you." Scully taunted.

"Aw, Scully. I didn't think you cared enough to know exactly how long it's been since you've seen me last." Mulder played right back at her, noticing the color rise to her cheeks. He loved catching her off guard and making her blush in their little mental game they played with each other, it made her even more beautiful.

"Don't flatter yourself there too much, Mulder. I don't think your ego can take it." She bantered back.

They finally ordered their food and were discussing her plans for San Diego.

"I'll be staying with my sister-in-law, Tara. She's already feeling lonely and my brother has only been gone for less than a week, so she's happy to have the company." She paused, as she brought her iced tea cup to her lips. "She's, uh, actually a huge fan of yours."

"Well it's nice to know someone in the Scully family has a good head on their shoulders." Mulder said with a nod.

"She doesn't count, she was married in." Scully shot back.

Mulder chuckled and shook his head, he would never win a battle of the wits with Dana Scully, but he would damn well go down fighting.

They finished their lunch and began to gather their things. He led her outside with his hand placed, on what she now considered his spot, on the small of her back. It was baffling to them both how comfortable it felt to talk to each other and be together, given they only really met less than a day ago.

"I will try to call you, if you want, while I'm gone. I don't know how hectic the case load is going to be, but I'd still like to keep in touch while I'm there." Scully said as she lowered her head shyly.

"Please do, I would love to talk to you, too. Call me anytime, really. I wasn't totally kidding earlier. I'm, uh, I don't sleep as much as I probably should." Mulder answered with a slight laugh of amusement to himself.

"Great, I definitely will. I should be heading back though, I have some lessons to finish writing up for the week, and then I still need to pack." Scully said, slightly disappointed that her time with Mulder was so short today.

"Oh! Before you go, I have something for you." He said with a secretive smile.

She waited and watched as he ran to his car, pulling something out of the trunk. When he returned, he was holding what looked like a book in his hands. He opened it, and pulled out a pen from his pocket. He scribbled something on the inside of the front cover and closed it again, handing the book to her.

"What's this?" She asked with a questionable look on her face.

"That, is hopefully my first gold star in the Scully family. It's, uh, an advanced author's copy of my newest book. It doesn't have any of the official artwork on it yet, but the story is just the same. It's set to be officially released in about a month, just finalizing some things." He answered sheepishly.

Scully opened the book to read his inscription.

Tara,

Thanks for believing in the unknown.
The truth is out there.

M.F. Luder

She smiled to herself as she read the inside cover. Only Mulder could inscribe something that was so - him.

"What? I don't get my own copy of the book based on me?" She asked as her eyebrow began to arch.

"Character based on you, let's not let it go to your head, Scully. And maybe if you're nice, Tara will share." Mulder teased.

She chuckled. "Really though, this was very sweet, Mulder. You didn't have to do this."

"I know, but when you said she was a fan, I figured this was my chance to weasel my way into your family's good graces."

"I don't think that will be an issue." She mumbled.

"Well, as much as I would love to stand here with you all day, you should get going, don't want to be late for a nice airplane dinner."

Scully grimaced. "I think I'll just stick with the peanuts."

He laughed and took a step closer. She looked up at him, into his warm, hazel eyes.

She stretched up towards his face and placed a light kiss on his lips. "I'll call you." She turned quickly and got in her car, leaving him standing there with a mesmerized look on his face.

Scully looked in her rearview mirror at the man that she left standing in a daze. She smiled to herself, realizing the small, unspoken promises that were made between them. She couldn't wait to hear his voice when she called him after she landed.

A few hours now felt like an eternity for the both of them.