March 2009

The size of the package made her wary. It was a small box, addressed to Mulder at the post office box they'd had for years. The return address was another post office box in Illinois, so there was no indication as to what exactly it could be.

Scully kept glancing at it as she drove home from work.

"What has he ordered?" she wondered out loud. "Generally it's magazines or a book, but this… what is this?"

She pulled into the driveway, stopping to open and then close the squeaky metal gate. Her gaze landed on the box again as she pulled the car in front of the house. Gathering her things, the stack of mail and the small package, she got out and closed the door.

"Hey, Doc," Mulder called out as she opened the door. "How's tricks?"

"I'm going to choose that you're using that phrase to imply how my day was working in the hospital and not how it was working on a street corner. If that's the case, then my day was fine, thank you," she said, closing the door and setting her bag on the table, the armful of mail beside it.

"And if I meant it differently?" he asked, stepping into the doorway of his office and leaning against the frame as he crossed his arm and grinned.

"Then I would tell you to fuck off," she said, raising her eyebrows as she looked at him.

"Not much of a profit then today, huh?" he teased and she paused in the removal of her coat.

"I would make a killing," she said, finishing with the task and laying her coat on a chair. "Every night."

"Oh, I know you would," he said, pushing off the frame and walking toward her, his eyes traveling over her body from head to toe and back again.

"Hang on there a second," she said, putting a hand up to stop his approach. "You think I'm interested in the energy you're putting out right now? After you've insinuated that I'm a prostitute?"

"I insinuated nothing," he said, licking his lips as he grinned. "I simply asked a question and you chose which direction to take it. I meant my greeting as a hello, how are you? and you took it as… you looking for a good time tonight, honey? So if you're mad at anyone, be mad at yourself."

"Just… just shut up and kiss me," she said, smiling as she shook her head.

"I don't have any cash on me, hope that's not a problem."

"Oh, you-" she started to say, but he cut off her words, pulling her to him and kissing her silent. She fought back laughter as she kissed him back, grabbing onto his shirt to keep him close.

"Mmm," he said, nuzzling his nose against hers. "You taste good. Did you have something peppermint?"

"A leftover candy cane," she said, kissing him again, his fingers pressing into her hips. "But it was a while ago."

"Still tastes good," he said, humming as he kissed her once more before pulling back and smiling. "What's the damage? What do I owe you?"

"Fuck off," she laughed, pushing away from him. His laughter joined hers as she shook her head and turned her attention to the stack of mail.

"Anything good today?" he asked and she glanced at the small package, not wanting him to know how much the sight of it was affecting her. "What's this?"

"What's what?" she asked, picking up a random piece of mail. "Oh that. Yeah, I was wondering the same."

"I don't remember ordering anything this size."

"Is that good or bad? Do we need to call Skinner? Have him check it out?"

"No," he said, shaking his head and the package at the same time. It made no noise and her curiosity grew. "I'm sure it's something I forgot about." He smiled at her and put the box under his arm as he reached for another piece of mail.

"You're not going to open it?" she asked, frowning as she looked at him. "You're not curious to know right now?"

"Are you?" he teased and she scoffed.

"No. It doesn't matter to me. Open it up whenever you want."

"Mmhmm," he said, watching her as she continued to look through the mail. "Well, I'm gonna head back into the office. See what this is and then… dinner?"

"Yeah, that's fine," she said, barely glancing at him, her attention on the mail.

He chuckled as he walked away and she narrowed her eyes as she watched him close the door to the office.

Why are you annoyed by this? Who cares what it is? she thought as she dropped the mail onto the table and crossed her arms. You have no idea what all he gets up to in there. That one package won't make a difference.

But that was it. Sometimes she felt that she was cut off from him in that office. That it was his space and she did not need to worry over it. She had her own office/library where she would go and do work, but it did not have the same feel as his office did.

At least that was how it felt to her.

"What the hell?" Mulder exclaimed and then silence was followed by uproarious laughter. The door flung open and he held the opened box in his hands.

"Oh, you're never gonna believe this," he said, laughing as he set the box down, but far enough away that she could not see the contents.

"I've heard a lot of crazy shit from you over the years, Mulder. Try me," she said, rolling her eyes.

"True," he said, nodding as he began to pace. "So I was thinking the other day about your birthday."

"You remembered my birthday?" she asked, eyebrows raised in surprise and he nodded once, waving his hand vaguely.

"I saw something online about Valentine's Day coming up, which I ignored to focus my attention on your birthday gift."

"But you missed my birthday. It was two weeks ago," she said, trying not to smile as she watched the realization cross his face as he ceased his pacing.

"Well, fuck," he said quietly. "I thought I was on top of it."

"It doesn't matter to me," she assured him and he hummed with a frown. "It doesn't."

"But I was trying to have it…" he said and then he laughed. "Not that any of it matters now I suppose as I don't…"

"Mulder, what's in that box?" she asked and he laughed again, shaking his head.

"I thought about what you'd like. Something for your office."

"Here or at the hospital?" she asked warily, knowing that his gifts tended to be outlandish at times.

"Here. Although I did have my eye on something for your hospital office," he said, rubbing his chin. "Do you have space on your desk for a Sasquatch statue? It's an incredibly detailed one."

"No. I don't. I have no space anywhere in that room for anything at any time," she said in a flat voice and he laughed as she shook her head. "Mulder, if you get me a Sasquatch statue…"

"I won't. I was only joking."

"Hmm," she hummed, not quite believing him. "So the box? What did you get?"

"So like I said, I thought about what would be nice in the office," he continued and she looked at the box, wondering what small thing he could have gotten that made him laugh so hard. "I know you've talked about a lounge chair or something like that to have in there and I thought that would be a good gift. And well…" He laughed as he picked up the box and walked over to her. "Happy belated birthday."

Handing her the box, he chuckled and shook his head. Looking down, she saw a gray miniature sized lounge chair and a matching ottoman.

"What?" she asked and he started laughing as he took them out and set them onto the table.

"You're petite, Scully, but I don't think even you could fit on this chair." He stepped back and looked at the chair.

"Mulder… what?" she asked again and he laughed harder.

"I must have made a mistake."

"Ya think?" she asked, picking up the chair and looking at him. "It's for dolls."

"Do I look like I knew that was the case when I bought them? I sincerely thought they were actual human size," he said, trying to stop laughing. She smiled as she picked up the small ottoman and then something occurred to her.

"Hold on a second. If you thought this set was actual size, does that mean you paid-"

"Yeah," he said quickly and her eyes widened.

"How much?"

"Well, as I thought it was a good deal for the actual size…"

"How much, Mulder?" she asked, already imagining an incredibly high price.

"The price of a gift should never be discussed with the recipient," he said, taking both of the items from her. "And I will leave it at that."

"Mulder…"

"I'm going to see if I can return them, so it won't matter," he said, putting them back into the box, still laughing softly. "And then I'll get that other chair for your office. I think it will look nice in there."

"Mulder," she said again, her tone softer as she stepped closer and wrapped her arms loosely around his waist, the box between them. "You never cease to amaze me."

"Same to you, Trixie," he said with a wink and she pinched his sides, causing him to yelp and then laugh.

Two weeks later a large truck pulled to a stop in the driveway. The front door opened and Mulder welcomed the delivery men, who were carrying the appropriately sized soft gray chair up the stairs.

Scully watched from the living room as they entered, Mulder winking at her as he directed them where to go.

When they left, and the plastic had been removed from the large chair and ottoman, they sat on it together, her head on his shoulder.

"This is perfect. Exactly what this room was missing," she said, snuggling further into him.

"And we can both fit on it. A vast improvement over the other chair," he said and she laughed.

"Yes, this is much better. Although the other one has started to grow on me," she said, both of them laughing as they looked over at the mini chair and ottoman he had been unable to return.

As a result, he had cleared a small space on a shelf and placed them there. To it, he had added a fashion doll that looked eerily similar to her. A rug, desk, potted plant, computer, and coat rack with a lab coat hanging from it had also been added, creating the look of a miniature office.

The doll, laughingly named Doctor Trixie, was currently lounging on the chair, a book in her hands and her shoes beside her on the floor.

"I'm still searching for a miniature Sasquatch," he said. "I feel it needs something to liven the place up."

"As long as it stays in that office, I'm perfectly fine with that," she said and he laughed.

"It's a deal."