Chapter 4

"Scully." She answered her cell phone in her typical neutral tone of voice.

"Hey, Scully. Do you have any plans for tonight?"

Inside his car, Mulder tried to sound casual, as if time had gone back twenty years and they were two single adults in their thirties with nothing to do after a regular working day. And highly amused, he could picture her surprise at that question.

"Excuse me?" She said, raising an eyebrow a little confused while holding Grace in her arms as she peacefully nursed her afternoon meal.

"Well, I was wondering if you'd like to have dinner with me. That is, if you're not scheduled to do something else…"

It took her a moment to reply, as she was wondering if he was just making fun of her or if something else had happened. "Mulder, are you feeling alright?"

Grinning and aware of her teasing, he kept on talking. "You see, Alfredo's is serving their Thursday special fettuccini and I know you like it! If it's okay with you, I could pick you up at 7!"

With her mouth dropped open, Scully frowned and shook her head.

"And should I tell Grace that there's milk in the fridge so all she can do is warm it up a little and put it in her bottle while her mom and dad go out for the evening?"

Chuckling, he made a turn in the car and kept on driving.

"Don't worry, Scully. I got everything set!"

"Mulder…"

"C'mon, Scully! It'll be like a date!" He added, "And you can picture my eyebrows going up and down!"

"Oh, Mulder…" she whispered, shaking her head again and aware that he wouldn't make himself clear until he came up with whatever it was he had on his mind.

"Look, I'll be home a little late. There are a few things I have to do first. But it should give you some time to get ready and make any arrangements you have to make."

The line went mute afterwards. She set her phone down and looked at the little baby girl who was peacefully resting in her arms.

"What is this bat crap crazy daddy of yours up to now, huh?"

Grace raised one tiny chubby hand and grabbed her mom's index finger, her sweet blue eyes gazing back at Scully as she let go of her mother's breast and smiled at her, causing Scully to chuckle with both amusement and tenderness.

X

After putting Grace down in her crib, Scully went to their bathroom suite thinking about what her crackpot partner was planning for that night. He surely didn't mean to go out literally. It was cold outside with the possibility of snow during the night and he would never take them away in such weather conditions. But he was planning something, that was for sure.

Scully stood in front of the mirror and made a face at her reflection. Her hair, which had always been impeccably combed and styled, remained tied up in a ponytail with a few lose strands for the entire day. There were dark circles under her eyes that were evidence of sleepless nights as Grace had to be fed every three hours. Elegant high heels and spotless blouses and pencil skirts gave place to pyjamas and flipflops. There was no make-up. She only wore it to go to Grace's paediatrician. The extra pounds that she had gained during pregnancy still lingered in her body, even though she had already lost some.

She remembered a night not so long ago when she stood in front of a mirror a suite at St. Rachel's motel, her heart filled with anguish and pain as she thought that time was passing by and there was no chance of her experiencing motherhood anymore and that Mulder would change her for someone younger who could give him what she was no longer capable of.

How terribly wrong she was.

Scully shook her head as she thought about how a person's worst fears could ruin their life and eventually kill their spirits.

With a sigh, she touched her cross and that painful memory was immediately replaced by another one. Mulder walking slowly around the house protectively holding a tiny baby girl against his chest. The little one being so small and held by his long strong arms, with his huge hands carefully placed against her bottom and tiny back, made him look like a giant.

A gentle giant, she thought, as his touch was delicate and his words loving ones, whispered to Grace's ears and lulling her to a peaceful sleep.

Scully's eyes were suddenly filled with tears as her memory went further in the past and she remembered him walking slowly with her around the rooms of her old apartment. She had just been released from hospital, her cancer being miraculously healed, and her organism was recovering from lying in a bedroom for so long. His words of encouragement spoken softly against her ear as he led her to the dining table to share the meal her mother had prepared earlier.

And she loved him. Then and now. With all her soul. She suddenly felt her heart filled with so much love that it ached. Yes, they had sailed through rough waters and at that thought she felt a sting of pain. But what brought them together was stronger and constant. It was noble and certain.

Scully wiped the few tears that had rolled down her cheeks without her noticing. With a crying smile, she turned to look at her image once again and reached out to undo the ponytail. With her hair fallen over her shoulders, she turned from one side to another, surveying her appearance, and chuckled to see that in fact her breasts were quite larger. Narrowing her eyes, she entertained the idea that had been playing on her mind for a while. Four months had passed since Grace was born. And the last time they had been intimate had been three weeks before that as her huge belly left her quite tired at the end of her pregnancy.

That was about to change and it would be that night.

Smiling at that thought and feeling pleasant butterflies in her stomach, she removed her clothes and turned the shower on, mentally working on the clothes she would wear so she could be more presentable for their mysterious date.

To be continued