Chapter 5

The sound of Mulder parking the car outside reached Scully's ears about an hour after their conversation on the phone. She was sitting in the armchair in Grace's bedroom, reading a book and occasionally taking a look at the little one, who slept peacefully in her crib. Smiling, Scully interrupted her reading at the same time her phone vibrated.

"I take it my date has arrived." She said, rising to her feet and walking up to the window, watching as he got out of the car and turned his head upwards, smiling and waving at her.

"Not yet, Scully. You gotta be patient and wait a little more. But he's punctual, I can assure you!"

"Seems to me he is quite a mysterious man as well…"

"We can say he is a reserved, introverted albeit brilliant person, with a huge sense of imagination."

She chuckled at that description. "Of that I have no doubt!"

"Don't come down here, Scully. At seven on sharp he'll be knocking at your door upstairs to pick you up."

"Oh, I see. Okay, then. See you, Mulder!"

"See you, Scully!"

The line went mute on the following second and Scully looked at her cell phone shaking her head and chuckling with amusement.

While she waited, Scully could clearly hear him moving around downstairs, the front door opening a closing a few times. Then, she heard the furniture being dragged slowly. Shaking her head again, Scully closed Grace's bedroom door, so that the baby didn't wake up. She wasn't a tiny bit bothered, though. Soon, the noise ceased and now she heard his footsteps climbing up the stairs. Catching his every move, Scully noticed that he'd entered their bedroom and shortly after that she heard the shower running.

Precisely at seven o'clock there were three light knocks on Grace's bedroom door.

Scully closed the book in her hands and rose to her feet, opening the door a second later to find a very dashing Mulder standing there, dressed in jeans and a black sweater over a white shirt.

"Evening, doc!" He greeted, grinning at her in that charming way that always melted her heart, the smell of his soap and shampoo reaching her nose trills just like that morning.

With her eyebrows raised and a smirk, she eyed him from top down. "Good evening!" She greeted. "And you actually made it on time!"

"I didn't want to be late for our first date!"

He winked at her, noticing the subtle change in her dressing: dark jeans and a long-sleeved green sweater, a bit loosen on the sides. Her pearl earrings and the discreet make-up made a perfect match with her red strands, which reached her shoulders neatly combed. Mulder would always fall for her beauty either she was dressed up or wearing pyjamas, but what pleased him was to see how his idea for a dinner had been quite appreciated.

"Our first date?" She said, with a confused look.

"Our first date in nearly five months, I mean!" He replied with a playful smile, recalling that the last time they had actually gone out for dinner had been when Scully was eight months pregnant and still able to carry her belly along without so much effort.

"Oh, I see!"

They were lost in each other's gaze for a few moments, as if, once again, they had travelled back to the past, hanging around after work just to decompress and always stealing glances.

"Erm...may I come in?" Mulder finally broke the silence, his eyes going from her own eyes to her lips and once again to her eyes.

"Sure..." She made room for him as he quietly paced inside Grace's bedroom and walked up to her crib. He perched over and his eyes instantly beamed as saw at his sleeping daughter. With a broad smile, he turned to look at Scully and saw her matching smile in reply. Then, he turned to the baby once again and reached out, carefully touching Grace's tiny hand with his fingertip.

"Was it difficult to fall asleep?" He asked, his voice lower than before, almost a whisper.

"Oh, no." Scully replied, also approaching the crib and standing next to him. "She was in such a good mood today!"

"Possibly because she's been hearing her mom singing to her since early in the morning!"

They laughed quietly and after one more look at the concrete proof of their love, they turned to each other again. "Are you ready?" He wanted to know, and Scully shot him a questioning look.

"What do you have in mind, Mulder?"

He took her hand in his and kissed its back. "Don't you trust me, doc?"

She gave a soft sigh, looking at him through the dim light coming from the side lamp, once again in awe with his handsome features and charm. "I do," came her soft reply.

What she didn't know was that it was exactly what he was expecting to hear that night. Only the question would be a little different.

They left the baby's room, its door been left ajar behind them, and headed downstairs carrying the baby monitor. When Scully was in the middle of their descend, her mouth dropped open as she saw the settings he'd arranged. On their dining table lay a complete dinner, ready to be enjoyed. The soft light coming from a table lamp added to the candle light wrapped the room in a romantic atmosphere.

"Oh my God, Mulder!" Scully exclaimed, finishing to climb down the stairs and approaching the table.

"Alfredo's is offering a to go complete dinner, Scully. With the cold weather and the prospect of snow during the night, customers can go there and grab it so that they can create their own romantic dinner at home!"

She nodded her head with a pleased expression on her face. "Well, that is a great idea I might say!"

Mulder placed his both hands over her small shoulders and guided her up to their dining table. "Come this way, ma'am."

Chuckling, she indulged his act, watching with amusement as he pulled a chair for her. "You may take your seat. The gentleman who is escorting you tonight will be here in a minute!"

He kissed her cheek and rushed to the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of grape juice and turning off the lights, creating an even more intimate atmosphere.

"Wine is suspended from this household for a while due to the best of reasons, so we've made the necessary adjustments." He said, filling her glass and then his own. Then, he sat across from her and grinned with satisfaction, pleased to see that little surprise had an impact on his dearest partner.

"Ah, Mulder…Wonders never cease with you!"

"I just thought that we could recreate at least part of a special dinner even though we've been temporarily away from social events!"

"As if we were the most social people on this planet before Grace was born!" She joked, drinking some juice and causing him to laugh.

They started to eat and he told her about the meeting with the publishing company and their genuine interest in the book he'd written. It was not one hundred per cent sure to be published but the prospect was good, due to his career at the FBI and his brilliant approach on very difficult cases.

"I'm happy for you, Mulder." She stretched her arm across the table and took his hand. "This book will be of great value for those who are starting in the field of investigation. You and I didn't have it when we were agents."

He gave his shoulder a tiny shrug. "If they decide to publish it anyway."

"Well, I hope they do," she replied, gently squeezing his hand, "but if they don't, some other company might be interested. What I'm really proud of is the fact that you've accomplished it, Mulder."

"Am I to receive a star for the best homework research?" He playfully asked, smiling at her. What he wanted to say was that she was the inspiration for that book and he had accomplished it not only to leave a legacy to those agents who worked hard for justice, but also to see a smile light up on her face once she saw what he'd been capable of doing out of her words to him so many years before.

"No, but I might give you a kiss!" She replied, nonchalantly.

Grinning from ear to ear, he leaned forward, pursing his lips together a funny way, causing her to let out a giggle. Scully grabbed his face with both hands and kissed the tip of his nose instead. "Congratulations, Mr Mulder!"

To be continued