ATF Untold - Beginnings (PG-13)

She brushed back her hair and sighed.  The day hadn’t even started and she was already tired.  She wasn’t sleeping; that was a big part of the problem.  Oh, she fell asleep in Mulder’s arms easily enough after a hard day and more often than not after love making, which they both needed.  No, the problem was she couldn’t stay asleep.  She’d wake after a couple of hours and couldn’t turn off her thoughts.

There was so damn much stuff to do.  She and Mulder had put in their garden, with Brittany’s help.  Every evening she and Brittany worked in the kitchen, preparing and cooking whatever they had decided to can for that day.  They’d done the fresh food from the grocery store immediately.  Now they were pressure canning meats, which to be honest she’d never heard of, but things were different these days.

Mulder worked with Jerry and Todd in the gardens, expanded the rabbit hutch at Jerry’s house and created a new chicken farm at Todd’s and everything else they could think of.  Todd had taken over the Carruther’s home, so that he was close by.  He’d started the project of going through each of the houses, to see what they needed to preserve.  There had been little in the way of fresh things, but their stock of canned beans, peanut butter and tuna might outlast them all.

Had Mom survived?  Had she reached Charlie?  And what about - no, she couldn’t do that right now.  But she couldn’t face those questions awake or asleep.

She didn’t hear Mulder emerge from the shower, but he saw her and stopped, watching her for a moment.  She was obviously worried, even scared, about something.  He stepped closer, securing the towel around his waist.  “Scully?”

She jumped at the sound of his voice, and immediately straightened her back and looked up at him.  “What’s wrong?” he asked before she could defer with that ‘I’m fine’.

Instead of offering that obvious lie, her shoulders slumped.  “We can’t do this.”

His eyes immediately went to the bed and his panic face was in evidence.  Part of her wanted to laugh, and part wanted to shake him violently.  “Not that!  Just the record, that’s the best thing, you’re the best thing, I have.”

His panic lessened at those words and he reached for her, pulling her into his arms.  “What?”

“Mulder, there are five of us; five to do everything that has to be done to keep us alive.  Did everyone else die?”

“No, no there are plenty of people left.”

“Why have there been no refugees?”

“I thought you didn’t want refugees to find out about this place.”

“Well I didn’t want to be overrun, but none, Mulder, not one!  If, if we’re it, then we really are it.  There’ll be no more children.  I can’t and Brittany . . .”

He was shaking his head, denying her words completely.  “You can’t believe that, Scully.  There are others out there; we’re going to have civilization again.”

“If they let us?”

He didn’t have a response to that so he kept quiet, just holding her.  She was the one that broke the embrace. 

“We have a lot of work to do.  Get dressed,” she said as she turned away.

He took hold of her hand and stopped her again.  “You know, you still haven’t married me.”

She looked up surprised.  “What?”

“You said you’d marry me, when we first got here.”

“I,” she glanced at the bed.  “We’re living together, Mulder, we’re sleeping together.”

“But we’re not officially married.”

“Officially . . . Mulder I haven’t noticed a justice of the peace or a minister wandering in, remember no one has wandered in.  We’re together Mulder.  That’s what matters.”

“I want you to know I’m committed to you.  No comment on how I should be committed.”

Her slight smile relaxed him.  “I know you’re committed to me and I’m committed to you.  You don’t doubt that, do you?”

“No.  We’re together.”

“We’re more than together.  Mulder, I love you.”

He smiled then and lifted her to his lips.  Her feet dangled several inches above the floor and her arms went around his neck.

“We still have to get to work, Mulder.”

“Spoil sport.”

“I promise to meet you back here tonight, okay?” She grinned up at him.

“Mmmm,” he murmured in her ear and finally released her.

*****

Mulder and Todd were working in the larger field that morning.

“You’re quiet this morning,” Todd mentioned.

“Just thinking.  I need to go into town today, fill up the truck and all of the cans.  I need you to come with me.  You can ride shotgun.”

Todd grinned.  “I think it should be the other way around.  I’m a much better driver than a shot.”

Mulder nodded.  “You’re right.  After lunch.”

They met the others in the kitchen of the mansion and ate, then Mulder told the others that he and Todd would be heading into town.  Jerry helped them load the two tillers and all of the empty cans into Todd’s truck and they headed off.

Instead of heading straight for the service station, Mulder passed it and parked the truck in the back of the antique store.

“Mulder?  There’s nothing left here we can use.”

“Yeah, there’s something I hadn’t thought of.  Come on.”  Todd followed him inside and looked around.  The place was essentially empty.  They’d even taken apart the glass display cases and carefully packed the glass in the cellar of the house Todd now used.

Mulder headed for the back of the store and opened a cabinet against the back wall.  He pulled out a tray of old jewelry and began looking at the wedding bands.

“Mulder?”

“I’m going to marry Scully tonight.  I need a ring.”

Todd blinked.  “You’re not already married?”

Mulder grinned.  “Almost.  What do you think of this one?”  He held up a platinum band with diamonds all around it.

“Looks expensive.”

Mulder chuckled and picked up the tag. He read aloud ‘The platinum band of this antique filigree and diamond wedding ring boasts filigree work and milgrained rhomboids. Each of the ten rhomboids that surround this antique wedding ring is set with a round single cut diamond. The total diamond weight of this antique wedding ring is 0.30 carats. Circa 1935 or later.’  I think you’re right, it is expensive.  But it looks like Scully.”

Todd just looked at him as he pocketed it and turned.  “What about you?”

“What?”

“Well, don’t you think she’ll want to give you a ring too?”

“I hadn’t thought about it.  Yeah, I think she would.  Good thinking.”  He found a plain gold band and tried it on.  It fit well.  He removed it and slipped it into his pocket as well.  “Now let’s go get that gas.”

They filled all of the containers, both tillers and both tanks on the truck, then headed back.  There was still plenty of work to do.

At dusk they headed to their homes to clean up, then back to Brittany’s for dinner.  Scully was already there dishing up their meal.  They ate quickly, bringing each other up to date on what they had done that day.  When the dishes had been taken care of Scully said goodnight and started for the front door.

“Wait a minute,” Mulder stopped her and looked over at Todd.  “I wanted to show you something.” 

“Can it wait?”

“Nope, come on.”  He led her toward the back door and out onto the flagstone patio of Brittany’s house.  The moon was full and its reflection gleamed off the lake through the trees.

“What - " before she could finish the question, Brittany handed her a small bouquet of wild flowers tied with a lavender ribbon.  Mulder turned her to face him.

“Dana Katherine Scully, I want to love you, to be with you, to protect you and cherish you for the rest of our lives.”

She blinked, looking up into his very serious expression.  He noted that the flowers trembled in her hand.  She swallowed, then nodded.  “Fox William Mulder, I want to love you, to, to be with you, to protect you and to cherish you for the rest of our lives.”

He was smiling then.  He reached into his pocket and pulled out the smaller ring.  He took her hand and slipped the ring onto her finger.  “With this ring I thee wed.”  It was a little tight over the knuckle, but fit well enough.  She stared at it again speechless.

He grinned and handed her the other ring.  She took it into her hand and made a fist around it for a moment, then took his hand.  She placed the gold circle on his finger and looked up at him, tears glistening in her eyes.  “With this ring I thee wed,” she whispered.

She started when Brittany, Todd and Jerry began to applaud, then looked at them blushing.  “Kiss her, Mulder,” Todd said grinning.

“Think I should, huh?”  He leaned down and met her lips then pulled her closer and lifted her to his lips as he had that morning.  No one could tell that her toes curled within her shoes.

“Come back inside for just a few minutes,” Brittany said.  “Jerry found something.”

Puzzled the newlyweds followed them inside and watched as Jerry pulled a bottle of champagne out of the refrigerator.  They were toasted and congratulated, then the others pressed the bottle on them and sent them home.

Mulder handed her the bottle and lifted her into his arms, carrying her across the threshold to her barely stifled giggle.  Now there was a sound he hadn’t heard before.  He seated her on the couch and poured them another glass of champagne to share.  He caught her looking at her ring, the diamonds twinkling as she flexed her hand.  “Where did you get it?”

“The antique shop.”

“That’s why you went to town today.”

He shrugged.  “We needed the gas too.”

She rolled her eyes and he pulled her to him.

“Do you mind that I sprang this on you?”

“Mind?  Mulder, it’s just what I wanted.  You made it perfect.”

His lips met hers again.  “It’s our wedding night.”

“Why so it is,” she looked up at him.

Without another word he scooped her into his arms and carried her into their bedroom, kicking the door closed behind them.  This hadn’t solved their problems or worries, but they were together.  They’d find a way.