Celebrating Anniversaries (PG-13)

She heard the thunder of feet on the stairs and smiled

 

 

She heard the thunder of feet on the stairs and smiled.  There was some conversation she couldn't quite hear then Will stuck his head in the kitchen.  "I'm heading out."

 

"Are you giving Katy a ride?"

 

"Yeah, I'm gonna drop her by Beth's, if she'll hurry up!"  That last was yelled back over his shoulder.

 

"Are you going to be out late?"

 

The young man shrugged, "Before one, Lori has to be in by midnight."

 

"Be careful."  She reached up and he leaned down for her to kiss his cheek.

 

Katy came around the corner then, a bag in her hand.  "I'm ready."

 

"About time."  But there was a grin on Will's face.

 

Scully just shook her head.  "You're going to stay at Beth's right?"

 

"Yeah, she rented a couple of movies.  Sara and Chloe will be there too."

 

"Okay, call me if your plans change.  Dad's in the office."

 

They both nodded, "We'll check in on our way out."  Will assured her.

 

She gave Katy's cheek a quick kiss.  "Call when you're ready to come home tomorrow.  And make it before noon."

 

Katy nodded, "Promise."  She followed Will out of the kitchen. 

 

Scully finished unloading the dishwasher and wiped down the counter. When she turned Mulder was standing there, leaning against the door jam.

 

"Alone at last."  He growled at her.

 

She chuckled, "What do you have in mind, G-man?"  Her eyes took in this man who had been her life for so many years now.  There was gray mixed in his hair now; there would be in hers without a little help.  On cold mornings his thigh ached from an old wound, but his eyes still did that color change thing when he looked at her.  They were green now and sparkling.  His teeth pulled on his lower lip, drawing her attention to it.

 

She moved around the counter toward him, and gave him a tiny kiss on that lower lip.  His arms came around her, drawing her closer.  "Well, we have the house to ourselves; we could rechristen the dining room."

 

She laughed out loud then.  "Nice to know you still enjoy me."

 

He nuzzled her throat and moved up to nip on her earlobe.  "Enjoy, yeah, you could call it that.  You know what tonight is?"

 

"Tonight?"  He was distracting her with his hands now.

 

"Mmm, yeah."  His hands were inside her t-shirt.  She pulled back slightly and he shook his head.  "You don't remember?"

 

"Mulder . . . "

 

"Go get dressed.  We'll go out, get some dinner."

 

"Go out?"

 

He nodded, giving her another kiss.  Then he turned her toward the stairs and gave her a light push.  "I like that green dress."

 

"You like the green dress because of the neckline."

 

"So?"  He grinned down at her.  "Go on.  We're on our own tonight, and we should celebrate."

 

"You haven't told me what tonight is."

 

"Get dressed, if you don't remember by then . . . " He grinned at her.

 

She rolled her eyes, but headed up the stairs.  He followed a few minutes later and changed his clothes as well, ogling her as he did.  She turned to let him zip up the dress and he did, after nipping her shoulder.

 

"You know you're crazy."  She murmured as he pulled her against him.

 

"That's what attracted you to me." 

 

"I thought it was the body."  She looked up at him.

 

"Oooh, didn't think you'd admit that.  Is that why you did the striptease on the first case?"

 

She punched his arm and moved past him.  "I can't believe you're still giving me grief about that after all this time."

 

"Not grief, it's just a favorite memory.  My first gaze at the bod."

 

"The bod?  At least it was before two kids and all these years of gravity."

 

"The two kids made it even better."

 

She shook her head again and let him lead her to the car. 

 

When he pulled up to the restaurant she looked over at him.  "Mulder, you have to have a reservation which takes weeks, and we can't afford it."

 

"We can afford it."  He assured her as the valet opened her door.  Mulder's hand on her back led her reluctantly inside.  The maitre d' looked up, smiling.  "We have reservations under Mulder."

 

"Yes, Mr. Mulder.  This way please."

 

Scully looked over at him startled.  "When did you make reservations?"  She whispered to him.

 

"Weeks ago."  He grinned.

 

She fell silent as they reached their table and the maitre d' held her chair.  Once they were alone again, she leaned forward.  "Are you going to tell me what the occasion is?"

 

"You still don't remember?"

 

Her eyes narrowed, but the waiter was beside them now.  Mulder ordered their appetizer, but before she could ask again, the music started.  "Dance with me?"

 

"Dance?" Her eyebrow rose.  "You want to dance?"

 

He grinned, "I like the view."

 

She rolled her eyes, but he was definitely in charge tonight.  Whatever he had up his sleeve, she was along for the ride, as usual.

 

They returned to the table when their food arrived.  He lifted his glass of tea and touched it to hers.  "Happy Anniversary."

 

She drank with him, then put her glass down.  "Okay, we got married in April, it's neither of our birthdays.  It's not the kid's birthdays, or the anniversary of their conception."  She added at the gleam in his eyes.

 

He actually chuckled at that.

 

"So?"  She encouraged him.

 

He shook his head at her, "I can't believe you don't remember.  It's the anniversary of the first time I broke down your door, and found Eugene Victor Tooms in your bathroom."

 

Her eyes widened.  "If we're going to celebrate the anniversary of each of our X-Files, one of us needs to get a second job."

 

"Not the case, Scully.  That's the night I realized you were more than a partner to me."  He laid his hand over hers on the table.  "Earlier that day that asshole Colton offered to help you 'escape' from me.  But you turned it down and told me you wanted to stay, stay with me.  You said, 'I don't know, you must have something more than your polygraph interpretation to backup this bizarre theory and I have to see what it is'.  And you're here, now."

 

She wasn't sure why she was surprised, he could quote entire paragraphs she had said decades ago.  But to take her out . . . She turned her hand in his squeezing it.  "It was for your protection, Mulder.  From all the females, and some of the males, at the Bureau that checked you out every time you walked by."

 

"Checked me out?"

 

"And you knew it, don't tell me you didn't."

 

"Uh, Scully, I need to stop by the office."

 

She laughed then, "I love you, Mulder."

 

His smile nearly blinded her.  "Still?"

 

"Still.  Why don't we have our 'dessert' at home?"

 

"I always knew you were the brains of this outfit."

 

*****

 

Will moved quietly up the stairs, successfully avoiding the step that squeaked.  He glanced toward the closed door of his parent's bedroom.  The purple light seeping from under the door told him what he needed to know.  Smiling, he let himself in his bedroom and shut the door.

 

XXX

 

 

 

Author's note - Happy Anniversary, Gwen!  Couldn't resist that little touch of ATF there at the end, hope you have years of purple ahead!

 

D

 

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Mulder, Scully, the Lone Gunman and Skinner all belong to Chris Carter, 10-13 and Fox. No infringement intended.