Katy was delighted at the attention she received over the next couple of hours. He sat on the floor and let her hand him everything out of the basket and then watch her put in all back, one at a time. She climbed him and when he let her push him over squealed with delight. That was a game that had to be repeated many times.
Scully occasionally stuck her head in to see that everything was going okay and at one such time pointed to the diaper stash in the corner. "Want some help?"
"I’ll try, if you promise not to laugh." She nodded solemnly, eyes twinkling and slipped away, the two of them could handle this. Katy knew what to do, even if he didn’t.
He found a stash of books and pulled her onto his lap to cuddle her while he read to her. It was Scully who noticed that she’d passed out in his arms, dead tired from the morning’s activities.
"Come on, we’ll put her in her crib." Mulder followed her up the stairs and though she stirred and sighed, she didn’t wake when he lay her down. "Nice work, Mulder. She should sleep for a couple of hours."
He stood there looking down at her, totally in love with the little girl. "Mulder?"
"Um?"
"Could you help me with something?"
"Oh sure." He followed her out and she shut the door gently behind them then headed into their room. When he was inside she also shut that door and turned to him.
"Scully?" Before he really comprehended what was about to happen she had pulled his belt from the loops.
"I thought we’d work on your memory for a little while. Okay?" He nodded, not quite trusting himself to speak and definitely not sure this was really about to happen. She lifted his t-shirt and he took it off over his head. She rose to her tiptoes and took his lower lip between her own lips.
At that his arms went around her and lifted her to his height. After a very short period of time he realized the bed was the place to be and carried her there. He lay her gently on their bed, their bed, and proceeded to remove her clothes.
He had never imagined Scully could be this passionate, well that wasn’t strictly true, he’d imagined it many times, before he could actually stop himself, but to be here in her arms. . . The reality of it was more than he had even wished for. She’d drained him twice and he’d lost count completely of the number of times she had come in his arms.
"We’re good together Scully."
"Oh yes. Definitely worth the wait, Mulder." And snuggled in against him.
He could feel his eyes closing, so he tightened his grip on her and she did the same, drifting off to sleep, sated and secure.
*****
As he woke he reached for her. Not there, had Katy woken? He hadn’t heard anything, but he had been dead to the world. He hadn’t had sex like that since. . . hell he’d never had sex like that.
Wait a minute, where were the sheets? The pillow? He opened his eyes rapidly, raising his head from the armrest. Oh god, his apartment, his couch. It had been a dream. No damn it! No!!
He fell back against the couch, no energy or will to ever move again. A dream, a fucking dream! He lay there in total despair for several minutes before he could force himself to sit up. Once actually sitting, he found he still didn’t have the energy to stand. He lowered his head into his hands. Was he really going to cry because it was only a dream? Get a grip, Mulder.
At least he could remember the dream. Katy’s face was still so vivid in his mind and Scully open to him, wanting him. Still the best damn dream he’d ever experienced. He put his hands on either side of him to hoist himself off the couch. Get to work, think about something else, anything else. Then he heard the squeak.
What the hell was that? He turned and looked at the small patch of blue peeking from under his afghan. He pulled the afghan aside and the world stopped. There laying on the couch was Peanuts – the little plastic elephant Scully had said he’d given Katy the day she was born. It looked brand new, not faded and tooth-marked like the one in Katy’s mouth. It was definitely the same one, but here? How? Why? What was the date?
He was on his feet now, and flung his door open not caring at all if the whole world saw him in his shorts. He snatched the paper up, breaking the rubber band that held it closed.
April 5, 1999.
He raced to get ready for work.