TITLE: Cause and Effect
AUTHOR: stellar_dust
EMAIL: stellar_dust_x@yahoo.com
WEBSITE: http://katycat.net/xfiles/
SPOILERS: through season 7
RATING: PG
SUMMARY: Don't worry, Scully, everything happens for a 
reason.
KEYWORDS: MSR, UST, angst, humor, mytharc, post-
eps
FEEDBACK: Love it to death.
ARCHIVE: Of course, and if you tell me where, I'll link 
back to you.
DATE: 08/28/2004
DISCLAIMER: Try any of that lawsuit crap on me, Chris 
Carter, I'll kick your ass .. ok, I'm sure you could take me 
on.  But please don't sue, this is just for fun.  And believe 
me, it *was*.  (-:


~~*~~*~~*~~


Ever since New Year's, Mulder had been stealing kisses.  In 
the office, in the car, just today in the elevator of Weems' 
apartment building ...

One the one hand, Scully welcomed the attention.  Lord 
knows she'd wanted him for long enough.  And she wasn't 
about to do anything to *discourage* it.  But -

But - as usual - they hadn't talked about any of it.  She was 
well aware of the risks they'd be facing if they took things 
any farther, to their partnership, their quest.  

Maybe everything could just stay the way it was.

Scully padded down the hall to her hotel room, after 
finishing up their report at the Chicago field office, 
thinking, who needs talking, anyway?  We have 
communication like that, unspoken -

She unlocked the door.  A towel fell on her head.

Also, The Pretenders' "500 Miles" came on, and the bathtub 
started running, but Scully was too busy pushing ribbed 
cotton out of her face to really notice.

"Hi, Scully!"  Mulder sang out from behind her.  He swept 
past her into the room.

"Mulder, what the -" Scully sputtered, shaking the towel at 
him.

He grinned.  "Cause and effect, Scully.  You open the door, 
causing the towel propped above it," he pointed, "to fall 
down, also creating slack in the string tied to the doorknob, 
which lets your suitcase fall onto the remote control, 
turning on the TV - the hotel's mix radio station, Scully, 
just for you - the falling suitcase also pulls on *this* string, 
attached to the faucet in the bathroom, which in turn alerts 
*me*, next door, that it's time to add the bubble bath."  
Which he proceeded to do.

Grinning like the cat that swallowed the canary, he clapped 
a hand on her shoulder: "Don't worry, Scully, everything 
happens for a reason."

Mulder kissed Scully's open mouth, then ducked back into 
his room, calling over his shoulder, "I'll order a pizza, you 
just relax."

The door snicked shut behind him.

Scully blinked.  The towel dangled limply from her hand.

What the hell had just happened?

Mulder opened his door and poked his head back into the 
hallway.  "What's the matter, Scully, did I forget 
something?"

Somehow, Scully found her voice.  "No.  No, Mulder, you 
did not."

He grinned.  "'Kay then."  And shut his door.

Scully closed her mouth, locked herself in, and took a bath.

She promised herself this wasn't over.


~~*~~*~~*~~


Mulder took her out to dinner two days after she shot 
Donnie Pfaster.

It was a quiet meal.  Scully was still shaking every time she 
remembered that night; she had only wanted to get out of 
her apartment for awhile.

Mulder kept opening his mouth to speak, then shutting it 
again.

Scully couldn't finish her salad, but when Mulder ordered 
sweet potato pie, she asked for a cup of tea and sat with 
him while he ate.

Two bites in, Mulder shoved it aside and looked at her.  
"You know, Scully, I've been thinking."

She raised an eyebrow, and he went on.

"How all the little things in our lives can affect us years 
later.  Our capture of Pfaster five years ago."  He glanced at 
the table and back up at her.  "You hearing that song, me 
just happening to hear it again when I set my alarm."

Scully gripped her tea.  Mulder perforated his pie with his 
fork.

"Everything we do is connected to everything else, Scully.  
Your life, my life, everybody else's lives, we're all caught 
up in an endless chain of -"

"Cause and effect, Mulder?"  Scully's mouth was quirked in 
a half smile behind her teacup, and that single eyebrow still 
arched.

Mulder smiled abashedly.  "Something like that.  I-I just 
can't help thinking - everything has a reason.  And, and it 
must be leading up to something."  He reached for her 
hand.  "You know?"

Scully gripped his fingers, rubbing the back of his hand 
with her thumb.  He felt warm.  Comfortable.

"No, I don't know, Mulder.  But I'm willing to give it a 
chance."  She looked up at him.  "Just promise me 
something."

"Anything, Scully."  He squeezed her hand.

"Don't you ever again tell me not to look any further."

Mulder looked at her apprehensively, but when he saw her 
smile he answered it with one of his own.  "Wouldn't dream 
of it, Scully."

They smiled at each other across the table, holding hands.

After a moment, Mulder stood up.  "You ready to go?"

"I guess so."  Scully slid out of the booth.  "Aren't you 
going to finish your pie?"

"Nah."  Mulder grabbed the check and helped her into her 
trench coat.  "I've had better."


~~*~~*~~*~~


"I'll show you, Scully, come on."  Mulder elbowed his way 
through the doors of the police station, following Scully 
into the parking lot.  "Look at this, look, see, Scully, c'mon, 
watch!"

She turned and looked at him, trying to keep from laughing.  
Mulder was grinning eagerly, his tongue poking out from 
between his teeth.  He fumbled with his hands clasped 
together, then held them out eagerly toward her, knuckles 
first.  

She counted six fingers.  He was hiding the missing four 
between his clasped palms, of course.  

Scully nodded gravely, biting the inside of her cheek.  
"Very nice, Mulder."  She turned her back on him and 
continued walking to the car.

"Hey - hey, c'mon, Scully!"  Mulder jogged to catch up.  
"You gotta admit, that was sorta cool."

She tilted her head to the side and raised an eyebrow.  
"Now, Mulder, this whole case has been one long 
misdirection, right?  I make you look over *here*" - she 
snapped the fingers of her right hand beside his face - 
"which makes you completely ignore what's going on over 
*there*" - she handed him his badge with her left hand - 
"Am I right, Mulder?"

His jaw dropped.

"So it seems to me, Mulder, that misdirection, at heart, is 
all about" - she produced a brand-new bag of sunflower 
seeds from his jacket pocket and handed it to him - "cause" 
- she pulled his tie out from behind her back and looped it 
around his neck - "and" - she held up the car keys that, to 
the best of Mulder's knowledge, hadn't left his possession 
since he'd signed the rental agreement - "effect, Mulder."  
Scully tossed the keys up and caught them again.  "Let's go.  
I'm driving to the airport."

She unlocked the car.  Mulder tried to swallow.

Scully grinned disarmingly up at him, blinking.  "Didn't I 
ever tell you about my magician uncle?"

"Um, guh?"  Mulder shook himself and climbed in the 
passenger side as Scully did the same, keying on the 
ignition.  He smiled mischievously and poked a sunflower 
seed into his mouth.

"I'm impressed, Scully.  Really.  But!" He raised one finger 
and nodded at her. "You still haven't explained how the 
Great Maleeni turned his head around 360 degrees."

Scully winked at him as she turned out of the parking lot.  
"I think, Mulder, we'll just have to leave that one to the 
annals of magic."


~~*~~*~~*~~


Scully sat by Mulder's bedside, frowning over the latest 
issue of JAMA she'd wheedled from an intern at the nurse's 
station.  Mulder's snake bites were healing nicely; he could 
check himself out any time now.  If only he'd wake up ... 

All right, Scully admitted to herself, she was a little 
worried.  She sighed, put the Journal down, and felt 
Mulder's forehead.  "Mulder?  Come on, wake up.  Let's get 
you out of here."

"Scully?"  Mulder whispered, blinking.  "'S'it time to go 
already?"

Scully smiled, relieved.  "Any time now.  You ready to get 
dressed, Hercules?"

Mulder licked his lips.  "Hercules defeated the Hydra, 
Scully.  I just lay there and got bit, and the perp got away."

"You did fine, Mulder."  Scully stroked his cheek, and he 
turned his head to kiss her palm.  "We're safe and the town 
is safe, and that's what matters right now."

She started to turn down the covers and let him out, but he 
stopped her with a hand around her wrist.  "Scully, I - I 
think I owe you an apology."

Scully grasped his hand and scooted her chair forward.  
"What for, Mulder?"

"For not believing in you." He was serious, his eyes grey 
and demanding.  

Scully smiled softly.  "Mulder, that's silly.  You've always 
believed in me.  It's me who -"

"No, Scully, listen."  Mulder pushed himself upright.  "I 
made fun of your beliefs on this case, Scully.  I've done it 
before.  I want you to know that that's - that's not really 
how I -"  Mulder was intense, and he looked like he might 
cry.

Aww, Mulder; Scully's heart melted as he struggled with 
his words.  She put a finger to his lips and he quieted.  
"Shhh, Mulder.  My faith is a personal thing; I've never 
expected you to -"

Mulder was shaking his head.  "I know, Scully, that's not 
what I mean.  Something -" he pulled his knees to his chest, 
Scully's hand still clasped between his, and looked into her 
eyes.  "Something tested me at that church, Scully, and I 
very nearly failed.  It was your beliefs that got me through.  
If I *am* righteous, Scully - it's only because of you."

Scully was speechless.  Mulder leaned forward and tapped 
her on the chin.  He was smiling.  "Hey, everything 
happens for a reason, right, Scully?  Cause and effect.  If 
something tells me I should have an open mind about this, I 
don't see any reason not to listen, do you?"

She smiled back and lifted an eyebrow.  "You mean, you 
want to 'make shore yew know whose siiide jer on,' 
Mulder?"

He chuckled at her imitation of O'Connor's accent.  
"Maybe.  I already know I'm on your side, though, and 
that's good enough for me."

Scully blinked away a sudden, surprising flow of tears and 
raised his hand to her cheek.  "Thank you," she whispered.

A few seconds later, Mulder cleared his throat.  "Did I hear 
you say something about getting me out of this hospital bed 
sometime soon?"


~~*~~*~~*~~


They sat in Mulder's living room, his head cradled on her 
shoulder, dry sobs wracking his body whenever he fought 
for a breath.

Scully remembered when Melissa had died, how nothing, 
*nothing* could console her, but Mulder's arm around her 
shoulder had made the ache seem bearable, for a few 
minutes.  So she said nothing, just holding him close, 
stroking his hair and his back, rocking him, until his arms 
loosened their grip on her sides and he finally relaxed in 
her embrace.

"I have to know why, Scully," he whispered into her neck.  
"I have to know what she was -"

Scully handed him a tissue and he wiped his nose.  She 
pulled him around in front of her and knocked their 
foreheads together.  "What do you keep telling me, 
Mulder?" she whispered back, one hand on the back of his 
neck.  "Everything happens for a reason ... sometimes it 
just takes a little while for us to see it."

Mulder shook his head, denying everything.  His eyes were 
red.  "No, Scully, I, I don't believe that, she was, she was 
trying to tell me something, and I, I didn't listen, I -"

Mulder started to break down again, sinking to his knees on 
the floor, gripping her legs tightly and pressing his face into 
her lap.

Scully ruffled his hair and kissed the crown of his head.  
She ached for him; she didn't really believe her own words, 
anyway, not right now with death so close, it was just 
something to say -

Mulder propped his chin on her knees and looked up at her, 
unseeing.  "I wanna go to bed, Scully, will you -" his voice 
broke.

She rubbed his cheek with her knuckles, smiling sadly.  
"I'm not going anywhere tonight, Mulder."


~~*~~*~~*~~


"I'm free."  Mulder smiled up at the sky and looked back 
down at Scully's confused face.  "You were right, Scully."

"About what?" She ached to touch him but he seemed 
almost - almost *sacred*, she thought in surprise.

He smiled at her calmly.  "About everything, Scully.  It's all 
cause and effect, Mom leading me to Samantha.  *This* is 
what she was trying to tell me."

Scully held her breath and looked at him carefully.  Mulder 
hadn't spoken of his mother since the night she died, and 
now, to learn so soon after that his sister was gone - 

"I couldn't have seen this before, Scully, I wasn't ready.  
But I couldn't have done it without her and, and I think she 
knew that."  He looked at the sky again.  "I think she 
*knows* that.  There is a reason for everything, Scully, and 
this is it, this is why."

Scully floundered.  "Mulder, what are you ..."

He seemed to notice her confusion, suddenly, and reached 
for her hand.  She was shaking.  His eyes were calm, 
peaceful as he smiled at her, and Scully realized with a 
gasp that he was right.  He looked free.

"It's okay, Scully.  Everything's okay.  Everything's really 
going to be okay."  He waited for her nod before he 
squeezed her hand.  His grin broadened.  

"Let's go find Harold, Scully.  I'm ready to go home."


~~*~~*~~*~~


He called her unexpectedly on Saturday night.

"Scully, I think you might want to turn on Channel 5."

Bemused, she stopped the tape she'd been watching and 
flipped channels.

"... Mulder, have you noticed that we're on television?" she 
heard herself say.

"Oh, God, Mulder, no," Scully moaned into the phone.  
"You had me turn off 'Casablanca' for *this*?"

He laughed.  "Come on, Scully, it's a classic.  How often do 
we get to see ourselves together, huh?"

She groaned.  "Who says I want to, Mulder?  That's what 
cameras are for.  *Personal* cameras."

"... You know, Scully, you're really short," Mulder mused, 
like he hadn't made a point of noticing that fact at least a 
thousand times since they'd met.

Scully closed her eyes and sighed.  "What did I just say, 
Mulder?"

"... not that that's a *bad* thing," Mulder backpedaled.  "I 
like short, it looks good on you .. mm .. 'What's not to 
love?'" he intoned the question about a half-second behind 
his television doppelganger.

Scully chuckled in spite of herself.  "Mulder, you are 
incorrigible."

"Why thank you, 'Scully, I appreciate it.'"

This time she laughed out loud.  "Mulder, stop it!"

He put on a falsetto.  "'I don't want *me* looking foolish, 
Mulder!'"

"Hey!  I do *not* sound like that."  Scully smiled and 
curled up against the arm of her couch.  She had to admit, 
Mulder looked good on television.  Mulder looked *damn 
fine* on television, in fact.  She felt a blush starting.  This 
could get dangerous.

On-screen Scully covered up the camera lens to phone 
Skinner.  Mulder chuckled.  "You're cute when you're 
annoyed."

"Shut up, Mulder," she said sweetly.  She thought of 
something.  "Mulder, you're taping this, aren't you?"

Mulder mock-gasped.  "Was that an - *accusation*, Agent 
Scully?   ... As a matter of fact, yes, I am.  One for the 
filing cabinet, you know."

She smiled mischievously into the phone.  "As long as you 
don't put it in the drawer with the tapes that aren't yours."

He laughed.  "I'm never going to live that down, am I?"

"Nope."  Scully sipped her tea.  "Make me a copy?"

"Sure, Scully.  Knew you wouldn't be able to resist a free 
hour of Mulder-watching."

"Don't get cocky, buster."  Scully put a smile in her voice.

"Mmm.  ... You look great on screen, Scully.  You shoulda 
been an actress."  She could hear his couch creaking as he 
shifted.

Scully's blush grew.  "Hmm.  You're looking pretty fine 
yourself."

He chuckled.  They were quiet, watching themselves rush 
to the scene of a murder.  

As the commercials started, Scully hit "mute" and asked, 
"So, how does this case fit into your 'theory,' Mulder?"

"My 'theory'?"

"Cause and effect, Mulder.  Your unified theory of 
everything."

"You must be confused, Scully, the answer to *that* 
question is '42'."  She smiled.  "Actually, Scully, right now, 
the cause is that I'm hungry.  And the effect - is that I'm 
tossing a frozen pizza in the car, and coming over to watch 
the rest of this?"

She heard the question in his voice, and almost - *almost* - 
said no.  "Mulder, it'll be over by the time you get here."  

"I drive fast.  And if it's over, we can watch 'Casablanca,' 
and I'll bring the tape over next week.  How about it, 
Scully?"

She smiled.  It *would* be nice to have company for a 
movie, for once.  Especially Mulder.  Especially watching 
Mulder on the screen while feeling him sitting next to her.  
"All right, Mulder.  But hurry, I'm getting hungry, too."

"Great, Scully."  He sounded relieved.  Had he expected 
her to say no?  "See you in a few minutes."

"Bye, Mulder."  Scully put down the phone, popped a fresh 
tape into the VCR, and hit "record."  It couldn't hurt to be 
prepared.


~~*~~*~~*~~


Scully opened the office door, cup in hand.  Mulder had 
come in while she was waiting for the coffee maker; he was 
standing very still and staring at the huge FPS combat vest, 
complete with yellow bow, that sat in the chair behind his 
desk.

She raised an eyebrow, smiled, and leaned against the 
doorframe.

He turned.  "Scully, when did this get here?"

"I don't know, Mulder."  She sipped her coffee to hide her 
smirk.  "Maybe someone's trying to help you get your ya-
yas out."

Mulder was holding the vest up gingerly, inspecting it 
carefully for notes or bombs or - whatever.  He peered at 
her in astonishment.  "Scully, you *didn't*."

"Didn't what, Mulder?" Scully said innocently.  She sat 
down at her desk and began to sort through the mail.  

He eyed her suspiciously.

"There's got to be an explanation, though, Mulder.  You 
know what they say, everything happens for a reason."

Mulder set the vest upright on the floor.  He leaned back in 
his chair and crossed his ankles on the desk, grinning.  
"Cause and effect, eh, Scully?  Are you *encouraging* a 
testosterone frenzy?" he waggled his eyebrows at her.  

"Nothing of the sort, Mulder."  She snickered.  "Although, 
if you're interested in blasting the crap out of something ..."

"Yeah?" Mulder leered.  He really was enjoying this way 
too much.

"... I suggest you give Frohike a call."

"That little ..."  Mulder's eyes narrowed has he reached for 
the phone.  "I liked it better when I thought it was from 
you," he whined.

Scully stood up, smoothed her skirt, and walked to his 
desk.  She passed him his paycheck, then leaned across on 
her hands, placing her eyes level with his.  She raised an 
eyebrow and grinned.  "Who says it isn't?"  Scully kissed 
him quickly.  "Moron."

Stunned, Mulder eyed her speculatively as she sauntered 
out the door.


~~*~~*~~*~~


Scully looked up from her seat and smiled as Mulder 
handed her a cold soda.  Their flight back to DC was 
delayed due to weather, and it looked like they'd be stuck in 
the airport, eating junk food and making conversation, for 
at least another hour.

She took a sip of her drink.  Mulder usually went into 
hyperactive mode when this happened - jumping up and 
down out of his chair, pestering the flight attendants, 
dragging Scully through the stores and arcades lining the 
concourse - but today he'd been subdued.

It was her fault, she guessed.  She'd taken the poppet out of 
her purse, and had been fingering it slowly ever since they 
sat down.  In turn, Mulder had been watching *her*, wary 
concern in his eyes, until with a sigh he'd risen to go for 
drinks.

Scully pressed on the back of the little doll's head, making 
it nod at her.  Immediately Mulder turned to her and 
stopped, one hand poised above her arm, as though afraid 
to touch.  She smiled wryly.

"Scully?"

"I don't know what to do with it, Mulder."  She hunched 
forward, bending her head to her chest.  

Mulder finally dropped his hand, and started slowly 
stroking her forearm.  She shivered.

"Do you want to keep it?" he asked quietly.

Scully sighed.  "No.  But do I have a choice?"  She glanced 
at him.  "If I get rid of it, Peattie might still be able to hurt 
me.  But if I destroy it ..." she shuddered.  "What happens 
to me?"

Tenderly, Mulder put an arm around her and pulled her 
close, so her head was resting on his shoulder.  He gently 
pried the poppet from her limp fingers.  "I think it'll be 
okay, Scully," he whispered.  "I think, that as long as we 
take your picture out first -" He paused, ready to open the 
creases in the doll's back.

Hesitantly, Scully nodded.  She held her breath as Mulder 
slowly pulled the fabric apart, and teased out a scrap of 
paper with Scully's face.

Scully shivered again.  Mulder stopped immediately.  
"Everything okay, Scully?"

She nodded.  "Yeah, I just ... felt like someone walked over 
my grave."  Mulder chuckled humorlessly and pulled her 
closer.

"Now, Scully, I'm going to start taking out the stitches.  
You tell me if you feel anything - anything at all, okay?"

"Isn't that my line, Mulder?"  She smiled.  "Go ahead."

He carefully pulled the first stitch out, and looked at her.  
She nodded at him to continue, and soon Mulder's lap was 
covered in fabric, stuffing, and scraps of string.  

Scully heaved a shuddering sigh.  "Put it in my bag, 
Mulder, I want to take it home and burn it."

He nodded and did as she asked.  Mulder kept the photo 
out, though, and slid it into his jacket pocket.  "Let's keep 
this separate for now, huh?"  He smiled down at her, still 
curled up against his side.  Scully took his hand gratefully, 
pulling his arm tighter around her.

After a few minutes, Mulder stretched his legs out in front 
of him and sighed.  Scully raised her head and looked at 
him inquiringly.

"More cause and effect, Scully."  He flipped his finger, as 
though knocking down a domino.  "Lynette Peattie moves 
to California to make a life for herself.  Dies in an accident.  
Years later, her father follows her, and more people die."  
Mulder's finger tapped three or four more times across his 
leg.  "All because one young kid was tired of being a 
hillbilly."

He squeezed her once.  "And you - I send you alone to a 
cabin, Peattie follows, I get a tip, you almost lose your 
eyesight forever, I destroy the poppet -"

"And what's the end effect of all this, Mulder?"

"Well," he grinned, "it seems to be you cuddled up next to 
me, in a very public location, Scully."

She smirked, but didn't move, instead twining her fingers 
through his.

"Thank you, Mulder."

"What for?" he asked, surprised.

"For not teasing me about being scared of all this," she 
gestured.

"ATTENTION, PLEASE, FLIGHT 1013 TO DULLES 
INTERNATIONAL IS NOW BOARDING.  WE 
APOLOGIZE FOR THE DELAY.  ATTENTION, 
PLEASE .."

"You keep me guessing, too, Mulder," Scully grinned as 
she hopped up and grabbed her bags.

"Always."  Mulder stood, kissed her forehead, and smiled 
as they walked side by side to the ticket counter.


~~*~~*~~*~~


Somehow, they ended up on their old bench by the 
reflecting pool after leaving Spender's abandoned offices.  
Scully was leaning forward, pressing the heels of her hands 
into her eyes.  How could she have been so stupid, to trust 
that .. monster?  For a second she'd let herself believe that 
she really held the cure for all disease in her hands.  Of 
course, that was why he'd chosen *her* for his little game, 
he knew her weaknesses ... 

And now, Scully was afraid she'd destroyed Mulder's trust 
in her, irreparably.  She sighed heavily.  She longed to feel 
Mulder's hand on her shoulder, but he didn't move.

"I swear, Mulder, I *swear* he didn't want that disk for 
himself.  I practically asked him, flat out, if he wanted to be 
cured, and he didn't ..."

Mulder pursed his lips.  "Maybe that's the reason, Scully.  
Maybe he wanted it to destroy it."

"Destroy it?"  She looked at him, shocked.  "Would he be 
that petty?"

He shook his head.  "I don't think it's pettiness, Scully.  I-I 
think he knows what it would do to us, to humanity, to have 
the answers handed to us so easily.  I think that's what he 
was trying to prevent, why he intercepted Cobra's emails to 
you - he knew you'd use the information."

"But there must have been a cure for the virus on there, 
Mulder!  Something he's worked for his whole life!"

"There's a vaccine, though, Scully.  A vaccine created by 
good old human ingenuity."  He smiled wryly at her.  
"Everything happens for a reason, Scully.  I think, the 
answers to the big questions - we're supposed to figure 
them out on our own.  I, I don't agree with Spender's 
methods, but I think I approve of the result.  In this 
particular case only, of course."  Mulder chuckled softly.

Scully spoke tightly.  "Mulder, the cure for my cancer was 
on that disk.  Are you saying you'd rather I *didn't* have 
it?"  She was being irrational, she knew, but she needed to 
lash out at someone, and Mulder was convenient.

"No!  No, Scully, of course not."  He reached for her hand.  
Finally, thank God.  Scully started to relax.  "But I don't 
want to know *how* the chip works, I'm just glad it does.  
Miracles are great, but they shouldn't be a dime a dozen."  
He met her eyes.  "Scully?"

She nodded, sighing.  "You're probably right, Mulder, I just 
.. I feel so *used*.  Dirty."  She shivered.

Mulder tilted her face toward his and kissed her on the 
temple.  They sighed together and leaned back into the 
bench.

A pair of ducks splashed in the reflecting pool, fighting 
over bread crumbs tossed by a little girl.

"Mulder, can you ever forgive me?"  Scully's voice broke.

"Already done, Scully."  He didn't have to ask her what for.  
Mulder smiled.  "I've ditched you more times than I care to 
count.  If he'd come to me, claiming he had something of 
Samantha's, or incontrovertible proof of the conspiracy - I 
would have done the same thing."  He squeezed her hand.

Scully closed her eyes and let out her breath.  "Thank you, 
Mulder," she said softly.

"Say, Scully, you hungry?"

"I could eat.  Italian?"

"Sounds perfect."


~~*~~*~~*~~


Mulder was looking at her thoughtfully from behind his 
desk, tapping on his lower lip.  "You know, Scully, when I 
was in Vermont a gorgeous brunette asked me if I was 
seeing anyone."

Scully stripped her glasses from her face and sighed at him.  
"Would this be the same gorgeous brunette who is (A) 
married and (B) currently in a mental institution?"

He grinned.  "Well, yeah.  But that's not the point."

She sighed again and rubbed her forehead.  "Well, Mulder, 
while you were in Vermont eating capers and hobnobbing 
with society, I ogled about a hundred naked men, some of 
whom might have looked pretty good if they hadn't been 
drunk and vomiting so if you don't mind my asking what 
exactly *is* your point?"

Mulder fiddled with the pencils on his desk.  "Well, it's-it's 
been awhile since anyone asked me that, Scully, and I - I 
wasn't sure how I should answer her."

"Try 'no,' Mulder.  It's the truth, isn't it?"  That sounded a 
lot crabbier than Scully'd meant it to.  She winced.

"Is it?"  Mulder's eyes met hers, and held them for a long 
moment.  He looked away, sighing and lobbing a crumpled 
paper at the trash can.  It missed.  "I'm sorry, Scully, I don't 
know what I was -"

Scully groaned loudly.  Why did Mulder have to be so 
*infuriating*?

When she looked up, Mulder was staring at her like she'd 
just grown horns.  She winced again.  "Sorry, Mulder.  I'm 
in a crappy mood today."

"I can tell."

She glared.  "You're not helping."

"Sorry."

"Stop apologizing, Mulder!"  He drew back as though she'd 
slapped him.  She sighed.  "Look, Mulder.  You told me 
awhile ago that if our lives are one big sequence of cause 
and event, it must all be leading up to something.  Right?"

He nodded warily, holding himself very still.

"Well, I'm starting to think you have a point with that.  But 
if you're trying to 'ask me out', Mulder," she said it 
disdainfully, "you don't have to beat around the bush, or 
tiptoe through the tulips, or whatever the hell."  Scully 
slammed her briefcase onto her desk.  She could already 
tell she wouldn't be getting any more work done today.

Mulder was blinking at her and worrying his lower lip.  
"So, um, Scully, what are you -"

"I'm going home, Mulder.  I'll see you tomorrow."

"Oh," he said in a very small voice.

Scully sighed.  She looked down at her hands and counted 
to ten.  Taking a deep breath, she walked calmly around his 
desk and leaned up against it, next to him.  

"Mulder."

"Mmmm?"  He looked up at her.

"I'll think about it, Mulder."  She put a hand to his cheek 
and smoothed his skin with her thumb.  Robotically, he 
grasped her wrist and held on tight.  "I promise you I'll 
think about it.  Okay?"

He nodded, and bowed his head, still not relinquishing her 
wrist.  "Scully, I'm sor-"

"Shh, Mulder."  She pressed her thumb against his lips.  
"You're ruining my bad mood."  

He smiled at that, and let go of her wrist.  She left his side 
and picked up her briefcase.  "See you tomorrow, Mulder."

"Okay."  Mulder leaned back in his chair to watch her go.  
"Scully?"  She looked up.  "Have a good night."

She smiled at him and nodded, and walked out the door.


~~*~~*~~*~~


Scully let herself drift off as Mulder's voice droned on.  
Colleen Azar's words kept running through her head: 
"Everything happens for a reason," and she was hearing 
them over and over again, in so many different voices.  Her 
own voice, Mulder's, Richie Lupone's, Reverend Orison's, 
Colleen's, Mulder's voice again ... 

Hovering between sleep and wakefulness, sitting next to 
the man she loved, feeling finally free to admit that to 
herself, she seemed to hear those words for the first time.  
Certainly, for the first time, she really understood ... 

She felt Mulder pull a blanket over her, and then - no.  Oh, 
no, he was not *even* going to leave her out here alone.  

Scully's eyes popped open and her arm snaked out to grab 
the front of Mulder's shirt, pulling him down to his knees 
beside her.  She grinned lecherously.

"Scully, what -" he caught sight of her face and began to 
grin right back at her.

"Cause, Mulder."  Her eyes glinted as she pulled him 
roughly forward.  She licked her lips.  "And effect."  

Everything happens for a reason?  If all Scully's reasons led 
to this moment - her face suspended inches from Mulder's, 
hand wrapped possessively in the softness of his shirt - she 
owed it to herself to stride fearlessly onto this path and not 
look back.

Wouldn't want to - *miss* anything, after all.  Scully 
chuckled devilishly.

"I guess this means you've thought it over?"

Mulder's eyes widened as she proceeded to devour his 
mouth.

Followed soon thereafter by the rest of him.

A lot, a lot, a lot.


~~*~~*~~*~~


Fin.


~~*~~*~~*~~