TITLE: Coincidence 1/2 AUTHOR: Aaron M. (Send feedback to amoreau@mailcity.com) DISCLAIMER: Alas, these great characters belong to Fox, 1013 Productions, Chris Carter and anyone else I'm forgetting right now. No copyright infringement is intended. DISTRIBUTION: Anywhere, as long as my name stays on it. RATING: PG CLASSIFICATION: SRA KEYWORDS: MSR, Samantha SPOILERS: S7 up to Rush. AUTHOR'S NOTES: This story, my first fanfic effort, doesn't exist without the great beta/editorial work of Nlynn and Eliza. Thanks to both of you for your help, it was pure gold. Thanks also to Rosey for your suggestions. SUMMARY: Mulder and Scully get a lead from the Lone Gunmen who think they may have found Samantha in police and hospital reports ... and dead. What the partners find, and the time that Mulder spends thinking about it, forces him to form some opinions about his search for Sam and his relationship with Scully ++++++++++ February 7, 2000 9:28 A.M. Skinner's office "Agent Scully, please have a seat." The A.D. had left a note on the door to the basement office saying that he wanted to meet with her at 9:30. She had spent the next 90 minutes pondering the reasons for the meeting and why she was the only one mentioned. As she entered Skinner's office and sat down in the black leather desk chair, he took note of the obviously puzzled look on her face. "Agent Mulder told me a brief version of what happened on your trip to California but, understandably, did not go into too much detail. I've asked you here today to at least help me fill in a few of the blanks. Agent Mulder has requested to take some time off so he will not be returning until a week from tomorrow." Scully's puzzled look turned to disappointment. She thought, 'He called you but couldn't pick up the phone to let me know?' "Agent Scully, could you please tell me how the two of you found out about his sister and how she died?" ++++++++++ February 1, 2000 6:27 P.M. "Ah, Mulder and Scully, come on in." Byers' look was morose. Mulder didn't pay much attention to that and led Scully inside where they found Frohike and Langly in their room, lit mainly from the light of several computer screens. "What's going on, boys?" Mulder said. Scully looked like she suspected yet another night of crackpot theories from her partner and the Lone Gunmen. "We have some uhh ... news for you Mulder," Langly started. "We're not 100 percent certain, for sure, but we think it would be worth it for you to take a look." "Give it to me straight," Mulder said, adding, "Or do I have to beat it out of you." "Mulder, it's about your sister." Byers looked at his feet uncomfortably, not wanting to meet Mulder's eyes. Mulder became serious now and Scully stepped forward to stand beside him. Maybe this isn't going to be another night of wild theories, she thought. "What is it?" Mulder said. Byers started again, "Mulder, what little information we've had on your sister for all this time..." Frohike interjected, "And we all know there has been little to go on." "Right, well, we've held on to it and occasionally checked it against stories that would pop up here and there from time to time and ... well ... it popped up again today in some police reports and hospital databases today in California. Santa Barbara, to be exact." Langly picked up the story, "It appears that a woman, Samantha Burks, who has the same birth date as your sister, was involved in a human versus auto hit-and-run accident yesterday morning. They don't know, obviously, the make or model of the car that hit her. But judging from her injuries, it could have been an S.U.V. or a van. She was hit hard. One of her legs was shattered and several ribs were broken. She also had severe internal injuries including a collapsed lung and a concussion. Apparently, she had a DNR order so they couldn't hook her up to a respirator. The surgical team worked for several hours ... but they couldn't save her. She died six hours after the accident. "Are you telling me that my sister is in California..." Scully's gaze was fixed on Mulder, who was beginning to lose his composure. "And that she was killed before I could ever see her or talk to her?" His speech grew louder, more angry. Byers approached them. "Mulder, all we're saying is it might be her. There's no record for someone with her maiden name from 15 years ago or earlier. For your sake ... I hope we're wrong." Mulder pulled out his cell phone but was stopped by Scully before he could punch a number. "Mulder, what are you doing?" "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm going to California." He started to call the airline. "I'm coming with you." "Scully, you don't have to go all the way out there with me. You heard them say it might not even be her." "I don't want to hear it, Mulder. All right? If it involves you, it involves me. I'm staying at your side. I'm coming with you." Scully's look of determination helped comfort him. Mulder smiled at the sign of support from her. "Okay, we'll go." ++++++++++ <> "We took the 7 a.m. flight to LAX the next day and arrived shortly after 9:00. Pacific Time. We rented a car and made the two-hour drive up the coast to Santa Barbara. Around 2 p.m., we checked in with the local police. Since Agent Mulder was more interested in the identity of Mrs. Burks, we spent little time there before going to the morgue. From the morgue, we sent a sample overnight to the Sci-Crime lab to match her DNA against Agent Mulder's. In the meantime, we went to the victim's residence to question her husband." ++++++++++ February 2, 2000 Santa Barbara, California 4:38 P.M. Mulder drove their metallic-blue Ford Taurus to the Burks residence, two blocks south of the Santa Barbara Mission, and pulled up as Mr. Burks was leaving to walk his dog. "Sir, could we speak with you?" Mulder's question stopped the man before he reached the sidewalk. "Are you Mr. Burks? Phil Burks?" "Yes, I am. Who's asking?" "I'm Agent Mulder and this is my partner, Agent Dana Scully. We're with the Federal Bureau of Investigation." "FBI?" "We just want to ask you some questions about your wife..." "What does the FBI have to do with this?" "Sir..." Scully barely uttered a word before Burks interrupted. "It was an accident. The police told me it was hit and run. I was married to my wife for almost ten years and now she dies in an accident and now the FBI is here?" He had to cover his eyes just to speak. Scully looked away, trying to give him space. When she turned back, Burks turned and tugged on the leash. She spoke again, "Sir, do you mind if we walk with you? We're not here for the accident. It's a terrible thing that's happened to you but we want to know more about her, the person, ... your wife, not just the accident victim." Burks took a deep breath and nodded his approval. "I want to get to the park, my son is there with my sister. Maybe we can talk there?" Burks led them up to the park and gardens two blocks up Mission Street across from the historic mission. When they got to the park, he introduced them to his sister and his seven-year-old son, William. Mulder stared at the boy for little more than 10 seconds but it seemed like 10 years. The boy clutched his aunt to avoid Mulder's stare. Scully noticed the look on the boy's face and grabbed her partner's hand, steering him to one of the park benches where Burks sat. "They'll be fine with the dog while we talk," Burks said. Scully brushed off a few leaves from the bench and sat down next to him. Mulder squatted down next to the bench on Scully's side, facing Burks. Mulder gave Burks a small smile, "Can you tell me, sir, how long you knew her and anything about her growing up?" The man sighed. He used to love sharing his 'how-we-met' story, but now that she was gone, remembering the details of their relationship saddened him. Could any pleasant memories be salvaged? "We met right here, in this park." Another sigh. "It was back in August of 1988. They used to have concerts here in the park on Thursday nights and people would bring a picnic and listen to whatever type of music was playing. That night they were playing some big-band style music. Sam and a couple of her friends were sitting down on a blanket a few feet away from me and a couple of my friends. "Our group of guys had forgotten to bring condiments and silverware for our picnic, so I volunteered to ask this attractive group of girls if we could share. This beautiful brunette, Sam, spoke up. She was wearing these white pants and a light-blue top with short sleeves and sandals. She wasn't supermodel beautiful but within 30 seconds, I became completely taken with her and head-over-heels. She made her friends share with us and she invited us to join their party. At the end of the night, as our groups parted, I asked her if I could see her on Saturday. Less than two years later, we were married. June 2nd, 1990." His eyes were closed now and head bent over. A couple seconds went by before he raised it up again. Scully looked at Mulder, seeing his concern for Sam's husband. Mulder proceeded but with caution in his voice, "Sir, can you tell me what you know about Samantha from before you met her?" "Well, there's only so much to know. I know this sounds strange but all Samantha could remember about her past went back to when she was 20 or 21. She didn't know anything before then. She showed up in a hospital here in Santa Barbara with only a driver's license and the contents of a purse to establish her identity. She remembered nothing and yet no fall or specific medical condition came up as a reason for her memory loss. It wasn't even just a loss though. It was as if her whole life before then had been erased from her memory," he paused, "and her records. She had nothing. "One of the nurses and her husband, a couple from a local church, were generous enough to take her in and helped her get a job. Within a few months she had made enough money, and was functioning well enough, that she could get her own apartment. That was in 1985. Around the fall of the 1993, after we were married and she had the time and resources, she began to hire investigators to try and find her past and anything about who she was, what she did or where she came from and to find any family members. After about three years, her efforts began to trail off. It was very hard on her. "The investigators ... ran into dead-ends everywhere. They couldn't find records for anyone with my wife's maiden name, Samantha Redding, with her birth date or any missing person files. Sometimes they would run into sealed hospital files or look for possible name changes. Nothing. It was ... exasperating for her to work her everyday job and come home to find no news, or just bad news. She taught dance at a local studio but she would always come home every day asking if any leads had turned up. There was nothing." A tennis ball that the dog was playing with bounced over into the flower bed near the bench. The dog ran over and stopped quickly as if to admire all the colorful flowers in the area. Mulder, too, could recognize the colorful patches of roses, carnations and daisies and the other flowers whose names he didn't know. Burks kicked the ball back over to his son and the dog sprinted over in that direction. This was a rare couple of hours for the man and his son, separated from the 24 hours of sobbing they had both done after Sam's passing. "Can I ask again how the FBI is involved and why the two of you are here today?" Mulder answered, "Sir, the reason we're here has nothing much to do with the bureau. Some friends of mine informed me last night that a woman named Samantha Burks, your wife, had been killed. They took note of her date of birth and lack of medical records which you have told us about." Scully interrupted, "Based on that information, we sent a blood sample to a lab in DC to run a DNA test. Sir, it's possible that your wife was related to Agent M--" "My sister." As if the fabled Medusa faced Burks, the expression on his face turned to stone, staring at his could-be brother-in-law. Mulder stared right back. Scully just looked at Mulder, confused. `Typical Mulder,' she thought. `Latching on to a theory before there's been time to prove it.' Still, she was hopeful that her partner could have some resolution to this part of his life, even if it meant Sam's death and the unending grief he would feel. "You think my wife might have been ... your sister? How? Is this ... Is this some kind of joke? Why now? Why not before, when we were married or when William was born?" "I don't know. But I assure you this is no joke. We'll know more tomorrow when the lab calls with the results." "How ... how long has she been missing?" Burks said painfully. "1973. I was 12 years old and we lived in Massachusetts. I--" Scully took Mulder's hand and interrupted. "I think it's best that we save the details until we know more from the lab." Both men approved, with slight nods. Burks paused to look at his son. "I think ... yeah, we should wait ... tomorrow. It's getting dark and I need to get some dinner for William. William! Let's go, son." ++++++++++ February 3, 2000 Santa Barbara County Morgue 9:06 A.M. "Mulder, why are you asking me to do this? An autopsy has already been done here. We know the cause of death and the lab will contact us on the DNA results as soon as they can. What do you hope to accomplish here?" Mulder had convinced her, over dinner the night before, to examine Samantha's body. At first, she was firm in her resolve not to do it. It was such a highly personal task to perform on the person who could be her partner's sister. But, Mulder's coercion aside, she realized that he would have it done with or without her and, given her knowledge of the x-files, it would be better for her to do it. Mulder answered while Scully donned her scrubs and pulled back her hair. "Scully, I told you last night. I want to know if her body possesses any of the medical abnormalities of any of the cases and experiments we've seen." "Mulder, this is the last thing you should be doing now. What are you looking for here? Proof she was your sister? You shouldn't be here. How is this going to help you deal with the fact that she's dead now?" His voice grew louder and his frustration about his sister's long ago abduction continued to grow. "I don't need to know the proof, Scully. I know it. This is my sister. I want to know why! Didn't you want to know why Melissa was killed? Why you were abducted and given cancer? I want to know what they did to her?" Both of their voices were agitated now, filling the vacuous morgue with the sounds of their discussion. "Why, Mulder? What exactly will that accomplish for you?" "It's not about me, Scully. She was able to live an ordinary life here for nearly 15 years. I want to know why!" Mulder's volume was at its highest now but the emotions coursing through him caused his speech to break up. "I want to know what they accomplished by taking away my kid sister from me and ruining my family. She was everything to me, before and after she was gone! What did they accomplish in her besides irreparable damages to me and my family? I wa--" "All right." Scully's free hand, not covered yet by the customary latex glove, clasped Mulder's right hand, a sign of assurance, even acceptance. "I'll take a look. But I need you to do something for me, Mulder." "Name it." "Can you wait outside the door in the hall? This is too personal for us but I will do the exam. Please just wait outside, though? Watching me... Watching this is not the way to get over what happened to you. Just sit outside and rest your head? For me? And then if the lab calls you can let me know." "Okay." He slowly wandered toward the hallway to exit the room but turned back before closing the door. "Thanks, Scully." ++++++++++ <> "I examined the body and the autopsy report but found nothing other than what was reported. If, during her abduction, experiments had been performed or some tampering had taken place, it didn't show. Either it never happened or they covered their tracks. Shortly after 12 p.m. Pacific Time we received the positive test results regarding the likelihood of Mulder and Mrs. Burks having the same parents. Agent Morrison from the lab said it was his medical opinion that she was indeed Samantha Mulder. "Agent Mulder went back to his hotel room without me and I didn't see or hear from him until 5:00. At that point, I told him we needed to tell Mr. Burks about the test results. We spent close to an hour at his home talking about the lab's findings and with the two of them sharing information. Not long after Mulder told him what kind of work we do, Burks had to leave to drive his son to a school function. He said he wanted to spend some time with his son and tell him about our findings. Mulder gave him his card and we notified him of our intent to head back to Washington the next day. I needed to be back here and Mulder wanted to inform his mother. "The next day, Friday the 4th, we drove back to L.A. and took a 10 a.m. flight home. We arrived at Dulles at 6:15 p.m. Eastern Time and took separate cabs home. That was the last I heard or saw Agent Mulder." Skinner nodded his head slowly, processing the information. "Like I said, Agent Scully, he won't be back until the 15th. God knows he could use the time off. If you see him or talk to him, make sure he rests and takes his time. The last thing I need is to have him come back without being ready to do his job." Scully said nothing, waiting for him to continue. "Okay, Agent Scully, you're dismissed. If you hear anything, let me know." Scully exited his office and walked down the hall to the elevator. She hit the `down' button and her fears for her partner began to grow. `Where are you, Mulder?' ++++++++++ 6:09 P.M. Scully entered her apartment with slow, dragging steps. She draped her coat over the back of the couch before going to the bathroom to run a bath. As soon as the water began to fill the tub she walked back into the living room to check her messages ... none. `Why haven't you called me, Mulder?' She dialed his home number: answering machine. She called his cell number: voicemail. It was the same routine she'd performed twice that day, and she left the same message. "Mulder, it's me. I don't know where you are or what's going on but please call me. I want to know that you're okay. Call me." For several days, she repeated the answering machine/message routine. On Tuesday night, she went to his apartment after work but found nothing. Mulder's overnight bag was gone so he obviously went somewhere. Looking through his desk, she found Teena Mulder's number and, as much as it made her shiver, she called her. "Hello?" "Mrs. Mulder? Yes, this is Dana Scully." "Yes?" "I was wondering if you have seen your son in the last couple of days or if you know where he is now?" "Yes, well, he was here for a short time yesterday but he didn't stay but for maybe two hours. I don't know where he is now. He didn't tell me and he hasn't contacted me since. Is he in any trouble now?" "No, ma'am, I'm just trying to locate him." "Well, I'm sorry. I can't help you there." Click. Neither Mulder's disappearance from his mother's house nor Teena Mulder's abrupt end to the call surprised Scully. She hung up the phone, wrote a short note for Mulder and left the apartment, locking it on her way out. Scully spent all day Wednesday trying again to contact her partner. She also tried calling Burks in Santa Barbara but didn't speak with him until Thursday morning. "Agent Mulder has not contacted me and I haven't seen him. If I do, I'll let him know you called." Still no answers. Exasperated, she played her last card and went to see the Gunmen. Frohike called her on Friday morning with the news. "Scully." "Ah, the lovely Miss Scully, how are you d--" "Cut to the chase, Frohike. What do you have for me?" "Yes, well, it appears as if Mulder's in California. He took off Tuesday morning from Dulles to LAX. He's taking the red-eye back to Washington shortly after 1 a.m. on Sunday night. He's due to arrive at 9:34 a.m. our time. "Hmmm..." Long pause. "Okay, Frohike, thanks. I have to get out there." "Scully, wait." "What is it?" "Look, the truth is ... our highly technological way of getting this information was ... well, Mulder called. I left a message on his cell telling him that you seemed upset. I told him that we could find out where he was but it would be easier if he could pick up the phone. We did our work anyway, overnight, finding out about the ticket he bought. Mulder confirmed it when he called this morning." The news only partially relieved Scully's upset expression. She was still a little hurt that he didn't return her calls. Why didn't she deserve the same courtesy? "What did he say?" "He confirmed that he was in Santa Barbara. He said he had been at the hospital searching for information on when Sam first arrived but there wasn't much to go on. He said he planned today to see the family that took her in after she got out of the hospital and that he planned to spend a day or two with the Burkses, after the funeral." "Oh, God, I have to get out there." "Scully, wait ... hold on." Every second that passed made Scully more impatient. "What? Tell me!" "Mulder said ... he said that it was all right to tell you this but ... but that he still wanted to spend his time out there alone and to be alone with the Burks family. I tried to ask him why but he was in a rush to get off the phone. He just asked that I ... that we ... respect his decision." Scully rubbed her neck and sighed. Forgetting she was on the phone, she whispered to herself, "Why, Mulder?" "Agent Scully?" "Yeah?" "Are you all right?" "I'll be fine, Frohike. Good bye." She spent the rest of the day in a daze at the office, seeing reports but not completely focusing on their subject matter. She had spent the week before helping the lab examine forensic evidence from a bizarre murder. At the end of the day, she brought the lab's conclusions to Skinner and told him the news about Mulder. "Sir, I'm concerned about Agent Mulder being alone out there considering what's happened." "Agent Scully, you and I both know that this is a difficult time for him. But he needs to work this out on his own." She arrived home that night to a message on her answering machine ... just one: "Scully, it's me. I'm sorry ... I'm sorry I've run off and worried you again but I will call you in a couple of days. I'm fine, though. Don't worry. Nothing much has turned up on the investigative side yet but I've spent some good time with Phil Burks and his family talking about Samantha. I seem like more of a distant relative than a brother-in-law or uncle. I guess that seems right. Anyway, I just wanted to make sure you knew that I'm all right and that I'll talk to you in a couple days." Scully was pleased, at least a little, to hear his voice and know that no harm had come to him. But that she couldn't go to him hurt and confused her. Tired, she curled up on the couch, still in her work clothes. She lay there for about 40 minutes, replaying the message in her mind. She got up to begin the evening routine. After her bath, she poured herself a hot cup of chai spice tea and turned on the radio to her favorite classical station. Smetana's "The Moldau" was playing in the background. Under a big blanket on the couch, Scully breathed in the tea's aroma and let the classical sounds soothe all her worries. A long day it was, indeed. After more than an hour, she managed to turn off the stereo and meander into the bedroom before collapsing on her bed. In the middle of the night she would manage to roll under the covers. For now, though, she fell asleep before her head hit the pillow. ++++++++++ Saturday, February 12, 2000 7:26 A.M. "Dana!" Scully woke up hearing a knock on the door. "Dana!" "I'm coming. I'm coming." Scully fumbled at the doorknob but eventually opened the door, half-awake. The one open eye brightened just a little. "Mom, right, come on in." Maggie Scully came in wearing a white skirt and a red sweater over an embroidered white top. She was far too awake for 7:30 on a Saturday but such were the Scullys. "Dana, you look tired, is something wrong?" "No, I just haven't fully woken up yet. Sorry. Feel free to pour yourself some tea or coffee. I'll take a quick shower and we can be on our way." The Scully women had agreed a week earlier to spend some time together this weekend and they were starting early on Saturday with breakfast and some shopping for Bill and Tara's son. Maggie was heading to San Diego next weekend and Scully wanted to send something along for Matthew. And Bill, too, to congratulate him on his promotion. Maggie wanted to be there for that ceremony and, of course, to see her grandson. Her trip would have another repercussion though. But Scully knew that her mother would make up for that by taking her out for an early birthday dinner and that there would undoubtedly be some speech beginning with, "You're not getting any younger, Dana Katherine." But Scully had handled nearly 36 years of this so she knew she could manage. Somehow though, she was spared the speech. They spent Saturday shopping and having a nice breakfast and lunch together. During the day, Scully filled her mother in about the trip to California, Mulder's ordeal and spending the last week wondering where he was. Still, the predicted speech never materialized. In its place, Maggie showed sincere concern for "Fox" and what her daughter went through last week trying to find her partner. It was further evidence for her of how close this `partnership' was for both of them. On Sunday morning, they went to a late-morning Mass. Father McCue gave a decent sermon on one of St. Peter's epistles. Later, her mother insisted on a birthday lunch so the two of them went to restaurant three blocks over from the church. After lunch, they spent some time at the apartment wrapping presents for Matthew. Maggie talked about Bill and Tara and updated her daughter on the latest news on Charlie and his wife. Scully nodded politely but wanted to be alone. Maggie would return in the morning to pick up the gifts. ++++++++++ 8:16 A.M. FBI Headquarters "Scully." "So, how's the weather in our nation's capital?" "Mulder! Where are you?" "About 30,000 feet above ... I'd say Kentucky, maybe Tennessee. Who knows from this vantage point? There's only so much cord to stretch to the window on this `Airfone.' But I'm thinking of parachuting into Memphis. Graceland's just calling my name, Scully." Scully smiled, "I don't want to hear anything about jumping out of planes." A long pause ensued and the smile began to fade. "Mulder, why didn't you ... why didn't you ask me to come with you? Why didn't you want -" "Scully, I'm sorry. I am. But I've done some thinking about Samantha, about you, about me I'm sorry, Scully." "I just wanted to be sure that you were all right. I called your Mom. I called Phil Burks. I was worried." "I know and the Gunmen told me. I am sorry. Scully, I do want to talk to you about all this but I don't want to pull you away from the office. What do you say we have a `Mulder's last night of time off' dinner tonight? I can pick you up after work at your apartment?" Scully sighed and the smile started to return. Mulder's mouth also curved upward too as he looked forward to spending time with her again. "Okay, Mulder. I waited for the last week. I can wait until tonight. Pick me up around 7. Okay?" "Looking forward to it." ++++++++++ Continued in part two. Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 23:23:04 +0100 Subject: Coincidence 2/2 Source: xff ********************* Disclaimer and all that good stuff in part one. Feedback to amoreau@mailcity.com Coincidence 2/2 Mulder's plane landed at Dulles on time at 9:30. Arriving home a little before 11 a.m., he spent the next 20 minutes listening to the 30 plus messages on his answering machine. "Mulder, it's me..." "Mulder, it's me..." "Mulder, where are you..." "Mulder, please call me..." Scully must have called three times a day for about five or six days. Then there was a note she had left when she came to the apartment to see if he was there: "Mulder, please call me when you read this. Please tell me what's going on. I want to know. I'm worried some kind of harm has come to you. Please, if you get this, don't shut me out. I care. S" Mulder never wanted more to be able to kick his own ass. With a grieved look and a hand on his forehead he wished he had gone about things differently during the last week. `The time I spent was great and it really helped me form my thoughts about Sam, Scully, me, Scully and me. But how stupid can I be? The most important person in my life was worried sick for me and I didn't do so much as pick up a phone.' Mulder made himself lunch and swore things would be different tonight when they had dinner. `Enough of the silence.' ++++++++++ 12:11 P.M. FBI Headquarters Scully had three meetings before 11:30 a.m. on a case that would involve her and Mulder next week. So she spent little, if any, time in the office before going to lunch. Before she could make it to the parking garage, Skinner found her and asked for an update on Mulder. She let him know about the weekend phone message and that Mulder intended to be at work tomorrow but left out the details of the call today and their plans for dinner. Skinner seemed appeased. As she drove down Massachusetts Ave. on her way to one of their favorite lunch spots at Dupont Circle, thoughts about Mulder and all that they had gone through recently popped up, the good and the bad. They had shared so many experiences on both extremes but it was easy to concentrate on the bad given the plethora of hospital visits and family emergencies. As Scully drove through Columbia circle, she thought about those seven years. Not a huge amount of time, but considering how much each of them had changed; it seemed like an eternity since their first few cases. Did anyone else in the department have the strength, let alone the intelligence, to go through and process what they had seen? Too hard to tell but they certainly had seen a lot. Who could forget all those men and women that had stood against or between them? Now, for the first time since she found Mulder at the DOD, thanks to Diana Fowley's key, things seemed to be returning to normal ... or at least the Mulder-and-Scully brand of normalcy. Scully laughed at the notion. Just when things were returning to "normal," he finds Samantha, dead at the hands of a hit-and- run driver. As if Mulder hadn't yet returned from California, Scully still felt ill at ease. Normal. Maybe New Year's in the waiting room was normal. Whatever it was, Scully thought, she liked it. Now who knows where we are. What grand truths has Mulder come up with about Samantha and us? God, please just one sane dinner tonight, straightforward and minus the innuendoes. Maybe there's still a chance. ++++++++++ After eating a sandwich he made for lunch, Mulder laid down on his couch. With nothing to do for a couple hours until he had to get ready for dinner, and in dire need of sleep, he thought about taking a nap but instead his thoughts were filled with what had happened in the last two weeks and beyond that. He thought first of his disastrous trip on the previous Monday to see his mother. *She needs to know, he thought. Yet 90 minutes after arriving, he got in his car and drove back to D.C. She didn't take the news well. Indeed, he thought she probably never wanted to know. She only held out hope that her baby girl would be returned to her. When it was clear that mother and son had nothing to say to each other, he left. Maybe she will go out to California later to see her grandson, he thought. But not now, and that was a good thing as far as he was concerned.* He had flown out to California on Tuesday and spent a couple days trying, futile as it was, to investigate Samantha's arrival 15 years ago at the hospital in Santa Barbara. Nothing really turned up besides what Burks had told him. He finally went to see them on Thursday night, not long before the Gunmen tried to reach him about Scully. `Scully,' he thought. `I am the biggest idiot to do all this to her.' His thoughts traveled back in time, even to her assignment to the X-Files, to debunk his work, to rein him in. She reined him in all right. Who can even remember the beyond- all-hope, beyond being saved, unlovable Special Agent Fox Spooky Mulder that somehow managed to exist without her all those years ago. She brought him back from all that. He still had his wild theories and still, regrettably, went off and left her. But it was her who brought him back to life from the living dead. Only with her, or because of her, did he have any peace. Such peace finally eased him into sleep and he napped until about 4:00. ++++++++++ Scully took some time to clean up and organize. She had been so busy in the last week since the lab asked her to help on some of their projects that there had been little time to spend in the office putting away the files. And there were lots of files ... lots and lots of files to put away. The large stack in the "To Be Filed" basket meant, obviously, that Mulder's New Year's resolution had nothing to do with keeping on top of the filing, she thought. Sure enough, the case files included Rob Roberts, the Millennium Group and the teenagers in Florida. At the bottom of the basket, she found paperwork dating back to before her trip to Africa. Several hours later, after finishing the filing and attending yet another briefing on their case next week, Scully went back to the lab to sign off on reports from their work last week. They were successful but Scully was somehow thankful that it was not her everyday job. She signed her name to the first one when the realization hit ... and hit hard. SCI-CRIME LAB AGENT(S): Dana Scully DATE: 02-14-2000 2-14! Scully gasped, raising the attention of Morrison and the other agents in the lab. She thought, Mulder ... Me ... Dinner ... Tonight ... 2-14 ... Valentines Day! Please say this is a coincidence, Mulder. Of course deep down she knew that it was something she wanted, but the fear of going, thinking about it and talking about it was almost too much. The phone rang. Please don't let it be him, she thought. "Scully." Enter possibly her worst fear: "I couldn't wait anymore Scully, when are you leaving?" She looked at the clock, `5:30 already, hmmm...' she sighed. Reluctantly she answered, "About 20-30 minutes." "All right, I'll be by your place in an hour." "Mulder, give me a little more time than that, okay?" Time to think, time to dress up, time for fear to foment. Who knows, but please more time. "Okay, Scully, that's fine. Call me on my cell phone when you're ready." ++++++++++ <> Mulder woke up with that same sense of peace. As he began to get up though, he thought of one more thing that he was pleased about: he had the presence of mind two or three weeks ago to make dinner reservations for tonight at a nice Italian restaurant near Scully's place. It was even better that when he asked her today, under the guise of a `normal' dinner, she said yes. He spent the rest of the afternoon getting ready for the dinner. As the hours and minutes passed, slowly, Mulder showered and dressed in the sleek black Armani suit he had bought back in January. Now he was ready to go. He looked handsome and smelled quite nice, if he didn't say so himself. He was almost reveling in his Valentine's Day plan's success. He waited for about 35 minutes after calling Scully before heading out. He had a couple of stops to make anyway before getting there, including a trip to the florist for a couple of bouquets. As soon as Scully calls, he would get there immediately. ++++++++++ 'Valentine's Day, Mulder?' she thought. I didn't know those words were in your vocabulary ... not that it mattered much. Her thoughts and his intentions stayed with her on the drive home. Could it be that the so-called dream or desire of furthered intimacy with Mulder was synonymous with her fear of opening herself up to her partner of seven years? The slight look of trepidation she saw, as she looked in the rearview mirror, confirmed the suspicion. The thoughts kept rushing. Maybe not, maybe it is what it is. Maybe he is indeed, just offering a dinner, one dinner because he's sorry he abandoned me. He really sounded sincere about that. Maybe I'm just blowing this out of proportion. Even if that is the case, sooner or later he will have had to realize, just as I did, that today is Valentine's Day. Please don't let him just laugh it off. Don't laugh at me for even thinking about it. But don't be afraid, like I am, either, Mulder. Just play it straight. Maybe, maybe for once we can have a night of honesty, of decency, of intimacy. Scully knew well the sting of vulnerability when it came to Mulder. She prayed that he wouldn't laugh off the day. That would sting even worse. She got home and took a long bath, the hot water easing her tensions and fears. She let all of the difficulties and pain she had experienced in the past few days roll off of her and into her porcelain sanctuary. Feeling a bit more relaxed, she climbed out the tub. Getting dressed was actually an issue though. "Casual?" She held up jeans and a Merino sweater. No, she thought. "Who knows what he has planned? I don't want to take a chance." "My new dress?" She held up her new dark green DKNY dress against her body. "Let's not go overboard." Eventually she settled on a navy blue pant suit with a maroon shirt. Typical work clothes maybe, but good enough hopefully for whatever Mulder has planned. Fifteen minutes later, after brushing her teeth, she dialed Mulder and informed him she was ready. He let on nothing, but it was obvious from the urgency of his phone call earlier that he was looking forward to tonight and that today's date was no coincidence. Fifteen minutes later he arrived. Opening the door unlocked a few thoughts in her mind. `Hmmm... new suit, Mulder?' she thought. She looked up from Armani's newest creation and caught his eyes. He was definitely admiring her. She hadn't dressed up but she knew that look in his eyes. Whatever he saw, he liked. Her thoughts began to wonder to other issues. Well, no flowers, no candies or any other typical Valentine's stuff, she thought. Maybe this is *just* a dinner. Her shoulders relaxed a little. "Scully ..." he woke her from her daze. "Oh! yes, shall we?" ++++++++++ They didn't speak much on the short trip to the restaurant except for the obligatory "How was your day" questions and for Scully to ask where they were headed. Both were still a little nervous. Mulder must have cleared his throat three times while driving. Scully had to remind herself to breathe. Mulder had the car valet parked and they headed to the door. He got there first to open it for her. He invited her into the restaurant saying only, "Happy Valentine's Day." Scully was caught off guard but with the door open and hosts inside welcoming them, she pushed herself in. Mulder put his hand at the small of her back and led her to the host's station. "Name, please?" the young host asked. He kept his hand at Scully's back. "Yes, Mulder, party of three." THREE! She thought. What the heck is going on here! Scully said nothing, but her puzzled look caught Mulder's attention. All he could do was laugh. Her thoughts kept coming like a flood. Mulder, please don't tell me this is about a case or some wild goose chase. Finally her thoughts surfaced, "Mulder ..." Too late. The host interrupted. "Yes, Mulder, your table is right this way. Is the third person here?" He looked for a third but saw no one coming. "No, but they will be. Although they might only get here in time for dessert." "Okay, come this way." Things just kept getting more mysterious for Scully. Here we are, she thought, amid 20 or 30 normal, loving couples, and I have to solve Mulder's mystery. Finally, they were seated in a U-shaped booth in one of the restaurant's quiet corners. Scully's mystified look still lingered. Mulder laughed a little but finally broke the silence. "Scully, what's wrong? You look ... stumped, even ... puzzled!" Mulder said. She exhaled and, eyebrows raised, said, "Well, Mulder, I guess I am. Just about everything you've said or done today has been a surprise, one by one. Do you have anything else up your sleeve?" "Well, I think we can at least make it through dinner before anything else arises." Mulder looked up to see their server stopping in front of the table. "Can I start you two off with something to drink?" Their server, Keri, didn't waste any time before helping them. The restaurant did seem to have staffed extra for the busy Valentine's night rush. "Ice tea here, please" Scully said. "Same for me. We also have a third person coming but she might not get here until it's time for dessert so don't wait." "Okay, no problem, two ice teas." Scully's thoughts didn't wait until Keri left. SHE! Her mind was racing now. Who is this woman? Why did Mulder invite her and why is she interrupting my Valentine's Day dinner. That thought almost horrified her so instead she began to interrogate Mulder. "Well, if you're not going to be forthcoming with your reasons, surprises, whatever Mulder, then I'll have to interrogate, or maybe beat it out of you." She smiled playfully. Mulder decided to play along, grinning all the while. "Okay." "First, did you plan this evening or was it just a fluke that the day you asked me to dinner happened to be February 14th?" The third degree was on. "Heh. How soon did you figure out my intentions, Scully?" "I'm asking the questions here, Mulder. Did you plan it? If so, when? And why? And who is this third person, this ... woman?" "So many questions, Scully, I'm not sure I can keep up," He joked. Scully's look back at him was as near evil as her heart could ever get. "Okay, sorry. Yes, I planned it. I had reservations made for us here about two weeks ago. Why? Too many reasons: because you've done so much for me, because you deserve a good night out, because you're my best friend, because you're my partner, because, after what has happened between us in the last couple months, I wanted you to ..." He laughed. "Be my valentine." Mulder grinned but before Scully could react, the server arrived with their drinks. "Here's your tea. Would you like to order or wait more for your third?" "We'll order now. Scully, what would you like?" "Not sure yet, go ahead Mulder." Mulder ordered the chicken with fettuccine and Scully got the angel hair pasta with marinara. But not too much, of course. Mulder wanted to ask, "What, no bee pollen?" but wisely held back. "Okay, no problem, I'll bring your salads in a couple minutes." Scully didn't waste any time. "You laugh about your nice little `Be my valentine' line Mulder, but I wish you wouldn't." Whatever look of surprise on her face subsided a little, replaced with sincerity. "What has passed between us in the past couple months is serious. It's dear to me and I hope you take it as seriously." She paused for a second, surprised by her openness. She tried to cover, adding, "Who's this third person, Mulder? And why is she not here now?" "Well, you'll see the answers to those questions soon enough, Scully. But trust me, it's not a bad thing, this surprise. Let's just enjoy this time, okay? We're in a nice, pleasant restaurant about to eat a good meal, as opposed to the places we normally go on the road. Let's just have a good dinner." Scully nodded, looking down at the table cloth. She was a little disappointed that Mulder had not responded to her concerns but decided to let it go for now. He had heard her, and he'd respond when he was ready. Before long, the salads arrived. They each began to eat in silence. After a few bites, Mulder rested his fork against the bowl and looked at his partner. "Scully, I'm thankful for where we've been and I am happy for where we are now in our relationship. I am serious," he said. His hazel eyes never wavered from hers. He smiled faintly and waited for her response. She smiled back at him and he could see her tension lifting as she went back to her salad. Scully was still a little confused but at least some of her questions were answered. Mulder just looked like he was pleased with himself for pulling off this Valentine's Day feat. As they ate, Mulder probed Scully for her past Valentine's Day experiences, going all the way back to junior high, when the cool thing to do was to give candy hearts with endearing sayings to your intended. He shared his few stories but was careful not to mention either Phoebe or Diana. About 30 minutes after dinner came, Mulder's cell phone rang. "Mulder. ... hello there ... yes, we'll be finishing our dinner in about 10 or 15 minutes, come on over ... all right. We'll see you soon." "Our mystery guest?" Scully mused. "The one and only, she'll be here shortly." "Mulder, would it kill you to give me a little hint?" "You never give up Scully. Well, suffice to say that you know this person and she doesn't mind being in the same room as me," he said. Scully voiced no guessed but since the amount of people who could fulfill the criteria were few, she ran through a mental checklist of who could fit the description. As she mused, Mulder smiled, happy that the light bulb above his partner's head had not clicked on yet. A couple minutes later and both of them pushed their plates away slightly. The salads and large-size meals were too much to finish and they were resigned to coffee and ordering their cheesecake for dessert, in which even Scully indulged. She was about to finish her first cup of coffee when the guest arrived. Only when she sat down in their booth did she see who it was. "Mom! It's you." Sure enough, Maggie Scully fit those categories. Scully hugged her mother, now seated next to her. "Yes, it's me! How are you doing, honey?" "I'm fine, Mom, although it looks like you're doing better than me. Who gave you those flowers?" "Well I did get some flowers today but these are for you from Fox, and this is a gift from me." Scully slowly untied the bow from the top of the box. Opening the lid, she was quite happy at the sight of her gift. "Mom, it's beautiful. Isn't this vase the gift Dad gave you for your 20th anniversary?" "Yes, it is. But when Fox told me today that he wanted to surprise you with flowers, I got inspired and thought you would enjoy this." "Oh I do and it's beautiful. And Mulder, so are the flowers, but how come you didn't give them to me earlier, at my apartment?" "Scully ... me? Traditional?" All three let out a slight, knowing laugh. "Besides, if you had seen me at your door in a new suit and flowers, I don't know if you wouldn't have gotten sick or just closed the door altogether. When I called your place this morning from the airplane, right after you left for work, your Mom picked up and that's when we talked. I told her I was trying to reach you and I mentioned that I planned to ask you to dinner. Your Mom, ever so curious, questioned whether this was a Valentine's Day dinner and I told her I was trying to surprise you. I told her I was looking for a way to surprise you with flowers and she volunteered. I thought I would just get a restaurant worker to do it for me but her mind was made up. I should know by now that you can't say no to the Scully women." Scully smiled, then turned to her mother, grinning. "Mom, how could you keep such a surprise for me?" "It wasn't too hard. I wanted to see the surprised look on your face when you got these. Before I forget, Fox, thanks for the arrangement you gave me." Mulder had given her a bouquet filled with white daisies, carnations, tulips and baby's breath. Scully's partner just continues to surprise her. "Mulder, I guess I still have questions for you. If you've had reservations for a couple weeks, why did you only invite me today?" "Well, I wanted to ask you sometime before but I guess my mind was on other things until this morning. In the end, it worked out pretty well since you didn't automatically know or figure out the day's significance. I'm glad I was able today to get the reservation changed to three people." "Fox, I'm sorry for what happened to your sister. Truth be told, I wish you had let Dana know where you were last week, although it did give us some time together." She paused. Maggie's concern was real and he knew it, he felt it. "I know that your relationship with your mother hasn't been real good. How did she take it?" The question brought him back to reality and his shoulders began to tense. "Not well. I spent about an hour and a half out there before I left." Scully bent her head over her plate, eyes closed, knowing almost intuitively how difficult his relationship with his mother was. "She hoped for Samantha to return for a long time and I guess I was just the bad messenger. I left when it was apparent that we were either not going to speak to each other or just argue. Who knows what kind of relationship we have?" "Fox, I'm sorry about that. I'm sorry about your sister. I know that finding her meant so much to you." Maggie was sympathetic but her emotions, her speech never wavered. She is a Scully ... strong just like the rest of them. "Thanks, Maggie. It wasn't all bad though. I did have a couple good days with Samantha's husband. We told each other, as much as we could remember, about the Sam that each of us knew and loved." He paused and gathered his emotions. "Today was good though because I could at least try to take my mind off of it and think about tonight and spending this evening with your daughter." Maggie smiled at the thought. "Fox, Dana told me in the past that your relationship with your mother was like you described ... what, I guess I want to tell you is that if you ever want to talk to someone and this partner of yours is tied up in her work, you call me, okay?" "Thanks, Maggie. And I'm glad you could help me surprise Dana. And I'm glad you came, Scully, even though I must have surprised you with all this." Scully smiled and the three of them went back to finishing their desserts. Of course, they had a new centerpiece now, a Scully family vase containing a dozen roses. In spite of Mulder's surprises and his own words, he had indeed been traditional to the surprise of all three of them. Mulder picked up the check when it came and after another cup of coffee, he and Scully escorted her mother to her car before getting theirs from valet parking. When the car arrived, Mulder opened the passenger side door for Scully. He made the quick drive back to her house. She invited him in when they arrived and he indulged. He took her hand and they walked to her door. Once in, they had some more coffee and watched some television with each other's arm around the other. They sipped their coffee slowly as scenes from a couple typical sitcoms flashed across the screen. Between laugh tracks, Mulder, arm around the shoulders of his partner, took his time apologizing again for having left her during the past week. Given how touched she was for the night's events, Scully let him off the hook and eventually insisted he stop his routine apologizing. When it came time for the late news, Mulder got up to go. Tomorrow meant going back to work and he still had to drive back to his apartment. "Well, I think I'd better be going," he said. Scully knew his reasons and got up to walk him to the door. "Okay, Mulder. Thanks again for dinner and for the roses, they're beautiful. You're full of surprises." Mulder leaned in and met her lips with his. Scully was a little surprised but she enjoyed the moment anyway. Tonight's goodbye kiss was only their second, and first since New Year's Eve. Mulder reached for the door after their lips parted but Scully stopped him. "Mulder, why now? Why now and not a couple months ago, or a couple years ago for that matter?" He turned and held on to her shoulders. As he spoke, his voice was soft and his fingers ran to the back of her neck, caressing her all the while. Scully held onto his arms. "Scully, I don't know how many times I've sworn to myself that I wouldn't wait until the next hospital visit, the next family member ..., the next catastrophe, to show you, to tell you how I feel about you. I think we've both had these feelings for some time but were too afraid to come out with it." "I spent some time last week, Scully, wondering what it would have been like to find her still alive. I mean, it's been a long time since I started looking for her. If she would have returned a couple of days or weeks, even a year after she was taken, that might have been all right, but now... If she would have returned a year or two ago, would it have made a difference? I'm not saying I wouldn't be ecstatic but I think... Could her return have repaired the damage to my psyche? Could she have healed me from the person I became, the `spooky' person I became in the wake of her absence? I don't know. I just... I don't think so. "I think it was you, Scully, and this journey we've been on. You were the one who brought me out of that. Sure, a remnant still remains. My disappearance from you last week is probably proof enough of that. But if my life was lost when I was growing up after she was gone... I think... I think it was only found when we were working with each other. I think, somehow, you restored me. A long pause fell upon them until he brought her closer and hugged her. Scully, head buried in Mulder's shoulder, wiped away a tear while Mulder just kept his eyes closed. After a couple seconds, he pulled away and held her again by the back of the neck. "Happy Valentine's Day, Scully, I love you." Scully held his neck now, caressing him as he had done earlier. She smiled but her eyes had still showed evidence of a couple tears. This was the second time he had said this but he was not on drugs this time. He was sincere. Still, it was a little harder for her to respond. A couple seconds passed and Mulder, sensing there might not be a response, started to turn to open the door. Before he could though, Scully caught his shoulder and held his face at his jawline. She looked at him for a couple seconds before she leaned in and kissed him. They held each other there for a small eternity until she pulled away. "I love you too, Mulder," she whispered. Now he slowly opened the door and slipped out. Finally, after another pause, he closed it behind him. Simultaneously, both leaned back on each other's side of the door, pleased with what had happened tonight. Their faces both showed the biggest grins that either had experienced in a long time. It would not be long before such happiness returned.