From: colbysgurl@shaw.ca   
      
   Authors: Sassy and Jacquie   
      
   Category: MSR Romance   
      
   Summary: A post episode fic for "Arcadia"   
      
   Rating: M   
      
      
      
   .................   
      
      
      
   A bewildered Mulder awoke the following morning after dreaming that   
   Gogilak's monster was after Scully. He woke up drenched in sweat. He looked   
   over to where she lay sleeping peacefully beside him. He lay back down and   
   gently moved a strand of hair out of her face. He could like all day and   
   watch her sleep. "I love you so much," he whispered.   
      
   It was almost as if Scully knew in her subconscious that Mulder had had a   
   nightmare. Her eyes opened and she wordlessly wrapped her arms around him.   
      
   "Why have you put up with me for so long?"   
      
   Scully smiled sheepishly. "Because I'm more miserable without you."   
      
   "Me too." He thought back to her cancer. He'd been so torn up inside because   
   he couldn't help her...not the way she needed.   
      
   Scully slowly shifted so that she was completely in Mulder's arms even as   
   she wondered in the back of her mind if this was what he wanted. Mulder lay   
   back against the pillow, pulling her with him.   
      
   "I like this, Scully. I don't know if I'll ever be able to let you go back   
   to your place...or I might just go with you."   
      
   "I just got off the phone with my landlord. He said it's going to be at   
   least a week." She looked up at him. "Can you put up with me for that long?"   
      
   "It's not long enough." Mulder was starting to drift back off.   
      
   Scully watched him drift off again. She held him until she was sure he was   
   asleep again before carefully getting up and getting dressed. He woke up   
   awhile later and reached for her. He felt the cold bed. He sighed and swung   
   his legs over the side of the bed. He rubbed a hand down his face.   
      
   "Scully?"   
      
   No response. Mulder walked sleepily into the kitchen where he found her   
   note. "Gone shopping...be back later..." he read out loud. He picked up his   
   cell phone and hit speed dial 1. "Hey, Beautiful...where'd you sneak off   
   to?" Mulder asked the moment Scully picked up.   
      
   "hey..."   
      
   In the background, Mulder thought he could hear beeps. Like a tow truck.   
      
   "Seriously, Scully, where are you?"   
      
   "I...flat tire." She was fading out.   
      
   The phone went completely silent. "Piece of shit technology," Mulder   
   muttered as he slipped on a pair of shoes and grabbed his shirt off a chair.   
   He went out to look for her.   
      
   He finally found Scully off the interchange, talking to the operator of a   
   tow truck. She was bleeding slightly from a cut on her forehead and when   
   Mulder looked at the front end of his car and the right tire, he saw that it   
   was completely shot. He took the tail of his shirt and wiped the blood off   
   her face.   
      
   "Are you okay?" He was shaking.   
      
   "Yes, I'm fine." Scully wasn't looking at him though. She was still upset   
   because they couldn't fine the driver of the other car. Then Scully sighed.   
   "I'm sorry about your car. The other guy....I don't know what he was doing.   
   I had to swerve into the ditch to avoid him."   
      
   Mulder sat her down and wrapped his jacket. "First of all, I only care about   
   you."   
      
   Scully looked up at him with a fully genuine smile. Tentatively at first,   
   she reached up to touch his face. "I know that. Thanks."   
      
   "Let me get the reports filled out and I'm taking you home." Mulder kissed   
   her hand before getting up and moving to the officer on site. He flashed his   
   badge.   
      
   Scully in the meantime began salvaging the bags that were still in the   
   backseat of the car. It took a bit, but Mulder finally got it all   
   straightened out. He walked back up to her and wrapped his arms around her.   
   He was so glad that she was alright. He had been so scared.   
      
   "Let's get you home." Mulder took the packages and her hand and walked her   
   to the other car. "You sure you're okay? We can always stop at the hospital   
   to check you out."   
      
   Scully couldn't help a small smile at his concern. "I'm fine, b...Mulder,"   
   she hastily corrected herself. "I promise."   
      
   She was quiet the ride back. Mulder squeezed her hand. "Did you get your   
   shopping done?"   
      
   "Yes, I did...birthday boy," she grinned back. At his confusion, she went on   
   "It's your birthday, isn't it?"   
      
   Mulder thought a minute. "Yeah, I guess it is. I've been distracted...lost   
   track of time."   
      
   Scully's face softened when she heard this. "I'd like to help you celebrate   
   it...if you'll let me."   
      
   "I've already got the best present." They were pulling up to Mulder's   
   building again.   
      
   "What's that?" Scully didn't want to hope...even though she did have a   
   pretty good idea.   
      
   "You." Mulder said simply.   
      
   When they were coming in the door and after the bags were set down, Scully   
   exclaimed, "Oh! I almost forgot!' She set down the bag she was carrying and   
   fished something out of it. She handed Mulder a white envelope.   
      
   He pulled open the envelope. He found floor tickets to that night's Knicks   
   game. His eyes went wide. "How did you do this?"   
      
   "I have a friend who's a coach."   
      
   "And you never told me this before..." Mulder teased. He picked Scully up   
   and kissed her mouth long and deep. "Thank you so much...now who to take   
   with me."   
      
   "Don't even start with me," Scully mock-warned.   
      
   Mulder winked at her. "I think I remember Langley mentioning something about   
   being free tonight."   
      
   "Gives me more time for me, doesn't it," Scully teased back. "Bubble baths,   
   girly movies..."   
      
   "Woman, you are the only one I'd take to see my boys play."   
      
   Woman?" Scully's eyebrow went up teasingly but Mulder knew she really didn't   
   mind. If it was anyone else calling her that, she would mind...   
      
   "What else have you planned?"   
      
   Scully tried to look innocent. "Who says I have plans?"   
      
   "Okay...we'll wing it then." Mulder reached into the cabinet for a can of   
   peanuts.   
      
   Scully smiled as she began unloading everything she needed to make a   
   homemade birthday cake. She suddenly could feel Mulder's eyes on her again   
   as she took out the ice cream and put it in the freezer.   
      
   "Hey, what was that?" Mulder asked from his perch on top of the counter.   
      
   "I just bought a few of your favourite foods," Scully said smiling a little   
   as she mentally added 'junk foods'   
      
   "Where'd you hide the cookies, Dana?"   
      
   "Who's hiding them? They're on the top shelf of the pantry."   
      
   Mulder looked sheepish. "I didn't look there."   
      
   "Some investigator you are," Scully teased.   
      
   "You know me. I never look for the obvious." Mulder popped a handful of   
   peanuts into this mouth.   
      
   Scully suddenly bit her lip as she was suddenly hit by the thought that she   
   never wanted to leave. She turned her back so Mulder wouldn't see the tears   
   that were falling down her face. She rapidly blinked as she tried to focus   
   on the recipe in front of her.   
      
   "Need any help?" Mulder asked as he got down from the counter and put his   
   hand on her hip.   
      
   "You want to mix this for me?" Scully passed him a bowl with flour and   
   baking soda in it. Mulder began to stir it.   
      
   Scully quickly swiped her hand across her face as she started beating the   
   eggs.   
   'Get a grip, Scully!' she ordered herself.   
      
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)