Fox Mulder opened the door to the room he affectionately nicknamed the ‘war room’ or conference room A. As he walked out, the whispered taunts following him out into the hall. He stepped into the elevator and hit the button for the basement. Loosening his tie he leaned against the cool elevator wall.

He sighed, "At least Scully doesn’t call me those damn names."

The elevator chimed and he stepped out. As he approached the door to the X-Files office he noticed two boxes. The both where filled and had been taped shut. Mulder opened the door and stepped in, still looking at the boxes.

"Scully…" He turn to see her packing her stuff into a box, not to much unlike the ones he’d seen outside the door. "What the hell?"

She placed her coffee mug and a picture frame in the box. She didn’t look at him, just keep moving and picking up the things she owned. Mulder advanced on her and grabbed her arm. "Scully, what in the hell is going on?"

"I’ve been transferred Mulder." She said, raising her head to look him in the eye. The words hit him like a train. His jaw actually hit the floor.

"No. You…But…How?" He couldn’t form any sentences. He was completely dumbfounded.

"I was called into a meeting not long after I went home last night. It was unexpected, and they reviewed our latest case." He dawned a soft half smile and gently snorted. "The decided that it would be better if they separated us."

"No." Mulder said with defiance. She watched as his face went from adult to twelve-year-old in two seconds flat. He looked as through he was disobeying an order from his mother, not from a council of adults.

"Look Mulder, I can’t disobey this order. No matter how you look at this I’m going, and there is nothing you can do. I’m sorry." She walked back over to her desk and pulled some more things from her drawer. He moved mechanically to his desk and sat.

She picked up a picture frame from her desk. She had found it last night as she began packing. It was one her mother had taken of her the last time her brother had been in town. She wore a large white shirt and nice fitting jeans. The first three buttons of her shirt wear undone and you could just see the curve of his chest, her read hair framed her face as she looked over the edge of her sunglasses. She stood and walked over to Mulder desk. He was staring at his hands, wearing a hurt expression and her heart went out to him.

"Here Mulder." She said quietly and handed him the picture. "I want you to have this."

He looked up and took the picture from her. He stared at it a second, smiled, and then frowned. "What’s wrong Mulder?"

"I don’t have a picture to give you." He said quietly, but then stood up and turned around. He took his "I want to believe" poster off the wall and handed it to her. She looked down at it then up at him.

"Mulder…" He shook his head and she went to place it in her box. He stood up and went to her side. He reached down and embraced her in a hug, and she hugged him back.

"You going to promise to call or write me?" He asked as she pulled back and picked up her box. She gave him a little smile and then she was gone. The door shut behind her and Special Agent Fox Mulder had never felt more alone.

(Four years later)

AD Skinner’s Office

11:14 am

"Mulder." Skinner said as the agent walked into his office and sat in the chair to his left. Even After Agent Scully had left he had always taken that seat.

"You wanted you see me sir?"

"Yes. I want you to go to Rome, Mulder." The agent lifted an eyebrow in query. "The Director wants an agent accompany a…special prisoner to Rome. It’s a simple assignment, it will only take a day or two." Mulder nodded and stood form his chair. He turned to leave but Skinner called to him. "Mulder?"

"Sir?" He turned and stood at full attention.

"How’s Casey?" He asked taking off his glasses and rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"She’s good sir." Skinner sighed, Mulder had changed and he just would have the normal conversation with him anymore.

"You’re dismissed agent." Mulder left the AD’s office and climbed into the elevator and hit the button for the 3^rd level. He stepped out and walked down the hall to his office. He closed the door behind him and waved at the picture hanging on his wall.

"Hey Scully. Gotta go to Rome for a while, just a day or two. Well, it’s been four years since I last saw you and 3 years since they closed the X-Files. And I’m still talking to your picture." He shook his head and pulled his keys out of the top drawer of his desk.

He made the quick trip home and entered his apartment to find Casey, his latest girlfriend, packing up all her stuff.

"Casey? What’s going on?" He asked when she came out of their bedroom, carrying an arm full of cloths.

"I’m leaving."

"Why?"

"Because I tired of competing with a woman that left you four years ago and know I know why she left. You, Fox William Mulder, are a bastard! I tired of being compared to that woman. You’ve got what two pictures of me in this apartment and 50 billion of her? She hated your fucking guts Fox. That’s why she never told where she was going!" She screamed more obscenities and put him down some more. She left, slamming the door.

"Wonderful." He said and packed a bag.

(Next Night)

Vine’s Pub

11:30pm

"Ever been in love Vincenso?" Mulder asked the man beside him. They had been talking and drinking for the past hour. Mulder had found the place not long before that. He had just wanted to get away form his horrible life.

"Oh yes. Many times." Mulder smiled, and shook his head.

"No I mean Love…you know, when you find the person you want to spend the rest of your life with?" Mulder asked again, sipping his wine.

"Oh, well no. But I did find this lovely little flower about 3 years ago, Oh, how I wish she was the one, such good looks, but her heart belongs to someone else, even if she does date me. What about you?" Mulder sighed.

"Yeah, she made me feel like somebody. I loved her and trusted her with everything I had but I never told her, and she left one day. And I still haven’t found a woman that could do that same for me. But you’re dating now? What’s she like?"

"She has this soft red hair that shines copper in the sun. And her eyes…like two beautiful blue diamonds. She’s about 5’1 and has the most beautiful ass." Mulder smiled a little. "Want to see a picture?"

"Sure." The Italian pulled out a wallet and from it came a picture. He handed it to Mulder, and Mulder’s jaw hit the floor. He couldn’t believe his eyes, it was Scully.

"Good looker huh?"

"You have to take me to her!"

"Why? Does she know you?" Mulder had to think fast, he needed an excuse to get this man to show him where Scully was.

"I came here to see her." The Italian cocked an eyebrow at him.

"She didn’t mention you."

"No, she doesn’t know I’m coming. I wanted to surprise her, I’m an old friend from work. I wanted to surprise her for her birthday."

"Ok, come on. Marko, I pay for Mr. Moldar here." Mulder smiled at how the man pronounced his name. It wasn’t a far walk from the pub to the place Scully lived. They climbed the stairs and the Italian knocked on the door, while Mulder stood in the shadows. The door opened and there stood the woman who had owned his thoughts and dreams for the past 4 years.

"Hi Vinny. Drink to much at the pub?" The Italian nodded and stepped past her into the apartment. Scully turned and was about to shut the door when she heard a voice.

"Dana." She turned and Mulder stepped into the light of the doorway. She jumped, It had to be her imagination. Not even Dead, would Mulder look like he did. His eyes had sunken into his head and worry lines permanently creased his forehead, His once lively eyes where now dull, but held the slightest hint of happiness.

"Mulder?" He nodded. She couldn’t believe it. She raised a hand to her elbow and pinched it. Her brain kept telling her that she was mistaken, Mulder wouldn’t find her, and she had almost made sure of that. She hadn’t told anyone where she was going, not even her Mom, that had been difficult. "Mulder what are you doing here?"

He didn’t say a word, just stepped forward and reached out for her. She took a step back, and his face fell visibly hurt by her movement. "I was transporting a prisoner and went to a bar, where I met your boyfriend."

"Oh." She stepped back and let him enter. She led him out to a balcony, Vinny tried to follow but she said that the two of them needed to talk alone for a while. "How have you been the past three years, Mulder?"

"Four, four years. Not all that well. They shut the X-Files down again."

"Why?" She sat in a lounge chair and he sat across form he before he answered. "Well, nobody wanted it after I requested a transfer."

She stared at him, amazed. He’d given up on the one thing that he wanted in his life, the one thing he fought to keep hundreds of times over. Scully closed her eyes and shook her head. When she opened them she saw something different when she looked at Mulder.

He had changed, his eyes didn’t have the same fire she use to see in his eyes all the time. They had hardened over, like he’d been hurt many times between when she left and now. His scowl was almost permanent, and she though it would be if he never smiled. And he carried himself differently now. He used to have a strong confident stride that made people take notice of him, now he sat slightly slouched over, not so much that anyone but her would notice. She sighed and tore her eyes away to look at the stars.

"Do you watch the sky’s anymore Mulder?" She asked changing the subject, she was afraid to ask why he gave up on the X-Files. Out of the corner of her eye she say him glance up.

"No, why? There’s nothing out there." Scully dropped her head to stare at him open mouthed. Mulder had given up his faith? "You look amazed."

"Well, I never expected to hear something like that from you."

"Yeah, well I never expected you to just walk out of my life either." She flinched at the hurt in his words.

"It wasn’t my fault Mulder. I was transferred I couldn’t just disobey an order like that! What did you want me to do? Quit?" Her voice rose an octave as she spoke.

"God you must think I’m stupid." She looked at him, confused.

"What are you talking about?"

"I know very fucking well that you set up that meeting that night. What did you think I wasn’t going to find out?" He stood and placed his hands on the railing on the banister, "Do you know how long I waited for your letters or phone calls? Do you know how hard it was to get up and go to work when I knew you weren’t going to be there?"

"Mulder…" She stood and stepped towards him, he flinched back, eyes growing wide.

"No, Scully, don’t touch me. Do you know what it feels like to have your heart ripped out? I’ve been trying for the past four years to forget you! I’ve lost three girlfriends because I was still obsessed over you! And now, right when I’m finally getting over you, you show up! I gave up the X-Files because it was to fucking hard without you." Mulder whirled around and caught her arm, the alcohol in his system was driving him to the extreme, making him more violent then usual.

She steeped back, trying to free her arm from his grasp. He was squeezing so hard Scully was sure her would break her arm. He stood there, watching her fight him. She was concentrating on getting free. After a few seconds she gave up and looked up to meet his gaze. As flinched as she saw the pain hidden in his eyes and somewhere deep inside she knew she’d caused it.

All to quickly did she see a fire come into his eyes, She stepped back again from the intensity of it. The hatred she saw made her flinch. She’d made the man she’d left, so he wouldn’t be hurt, but instead she’d hurt him more then any shadow man.

"Look, bitch." Scully cringed as he spat the words at her. "You drove me nuts, as well as your mother. She told me that you call her. And you haven’t called her for five months now. You are on sick little bitch and I bet you don’t care that your mother worries about everyday. If you show any compassion for her you go see her before you have to visit her grave." He tuned to go, but turned back. He pulled her close and kissed her fiercely on the mouth, his tongue stripped her mouth of the secrets it barred and then he left. A few seconds later she heard the door slam. Dana stood shaking on the warm summer’s night.

(Two days later)

Maggie Scully residence

1:32pm

"Fox! It’s so nice to see you." Maggie said as she let Mulder in and gave him a hug.

"How are you feeling, Mrs. Scully?" Mulder asked hugging the older woman back.

"Better. How was your trip to Rome?" Maggie said leading her to the sofa and pouring him a cup of Iced Tea.

"I met someone there." Mulder said and watched her reaction.

"What about…Casey?" Mulder knew what she meant.

"You meant, what about Dana." Maggie shook her head, but the spark in her eyes was unmistakable. "Casey left anyway. She said that I was still in love with Dana and something about her hating me."

"Oh, Fox. Dana didn’t hate you, if you ever for one moment think that’s why you left then you’re a very stupid man. She loved you, Fox. And I’m sure she’ll come home soon-"

"I found her." The simple sentence hung over their heads like an axe. The front door creaked as it was opened. Mulder pulled out his gun as he stood from the couch. He placed his back against the wall and took three deep breaths. It had been a long time since his last gunfight. He spun around the corner and came face to face with Dana Scully.

"Mulder! Jesus, you scared the shit out of me." Dana said taking a shaking breath.

"Dana?" Mrs. Scully appeared in the doorway.

"Hi mom." Scully walked into her mother’s waiting arms and stayed there for a few minutes.

"I missed you so much."

Mulder let a small smile cross his face. He was sorry that he’d let his emotions and the alcohol take control of him, that night. He hadn’t realized he had so much anger he’d stored up over the years. He really had been out of line, yelling at her and then kissing her the way he had.

"Mrs. Scully, I really would like to stay longer but I should be getting back. I have a lot of paper work to do." He said, pulling on his jacket. Maggie touched his arm, and when he looked at her she understood. He needed some time.

"Please tell Mr. Skinner I said hello, and drive safely." He nodded and left before Scully could say a word to him. Mulder didn’t go back to his apartment. He needed to go somewhere to think. He turned onto the rode that contained the Jefferson Memorial. He had found that just sitting and watching the day pass tended to be very good for thinking.

"Dana where did you go?" Maggie asked dragging her daughter into another hug.

"Italy." Dana said, looking out the window.

"You broke him, you know." Maggie said as she walked into the kitchen and filled a kettle with water to make tea.

"No I didn’t. How could I break a man that didn’t listen to me?" Dana said and sat at the kitchen table.

"You left and never spoke to him. After three weeks he called and asked if I knew where you’d been transferred. When he found out that I hadn’t even known he came up." She pulled down two cups and took the whistling kettle off the stovetop. "He stayed for two weeks. And when he went back he would call me every night. Then you called and he stayed home for three days, waiting for you to call, but you never did. And then his mother died, Mr. Skinner was very nice by giving Fox three weeks off. He stayed with me. Casey, your cousin, came by one day and at the time I think he was dating but the girl hurt him and he let Casey care for him and just before he found you in Italy she left him, saying that you hated him and that’s why you left. He believes her." Maggie placed the cup of tea in front of her daughter. Dana sat with her eyes closed, the pain obvious in her face. "Dana? Are you alright dear?"

"He called me a bitch. I guess I deserve a lot more then that. I thought I was protecting him mom. They used me to get to him and I thought if they couldn’t use me he would be better off." Maggie placed a hand on her daughter’s shoulder, a soft smile crossed her face when Dana looked at her.

"Go to him."

"But he’s changed I don’t know where he would go."

"He told me he used to site at the Jefferson Memorial to think about why you left. Try there, if that doesn’t work use your instinct. It’s about time you two realized how much you need each other." Maggie said, ushering Dana out of the house, she waved from her door as her daughter pulled away. Maggie closed the door and lifted her eyes to the sky. "I think our little Starbuck has finally found her way, Ahab."

Jefferson Memorial

3:09pm

Scully glanced around the benches by the West Potomac River. She spotted him sitting on the bench he sat in when they wanted to meet about a case seven years ago. She slowly crossed to the bench.

"Is this seat taken?" Mulder looked up at her and smiled gently.

"Sure, but I’ll have to warn you, I experiencing violent impulses." She moved and beside him.

"Well, I’m armed so I’ll take my chances." The sat and stared out over the water, Not saying a word to each other. He placed his hand over the one she rested between them. Neither of them spoke a word they just letting the hurt dissolve. The sun had sunken behind the trees and the stars had begun to shin before Mulder opened his mouth.

"I’m sorry for yelling at you like I did that night. Being drunk was no excuse." She looked at him. He stared straight ahead. "I was mad and upset, but I shouldn’t have called you a bitch. And I was way out of line by kissing you."

"Cut the Bull shit Mulder." He looked at her. "You know you’re not sorry for kissing me."

"You know Dana, your right...for the first time." She swatted his arm, laughing. His face became serious as he asked the next question. "Why did you leave?"

She sat for a second. She wasn’t sure how to word the answer, or what the answer was really. She didn’t want to admit that she had been scared. Scared that Mulder would be hurt, or that she would fall more in love with him. She sighed, "I did it because I…because I love you Fox."

He smiled, "Your mother told me the same thing. Only she said that it was because I loved you and that you where afraid of that, afraid to get close. She said she didn’t know why, but that was the answer."

"I was. I didn’t want to sacrifice something so good for the chance that it wouldn’t work out, and then we wouldn’t be able to be friends."

"And you told me to cut the bull shit." She smiled. "Think I could ask for a dance?"

"There’s no music." She protested.

"So?" He stood and held out his hand. She took it and stood. He pulled her into his arms. They swayed gently, each staring into each other’s arms. "Remember the case that we took the monster to a Cher concert?"

"Yeah," She smiled, remembering it. "You got me to dance with you, it was great."

He leaned down his head and pressed his lips to hers. She gently moved her lips against his, she parted them and traced his lower lip, he opened his mouth and their tongues slipped past each other in a dance that was so new to them but so old. A radio far off played a song that they could barely make out the words to, but the tune made her heart jump a little, and her soul finally came to rest as she stood with the man that had never betrayed her, would love her the way that people loved each other did in fairy tails.

She pulled back from the kiss, and reached up with a hand. She placed it over his heart and looked up into his eyes. She watched as wall after wall fell away. She kissed his chest and whispered something against his chest. He answered it with kiss the top of her head and saying, "I love you too."

"Now, tell me about this shrine I hear you erected for me." He laughed and deep soul laugh and put his arm around her as he led her to his car.

End

I’ll stand by you

I’ll stand by you

Won’t let no-body hurt you

I’ll stand by you

Take me into you darkest hour

I’ll stand by you

And I’ll never desert you

I’ll stand by you