Summary: Younever know what dreams hold.

Disclaimer: The X-Files, Fox Mulder, Dana Scully, CSM, Margaret Scully, Bill Scully, Bill Scully,Jr., Samantha Mulder, Tina Mulder, Bill Mulder, and all the other Characters that are involved in the X-Files and not mentioned her and are mentioned on my web pages, I would like to remind you that I do not own or am making a profit in any way from this. Please do not sue me. The X-Files belongs to 1013, Fox, and CC. I do not own any of the songs in this story either, sorry too many to count.

Notes: You can reach me at [email protected] or [email protected]  Comments and flames are welcome.

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Vancouver Memorial Hospital

Dec. 10th

A knock at the door startled both of them. The door opened and Walter Skinner strode into the room. Mulder quickly rose from his sitting position on Scully’s bed and stood next to her. She looked up at him and back to Skinner. Her eyes asking ‘What is he doing here?’

"Sir?" Mulder’s voice was steady.

"Agents Mulder, Scully. How are you doing agent Scully?"

"Good sir."

"Maggie just called me and asked why you two where in Canada. And then she asked why I was up here. I am here Agents to ‘officially’ reprimand you for ditching a case to go kill the Cancerman. I am also here to congratulate you for killing that son of a bitch. I want you two to take two weeks off. Your punishment for ditching the case."

"If only I could punish him for ditching me." Scully said and Skinner cracked a smile. He extended a hand and Mulder shook it. Suddenly the door burst open and Allison walked in. She saw Skinner and stopped. Eyeing him she turned to Fox.

"Uncle Fox? Who is that guy?" Mulder smiled, he couldn’t help feeling ‘different’ when she called him Uncle. He didn’t know how to explain it but it was an amazing feeling.

"Allie this is my boss, friend, and well, If Maggie’s my surrogate mother then you would be…"

"I would be Maggie’s boyfriend. And if you marry Dana over here then I’ll be your father in law I guess."

"Yeah but who are you?"

"Walter Skinner." Mulder and Walter said at the same time.

"Wait a minute! Skinner you dating my mother? Since when? And why didn’t she tell me?"

"What ever her reasons Scully, I’m guessing their good ones, at that. Come on Scully, how many times have you done something without telling her?" Scully just glared at Mulder.

"Ok. Maybe she was just waiting for the right time. She was probably scared that you would hate the idea. Hell, maybe she though it might make you uncomfortable at work because your mother was dating ‘the boss’, even though we don’t always listen to him." Scully and Skinner both cracked a smile at this, "I’m glad she’s dating again. She can’t spend the rest of her life morning a lost love-"

"Look whose talking." Samantha said flatly as she walked into the room. Skinner looked at Sam then to Mulder, then Scully, then back to Sam. He blinked several times and shook his head.

"Sir, I would like you to meet my sister, Samantha. We found her in a small house outside of town. I’m going to be taking her back to Washington to live with me for a while, until she can get settled in an apartment of her own." Sam extended her hand and Skinner shook it, "Sam this is my boss, Assistant director Walter Skinner."

Mulder looked back at Scully and he saw the hurt hidden behind her steel mask. Mulder knew there was no point to arguing with her, she would eventually come around to his side or reason out an answer for herself, that she could live with be for she could talk to her mother. Turning his attention back to the room he said, "I think we should leave Scully alone. She needs to get some sleep. We can all go back to the hotel and wait for my mother and Margaret to arrive."

He bent and kissed Scully lightly on her lips and told her that when he comes back he’ll have her mother and that she better be ready to leave the hospital. And then your going to get your mother to take you to find a dress and then we are going out to a nice family dinner and some dancing. So rest or I’ll have to shoot you." She smiled and closed her eyes as he left. All she really needed was to sleep so she could figure these past 1 and a half weeks out.

****

Embassy Suit’s hotel

Room 409

10 days later

Mulder looked around the room. Sam and Allison were asleep in the bed, Skinner was sleeping in the small spare room that came with the suite. He quickly folded up the extra sheets he had used for his bed, so that when Maggie and his mother came up they would have a place to sit. He had rented another room right next door, for him and hopefully Scully when she got out of the hospital, in an hour or two.

Mulder heard the door creak and turned to see Skinner in blue jeans and a comfortable looking T-shirt. Mulder looked down at his own rumpled cloths and grabbed a pair of jeans he had bought at a store yesterday and quickly went into the bathroom to change. He had already showered earlier that morning so he had no reason to shower again.

"I’m going to get Maggie and your mother. I’m guessing your going to get Agent Scully." Skinner said handing Mulder a cup of coffee from the pot he had just made.

"Yeah. We’ll probably be back from the hospital before you get back from the airport. Do me a favor, sir." Skinner shifted and Mulder sensed that he was uncomfortable at Mulder calling him sir.

"Mulder. Out of the office I’m just Walter. Or in your case Skinner. You can call me either, out of the office." Mulder nodded.

"Sure. Could you do me a favor and not tell my mother or…well, you can tell Maggie."

"Mulder. I’d rather you tell the both of them. I know she cares for you a great deal. I know that if she had the choice then she’d want to hear it from you. Congratulations by the way." Mulder gave him a questioning look and Skinner shook his head in the direction of the big bedroom and said, "You’re an Uncle Mulder. Must make you happy and scared the shit outta you." Mulder laughed and nodded.

"So how long have you and Mrs. Scully…known each other." It was kind of hard picturing his tight ass boss being sweet and understanding to Maggie.

"We’ve know each other for a long time Mulder. We only started seeing each other for the past 6 months. And you we’re right about why Maggie was scared to tell Dana. Scared is hardly the word, Maggie was just worried about how Dana would react. Every child is…well not every child, but Dana was. She wanted to be like him for so long and then she just want to please him, make him understand who she was. It’s kind of shocking to hear about your mother dating another man, let alone your boss." Mulder nodded. Skinners watch went off and the two men quickly washed out their cups. Mulder scribbled a note to Sammy. And the two men left. Mulder got in his car and Skinner hopped in his rental. Mulder waved and drove off towards the hospital.

It was a good 30 minutes to the hospital so Mulder turned on the radio and flipped through the stations. All that was playing it seemed was Spice Girls and Hanson. Mulder smiled to himself as he though about the ways either band could be apart of some horrible experiment to control the minds of today’s youth.

"Ok! Ok! OK! I have had nothing but requests for this song. Even though all of you calling seem to be asking for this song for one person or another, I’m going to be playing this song for Fox Mulder. That’s right, Fox, this one’s for you and its from a lovely sounding woman called Dana Scully who’s stuck in a hospital bed. She say’s I trust you Fox, now get down here and pick me up. So here we go. ‘Iris’ by the Goo Goo Dolls."

And I give up forever to touch you,

‘Cause I know that you feel me some how,

You’re the closet to heaven that I’ve ever be,

And I don’t want to go home right now.

Mulder smiled. Only Scully would do something like this. He could picture her sitting on the hospital bed in the jeans and T-shirt she had been brought in with on. Well, the shirt was new. He had gone out and bought her a large tee to wear back to the hotel.

I’ll I can taste is your sweetness,

And all I can breath is your life,

Sooner or later it’s over,

.

I just don’t want to miss you right now

And I don’t want the world to see me,

‘Cause I don’t think that they’d understand,

Well everything’s made to be broken,

I just want you to know who I am.

And you can’ fight the tears that ain’t comin’

All the moment, the truth and the lie’s,

Well everything feel’s like the movies,

Yeah you bleed just to know you’re alive.

And I don’t want the world to see me,

‘Cause I don’t think at they’d understand,

And everything’s made to be broken,

I just want you to know who I am.

And I don’t want the world to see me,

‘Cause I don’t think at they’d understand,

When everything’s made to be broken,

I just want you to know who I am.

And I don’t want the world to see me,

‘Cause I don’t think at they’d understand,

And everything’s made to be broken,

I just want you to know who I am.

****

Vancouver Memorial Hospital

Scully looked up as the door to her room opened. Mulder walked in and he had a huge smile on his face. She guessed that he had heard the song that she had requested the radio play. It had been one of those spur of the moment things that she had to do. She felt slightly out of character by doing it but then again, She had been feeling very out of character around Mulder a lot these days.

"And I don’t want the world to see me. ‘Cause I don’t think that they’d understand. And everything’s made to be broken, I just want you to know who I am." Mulder sang as he walked up to her. Scully couldn’t tell if he was singing off key on purpose or if he was really trying to sing the song.

"Ok! Ok. No more requesting songs on the radio, especially if your going you sing them." Scully said covering her ears and closing her eyes. Mulder smiled and lend down. He kissed Scully lightly on the lips.

"Ready to go?" She opened her eyes and nodded, "How did you know what station I would be listening to?" Mulder asked as he held her trench open for her to slip her hands inside.

"I didn’t I guess I got lucky. Actually I remembered the station you had it set to as we had been driving to the cigarette smoking man’s house. Is my mother coming?" She slipped her hand in the coat and turned to face Mulder again.

"Skinner went to pick her and my mother up. We’ll be meeting them back at the hotel. Are you all signed out with the doctor and hospital?" She sighed and nodded. "Sorry."

"It’s not that. It’s just…Skinner and my mother…dating. It’s hard ya know? I guess I just always thought that the love that my parents had would go on forever. But I guess nothings forever then huh?" Mulder looked at her. He knew what she was saying made sense and he also knew that he felt the same way. Suddenly an idea popped into his head. He and Scully needed some down time. They needed to figure out what was going on in their lives and they needed to get through it together.

"What would you say, Scully, if I didn’t take you right back to the hotel?" She gave him a questioning look as they walked down the hall to the elevator.

"I mean…would you like to go someplace like a lake or the beach to talk for a while? Sort some things out and just plain have some time to be with each other?" A slow smile spread across Scully’s face as they rode the elevator to the parking deck.

"Alright Mulder. As long as you don’t get us lost. I really do want to see my mother today." Mulder climbed in the driver’s seat and Scully in the passenger seat. They buckled up and Mulder left the hospital behind. When they pulled up in front of the hotel she looked at him questioningly.

"What-"

"-Are we doing here? I really have no clue to where anything is around here and the hotel has a huge garden in the back, benches and everything. I thought since you really want to see your mother again before the end of the century, which would be how long it would take for me to get unlost if I did get lost, we might as well just enjoy a nice little park." It didn’t surprise Scully at all the Mulder knew what she was thinking, most of the time. Hell, she knew what he was thinking most of the time too.

"Alright Mulder. But if you get me lost in that park and I don’t see my mother or I’m abducted again. I’ll be very pissed." She gave him one of her ‘Scully’s ready to play’ looks and she slapped his arm lightly. He gave her a pained expression and she laughed as she took off down the side of the building. He chased after her and she ducked into the garden in the back of the hotel.

He turned the edge of the hotel and chased her into the garden. Scully was short but she could move. But then again he had longer legs and I three quick strides he was right behind her. He grabbed her arm and she ducked. He ran right past her and skidded to a stop. He turned and tried to catch her again.

"I’ll get you Dana Scully. I swear by my aliens abduction stories I will."

"You can’t catch a Scully. It’s impossible."

"Oh really?" Mulder reached out to catch her again.

"Yep" She ducked under a branch and Mulder, moving to fast to stop and to tall to duck, ran right into it. It hit him right in the stomach and knocked him to the ground.

"Ouch!" Mulder lay still, trying to catch his breath, as Scully came back to stair down at him. He looked up and smiled at her. Her mouth was twitching and she had her hand up to cover the laugh escaping her lips.

"Oh laughing at me, are we Agent Scully?" He reached up and grabbed her waist and tickled her while pulling her to the ground. She managed to get back at him while she was laughing but he rolled over so he was above her and sat on her.

"I really don’t think you should be laughing when I’m in a position to cut of your air supply." She laughed even harder. He bent down and kissed her lips. He felt her run her tongue across his lip, as if requisition permission to trespass on sacred land. He parted his lips and their tongues merged in a blissfully sweet kiss. They ended the kiss breathless and he rolled off of her.

He lay next to her and watched the clouds. He had never looked at the sky all that much during the day, just at night. He was amazed at the shapes he saw in the giant clouds above him. He felt so young by doing this. As if finally he was getting a second chance at having a normal childhood and as if by magic he would get to relive this amazing time with the one person he loved more then anything else.

"Whatcha thinkin’ ‘bout Fox?" He could swear that Samantha, the 8-year-old in his head, had just said that.

"Dana?"

"Yeah Mulder?" The sound came from his right. He turned his head and looked at her, and his breath caught in his through. She looked so young and beautiful. She was so lovely. He drank in the sight of her, the way the sunlight made her hair shine red and gold, the way her blue eyes sparkled with a new found clarity. The way her lips parted slightly as she caught her breath, and the way she look several years younger and several years older then she was without any make-up on. She turned to look at him and he could swear he had died and gone to heaven.

"Fox?" Mulder’s heart flinched at the sound of his first name but then shook with the feeling of belonging. He didn’t realize he was crying till the colors of Dana Scully and the earth bled together on the easel of his life.

Dana reached over and cupped his cheek. She didn’t exactly know why he was crying and it worried her a little bit. Fox Mulder rarely cried and when he did, it was usually because something touched his heart.

"Why do you stay Scully? Why after all that I’ve put you through do you stay and on top of that you love me? Why? I’ve almost gotten you killed more times then I remember. I got your sister killed and your family thinks your nuts ‘cus you haven’t requested a transfer. Please Scully, tell me."

"Oh Mulder." She rolled onto her stomach. She propped herself up on one elbow and leaned over Mulder’s head. She brushed his hair back and idly played with it with her free hand. The sun burst from behind a cloud and Mulder squinted gently up at Scully. She smiled at him.

"Mulder I don’t know why I stay with you…no actually I do. I stay because I love you. In the beginning it was because I didn’t want to quit. I thought, ‘This is a challenge. And I’m going to prove I can do it.’ And now it’s ‘I can’t do this-"

"What! Ofcourse you can do this. You’re almost better then I am!"

"Mulder, you didn’t let me finish." She chided gently. "I was going to say that I’ve found that I can’t do this without you." Mulder looked at her. He reached forward and gently caressed her cheek. He found for the first time and a long time that he didn’t want something to end. His search for Sam had ended, and his pay back on that smoking man. He had wanted those things to end. And for the first time he really felt the wanting in a relationship. He felt happy to never have sex again and to die right where he was all because Dana Scully couldn’t do something without him.

"Scully…"

"I know. That’s what I feel and I know I feel even deeper about this but I don’t know how to express it. But I remember what happened when they shut the X-Files down. We always helped each other out. And I remember thinking it was so boring without you and when I was without you-"

"everything was harder. I know. And that’s why I always fail without you. Or I latch onto a woman and hope she’ll fill me like you do. And spend my nights praying that you’ll come back. And that you’ll still want me around."

Scully looked at the man before her. She had always thought of him as a boy trapped in a man’s body. And now that little boy looked as if he was finally growing up. She leaned forward and kissed his forehead.

"Come on Mulder. I wanna see if my mother arrived yet. And I have the feeling you want to see your mother too."

Scully stood and held out her hands to Mulder. He reached up and he pulled her down. He then stood and pulled her to her feet. They walked into the hotel, holding hands. In the elevator, Mulder turned to Scully and kissed her. His arms encircled her body and they both deepened the kiss. The door opened and they stepped out still kissing.

"Dana!" Maggie joyfully shouted down the hall to the kissing couple. Mulder jumped and they broke their kiss. Maggie raced down the hall and embraced her daughter in a tight hug. Mulder smiled at the two. He backed down the hallway a little bit to give Dana and her mother some space.

Teena watched as Mulder looked lovingly at Maggie and Dana. She walked silently up behind him. She gently placed a hand on his shoulder and he turned to look at her. He glared at her, his eyes we’re almost as clod as ice. Teena shivered under his gaze. She pulled her hand back but quickly replaced it on his shoulder.

"Fox. I came because I want to start over. If it’s not to late." His eyes began to soften and soon his eyes were wet. He smiled and leaned down to envelope her in a tentative hug. Maggie smiled and squeezed Dana’s hand.

"Come on. Let’s go inside. I’m pretty sure the ladies want to sit and rest and I know you two want to spend some quiet time together." Skinner said looking right at Mulder and taking a slight pleasure from making Scully blush. They all filed in but before Teena could enter the room Mulder grabbed her arm.

"Mom, If it’s not to late, I’d like to start over, too." She looked up at him and tears came to her eyes. She put a hand on his cheek and smiled. Giving Scully a small nod she followed Maggie and Walter in the hotel room.

Mulder turned to Scully and took her hand. He quietly pulled out a small box. He had stopped to pick it up before going to visit the hospital a few days ago and he had been waiting for the right moment to ask her. ‘Now was as good as any,’ he hoped.

"Scully. Come here for a sec." He backed down the hallway and the positioned her to that the wall was behind her, "I have to ask you something Dana."

She looked up at him with those baby blues and he almost lost his nerve right there. "Scully, Dana…I want to know if you…no that’s not right…Dana will you please…no-"

"Mulder, spit it out." She placed a hand on his chest.

He pulled out the box and held it in front of her, "Dana, please, marry me." Her face didn’t register anything.

"Maybe it’s the wrong time. I’m sorry if I asked you too soon. I…I sh-should go…Sorry." He turned and started for the stairs.

"Yes." It was so quiet he didn’t hear it. He turned and looked at her slightly. Ready to flee if he had too.

"What?"

"Mulder…shut up and get your ass back here. Because if you don’t kiss me in 10 seconds you’ll lose me forever." He started at her and then realizing what she had said he was on top of her in three strides. He kissed her so deeply, they leaned up against the wall.

****

"Are you two…" Maggie’s head appeared around the corner. She smiled when she saw what was keeping the two. And then she spotted the box in Dana’s limp hand, and the wedding ring sparkling inside it. She gasped and smiled ducking her head back in the room.

"Maggie? What’s going on out there?" Teena asked from the small kitchen sink as Maggie walked in.

"I think I just gained a son-in-law and you a daughter-in-law" Teena slowly turned from the sink to stared wide eye and opened mouth at Maggie.

"You have to be kidding me." Maggie shook her head and took Teena’s arm. She dragged her to the door and opened it. They both spied around the corner and Maggie motioned to the box that Scully was lifting up. They both watched as Mulder pulled the ring from it and slipped it onto Dana’s slim fingers.

Maggie looked up at Teena and smiled, "Don’t they look perfect together?"

****

"Gee you think they could be any more obvious?" Dana asked Fox as he smiled.

"Maybe you should teach them how to spy Dana." She smiled up at him and punched him in the chest, "Point well taken."

"Better not start, Mulder, or you may lose something very dear to you."

"Ohhh…is that a promise Scully?"

Scully smiled up at Mulder and then slipped her hand around his back. Carefully she slipped it under his shirt and started to tickle his side. He dropped to the ground and she laughed as he tried to get away from her hands.

"Uncle! Uncle!" Mulder yelped as she sat on his chest and tried to tickle him harder.

"You’re a wuss Mulder." Scully laughed as she got up.

"Yeah, but I’m your wuss." He said as he stood up, taking several deep breaths of air.

"Would you two stop fooling around and get in here? Teena and I’ve almost have dinner ready."

Mulder looked up and smiled at Maggie. Taking Dana’s hand they walked down the hall, fingers entwined. As they walked in the door a young girl raced down the hall yelling.

"Ash! Ashley come back here!"

Mulder reached out a hand and caught the little girl by the waist, "Hey little lady. Where do you think your going?"

"To visit her uncle and hopefully her Grandmother. Thanks Fox." Mulder looked up at Sam.

"Jesus Sam, 2 girls? Are they from the same guy?" Sam’s mouth hit the floor and then she slapped him across the face.

"Same guy? Listen Fox, Allison isn’t mine! Ash is of my blood. I raised Allison from a baby. My friend made me the guardian if she died and she did. So get off my case." She strode past him and into the room. Dana stood there her arms crossed at her chest staring at him.

"What?" Mulder asked and Scully shook her head.

"Mulder…Geez, that’s your sister. If she wanted to have two kids then its not really something you can change. And is doesn’t mean that she’s a slut or that she sleeps with a lot of guys." He lowered his eyes.

"I know, it’s just she’s my little sister. I think I know how your brother feels now." Scully laughed and walked into the room.

"Dana sweetheart would you and Fox set the table?" Maggie said as they walked through the door.

"In a minute. Mom?" Mulder said and walked into the kitchen.

"Yes?" He walked over and took her by the arm. He led her out into the main room.

"Sam? Where’d you go?"

"I’m here." She said and walked into the main room.

"I told you once that I would find her. It’s taken my whole life, but I did it. And I didn’t do it alone. I had Dana’s help. And we found her. Mom, you remember Samantha." Teena stared at her daughter. She opened her arms and crossed quickly to the tall woman. She embraced her in a deep hug. Allison and little Ashley walked into the room. Mulder smiled and looked down as Scully came up beside him and took his hand. She smiled up at him and then rested her head on his arm.

"Scully?" He whispered as he watched Sam introduce their mother to Ashley and Allison

"Yeah?"

"Am I dead or is this a dream?" she snorted and he looked at her.

"Why do you ask Mulder?"

"There is no way that I could end up with the woman of my dreams and being able to see my sister again. I must be dead. I’ve never had a dream this real."

"It’s not a dream and if you’re dead then I must be too. Now come on, we have to set the table."