Valentine’s Solo

Sara B. 02/07

Scully closed her apartment door behind her and engaged the lock.  This wasn’t how the day was supposed to end.  She wasn’t supposed to be alone in her apartment disappointed, hurt and facing ‘another’ solo micro-waved dinner. 

Today was Valentine’s Day and, even though her logical mind knew it was just another trumped up holiday to sell flowers and candy, her usually hidden sensitive side wanted to fall into all the romantic crap, especially now that she had someone to share all that crap with.  Or so she thought.

Her life was so changed a mere six weeks earlier.  It was New Years Day and Mulder and she had decided to spend the day together ‘vegging’ out and watching football, the football was more his idea than hers but she didn’t mind.  They had a small buffet set up in her kitchen that they snacked on throughout the day and her fridge was filled with beer.  By mutual agreement they’d banned certain topics from their conversation, the X-Files and any cases, the FBI, Aliens, Conspiracies, excepting any that involved bad referee calls, anything the Lone Gunmen were involved in and her brother Bill.  Silently she’d added Diana Fowley to their list.

At first they’d been worried that they wouldn’t have anything to talk about but that fear was soon expunged and they were never at a loss for conversation.  She’d even been able to surprise and impress Mulder with her football knowledge and he didn’t try to hide his admiration.  They’d been partners and friends for years but that day they learned more about each other than all the time before.  He learned that she loved to cook and she learned that he loved Sushi.  She told him about growing up all over the world and they followed their father from California to Hawaii to Japan to Italy.  Mulder told her about his adventures at Oxford, he prudently left out the Phoebe moments.  He had her nearly in stitches as he described the time he’d been induced to get his ear pierced and bleach his hair, which somehow turned out a pale green instead of blonde.

It was around seven when Mulder’s cell phone chimed and he reached to answer it but she grabbed it before he could get to it.  They tussled and it stopped ringing just as their lips met.  If anyone asked who moved towards whom she couldn’t answer and she doubted Mulder could either, it had been a mutual decision.  When their lips parted there was no embarrassment or discomfort and within seconds they were kissing again. 

The night didn’t end with them in bed together.  They both seemed to want to savor their new intimacy, so Mulder went home that night. 

The next Saturday was a completely different story.  She woke to the smell of fresh coffee and bacon frying.  She rose to find Mulder digging his way through her kitchen.  She couldn’t stop herself.  Scully slid over to him and caught him unaware.  “I never could resist a man in an apron,” she told him just before she pulled him to her. 

“Keep that up, Scully, and the bacon is going to burn.”

“It’s not the only thing.”  After he took three seconds to gain his wits about him, Mulder turned off the stove and carried her into the bedroom.  They worked up quite an appetite that morning.

That was only the beginning!

Scully wanted to really celebrate the fact that she and Mulder were together and that they finally had reason to acknowledge the day of romance, that they were Valentines.  She’d taken great pains with her plans.  Mulder was a man of details so she wanted all the details covered.  She made reservations at Trenton’s, a small restaurant they’d discovered recently.  She even bought him a red satin pajama bottom and robe set that was to be delivered with the candy and flowers she’d ordered.

So how did she end up alone on another Valentine’s Day?  That was the question she asked herself repeatedly.  What did all that meticulous planning get her?  Another solo Valentine’s Day, that’s what. 

She’d arrived at the office a little early and Mulder came in about thirty minutes later.  He was preoccupied, but that was nothing unusual.  He’d greeted her in his distracted way then sat at his desk and didn’t pay her any attention for the rest of the day. 

She’d gone to the lab to pick up a report around three and returned to an empty office twenty minutes later.  Mulder left a note on her laptop that said he had a meeting and he’d see her in the morning.  At first she thought it was a ploy on his part so he could surprise her later but the more she thought about it and how he’d acted all day she was convinced there would be no surprises in her immediate future.

Her last bit of hope was dashed when the phone rang.  A woman’s voice told her she needed to change their meeting place.  When Scully explained that Mulder was already gone, the woman, who never identified herself but Scully had her suspicions, said she’d take care of it.  Scully had the call traced and it originated from a payphone in the United Nations building in New York City, Scully’s suspicion was confirmed; it was that Marita woman.  Well, at least she knew where Mulder was off to and whom he was meeting with.  That was when she headed home.

Scully slammed her fist down on the back of the couch; her anger got the best of her and she ran in and changed her clothes.  She couldn’t stand to be confined in her apartment.  The walls were closing in on her just like the office walls had earlier.  She needed to get out so that’s what she did.  She walked for some time and had covered quite a lot of ground as she, surprisingly, found that she was at their bench, the one she so often shared with Mulder when they needed to break out.  She sat and looked out onto the water. 

~

Mulder closed the door to his apartment and threw his keys at the wall and dumped his packages on the couch.  He was tired and hungry and thoroughly pissed off.  He ran in to take a shower and change into some sweat pants and a tee shirt. 

Damned what a frustrating day!

It had started early this morning.  The phone woke him and it was Marita telling him she had a lead on some documents that he would find interesting.  She was scheduled to meet her source later in the morning and that they should meet this afternoon in Central Park by the boathouse.  He’d been unfocused all morning and he knew he’d been so distracted at work that he hardly acknowledged Scully’s presence and he left while she was running an errand.  At least he’d left a note, pathetic and impersonal as it was.

He’d taken the shuttle to New York and when he turned on his phone back on there were two messages.  The first was from Marita telling him to meet her at a certain upscale restaurant instead of Central Park and the second message was from Scully telling him Marita called from New York to change their meeting place.  Scully’s voice was strained and he knew right then he’d made a huge mistake not telling her where he was going and who he was meeting with.  But it wasn’t until later that he found out just how big a mistake he really made.

He’d waited for Marita at the restaurant and when she showed and he saw what she was wearing, he knew she had something more than just giving him documents was on her mind.  She was dressed in a slinky red dress that showed her off in all her classy glory.  Mulder knew there was an offer coming that had nothing to do with the conspiracy; she’d made the offer once before.  He’d turned her down then and he turned her down this time too.  As soon as she knew that he wasn’t interested she stood to leave but she threw out a parting shot.  “Happy Valentine’s Day, Agent Mulder.”

That was the moment he knew how much trouble he was in, it was Valentine’s Day and not only had be forgotten, he hadn’t even made any plans.  Not to mention the way he’d dumped Scully to head off to New York.  He immediately tried calling Scully but the office phone went to voice mail, as did her cell and her home phone went unanswered, not even the machine picked up.

“Damn you, Mulder,” he screamed to his empty apartment.  “You finally have someone to share Valentine’s Day with and you blow it.  And it isn’t just someone, she’s the one!”

Mulder looked to the packages he’d dropped earlier and shook his head, obviously Scully hadn’t forgotten.

The apartment manager caught him as he walked into the building and told him he’d accepted some deliveries for him earlier in the day.  The man went into his apartment and came out with three packages. 

Mulder picked up the package that obviously contained flowers and took the paper off.  Inside was a beautiful flowering cactus.  The card said, ‘takes even less care than your fish.  Love you, Scully’.  Even in his misery he had to laugh.

He next picked up the smallest package and inside he was delighted to find the imported candies he’d told her his mother always used to get.  Mulder couldn’t resist sampling the confections he remembered from his childhood.

The last package was wrapped in red and silver paper.  He ripped the paper off and opened the lid.  Inside was a crimson pajama and robe set.  On top there was a note in Scully’s hand, ‘M, These are for later tonight; for now put on your new black suit and meet me at Trenton’s at eight and don’t you dare be late.  Love, S’.  Mulder’s eyes drifted to the clock, ten-forty-five.

“Stop being a screw up!”  He yelled at himself.

Mulder ran into the bedroom and changed his clothes again; slacks and a nice shirt.  “Not the black suit but better than sweats.”  Then he moved to his hidden safe and pulled out a small box and opened it.  Inside held a small jeweled brooch that belonged to his grandmother Mulder.  The pin was a testament to the artisan’s talent; the setting was platinum and the emeralds and diamonds made a bouquet of lilies of the valley. 

He didn’t have anything to wrap it in so he just pocketed the box but not before taking out one of his business cards and wrote a short note.  He then grabbed her present to him and headed out.

Mulder opened her apartment door and was saddened, but not surprised, to find she wasn’t home.  He decided to leave the pajama set in her bedroom and found a matching nightgown and robe lying on her bed.  “Scully, you think of everything,” he whispered to the empty room.

Now to find Scully.

Mulder debated with himself as to where she might go.  Her car was still parked in her spot but that didn’t mean she didn’t take a cab or the bus.  She wouldn’t go to her mom’s because then she’d need to explain why she was upset.  He doubted she would go anywhere public because she wouldn’t be up to putting on a false face for strangers.  The office was out, that would remind her of him and why she was hurting in the first place.  Then he knew, he didn’t know how he knew, but he did.

~

Scully felt him as he walked up.  Mulder didn’t say anything but took his usual seat next to her and spread his arms across the back of the bench.  They sat in silence for a while then Mulder spoke.  “I made a mess of today, I hurt my girl and I don’t know how to fix it.”  He waited for her to say something but she stayed silent.  “I blew off Valentine’s Day, completely forgot about it.  Then I ditched her and ran off after a lead.”

“Did the lead pan out?”  Scully’s voice was so small and defeated, it gripped at his heart.

“No, I got to New York and met with my source only to find out that instead of providing me with the information she promised there was something completely different she wanted to give me.”

“Oh,” she said sadly, “I hope you enjoyed yourself.”  Scully began to rise.

“I sent her away; she didn’t have anything I wanted.  She wasn’t my type.”  Scully snorted at that.  “She wasn’t my redhead.  She wasn’t you, Scully.”  Mulder moved closer to her.  “I really messed up didn’t I?”  She didn’t say anything.  “Here is the first Valentine’s Day that I have someone and I just don’t get it.  I guess I knew it was coming but I didn’t even think to do about it.  I’m sorry, Scully.”

Scully finally looked at him, “Mulder,” she began, “Mulder, you’re all wet.”

“Why thank you, Scully.”  Mulder thought she was blowing him off.

“No, Mulder, I mean you are wet.”

“Scully, it’s been raining for hours now.  Hadn’t you noticed?”

She looked down at her own sodden clothes and began to laugh, “no, I didn’t realize.  Can you believe that I was so preoccupied that I didn’t even realize I was getting soaked?”

“Come on, Scully, let me take you home.  We’ll catch a cold from this rain.”

“Mulder, you catch a cold from a virus, we’ll catch a chill.”  That was when Mulder knew she was on the way to forgiving him.

They got in his car and he turned over the engine and put the heat on high.  He saw the time on the clock, eleven-fifty-eight.  He only had two minutes of Valentine’s Day left.

“Scully,” Mulder pulled the jewel box from his pocket and held it out to her.  “Take it, Scully, I hope you like it.”

Scully looked at the box suspiciously and slowly she took it and opened it.  “Oh, Mulder, it’s beautiful.  It looks like an heirloom, I can’t…”

“No, Scully, please I want to give that to you.  It was my grandmother’s, my grandfather gave it to her on their wedding day.  She left it to me with a note that said I was to give it to the woman I would spend my life with.”

“Mulder?” Her voice nearly failed her.

“Scully, I love you, plain and simple.  That brooch has belonged to you for a long time now, I just hadn’t gotten around to giving it to you yet.”

“What about...” Scully began to ask.

“Funny thing, I was married to her but I never thought to give it to her; for some reason it never even crossed my mind.  I guess I always knew there was someone else in my future.  There’s no one after you, Scully.”

“Take us home, Mulder.  Oh, and Mulder,” he turned to her, “there’s no one after you either.  Love you.”  She kissed his palm.

“Love you too.”  Mulder pulled out onto the road.  A mischievous smile crossed his lips, “does this mean make-up sex is in our immediate future?”

“Bed breaking, calling in sick tomorrow make-up sex, Mulder,” her hand slid along his thigh. 

Mulder gaped at her and sped up the car.

End