Title: I'm Thankful for Mulder Author: Erin M. Blair E-Mail: eblair@sonic.net Classification: VR--Vignette, Romance Content: Mulder/Scully Romance. Holiday Story. Spoiler: None, but it's set during Season One. Rating: PG Archive: OK to archive at: Gossamer, Xemplary, Soulmates Eternal Archive, and EP. Others, ask me first. Please forward to ATXC. Disclaimer: The characters of Fox Mulder and Dana Scully don't belong to me. They belong to Chris Carter, 1013 Productions, and the FOX network. No infringement is intended. Author's Note: Unfortunately, this story was too late to be finished on Thanksgiving, but the theme of thankfulness shouldn't be celebrated just on Thanksgiving. It should be year round. There isn't any spoilers from any of the episodes. However, it does take place during Season One. Feedback: Absolutely! I would love to know what you thought of the story. Summary: Mulder overhears a phone conversation which gives him a positive outlook on his relationship with Scully. -------------------------------------- I'M THANKFUL FOR MULDER Written by: Erin M. Blair -------------------------------------- Dana Scully's Apartment Annapolis, MD November 1993 "Mulder, are you all right? You look like you're going to drop those case files?" "I'm fine, Scully." "Isn't that my line?" Scully teased, with a smile. She put the key in the lock, and opened the door to her apartment. "We're here." "I'm so glad. If I carried these *ten* file folders one more floor, I swear that I'm going to drop them." "Ten? That's not heavy... It's your fault that you hadn't put them in a box like I told you to," Scully said, with a sigh. She took off her camel colored trenchcoat and she drapped it across a chair in the living room. "Why couldn't we work on these case files at my apartment?" Mulder asked, as he placed down the case files on the coffee table. "I think that you know why, Mulder. I don't have to tell you. Besides, we had this conversation in the car." "Oh," Mulder said, with a sigh. He opened the case file open, and then he heard her phone. "Scully? Is that the phone? Ask them to call back later..." Scully nodded, and she walked toward her phone which was on her desk in the living room. "Mom! How're you?" She paused. "I'm fine." Mulder laughed softly as he realized that Scully always seemed to use that sentence whenever someone asks her how she's feeling. He murmured to himself, "Scully should have that phrase copyrighted." He couldn't help overhearing her, because her voice was loud enough to hear. It was obvious that she wasn't going to tell her mother to call back later. "Mom! Mulder and I---are partners," Scully said, after her mother asked her if they were romantically involved. "Nothing has happened yet." Mulder sighed. The words on the case file didn't hold much interest to him as he wanted to hear more. He couldn't help it. He had to know what she thought of him. "I'm positively sure, Mom." She paused. "Yes, I think that he's handsome. You should see him, Mom. Do you know that when he sits behind that desk that I get so frustrated? I want him, Mom. I do. I feel so embarressed telling you this, but I don't want you to say anything to Mulder if you *do* see him." Mulder couldn't believe what he was hearing. Scully thinks that he's handsome? That she wants him? When they had first saw each other, he could feel the sparks between them. Does Scully feel the same way about him? It appears that way. Would he act on this? More than anything. "I'm thankful for Mulder. I feel as though we have this unspoken bond and it's very important to me," Scully said, after her mother asked her what she's thankful for. "We have this great chemistry and we trust each other so much." *So she knows it too,* Mulder thought, as he glanced at the file. He wanted to make it appear that he wasn't paying attention to her conversation when he was. He could hear an another pause in Scully's voice, and wanted to make sure that he heared it. "Do I love him? Don't tell Mulder this when you meet him, and I know that it'll happen sooner or later. Anyway, yes, I do love him." *Yes, she loves me!* Mulder thought, as he listened more to what she's saying. "I've got to go, Mom. Mulder and I are looking through some case files," Scully said, as she glanced at Mulder. She put down the phone, and walked towards him. "Mulder? I hope that you hadn't overheard my conversation." "I'm sorry, Scully, for listening. I couldn't help myself. It touched me about how you're so thankful that I'm your partner," Mulder said, as fingered the outline of Scully's face. "I'm glad that we became partners..." "Scully, I heard how much you love me..." "You did?" Mulder nodded. "Yes." "Do you love me?" "Yes, I do. Ever since we first met, I had wanted to tell you but I didn't know how. You make me feel so whole. So honest." "I know the feeling, Mulder. I love you." "Scully?" "Yeah?" "I'm glad that I'd overheard your phone conversation with your mother. I'm thankful for you, Scully. I'm glad that we became partners..." He paused. "Suddenly, that now has a double meaning. I'm going to like that..." "We both will." End of Story