Because They Don't Exist

shannono

shannono has a plethora of shorter fics-- AUs (Herrenvolk's "Goodbye"), cancer arc ("Shield of Lies"), peaceful walks ("CHECK GAGES"), support during tragedies ("Empathic", "Getting Closer", "In the Loop", "A Phone Call", "A House Divided"), bonding ("Centerfield", "Honesty", "Battles Won)-- as well as a series titled Lessons Learned.

@amplifyme/Lydia Bower

One of the OG legends around these parts, I highly recommend amplifyme's work for those that love maturer, contemplative pieces with a touch of Mulder irreverence (and tenderness) and a touch of Scully's measured intelligence (and soul.) "Dance Without Sleeping" covers the cancer arc (while dipping into AU territory), "Burning in Heaven" picks up where Redux II left off, and "Reconciliation" respectfully tackles their beliefs post-All Souls. Also, you'll find other, more recent work on Ao3 and Tumblr. (I favor "Light Don't Sleep", a post-Deadalive fic which perfectly blends reconnection, old habits, and new territory.)

Annie Sewell-Jennings

Sewell-Jennings creates reality bordering on surrealism: chance or carnage unnavoidable, conversations honest yet guarded and layered. Recommendations: cancer arc dark realities in "Enough" and "Wallpaper"; Italian food and lines crossed (then retreated) in "Artificial Star Light"; Scully's trauma post-Tithonus in "Achromatic"; forced retirement and separation (and yearning) in "Erosion"; quiet, simmering guilt (and skipping stones) in "Ripples"); and Colonization-style choices (Mulder's delayed return from the aliens in "Glass Landscape;" Mulder and Scully still themselves despite the world falling apart "Snow Blindness"; and their and their child's assisted suicide before the world is destroyed in "On the Beach".)

syntax6

Syntax is well known and regularly recced (and not without good reason); so, I shall simply nudge you to read post-Redux II's "The Queen of Hearts", a post-Redux II case file titled "Ember", a glimpse of Valentine's Day each year in 20 (on FFN) and my personal favorite The Birthday Stories (here.) You can find syntax6's full catalog here.

Livia Balaban

Balaban touches on grief and hopeful second chances, with Mulder and Scully processing and moving forward from their struggles. Post-Redux II Samantha proves it's her in "18- Words - Samantha's Fate"; Scully and Bill come to an agreement in "Dana vs. Bill"; and Mulder discusses his new investigative path forward (post-Vienen) in "Fox Versus the Volcano." But my favorite piece is the two-parter "Cunegard's Restoration (or, The Best of All Possible Worlds, Really)", which reunites a pregnant Scully with an abducted Mulder and Samantha (along with others who secret the four of them to a bunker for safekeeping.)

Malibusunset

Malibusunset is a name oft bandied about if one is looking for longer famfic ("Terra Firma", AU after Existence-- read in full on Ao3) or 'free spirit Mulder and reluctant Scully slowly navigate domesticity together' slices of life. Other than the aforementioned, I'd recommend her Emily AU "All That is Dark and Bright" and her IVF arc AU "40 Weeks" (also on Ao3.)

Joyce

Joyce's "Revenant" and "The Ghost In Her Life", "The Ghost at Her Side," and "The Ghost in the Dark" follow the same theme (brilliantly, might I add): Mulder is killed, but comes back in some form. In the former's case, his body shambles to prevent an impending danger to Scully's life; and in the latter's Mulder stays by his partner's side as a ghost, helping her solve x-files as a ghost. These fics elegantly swing from visceral to moving, from supernatural to human-- I never get tired of reading her work.

Shoshana

Shoshana has a full and overflowing catalog to choose from, with a specialty towards Mulder and Scully on the same page (or very near it.) "Called" (post-The Red and the Black), "A Modest Proposal", "The Cheering Section", and series following Mulder and Scully on the run (with Bill's two cents are Maggie and William go into hiding)-- "Mr. Mulder" , "Mother Maggie", "Daughter Dana", "Professor Morris", "Doctor Morris", "Empty Place Settings", and "Dead Letter"-- are great starting points.

Leyla Harrison

I would be remiss if I didn't mention Leyla Harrison, whose passing during the original series was honored by Agent Harrison in Alone. Perhaps start with "Flames" (a post-All Souls realization for Mulder) or "The Star" (a post-How the Ghosts Stole Christmas addition.) If you'd like to search for more stories, they're also housed here.

Dawn

Dawn characterizes Mulder and Scully in a way that agreeably suits my tastes. "Broken" and "One on One" keeps pace with a loopy Mulder and his guardian partner, "Trivia Pursuits" sits with Mulder and Scully on one of their many stakeouts, "Bereft" depicts the hard night after Teena Mulder's death, "Smoked" details Mulder's peril in Brand X, and "Last Kiss" throws Mulder and Scully into the snow (where Teena's ghost communes with her son.)

Ten

Ten appears to prefer into fill-in fics, be they canon-compliant, canon-divergent, or entirely AU. Mulder is taken by Duane Barry instead of Scully in "Why Her - Why Not Me"; post-One Breath Mulder is taken care of by the Scully women in "Learning to Breathe"; End Game Scully spends her birthday waiting for Mulder to wake in "Candles of Ice"; "To Follow the Gypsy Rover" and "Trying to Catch the Fox" show Anasazi Scully and TLG attempting to catch and restrain Mulder; "Scully Gets Fed Up With Being the Ditch Witch" Scully refuses to let Mulder pursue Marita's tip alone; "Beneath the Surface" post-The Beginning Scully realizes her partner is suffering a health crisis; "Having a Happy X-mas" post-HTGSC Mulder sees a familiar Triangle face at Scully's family's part; "The Fallout from Arcadia" post-Arcadia Mulder is injured (and comedically suffers from temporary amnesia); "A Fuller Canvas" allows Mulder to take a peak at his post-Deadalive partner unawares; and the unnamed (but loosely referred to as Daniel/Couch) series in collaboration with Macspooky gives Mulder, Scully, and their family a happier ending.

(Sidenote: Macspooky's Couch Series, an AU branching off sometime after Emily, begins with "The Couch", follows up with "A Christmas Miracle", and ends with "Unexpected Arrivals.")

Jamie Greco

Greco managed to do what few can: make me invested in dialogue-only fics. "Truth or Dare", "Truth AND Dare", and "Breathing" are spectacular (with the latter being my favorite.) Other "traditional" fics I'd recommend are "Scarlet" and "Someday He'llj Laugh" (Mulder loopy on meds and Mulder in BIogenesis torment, respectively.)

LuvTheBeez

LuvTheBeez (and slippinmickeys, see below) are both OGs that master familial MSR without sacrificing Mulder and Scully's characterization, deftly balancing the changes in their relationship, priorities, and perspectives. In Luv's case, Mulder and Scully remain the same no matter their circumstances: be it in labor during a robbery gone wrong ("Snow") or trekking through the wilderness towards safety in a post-Colonization world after Mulder's return ("Equanimity".) Their humor and personal quirks, interests and expressions, talents and abilities stay true to their canonical core. And family aside, she does a really great job capturing Mulder's emotions while sorting through the Vineyard house ("Packing".)

As an aside, "Snow" and FatCat's "Eggnog" have a similar premise (Mulder and heavily-pregnant Scully caught up in a robbery) with different outcomes: the former couple are married, and the latter aren't even a couple yet (though that's taken care of by the time their IVF child is born.)

@tatooedlaura-blog/Laura Spry

Another author that still has a presence in the fandom, Spry explores characterization that speaks more to communion than antagonism. I recommend starting with "Walk" (Mulder and Scully run out of gas), "Another Sunrise" (Mulder and Scully assist the recovery of deceased little boys) and "Always Been Yours" (Maggie Scully unexpectedly dies) before heading to her Ao3 to read the "Life" series (an AU branching off the cancer arc, or thereabouts.)

Revely

Revely deftly highlights Mulder and Scully's hesitant, shy side-- a fear of rejection buried under dedication to the work (and unspoken devotion to each other.) "The Dreaming Sea" is a case file fic about a local (fish) boy's whereabouts; and "The Unfinished Universe" branches off Requiem by a year, following Mulder and Scully (and William's) slow drive home (and reconnection.)

Spooky2u2

Spooky2u2 writes shorter pieces of Mulder and Scully working through emotional turmoil gently. "Needing a Miracle" (Milagro), "The Words" (Sein Und Zeit), and "Only Death Would Stop Me" (post-Requiem AU) are my repeat reads.

FabulousMonster

FabulousMonster does well cracking open Mulder's psyche and spilling it (via post-Closure's "Hoop Dreams" and post-Deadalive's "It's Been Awhile")-- but lest Mulder have all the fun, FM also captures Scully's hilarious inner commentary in "Hair Wars."

Lysandra

Lysandra is excellent at giving us readers glimpses of the conversations M and S must have had off-screen: "Truncated" opens with Scully (and Mulder) waking in the trunk of a car while "Inside Straight" begins during their tete-a-tete card game.

Maria Nicole/mn_x

Nicole's work has emotional range, most often about healing or exploratory emotions aided and abetted by externalized circumstances. Her penultimate, to me, is "Bridge" (a continuation from Field Trip and Folie a Deux), but I would be remiss if I didn't mention "Maybe Today" and "Yesterday" (Scully's new scar post-Tithonus), "Subcutaneous 02" (Scully stays with Charlie's family for the impending the birth of his next child), "The Opposite of Impulse" (a hot summer's day, popsicles, and next steps) and the "Life During Wartime" series (familial reflections as Colonization begins) in collaboration with marasmus/finisterre, and cofax (also on Ao3.)

dee_ayy

dee_ayy's "Victory Cap" is fantastic (and even better if you read it after "The Watchman".) Her specialty seems to be disorderly Mulder: more specifically, stubborn or begrudging Mulder. And even more precisely, injured!Mulder, a category that can easily tip into tropes if not handled just right.

JET/jessemiesevil twin

JET does well dabbling with heavier material-- be it Scully finding a case with Mulder while at Charlie's, post-Je Souhaite Mulder reclaiming Christmas ("Small Lives Awake"), AU S9 on-the-run William not yet bonding with Mulder ("Quiescence" and "Scenes for Quiescence"), or an AU Scully refusing to believe Mulder isn't a creature planning to torture her ("Night Giving Off Flames") -- without depressing the characters or readers.

@cecilysass/Cecily Sasserbaum

Cecily is another of the OGs still writing (and present on Ao3) with a myriad of canon-compliant, canon-divergent, and AU fics to choose from. She excels in restrained, repressed MSR-- coded looks or glances often glimpsed, then lost through a veil of self-doubt. I highly recommend you thumb through all her work, too; but maybe start with Gossamer's "The Gentle Art of Dream Interpretation" (where Mulder and Scully discuss his disturbing dream in the late or early hours of the night) or "Opposition and Synthesis" (S8 Scully weighs the loss of her partner while recalling all things.) Or, perhaps check out a list of her work here.

@slippinmickeys/Slippin' Mickeys

slippinmickeys has a fic for possibly every genre, and is still writing. Her work dips into grounded, tactile, rounded-out MSR. Sticking strictly to Gossamer, I'd recommend "The Cannibal King and the Dusty Maid" (post-all things: Scully shaves Mulder) first; but, for your own sake, head on over to Ao3 and check out her catalog. (I'm not kidding when I say possibly every genre.) Or perhaps check out a curated list of her work here.

Buckingham

Buckingham effortlessly puts Mulder's complications into simple terms. Recommendations: "Where to Look" dives into a history of Mulder noticing Scully's clothes (and trying to get her to wear a blue dress), "The Laws of Coming and Going" (S8 Mulder weathering his trauma-- including physical pain-- pre-Empedocles), and "The Great Beyond" (Mulder happily embraces fatherhood.)

Lolabeegood

Lolabeegood has a whole catalogue of IWTB-based fic to choose from (and all good); however, my favorite of her fics are "Five Months Gone" (an AU where Mulder is returned pre-TINH with false memories) and "The Silent Spaces" (a post-Deadalive fic of Mulder sorting through his trauma.) On a less "serious" note, I'd also recommend "The First Time - Agua Mala" (where Scully is looking for feminine signs in Mulder's apartment) and "Breadcrumbs" (where Scully keeps outing her relationship with Mulder to... well, everyone.)

Jenna Tooms

Jenna's fics (also under misslucyjane) are cornerstones if you want open hearts, fragile wounds, and new beginnings-- particularly, if you love S8 AUs (as I do.) "An Acceptable Level of Happiness" depicts Mulder, Scully, and baby Malcolm's first Christmas together while "Shooting Star" brings Mulder back after 17 years (with amnesia and brain damage.) If neither is your cup of tea, might I recommend "Waiting for Dawn" (a post-Kill Switch AU), "All We Know of Heaven" (Scully caring for Mulder after a case), "Monster Under the Bed" (a short casefic on other dimensions), "Better Things Than Counting Sheep" (Mulder helping Scully beat insomnia over the phone), or an AU aptly titled "Katherine of Ireland"?

@aloysiavirgata/Aloysia Virgata

aloysiavirgata, another OG phile still writing fic. Her MSR is sharp, withholding, uniquely bound to each other-- spinning symbolism or poetry or false assumptions from side profiles and softened edges. "By Falling In and In" (which chronicles Mulder and Scully, her family, and their magical son as Colonization looms) is the fic series I naturally gravitate to; but each of her pieces are worth diving into at least once.

BONUS

stellar_dust's "Empathy and "Heaven's Ashes" are two short fics that wrestle with heavy, complicated emotions (post-Conduit and FTF AU, respectively.) I recommend those as well as the multi-part Requiem AU series "Threnody."

Alcott's "How Soon" and "Exit" describe medical loss with different circumstances: Mulder watches as his partner support her dying friend early Season 1 and Mulder arrives in time (disguised) to witness his child be born (and temporarily secreted away) post-Requiem, respectively.

Madeleine Partous skips around from gentle to fluffy to intense ("The Rock, In A Blink Of An Eye", "Unbound", and "Floaters", respectively) with just the right touch of wit to keep both characters believable.

Anonymous's "Lament" follows Mulder back to his childhood summer home, where he ends up finding his mother (and celebrating his birthday.)

Frey/chalkboxkid is more of a Live journal than Gossamer author (to me, at least); but I had to include a mention because "Nightbirds" is worth a read.

Meredith's "The Favor" and "Transition" unfolds a cancer arc era case involving Langly's family member, a psychic, and the Herrenvolk children; while "Brave New World" follows post-Requiem Scully back to Bellefleur (where she awaits her partner.)

Rachel Howard's fic "Gypsy" finally addresses the distance and longing hanging between Mulder and Scully during the cancer arc (even if there isn't complete romantic resolution.)

Karen Rasch seared herself onto my psyche with her S8 fix-it fic "By the Wind Grieved" (Mulder is returned, with amnesia); though I also want to mention her "Wonderland" cancer arc series, which details many heartfelt conversations between Mulder and Scully.

Jennifer Maurer's "Witness" bleakness struck me: the pain of demanding dignity for Scully on her deathbed is powerful stuff-- a counterbalance, perhaps, to her earlier recovery in "Yellow Chair."

Amatia's fics featuring Krycek intrigued me-- would recommend checking out "The Seventh Day", "Paper and Amber Liquid", and "Midnight on the Firing Line."

@writingwell/RocketMan's "Craven" is gripping: Scully and Mulder discovering clones in the bowels of the earth under modern medicine and steel, with Scully facing the truth alone by the climax.

OKayVal's "Grey Visions" convinces Mulder he's seen his sister in an attic.

Lea Nicci's AU of Mulder tackling depression ("West of Sunrise") and exploration of Mulder and Scully's new territory as romantic partners ("A Sideways Figure of Eight") are definite rereads.

Jess Mabe's "The Other Man" is so good: Scully is told her partner is a clone.

Philiater's dark, contemplative "Songs of the Dead" dredges up prophetic quotes from Scully's past after the death of her daughter.

Jennifer Brady's "Secret Santa" (an early S6 AU of Scully deciding to move their relationship forward) is a fun romp when contrasted with the heartache to happy ending of "Laughing Out Loud" (a post-One Son honest discussion.)

J. T. Filipek's fic "Beautiful" changed how I viewed Milagro (particularly with what Mulder discovers by the end.)

Zephathah's "Breathing in Time" and "Waking in Fere" could be sexual, but isn't: Mulder wanders into Scully's motel room, needing to know she's alive. Scully is fine, and reciprocates the next night. Pair that with "A Detour to Felicity" (which is hilarious), and you're good to go.

barb (alter ego)'s "You'll Be in My Heart" culminates a case fic with Mulder and Scully captured, the latter developing a nasty health condition, and Diana Fowley, of course, knowing all.

Brandon D. Ray teeters between tongue-in-cheek retellings (Never Again's "There's No Place Like Home"), comedic accidental meetings (Arcadia's "That You For Shopping at K-Mart"), and dark reflections (post-Tithonus's "I Can't Bear to Look".)

Keleka's "Gray Ghosts" is a case fic set after Amor Fati, featuring Mulder, Scully, TLG, and the legend of the 47th Brigade ghost.

Punk Maneuverability's "Opsis" touches on what Colonization might be like for those still able to functionally live as a society, battling fires (internally and externally) day and night.

Suzanne Feld has banter and dramatic hijinks down pat-- but do not be deceived, her work ties emotional weight into every interaction. And ironically, my two favorite fics-- "Fruition" (Mulder and Scully disappear to have their IVF baby undercover) and "Going Solo" (Scully did not survive Existence)-- are rather serious for my tastes. If you want panic-turned-relief, I'd recommend "Efterladt" (found on Ao3.)

Darwin's a bit of a cheat because this author's work is found on Ao3; yet, the fics are good enough to break my strict promise (with "Vox Mulder: Fired and Wired" nosing around in the IVF and brain disease arcs-- with incredible footnotes debunking the latter-- and "SSSSStakeout" Scully enjoying her hooker disguise.)

Xanthe's "Just a Secretary" veers into Kim and Skinner territory, but I didn't mind this one-off in the least.

MystPhile's taps into a facet of Scully that is rarely explored in S8 fic: her desperation and hasty decisions to get Mulder back (in "Scully's Choices", for good and ill.)

Gwinne's fic "Breathe" sank into my mind and stayed there for a couple weeks straight: something about exploring S8 Mulder and Scully's distance through her Lamaze practices was both simple and just right.

Neoxphile either creates a haunting one-off ("The Unkindest Cut") or longer fics dabbling with the dropped-ball concept of William ("Birthday Week.") A particularly interesting take digs into an AU with Doggett's POV ("Snow and Mistletoe.")

Christy's "Inerstice" and "Song of Innocence" explore Mulder and Scully as parents to William amid broader family miscommunications (the former) and abductions and disappearances (the latter.)

XSketch's "There's A Different Kind Of Hush" and "Surviving A Different Kind Of Birth" keep up with Mulder, Scully, and their special son on the run (wtith Melissa's misinterpreted message, a surprise, and a potential medical disaster throwing wrenches in their happiness.) Another William fic takes a different direction: their son finding his parents years after Colonization, with anger and questions and, finally, understanding.

prufrock's love's "Hiraeth" is the first of a historical AU series exploring the past lives that Mulder (Prince of Wales) and Scully (Dana of Ireland) lived-- and happens to be my favorite of pl's fics. A close second would be "Belphegor’s Prime", which follows father-of-two Mulder into the past to find his wife, the missing Dr. Dana Scully.

CONCLUSION

These are probably far from all, but that's the best I can scrummage together for now.

At any rate--

Thanks for reading~

He catches Scully’s eye across the room and throws her a reassuring smile, to which she draws in a deep breath and then takes a gulp from her wine glass. She’s refilled it at least as many times as Jingle Bell Rock has played, by Mulder’s count.

“Are you having a good time, Fox?” Maggie asks, appearing beside him and giving his arm a squeeze.

“You definitely know how to throw a party, Mrs. Scully,” he says sincerely, and she either doesn’t notice or doesn’t mind his artful avoidance of the question.

Maggie surveys the room and clucks her tongue.

“Would you mind helping me round up some of these empty glasses and bringing them into the kitchen?” she asks in the rhetorical manner that a mother does, and Mulder dutifully abandons his beer so he can make himself useful.

He has four champagne flutes and a teacup in his hands when he crosses paths with Scully in the hallway, and she smiles at him affectionately with pink cheeks and shining eyes, markedly more relaxed than the last time he saw her.

“Is Mom putting you to work?” she asks, taking the teacup.

“I’m happy to have something to do,” he assures her, taking advantage of their relative privacy to give her a long look from head to foot. She’s wearing a velvety green dress he’s never seen before with opaque black tights underneath, which isn’t objectively sexy but does give him a little thrill, given that he rarely sees her in anything but a suit or pajamas. “You look really nice,” he says as his eyes wander back up to her face. “Did I tell you that already?”

Her dress has a V at the front that he’s not sure whether he’s allowed to appreciate, and her lips are stained red from wine. He meets her eye and she just looks at him for a beat before slowly shaking her head. Something hot coils in his lower belly, threatening to embarrass him, and he swallows hard.

If his hands weren’t full of champagne flutes, he’d kiss her. If they weren’t at her mother’s house surrounded by people, anyway. And if they weren’t in public. But if they were at his apartment, or hers, and she was looking at him like that, he’d absolutely kiss her.

“Dana, come say hello to the Campbells,” Maggie calls from the far end of the hallway, and Mulder makes a run for the kitchen before he spontaneously combusts and ruins her nice carpet.

Two Jingle Bell Rocks and as many glasses of wine later, he’s on the back porch separating the recycling and enjoying the cooler, quieter atmosphere as the party begins to wind down.

“There you are,” Scully says with a thick tongue, and he looks up to see her peeking around the open door with a wide, wine-drunk grin on her mouth that he can’t help but return. She shivers and scrunches her shoulders up as she leaves the warm house, quickly shuffling over to him. “It’s freezing out here,” she says, stepping up close, and he immediately wraps his arms around her.

“Then why’d you come out?” he teases.

Scully tips her face up to look at him. The weak yellow porchlight doesn’t allow him to read her expression, but he can smell the sweet wine on her tongue and feel the press of her chest against his sternum as she leans heavy into him. From inside, he hears the sound of breaking glass followed by a round of applause.

“Because you’re out here,” she says, and the white vapor of her breath blinds him just enough that her kiss is a surprise.

They have yet to do more than kiss, but Mulder is far from complaining; Scully kisses with such diligence and intensity that it feels like a sex act. And drunk Scully, he’s currently learning, makes kissing feel downright pornographic. She sucks on his lips and tongue, hums into his open mouth, cants her body forward and back. When he feels her fingers fumbling with his belt buckle he panics and breaks the kiss, taking a step away from her.

“Whoa there,” he says lightly, very aware that he’s at least half hard. “Danger zone.”

He cringes at his own ineloquence, but she doesn’t seem to notice. She steps forward to close the space he created and touches the waist of his jeans at the hip.

“There’s nobody out here,” she whispers with a smile in her voice, then kisses the corner of his mouth.

“That’s not—” He sighs and lets her kiss the other corner, and then his cheek. “You’re drunk, Scully.”

She shivers, and he wraps his arms around her again.

“Only a little,” she slurs coyly, and he feels her fingers creeping back toward his fly.

His brain knows he can’t let her do this, but his dick has no such moral misgivings and she’s dangerously close to learning that firsthand.

“You have no idea how much it pains me to turn you down,” he tells her gently. “I just don’t want you to do something you’ll regret tomorrow.”

Scully groans in frustration, which does absolutely nothing to help his situation below the belt.

“I won’t regret it,” she says, a bit petulantly.

He’s about to tell her again that it’s a hard line for him, all puns intended, when two things occur almost simultaneously: Scully slides her open palm down the front of his jeans, and Maggie steps through the back door with a bag of trash in her hand.

Mulder lets out a sound that’s part gasp, part moan, and snatches Scully’s hand by the wrist, pulling it away from his body. Maggie mumbles a surprised, “Oh! Sorry,” and the door closes again before either of them have an opportunity to address her.

For several agonizing seconds, nothing happens. Mulder keeps hold of Scully’s wrist, and she stares at his chest, not speaking.

“Scully—”

“Excuse me,” she says urgently, shaking free of him before she rushes unsteadily back inside.

Mulder stands on the porch until he can no longer feel his extremities, then finally bites the bullet and returns to the heat of the house. He can hear Maggie’s voice from the foyer saying goodbyes, so he ducks into the bathroom and spends a few minutes collecting his thoughts. If not for the fact that he drove Scully here, he would probably just sneak out and hope the whole thing blows over by Monday.

“Fox, is that you in there?”

Reluctantly, Mulder leaves the bathroom and finds Maggie in the kitchen washing dishes. There’s no sign of Scully.

“What can I do to help?” he asks, and Maggie briefly looks at him over her shoulder.

“Dana went to lie down,” she says. “I think she had a bit too much wine. She’s upstairs, if you’d like to check on her.”

Mulder takes her direction and quietly creeps up the stairs, making his way to the bedroom at the end of the hall he knows once belonged to Scully. The door is open a crack and it’s dark inside, so first he just listens, though he’s not totally sure what he’s listening for.

“Scully?” he says softly, but there’s no response.

He pushes the door open a bit wider and light from the hallway falls over her velvet-covered hip on the bed. She’s curled up on her side with her back to him, and he watches her even breathing until he’s confident she’s asleep, then heads back downstairs.

“She’s out cold,” he says, reentering the kitchen. “Is it okay if I let her sleep it off for a bit?”

“I think that’s for the best,” Maggie says ambiguously, and Mulder takes over washing while she dries.

They work quietly, and the silence makes him think that she is also replaying what happened outside over and over in her head. He’s not sure exactly what she saw, but lord knows he isn’t going to ask her.

“I hope I didn’t interrupt something…new,” Maggie says, apropos of nothing, and Mulder freezes for half a second.

Scully feeling him up actually was new, but he doesn’t imagine that’s what Maggie means. He also doesn’t imagine that Scully would appreciate him filling her mom in on their budding romance, private person that she is.

“Uh, no, not quite,” he says. He feels his face getting hot, so he keeps his eyes on the dishwater.

“I’m glad to hear that,” Maggie says. Another loaded silence. “Dana has never been very forthcoming about her personal life, but I’ve always wondered…” Mulder keeps his head down and keeps scrubbing. He can’t even explain the nature of his and Scully’s relationship to himself, much less could he begin to explain it to her mother. Thankfully, he doesn’t have to. “Well, for the record, I think it’s wonderful. I’ll just leave it at that.”

Gratefully, she doesn’t bring it up again. Mulder helps her get the house back in order, including taking the chafing dishes to the basement, and they’re watching It’s A Wonderful Life with steaming mugs of tea when Scully comes plodding down the stairs in her party dress and stocking feet, pillow lines on her cheek and her hair fluffed up on one side.

“There she is,” Mulder says affectionately.

Scully stops in her tracks and regards him with surprise, though she quickly tries to mask it.

“Hi,” she says demurely, smoothing her hair down with her hand. “Sorry, I didn’t mean for you to wait around for me.”

Mulder shrugs dismissively, but Maggie doesn’t pass up the opportunity to give her daughter a hard time.

“It’s lucky he was here; the girl who was supposed to help me clean up got drunk and passed out in my spare bedroom, if you can believe it.”

Her delivery is so flawless that Mulder snorts in his attempt to suppress a laugh, and Scully glares at him half-heartedly.

“I’m sorry, Mom. I have a raging headache, if it’s any consolation,” she says miserably.

“I’ll get you some Tylenol,” Maggie says, standing and giving Dana a pat on the arm as she leaves the room.

Scully stares intently at the TV screen, which makes it fairly obvious she’s avoiding looking at him, given that the movie is paused.

“Hey party girl,” he says, and she cringes before she reluctantly turns her head. “You okay?”

Scully sighs and looks at the floor. “Technically, yes,” she says, “though I think my ego may have suffered irreparable harm.” She slowly lifts just her eyes, looking at him woefully from beneath her lashes.

Mulder just smiles at her, because she looks so cute, all sleepy and embarrassed, and because the idea that her getting drunk and frisky would negatively affect his opinion of her is so outlandish it’s laughable.

“Here you are, dear,” Maggie says as she returns and drops two Tylenol into Scully’s hand. “We’ll have to take a raincheck on the rest of the movie, Fox.”

Mulder takes the hint and brings his teacup into the kitchen. He can hear the murmur of their conversation in the living room and does his best not to eavesdrop, but when they move into the foyer the acoustics make that difficult.

Mumble mumble not my best moment mumble mumble

Mumble mumble not the first time I’ve walked in on you with a boy, Dana

Mumble mumble Mulder mumble mumble mistake

Oh, honey, don’t mumble mumble mumble

Mumble mumble mumble

I’m sure it’ll be fine

Mulder’s heart sinks. He makes a point of clearing his throat as he rounds the corner into the hallway, and the conversation abruptly ends.

By the time they reach the end of Maggie’s street, Scully is resting her head against the window with her eyes closed. Mulder knows she isn’t really sleeping, but he plays along. He even pretends to wake her up when they pull up outside her apartment building, and she pretends to be surprised that they’ve already arrived.

“Thanks for driving,” she says, already pulling on the door handle.

“Hey,” he says, reaching out to touch her arm.

Scully stills, then sighs, then looks at him.

“Do we have to talk about it?” she asks reluctantly.

Mulder cracks a smile. “I was just gonna ask if I could kiss you goodnight.”

She heaves an even bigger sigh, which means something else entirely. He’ll have to catalog them someday.

“To be perfectly honest, between the wine, the vomiting, and the four-hour nap, I think it’s in your best interest to take a raincheck on that, too,” she says matter-of-factly.

“Aw, Scully,” he says, pity on full display, which he knows she hates. “You’ve got a toothbrush up there, don’t ya? Let me walk you up.”

She gives him a long look and he decides not to push it any further. He just doesn’t like the idea of her spending the rest of the weekend feeling like she committed some kind of unforgivable faux pas.

“Okay,” she finally acquiesces, and Mulder does his best to conceal his delight.