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GLEN'S MOTOR INN
PLACERVILLE, NEVADA
6:30 PM
Mulder checked Scully and himself into a room, and ran out
into pouring rain to retrieve their bags from the van. After
running into their lodging, he mischievously smiled and opened
his arms.
"If I checked us in as "Billy and Maggie Freeman", then I MUST
lift you over the threshhold!" Before Scully's open mouth
could utter a word, he scooped her up and carried her outside
and back over the threshhold. "Some day, Scully, we will do
this as Mr. and Mrs. Fox and Dana Mulder."
She faced him seriously. "Are you asking me to marry you?"
"In a way. When I do, I want to do it the right way, as
ourselves, and in a very special time and place."
"Hope so." She proceeded to check out the acommodations.
"The tub has a plug and a shiny glaze, air freshener, we have
a small microwave oven with complementary Kernel Butter's
Popping Corn, a better dinette set than last time -- no
splinters, the bed has magic fingers, and LOOK at that sofa!"
"Leather! My favourite! We could put the magic fingers to
use, too," he grinned. "Let's get something to eat."
"I'll order a pizza." As Scully went to the phone book and
phone beside the sofa, she remembered what she'd wanted to ask
Mulder before they did the threshhold boogie. "What were the
instructions in the van?"
Mulder sat on the sofa, leaned back and stretched his feet out.
"Wait for John and Monica to call, no cell calls out yet, and
no one in the entire FBI has been assigned to look for us yet.
Doggett made sure to research that well. They're still keeping
their eyes and ears open at the Bureau, just in case.
Monica's a very good hacker, apparently. Call in the order and
I'll tell you the rest later," he whispered, kissing her
tenderly and searchingly. "No garlic! I have a date with a wild
woman tonight!" He threw up his arms and kicked his legs. "And
she's all I can handle!"
Scully laughed. It felt good to laugh, not just smile. This
was genuine laughter. "All right, large, no garlic, ginger ale
for you, diet soda for me, and then... let the games begin!"
Scully picked out a pizza place, started dialing, and before
they knew it, the pizza was on it's way.
"I know you have a thing for delivery guys," Mulder chided her.
"You're my only delivery guy that matters," she jibed back.
After the empty box, cans and napkins were disposed of, it was
vegtime on the sofa. The 11:00 news was about the equivalent
of that of any similarly populated city. "The same eveywhere,"
Mulder remarked.
"You can't get mid-80 degree temperatures with 90% humidity
very often in Washington, though," Scully mused. "The air
smells so clean out here. Now, what was the rest of YOUR news,
Billy "Spunky" Freeman, my big boy... " she uttered the last
three words in a Betty Boop voice just oozing sexuality with
her eyes.
"Well, Doggett and Reyes are taking any cases they can which
will bring them anywhere NEAR us, which is why we'll be getting
calls, news, lots of help, and they're going to steer us on a
journey to my Dad's house."
"Good... I'm very glad to hear that, because I buried a few
things in your father's backyard," Scully told him dead
seriously. "I knew we'd need them for the time this journey
came."
"Dental floss is much better for your teeth than bones,
Scully!" Got her again. He suffered the repercussions
immediately as Scully began a fight with the sofa cushions
until they were both unwilling to give in.
"Time out?" she breathlessly shouted, bending over and gasping.
"Say uncle!" Mulder shot back and got her with a cushion.
"Okay. Seventy laps around Academy grounds!"
Scully fell to the floor laughing hysterically. "All right.
ALL right!" she cried. "Let me catch my breath. Was there
anything else I should know?"
Mulder helped her straighten out the room. "Well, there are a
lot of relatively not-so-crowded stores here. I buried
stuff behind my father's house, too, by the way. You've never
seen it or heard of it, because I only found out about it while
I was on the run last year. Some of it was still in the house.
You know me, Scully, I never play out all my good cards unless I
really have to." He could no longer suppress a yawn. "I think
you'd better get into the tub. Relax under those rose-scented
bubbles Monica gave you, and I'll shower and get into the
Captain's bunk."
"Good idea. And then, can I play with the Captain's treasure
chest?"
"Uh huh, But first you have to kiss Captain Ahab, and then get
into the tub." He leaned into her waiting arms, clicked off
the T.V., and a game of tonsil-hockey ensued. Breathlessly,
they came up for air. "Insatiable wild one!"
"Mmm. I like, and you like. This zig-zag navigated voyage is
going to be fun to sail with you, Captain."
Mulder flicked off the lights and was about to get them some
beer when the cell phone rang. "Hello!"
"Mulder, I just wanted to tell you we're in town and say good
night to you and Dana. More tomorrow."
"Good night to you, too, Monica." It would be a long, perilous
course, Mulder Billy thought. But it would have its rewards.
Something inside him said no effort is ever too hard, no
destination ever unreachable when you love and are loved. "I
have the means, now we'll sail home no matter how long it takes
or what we have to do," he whispered, clutching the picture of
Scully and William. "Mom and Daddy both love you. Good night,
son."
END
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