Title: THE QUIET ONES Author: FatCat (feedback to FatCat33047@yahoo.com) Website: Please visit the wonderful home Donnilee has created to house my stories at http://donnilee.tripod.com. Just follow my name to find my stories. While you are there, take a peek at Donnilee's great stories and those of the other authors that she has at her site. Thank you Donni! Rating: R Category: MSR. Post Episode, AU Classification: V, RST Spoilers: A possible alternative ending after Requiem Archive: As you wish, but please keep my name attached and let me know where to visit. Summary: A stressful case, a sad memory and a beautiful California night motivates Scully. Disclaimer: They aren't mine nor anyone's but CC, Fox, 1013, DD and GA own the characterizations. These works are used without permission, no infringement intended. Author's Notes: Feedback always appreciated. Thanks to Donnilee for the beta! XXXXXXXXXX UC-DAVIS MEDICAL CENTER SACRAMENTO, CA LUNCH TIME "I'm telling you Mona, this guy is really nice." "Yeah, that's what you said about the drug salesman last month," Mona Benson said as she shook her head and laughed at the woman in line behind her. "I know, I know, but this guy is not only nice, he's gorgeous," Frankie DeAngelo insisted. "Yeah? If he's such a great guy, why does his sister have to get him a date? A blind date at that?" Mona asked. "She's worried about him, Mone. He's gone through a lot in his life, especially the last few years." "Yeah, yeah, yeah. We've all gone through a lot in our lives. I've gone through medical school and two husbands." Mona glanced ahead at their other friend, Natalie. The sadness that seemed to never leave Nat's eyes confirmed her opinion. Natalie had obviously gone through more pain than either of them. She was one of those deep, quiet women that were rarely noticed by men right away unless they make a real effort. 'Her son is her life,' Mona thought to herself as her mind wandered while Frankie raved about her newest cause. Finally she said, "Frankie, I'm not interested in going out with a guy who thinks he's some modern-day Heathcliff." "No, Mone, he's not like that. Anne says he's ... sad, but he's trying to put his life back together. Look, he's new in town and she wants him to meet some people." "Why me?" Mona asked as they continued down the food line, electing their lunch choices. "Are you kidding? You're totally gorgeous, you're a doctor, and you're single. Should I go on? Besides, from what Anne said, you are totally his type." "His type? How does she know his type?" This was the first contribution to the conversation Natalie had made. "Most of the women in his life were like you. Tall, thin, and brainy is his type. That describes you to a tee," Frankie said. "What's this guy look like?" Mona was starting to waiver in her determination to avoid being set up with a stranger. "He's tall, lean, good looking," Frankie said. "Dark? I like men with dark hair." Mona was obviously intrigued. "Well he did have dark hair, but he had some kind of medical problem and now he's completely grey," Frankie said with a shrug. "How old is this guy?" Mona's defenses were back in place. "No, no, Mona, he's only 43. Anne says it's a family trait. He's in really great shape; he works out all the time." "What does he do for a living?" Natalie asked. "Here's the best part. He's one of the new management team with the Kings." Frankie wiggled her eyebrows at her two friends and they all started to laugh. Frankie was a rabid basketball fan and the Sacramento Kings were her very favorite team. The women moved through the beverage area, paid for their lunches and found a free table by the window of the cafeteria. "Tell me again why he moved here," Mona asked after she had arranged her lunch to suit her. "Anne and I have been friends for years and she's mentioned her brother occasionally. He's actually her half-brother and they were raised apart so they hadn't seen each other for quite a few years. He just showed up on her doorstep one day and after the tearful reunion, he decided to move here to be closer to her and her family." "What about the rest of their family?" Natalie asked. The sadness was back in her eyes. "Apparently, both their parents have been dead for several years." "Why did ...?" Mona's question was stopped by Frankie's raised hand. "I don't really know any more. I've been Anne's friend for years, but she's always been pretty private about the details of her life. I don't think she would have told me this much if she wasn't desperate to help her brother." "Why don't you go out with him, Frankie?" Natalie asked. "Well," Frankie cleared her throat and delicately wiped her mouth. She looked down and smoothed the napkin on her lap several times before glancing back up at her friends with a sly grin on her face. "I would except Harley asked me to marry him last night and I said ..." She pulled a chain from around her neck and held out a beautiful engagement ring. "I said yes." All talk about the blind date ended as the three friends began happily discussing Frankie's wedding plans. XXXXXXXXXX NATALIE MERCER'S CONDO CARMICHAEL, CA Natalie Mercer fumbled with her keys as she balanced the bags of groceries and her purse while trying to unlock the door and get in before the alarm went off. "It's me!" she yelled as she punched in the code to deactivate the alarm. The coolness of the apartment was welcomed after the hot Sacramento sun. "Where is everyone?" she called as she headed to the kitchen to unpack the groceries. "We're in here, Dear," her mother called. "Do you need help?" "No, Mom, I've got them," Natalie said as she quickly put away the refrigerated and frozen items. "Mommy!" A small whirlwind raced into the room to jump into Natalie's arms. The little boy was three, but very tall for his age. "Gramma and I went to the show today." "Oh you did, did you, Monkey?" "Yep, there were lots of people in the show, and some of them were kids. Some of them were kids littler than me. I could do that, Mommy. I could do a lot better than they did." "You could, huh?" Natalie put her son down as her mother came into the room behind him. "Gramma said I should ask you if I could be in the next play they're doing. She said I could if you said yes." Natalie looked over her son's head at her mother. "Mom?" "I didn't promise him anything. I said we could ask you. I brought some of the information home about tryouts." "Yeah, they're going to do Jack in The Bean Stalk," he bubbled. "Can I Mommy, huh? Can I?" "I'll look over the materials, honey, but I'm not promising anything. After all, Gramma has a lot to do already, just taking care of the house and you." "I don't really mind." "I know, Mom. I said I would look at them," Natalie replied. "Now, what are we going to have for dinner?" "Hot dogs! Mac'n'cheese!" Ben shouted as he danced around the kitchen. "Well, it is hot. How about we settle for chicken dogs on the grill and a salad?" Natalie negotiated. "Yeah! Hot dogs. Can we have meshsmellos too?" he begged. "Can we go down and swim after dinner? Can I use my mask?" At his mother's nod of consent, he ran back through the kitchen to his bedroom to change into his swimsuit and find his swim mask. "I swear, that child would not touch a vegetable except corn if you let him," her mother commented as she shook her head. "Yeah," Natalie agreed wistfully. "He's just like his father," she whispered. Her mother just patted her arm and turned to pull out the makings for a salad. XXXXXXXXX ARCO ARENA PARKING LOT ARENA DRIVE SACRAMENTO, CA Joshua Miller slowed to a walk as he waited for the light to turn green. Traffic at this light had been heavy ever since they had opened the new exit to I-5 that fed into Arco Arena last winter. He had worked out with a few of the guys after work and now he needed to cool off before he got home. He'd had to work hard to get back on his feet after he was returned by his kidnappers. His daily jog home helped keep him aerobically fit. The combination of working with weights, basketball scrimmages, and his former routine of jogging and running had him in the best physical shape he'd been in since college. He alternately jogged and walked the rest of the distance to his apartment complex and decided to take a swim before dinner. The pool in his complex was not huge, but it was deep enough to allow him to actually swim. That feature and the proximity to his work were the deciding factors when he'd rented this place. His sister was looking for a house closer to her for him to buy. Who would have thought that his little sister would end up being one of the best real estate agents in Northern California? The clues were all there, he thought. When they were children she had loved to play house and had whined constantly because he wouldn't play with her. The memory of his casual dismissal of her pleas was one of the many that had haunted him for years. However, that was before. Everything was good between them now. He had moved here to be near her and her family and to begin again. The light on his answering machine was flashing when he opened the door. Josh grinned. It was probably Anne, as she liked to be called now, with more houses for him to tour. XXXXXXXXXX 4BR, 3BA SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA "This house is perfect for you. It's in the 'Fabulous Forties', one of the best neighborhoods in Sacramento and when the new downtown stadium is built, it will be less than a fifteen minute drive from here," Anne Jenkins said. "What do you think of it, Josh?" "It's huge, sis. What would I do with a house this big?" "Well, for one thing, you can shelter part of your income with the tax benefits from the mortgage," Anne began. "Hey, you know I don't care about things like that," he interrupted her. "I don't know, Sis. It's a great house, but it needs a family to fill it." They settled back in Anne's Mercedes before continuing their discussion. "You know, big brother, there is no reason that you couldn't meet someone and start on a new family yourself." "Anne, I already told you. I'm not interested in that." "I know, I know. You've told me before," she snapped. Anne bit her lip in vexation. "I'm sorry, Josh. I know you loved them, but it's been over two years and you haven't found a trace of evidence that the bodies found in the fire weren't theirs. There's no reason to continue believing that they survived." She laid her hand on his and squeezed. "You have to go on Josh. You can't search for the rest of your life." He sighed and looked at her. "What do you suggest? I just give up? You know that's not me. Hey, I didn't give up on finding you for almost 30 years, did I?" He smiled and flipped his hand over, lacing his fingers with hers and giving it a squeeze. "If they were dead, I'd know it. I'd feel it in here," he said, tapping his chest. I have some of the best detective agencies in the country looking for them." "That's just it, you claim they aren't dead, but YOU aren't looking for them. You've walled yourself off from the rest of the world, mourning them as if you know they're dead, refusing to create a life for yourself while you pay thousands of dollars to overpriced private detectives to do what you do best." She hesitated as he shook his head at her. "Josh, you have to do something." "I know," he said. "You're right. I'm afraid to try to find them myself. If I'm right and they're alive, and they planned their disappearance, I could put them in danger by trying to find them myself. At the same time, I can't forget them. I need to know they are all right. That my son is all right." "That's the part I don't understand. The aliens returned you. You uncovered the conspiracy in the government. What danger could your family be in?" "I've tried to explain, sis. I don't think there is a danger from the aliens any longer. I think, worst-case scenario, that our own government would want to test my son or use him somehow," he explained. "But you don't know that for sure, do you?" she asked quietly. "No, and unfortunately, neither do they." "So ..." Anne sighed. "So, I'll think about it," he conceded. "About what? The house? Dating? Going to search for them yourself?" she asked, sounding frustrated. "About all of it. Okay, Anne?" he clarified, as he grinned at her. "That's more like it," Anne said. "Now this next house is a little farther out, but it does have the size pool you said you wanted. Still want to look at it?" "Yeah, sure," Josh said. There was nothing he wanted to do more than to look at houses as long as it was with his little sister. She was his whole life now. XXXXXXXXXX JOSH'S APARTMENT NORTH NATOMAS AREA SACRAMENTO, CA Anne Jenkins punched in the code and pulled back into the gated community where her brother lived. He had left his cell phone in her car and she knew that he would be lost without it tomorrow. She pulled up to his building and glanced towards the window to make sure he was still up. He was standing on the patio, leaning against the outside wall, staring up at the stars. She dialed his home number, intending to tease him about leaving his phone, but when the phone rang he just ignored it, letting his head fall forward to hang down dejectedly. He looked so lonely, so depressed, that she became even more seriously concerned about his mental state. She decided there and then that she was going to do whatever it took to find him someone. Josh had practically saved the entire world single handedly, but in the process he had lost the only woman that he had ever loved and their son. She knew that his loyalty was sealed, that he couldn't give himself as freely to another as he had his former partner. However, he would just have to understand and accept that he needed to get on with life. Someone would have to make him understand that, and in that instant, she decided she was just the person for the job. "Hey, big bro!" she called softly. Josh lifted his head and tried to surreptitiously wipe his tears away as he watched his sister exit her car. "Anne? What are you doing back here?" he asked. "I brought you your cell phone. You left it on the seat of the car and I knew that you'd need it tomorrow," she answered as she picked her way through the flower bed to the wall of his patio. "Thanks." "No problem. I gotta run. Night Josh," she gave him a quick kiss and ran back to her car. Yep, she was just the person for the job. XXXXXXXXXX NATALIE MERCER'S CONDO CHARMICHAEL, CA Natalie sat on the balcony of their condo and looked at the stars. It had been a hard week at work, hard, but satisfying. "I'm going to bed now, sweetheart. Can I get you something else before I go?" her mother asked through the screen. "No thanks, Mom. I'm fine. I just want to sit out here for a while and relax." "Good, you don't do that often enough," Ellen scolded gently as she stepped out to join her. Natalie laughed up at her mother and said, "I relax all the time, Mom." "No, you work all the time, either at your job or around the house. You don't go to church, you don't socialize, you don't even go get your hair done without combining it with a dozen other errands," she pointed out. "Mom, you raised your kids virtually alone; you know how it is." "Yes, I know. I know that you miss him. I know that you'll never get over him. But I also know that you are too young to live the rest of your life alone." Natalie sighed. "What about you? You're not that old either, Mom. Why haven't you started dating again? It's been over ten years since Dad died." "That's different." "How? How is it different? Instead of dating, starting a new life with someone else, you've chosen to give it all up and help me. You've even given up contact with your other children and grandchildren." "You know that you needed me more than they did, Natalie. We've had this discussion before." "Yes," she said. "Yes I need you. You know that I will never forget how much your help has meant to me. But Mom, how can you, of all people, ask me to forget him, start all over?" "I'm not asking you to forget him. He's just like your father, a man that you can never forget. You know, you can remember someone and still move on with your life." She hesitated when Natalie shook her head vehemently. "I'm sorry, Honey. I just worry about you. You should at least think about dating." "I'll think about it," she conceded, trying to ease her mother's worry. "Before Benjamin is in high school?" her mother teased. Natalie gave a groan as her mother patted her shoulder and turned to leave. "Yes, Mom, definitely before Ben is in high school." Ellen Mercer smiled and closed the screen. "Good." 'She always has to have the last word,' Natalie thought. XXXXXXXXXX "Nat, you have to do this for me," Mona begged. "You shouldn't have accepted the date if you had other plans, Mona." "I didn't know that my mother was going to need emergency gall bladder surgery when I accepted this blind date, Nat. Give me a break. I'm not trying to back out of it; I'm trying to keep this guy from being stood up. You know Frankie told us that he's had a bad time of it." Natalie sighed. She knew that Mona had accepted the blind date with Frankie's friend's brother in good faith, but now she needed to be with her mother and father. Her mother's heart attack last year had left her frail and this new challenge to her system could well be more than she could overcome. "I need to be with Mom and Dad right now, Nat. Please? Please say you'll at least go and let this guy know that I couldn't make it and why. I tried to call Frankie but she's gone for the weekend and I don't have his number. Please?" "All right. I'll go to the restaurant and at least let him know why you're not able to meet him. But that's all." "Thanks, Nat. Gotta run. I won't forget this," Mona said. "Wait, where are you supposed to meet him?" "Oh brother! I almost forgot. We were going to meet in Old Sacramento, at The Firehouse. He's going to be wearing a white carnation on his lapel. I told him I would be wearing a hat and meet him in the bar at 8:30. Thanks again, Nat, bye." "Wait, Mona, what's this guy's name? Mona? Yeah, sure, fine." Natalie hung up the phone and glanced at the clock. It was 7:00 PM already. "Mom?" she yelled. "You remember that promise I made you last week?" "Which promise, dear?" her mother asked as she came out of the kitchen. "The one about having a date before Ben is in high school?" "Yes?" said her mother hopefully. "Well, tonight's the night." Natalie frowned. "That is unless you mind watching Ben while I go out and meet this guy. Frankie set this up for Mona, but her mother is sick. She asked me to fill in, and I agreed to help her out." "Of course not, dear, but are you sure a blind date is a good idea?" "No. Well, not usually, but Frankie is a good friend and I know that she wouldn't have set Mona up with this guy if he wasn't a decent man." "Mona? I thought you were going on the date?" her mother said distractedly. "It's a long story, Mom," she said as she walked back towards her bedroom. "I'll tell you all about it as soon as I get dressed. Oh, and Mom? May I wear one of your hats?" XXXXXXXXXX THE FIREHOUSE OLD SACRAMENTO Josh Miller walked slowly down Second Street to the alley entrance of The Firehouse, one of Old Sacramento's oldest and finest restaurants. The white carnation on his lapel seemed to glow in the dim light of the alley, making him feel exposed, the center of attention. The long stemmed white rose he carried marked him as a sucker on a blind date as far as he was concerned, but his sister had insisted that it was just the right touch. He had only agreed to this set up after two entire weeks of hounding by his sister and her friend, Frankie. This woman was perfect for him, they assured him. She was a busy professional and didn't have time to do the socializing that was deemed necessary to have a full dating life. She had been burned before so she wasn't looking for a relationship. She just wanted to get out occasionally for a nice evening on the town. Anne's words echoed through his mind. 'Go ahead, Josh, what can it hurt? You might even enjoy the evening so much you want to ask her out again. Who knows what could happen?' He left his name with the hostess and stepped into the bar to wait for his date. Mona Benson was tall, brunette, and smart, according to Anne, and he would be able to identify her because she was going to be wearing a hat. Okay, he could do this. He ordered an iced tea and sat down at the end of the bar to wait. By 8:45 PM he was tired of waiting. Several attractive women had arrived alone, but none wore a hat and apparently none of them were his date. He felt like a fool for letting Anne talk him into this situation. If he ever agreed to a blind date again, he was going to demand at least a picture of the woman so that he knew whom to look for. He was feeling nervous. He didn't drink alcohol, but he wanted something to do with his hands. He motioned to the bartender and he walked down to take his order. There was a party in the room next to the bar and a sudden burst of noise made it impossible for the bartender to hear him. He leaned over the bar and yelled directly into the guy's ear, asking for another iced tea. At that precise moment, Natalie Mercer was standing in the doorway of the Firehouse bar area feeling more exposed than she ever had in her life. She was there to find a man she had never seen before and let him know that his blind date was not coming. 'Oh, Brother! How did I let myself get talked into this?' she wondered. 'I don't even know this guy's name.' There were several single men at the bar. Which one was waiting for Mona? She searched the bar for a grey haired man and finally saw one at the end yelling something to the bartender over the noise of the bar. She could just make out his tall, slender frame and his grey hair as he leaned in close to be heard. She glanced down to make sure that she looked all right while gathering her courage to approach him. Josh sat back down and waited for the glass of iced tea he had ordered. He would give this Mona Benson ten more minutes and then he would leave. He glanced again at the doorway and saw a woman in a hat looking down and fussing with her skirt. 'Great,' he thought. 'They tell me to expect a tall, brunette wearing a hat and the only woman to come in the bar tonight in a hat is a short blonde.' He made up is mind right then and there that he was never going on another blind date again. The bartender set his iced tea down and he glanced away from the woman long enough to pay for the drink. When he looked up, his heart began to pound and he swayed, almost falling off the barstool. "Hey, you all right, buddy?" the bartender asked as he put down his change. "Yeah, I think I'm feeling good for the first time in about three years." He smiled at the guy and asked him to hold two seats for him. When Natalie looked up again, the man was gone. She had been sure that he was the one she was supposed to meet. The traffic into Old Town had been terrible and she'd had a horrible time finding a parking place, causing her to be late. She sighed. No man with a white carnation was sitting at the bar. She thought about sitting down and having a drink before going home, on the off chance that her blind date had been held up for a few moments just like she had been. She took another look at the bar area and tried to decide what to do. As she was thinking she felt someone step up very close behind her. A hand reached around her, offering a beautiful white rose. "Mona?" he asked, in a low, sultry voice. Natalie closed her eyes as sudden tears welled up. If this was her blind date, his voice sounded just like someone she loved who was gone. She plastered a forced smile on her face and turned to face her blind date. She glanced down at the white rose and accepted it, bringing it to her nose before lifting her eyes to the man who held it. "No, I'm ..." she stopped. "M ...," she began to whisper as her knees buckled. He stopped her words with one finger placed on her lips. Then his strong arm went around her shoulders holding her up for a few seconds as darkness threatened to overwhelm her. "My name is Joshua Miller. I have a seat at the bar for us. Won't you join me?" he asked as if she were the blind date he'd been expecting. "Yyyes, of course," she stammered. She drew herself up and took a deep breath, heading for the end of the bar where he had been sitting. Josh Miller stepped behind her, placing his hand on her lower back automatically. They both hesitated, the contact was bittersweet and beyond anything they had expected tonight. "So, Mona?" he began after she had ordered a glass of white wine. "Your name is Mona Benson?" "Ah, no, not exactly. Mona is a tall, beautiful brunette. Just your type ..." she murmured. She was still so shocked by seeing him here in Sacramento that she couldn't think straight and had no control over her responses. He smiled at her and waited for her to explain. She took a drink of her wine and tried again. "I'm not Mona. I work with Mona and Frankie at the UC-Davis Medical Center. Frankie is your sister Anne's friend. She's the one who set this whole thing up." "Continue," he said in a teasing voice. "Well, Mona was going to come tonight, but her mother was hospitalized down in Turlock and she needed to leave right away. she called me to fill in and ... here I am." "Yes, here you are. And you are?" His hazel eyes sparkled with mischief as he played with her. "I'm Natalie Mercer," she said with a blush. She was so flustered she had forgotten to tell him her name. "So, Natalie with the long, blonde hair, would you like to go to dinner with me?" He picked up her hand and kissed her fingers before turning it over and placing a soft, sweet kiss in the exact center of her palm. Tears sprang to her eyes again. "Oh Mulder," she whispered. He released her hand and she let it move to stroke through his hair. "Grey?" "Complements of our friends," he grimaced. "I could dye it, but for some reason, it's never been important enough to me to change it." "Are you ..." she started but he interrupted her. "I just heard them call my name for our reservation. Do you still want to go to dinner, or do you want to leave?" "I'd love to have dinner with you, but we can leave if you want to." "I'd love to take you to dinner, Natalie. We can talk while we eat." XXXXXXXXXX JOSH'S APARTMENT NORTH NATOMAS AREA SACRAMENTO, CA The door slammed back against the wall as they fell against it. Their lips were locked in a kiss that was almost brutal in its intensity. He was bent down, trying to press his body against hers as much as he could while vertical. She was standing on tip-toes, straining to get closer to him. Finally they broke contact and stared at each other, gasping for breath. Josh heard a sound and looked up. They were standing in his apartment with the door open. The young blonde woman from upstairs was standing in the grassy area outside his apartment door holding the leash of her irritating little dachshund, staring at them with her mouth open. She had tried several times to seduce him and he had fended off all her efforts. Josh slammed the door and looked back at Natalie. She was blushing, embarrassed. "M ..." "Natalie, I asked you to call me Josh," he cautioned. He picked up a piece of paper and scribbled a note on it, holding it between their bodies for her eyes only. USE JOSH APT MAY BE BUGGED NOT SAFE FOR OUR BOY She read it quickly and nodded. He shoved it into his pocket to dispose of later. "Uh, Josh, I just wanted to ask if I could use your phone to call home as see if everything's all right with my sitter," she said as she gave him a quick nod. "Sure. The phone is over there by the couch," he said as he walked into the kitchen area. "Do you want anything to drink, Natalie?" "No, thank you, not right now," she answered. She dialed her home number and spoke quietly to her mother, letting her know that she would be late. Moments later she hung up and said, "Thanks. I don't usually date so I'm a little nervous about leaving my child at night." "No problem," he said, sitting down next to her. "This is a nice leather couch," she said with a smile. "Yeah, I had to get rid of my last one. It was in storage for so long that the mice got to it. I hated to see it go, but this is a very comfortable replacement," he replied. They sat in silence for a few minutes until they both began to get uncomfortable. "Josh ..." "Natalie ..." They started and stopped together. They both laughed nervously. He gestured for her to go ahead but she shook her head, nodding at him. "Have you been in Sacramento long?" he said. "Not really. I was at Berkley finishing a few courses I needed to qualify for my position at the hospital until a few months ago. Before that I was living with my family in Texas." They once again lapsed into silence. Finally Natalie stood up. She looked down at Josh for a moment as if making her mind up about something difficult. "Do you have a bedroom, Joshua Miller?" "Yeah," he said as he stood up and grabbed her hand. "Right in here," he growled. They walked through the door to his bedroom and stood in the dim light of his lamp. Neither seemed to know what to do next. Again, Natalie screwed up her courage and asked, "Do you mind if I use the bathroom?" "Of course not," Josh said with a bemused look on his face. "It's right through here." He reached around the corner to flip on the light for her. Natalie looked up at him and smiled shyly. "Thanks. I'll be right out." Josh nodded and watched her as she walked into the bathroom and closed the door softly. He sat down on the bed and hung his head. They hadn't talked much over dinner because they were both too busy staring at each other and accepting the reality that the other one was actually there. He was contemplating all the questions he should have asked her before they go to this point. Was she dating someone else? Did she actually have a boyfriend and was only there to help out a friend at the last minute? Darker thoughts hit him hard. Had she had anyone since they'd been apart? Would she want to make love now or get acquainted again? This was his Scully, and even though she had just been investigating his tonsils with her tongue minutes ago, she might need more time before she was ready to commit to an intimate relationship again. What should he do? If he was undressed when she came out and she still had her clothes on, she could be embarrassed and leave before he could get dressed. If she came out without her clothes on, and he was still dressed, she might think he didn't want her. 'How the hell did people do this sort of thing with strangers?' Josh thought to himself. He decided to settle for the middle ground. He walked into the huge closet in his bedroom and shrugged out of his suit jacket, hanging it up carefully. He slid his tie off and hung it back on the tie rack. He started to take off his shoes, but decided to keep them on in case he had to run after her. He pulled his shirt out of his pants and unbuttoned it, tossing it into the pile for the cleaners. He decided that he was comfortable enough and walked back out to sit down on the bed to wait for her. He finally heard the toilet flush and the water in the sink running. He wiped his sweaty palms down his pant legs, not believing how scared he was. Damn, he didn't even have any condoms in the house. 'It not like I've never had sex with her before,' he thought trying to calm himself. But the little voice in his brain that was creating all the stress he was feeling shouted back loud and clear, 'Yeah, but this woman is different. This isn't just a warm body or someone you just met. This is the woman you love.' He jumped to his feet as he heard the door to the bathroom open. He closed his eyes and swallowed hard, hoping that he hadn't misread her intentions. She stopped in through the doorway, eyes wide when she saw that he was still partially dressed. She was wearing the Sacramento Kings tee shirt that he had worn earlier that day, and nothing else. "Oh, I ... I guess I ..." she stuttered, turning to flee back into the bathroom. "Wait! Sc ... Natalie. I didn't want to scare you. I didn't know if you wanted this as much as I do or not," he quickly explained, grabbing her hand to stop her. "Please, don't go," he said sincerely. She hesitated for a moment and that gave him his chance. He quickly wrapped his arms around her, hugging her close. He nuzzled her hair with his nose, breathing in deeply the wonderful, clean, familiar scent of her. "I want you to stay, but I didn't want to scare you by being naked if you decided that you just had to use the bathroom on a tour of my apartment." She chuckled and then sighed, relaxing into his embrace. "I want you ... Josh," she said. He led her back over to the bed and she sat down on the edge. He stood next to her as he kicked off his shoes and sox, and shed his pants. He left his boxers on as he sat down next to her, turning to look her in the eye. She had watched his efforts with a smile on her face before becoming serious when she saw the now-healed scars on his body. "Frankie said that you were in good shape and she certainly knew what she was talking about," she commented, raising her hand and touching the faint scar on his shoulder. She let her hand slide down over his muscular pectorals and on down over his sleek, six- pack abs. He'd always been lean and toned, but she didn't remember him being this muscular and buff, not that she was complaining. He looked fabulous and so sexy. "You've been through a lot," she whispered. "Yeah, but so have you." He let his hand smooth over the scar on her stomach, a reminder of more dangerous times. She nodded and said, "They aren't nearly as painful as the scars you can't see." He knew immediately what she meant and nodded. He moved to the center of the bed and pulled gently on her arm, urging her to settle back against him as he hugged her tiny body to him. "I know what you mean," he said aloud. He whispered directly in her ear, "I've missed you so much, Scully." She turned her head sharply as he said her name, searching his eyes. "Me too," she said finally. He pulled her back and moved over her, lowering his head until it looked as if he were kissing her from the camera he suspected was hidden in the smoke detector above the bed. He didn't know if it was an infrared camera or not, but he didn't want to take any chances. He couldn't remove it. That would alert the nebulous 'them' that he knew he was being watched. "Listen Scully," he whispered almost inaudibly. "I want to make love to you but there are factions still watching me. We need to play this out like we just met. We can talk about it later when we find somewhere safe. We need to get under the covers and stay there." "Why don't we wait until another time, when we know it's clear?" she breathed. "I can't wait to love you, Natalie," he said a little louder. "I need you." She nodded her head and slid off the bed, waiting for him. He moved to stand beside her and kissed her again. He pulled the spread down and turned down the sheet. He clicked off the lamp and climbed back in bed, holding his hand out for her. She crawled in beside him and he covered them up. They lay there for a moment, just soaking in the feeling of being together again. finally he reached down and wiggled out of his boxers, throwing them in the floor beside the bed. She noticed that they were black silk and smiled. He carefully pulled his shirt off her, making sure her body was not exposed to anyone but him and laid it beside the bed where it could be easily reached in the morning. She slid out of her panties, embarrassed now that they were just her plain, utilitarian briefs. She had no idea when she dressed for this evening that she would wind up here with him, in his bed. He wanted to worship her body, taking his time, making her come over and over, but he couldn't. They had been apart too long and his need for her was met and matched by her desire for him. When they came together it was explosive and overwhelming, just like it had always been before. They kissed and touched and cried together. They came together moments after he first entered her. They fell asleep for a short time. XXXXXXXXXX Josh Miller struggled to stay asleep so that he could continue the best dream he'd had since moving to Sacramento. In his dream he was Fox Mulder again and he was making love to Scully. He squeezed his eyes shut, tight, not wanting it to end. He rolled to his right slightly and came into contact with a warm body. He bit his lip and groaned. 'What the fuck have you done now Mulder?' he thought before admonishing himself, 'Josh, I'm Josh Miller now.' He searched for a reason why he was in bed with someone. Suddenly everything came back to him at once. Anne had arranged a blind date for him. There had been a last-minute substitute and Scully had shown up in place of Dr. Mona Benson. Jesus! He was in bed with Scully for real! He turned over completely to see her staring at him with huge blue eyes. She obviously was having as difficult a time accepting this twist of fate as he was. "Hi," he said. She finally smiled and pulled up to kiss him hello. "I didn't know if I was still dreaming or not when I first woke up." "Yeah, me too," he sighed. He leaned over her and kissed her deeply again before moving to nuzzle her hair. Placing his lips against her ear, he whispered, "I've missed you Scully. I've got so much to tell you, so much I want to ask." "Mmmm, that's nice, Baby," she moaned. He pulled away enough to see the sparkle in her eyes before kissing his way back to her ear again. "Baby?" She leaned up and placed a dozen swift, sweet kisses on his face before letting her lips wander to his ear. "I want to use your real name so badly, Mulder. It's so precious to me and I've been denied its use for such a long time. I don't want to slip up trying to use Josh," she whispered. "I think you'll be my Baby in the future," she said aloud. "Is there going to be a future for us, Natalie?" he said. "That's up to you. Are you ready to take on a woman with a child?" she teased. "Bring it on, Sugar, bring it on," he groaned as she climbed on top of him. She mouthed 'Sugar?' and he grinned up at her. She leaned down and kissed him as she said, "You can call me Sugar if you want, Baby, just don't forget to call me." She slid up and back, impaling herself on his erection and sighed. "Mmmm that feels so good. You fill me up, take away all the empty places that I've lived with for so long." She began to rock slowly after she wiggled until his long, thick cock was hitting her in just the right spot. He slid his hands up her thighs to caress her body, stopping when his hands cupped her breasts. He slid his thumbs over her turgid nipples, watching her bite her lip as the magic of his touch ratcheted up her pleasure another notch. He curled up, using his abs to lift him high enough to kiss and tease her nipple. She groaned and increased the tempo of her hips. He worshiped her other breast before finally falling back to lie back on the pillow to watch her, his hands on her waist. She leaned forward, moving their bodies into a faster rhythm and began to lick and nip at his chest and neck. "Oh, God, I'mmm ... gonna ..." he moaned. "Give it to me, Baby. Give it all to me," she panted. It was then that Mulder remembered they hadn't used any protection. "Are you on the pill, Sugar?" She slowed down and looked directly into his eyes. "No." "Good," he grunted and began to stroke up into her harder, reaching for his release. "Good," she repeated and sped up, willing him to spill his seed into her womb, praying that she would be fertile. Their movements became frantic and the headboard of the bed began to pound against the wall, sounding as loud as a drum. Scully fought to hold off until he came first, but her release rocked through her and her strokes abated as she began to shiver and quake over him. Mulder rode out her orgasm but couldn't hold off for long so he moved his hands down to her hips and began to move her body up and down on his cock, effectively prolonging her orgasm and giving him the movement he needed to come. They rocked together, as wave after wave of release washed over him. As they slowed and came to a stop, Scully let her body slide down to cover his. She could feel his erection soften but he stayed inside her. She smiled against his chest as she felt him pull the covers up over her back. "Do you want to take a shower?" he asked as he stroked her hair and placed soft kisses along her hairline. "No, I don't want to move," she slurred. "Why?" he smiled at her sleepy words. "I'm right where I want to be, touching every inch of your body I possibly can. I need this." "Me too," he whispered. "Love you. I never stopped loving you." "Love you too." XXXXXXXXXX It was almost dawn when Natalie woke him up and said she had to go home. He kissed her and smiled his understanding. He handed her the shirt and her underwear, asking if she wanted to shower before she left. She nodded and stood by the edge of the bed. "Do you want to join me?" He leaped, naked to her side and they walked into the bathroom, to exit and hour later, clean and weary. "Josh, I need to get home before my family wakes up, but I don't want to leave you," she said sadly. He smiled and hugged her close to him as they walked to toward the front door. They kissed again, a long soulful kiss with tongue. They pulled apart, panting and she said, "Would you like to come home with me and meet my family?" "Your family," he breathed. "Yes," she said and nodded. "My son and my mother live with me." "I'd love to, Natalie! Can you wait a minute until I get dressed?" She grinned and nodded as he practically ran back to the bedroom and threw on his clothes. He picked up his keys and his cell phone and escorted her out the door. He turned back to secure the lock and when he turned around, she was standing there with the sun shining on her hair. "Have you ever thought of dying you hair red, Natalie?" he teased. "I don't know. I've gotten used to it being blonde. You know what they say about blondes having more fun," she teased right back. "Yeah, but I couldn't help noticing that you're a real redhead," he whispered in her ear. She kissed him and turned to walk to her car. "You never know what might happen. Maybe I'll have my beautician make me a brunette next time. After all, that's what you like, isn't it?" she said saucily over her shoulder. "I like you," he growled as he picked her up from behind and raced down the sidewalk to her car. They stood by the driver's door of her car, making out like two teenagers for several minutes. "What do you have planned for the rest of the weekend?" she asked, pulling away while she could still stand up. "I don't have any plans for the weekend, how about you?" "Well, I usually try to spend as much time as I can with my son," she offered. "I have an idea. How about if we get your son and your mother and my sister and her family and go up to Lake Tahoe for the day tomorrow? We could make all the arrangements today while we spend some time with your boy and then we could have a full day for everyone to get to know each other tomorrow." She looked at him quizzically and said, "Why so far? We could meet at any one of the numerous parks in the area?" "Oh, I don't know. Maybe because of the beauty of the lake and the mountains, and there's always the gambling." "So you like to gamble, do you?" she teased. "Not really, but maybe some of the family will want to give it a try," he said with a shrug. "All right, we'll make the arrangements later today. Now, I want to get home so I can introduce Ben to you." "I can hardly wait," he said as he moved over to his car to follow her, plans flashing through his mind. He chuckled and said to himself, 'I'm sure we can find something to do at Lake Tahoe.' XXXXXXXXXX UC-DAVIS MEDICAL CENTER SACRAMENTO, CA LUNCH TIME Frankie DeAngelo waved frantically at Mona Benson as she entered the cafeteria. Mona waved back and after grabbing a cup of coffee and a salad she joined her at their usual table. "Frankie, what's the matter? You look like you're going to explode." "Mone, didn't you hear?" Frankie sputtered. "Hear what? Hey? Where's Natalie? I wanted to thank her for filling in for me this weekend." Mona's voice slid to a halt as she watched her friend's eyes grow huge and her face turn red. "What? What's happened?" Mona suddenly had a bad feeling about Frankie's news. "Well," Frankie said, trying to swallow her giggles long enough to let Mona in on her news. "Natalie went on your blind date Friday night." "Yeah," Mona nodded. "She said she was just going to tell him I couldn't make it. I wondered if she would end up staying. Did she say if she had a good time or not?" Mona asked. "I guess she did," Frankie toyed with Mona for a moment, nearly bursting with excitement. "And?" Mona urged. "Well, she had a good enough time with him at dinner Friday night that she went to Lake Tahoe with him yesterday and they got married!" Frankie said in a sing-song voice. "What?" shrieked Mona. "She married him after knowing him two days?" Frankie nodded and the two women discussed all the details that she had about the entire situation. "Just think, Mona," Frankie finally said. "That could have been you. Now you'll never know if this Josh guy was supposed to be your knight in shining armor." "I know," Mona groaned. "He must be something special if Natalie fell under his charms so quickly. Who would have thought that Natalie would get married before me, and so suddenly? It just goes to show you, though, doesn't it Frankie?" "What Mona?" Frankie asked. "You gotta watch out for the quiet ones. They'll surprise you every time." Frankie nodded her head, "Yep, it's always the quiet ones." THE END.