Scully looked up at him standing over her, he was dodging her question. She knew this man better than she knew herself, and knew when he didn't want to give her an answer, not that she was sure she wanted one. "I think I would have remembered that, Mulder." There was obviously a question in her voice.

This was not a discussion they should be having right now, they needed to find C.G.B. Spender, or whatever his name was. But Mulder knew his partner to well, knew she would persist until she had all the facts, even if it wasn't about the case at hand. Honestly, he had hoped to never think about that other woman again. He hadn't actually even thought her name since before Scully's abduction 5 years ago, until she showed up at FBI headquarters that day. When Scully had been taken from him he realized that she was the only person, other than Samantha, who had ever really meant anything to him. Just like he knew now that he had to answer her, if only he could avoid her name. What would Scully's reaction be when she realized he had lied to her about his relationship with Diana. Maybe if he just gave the why and not the who Scully would be pacified. "She couldn't deal with my insatiable quest for the truth, and was no longer interested in sharing it with me. She wanted a house, children; your basic "normal" life." This was the truth at the time, but when she left for her assignment abroad, he had been relieved. He grinned at Scully, hoping to lighten the mood, "when have you ever known me to be normal Scully."

"You're joking right Mulder?" She took his hand, her tone changing "This quest stopped being your quest a long time ago. We're in this together, we have been for awhile."

"But if it weren't for me, you never would have been involved in the X-Files in the first place."

"No Mulder there were a lot of other forces at work, remember. You've given me plenty of opportunity to get out." Scully paused, watching her partner, then decided to ask the question that's been in the back of her head for a long time. "Was it Diana? Was she the one who left you?"

"What does that matter, Scully?"

His response was a little to quick, she had her answer. "It explains why you were so quick to trust her over me when it came down to a choice"

"I thought I could trust her once, but that was a long time ago. Now I know the truth." He laid his hands on her shoulders, "you are the only one I trust. Remember, you're the one who made me a whole person..."

Scully turned away from him, confused. "What does that mean? I'm good at disagreeing with you? You can't base a long term partnership on that..."

"Long term?" Mulder cut her off, wondering where she was going with this conversation. "You planin' on stickin' around, Agent Scully." He said teasingly, hoping to lighten the mood.

The last thing Mulder wanted to do was make her mad when she might very well be on the verge of admitting something, he'd been hoping to hear for a long time, but what if it were the opposite? What could he say to her that wouldn't give away one of the last secrets he kept from her? He put his hand on her shoulder to turn her to him. "I'm sorry Scully. You're the last person I want to push away, even if you'd be better off if I did. But I can't do this alone, I need you."

Scully looked into the sad eyes of her partner and everything she had felt that long ago evening in his hallway resurfaced. "I'm not her." She took his hand again, "I'm not going anywhere." She was about to start another thought when footsteps in the hall commanded their attention.