Title: It Doesn't Matter

Author: Rotem Shahar and Cathey Scully

Feedback: Yes, please! Let us know what you thought!

Category: A, R

Keywords: MSR

Spoilers: Um, season 8 and everything b4

Rating: PG-13 to possibly PG-15 for language

Summary: Has he really screwed it all up?

Authors Notes:

Batty: Um, after the 4000th time of watching Alone, I finally figured out what my problem with the ep was. Scully seemed to care more about Doggett than Mulder's adorable attempts to be sweet. So In chat, I told Ro that I was going to take Mulder home with me until Scully decides that she wants Mulder again.

Rotem: And you know how it goes, once she starts talking about ideas and fic and all I make her write, so she did! And we ended up writing it togetherJ whee! Twas funJ

Disclaimer: Mulder and Scully do not belong to us, they belong to Chris Carter, 1013 Productions and FOX. We are not making any money off of this story and no infringement is intended. In other words, its no use suing us.you won't get much money.

The Story!

Mulder sat in the car with his head in his hands. He'd returned to his car after dropping Scully off at home, completely exhausted from their trip to visit Agent Harrison in the hospital. He smiled, remembering their childish banter about whether or not there had been a spaceship in Antarctica. His smile faded, however as he remembered leaving the hospital and attempting to hold Scully's hand only to have her pull away from his soft touch.

He got out of the car and took the stairs up to his apartment, his mind elsewhere. He wondered what she was doing now. Was she taking a bath? Reading a book? Was she eating dinner? Would she mind if I stopped by?

He turned around and walked back down the stairs and to the car before he could rethink his decision.

His insistent knocking brought Scully from her bedroom, her clothing rumpled and her hair pleasantly mussed from sleep. She opened the door, rubbing her eyes sleepily. Mulder had never seen a sexier sight. She looked at him in confusion until her eyes lit up with the rest of her face.

"Mulder." She squealed. Mulder couldn't believe his ears, Scully had actually squealed. "Hmm, you brought food with you." Scully closed her eyes and inhaled deeply.

"Yep. Kung Pao chicken, just like you and jr. like it." Mulder grinned as Scully smiled; her eyes still squeezed shut.

"I'm ravenous Mulder, thank you."

"No problem Scully. I didn't wake you did I?" He asked as they settled in on her couch.

"Actually, you did. But it was for a good reason." Scully answered in between mouthfuls.

Mulder silently congratulated himself for thinking to bring food. Maybe a good meal would e what he needed to voice his innermost thoughts.

After their impromptu supper, Mulder decided to take a leap and curl his arm around Scully. To his surprise, she needed no further encouragement to settle with her head resting on his shoulder and one arm resting on her belly, the other on his chest. With a grunt, Scully curled Mulder's other arm around her as well and snuggled deeper in his embrace. Mulder opened and closed his mouth like a goldfish gasping for air. He was confused. One minute she didn't want him to touch her, the next, she was all over him.

Mulder took a deep breath and opened his mouth to speak. Before any words could come out however, Scully released a loud snore. Mulder chuckled and tightened his grip on Scully, vowing to resolve this when she woke next.

He went into her bedroom and unfolded the sheets. He walked back out into the living room and gently picked up Scully and carried her to her bed, placing her down gently. He pulled the sheets up over her and went back to the living room and took up residence on the couch.

Scully awoke to the smell of freshly brewing coffee. She curiously got up and walked into the kitchen to find Mulder making himself breakfast.

"Want some?" Mulder asked, without turning around.

Scully sleepily seated herself at the kitchen table.

"Just coffee. Thanks."

She tried rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, but didn't succeed.

"Hmmm?" Scully asked.

"Nothing." Mulder replied. He had picked up from where he had left off last night, but it was obvious to him that she wasn't ready to talk about it. It would be better for him to wait for her to fully wake up after digesting her coffee than to talk about it now with a not-so-awake- Scully.

Mulder sat down across from Scully with his breakfast. He noted with interest that her eyes widened as she looked at his food. Each time he'd raise a bite to his lips, Scully's eyes would track it and she'd lick her lips when he'd place the food in his mouth.

"Sleep well Scully?" Mulder asked, diverting her attention temporarily.

"Huh? What? Oh yea. Yeah, I slept fine. Mulder, can I just have a bite of that?" Scully asked. She didn't wait for a response before snatching his fork and scooping up some of his scrambled eggs with cheese and salsa. Mulder watched in delight as Scully's lips clamped in on his fork and she moaned in appreciation.

"Here." Mulder passed the plate to her. "I'll make myself some more."

"Thanks Mulder." Scully smiled gleefully at him.

They finished eating and moved to Scully's couch in the living room.

"So, what brought you over here last night, Mulder?"

"I wanted to know -" Mulder started, but was cut off by the ringing phone.

Scully sighed and got up to answer it.

"Hello?" After a long pause she replied, "Sure, sounds good to me."

"Ok, see you then." Scully said before she hung up.

"Who was it?" Mulder asked.

"Oh, it was my mom. She wants me to go with her to buy presents for Matthew's birthday." As an afterthought she added in "Do you want to come?"

Mulder felt his heart sink. He lowered his chin to his chest and replied, "No I'd just get in the way. You go. Tell your mom I say hello." He stood and quickly gathered his coat and slipped his sneakers on before turning and telling Scully to call him later.

Now he was back out in his car. It was nearly freezing outside and he definitely had given his car the amount of necessary time to warm up. Now he wasn't sure why he was staying. He thought about him and Scully. Maybe this was her way of paying him back for the way he'd acted when he first woke up. It had something to do with agent Doggett, something more than her being worried about the other agent. Maybe Mulder's fears were correct, maybe he had been replaced in Scully's heart. Maybe she should have left him buried.

Someone tapping on the glass of the passenger side window jolted Mulder from his reverie. He looked up and was surprised to see Scully standing there, bundled up from the cold. She looked at him curiously and waited for him to unlock the door. She slid slowly into the seat next to Mulder and blew on her chilled hands to warm them. As she looked at him, Mulder was suddenly aware of the wetness that marred his cheeks. He'd been crying.

"What's wrong Scully?" He asked softly.

"Mulder, I know you probably have a million other things to do today, but you know I shouldn't be driving and there's no chance that I'll be able to catch a cab right now. So, would you mind driving me to the mall? My mom can give me a ride home, I just need to get there."

"Sure." Mulder said, as he put the car in gear and drove to the mall.

They arrived shortly after and Mulder pulled up to the curb so Scully could get out.

"Thanks Mulder." She said kissing his cheek. She closed the door and walked into the mall before he could say anything in return.

He drove off, very confused. He was almost out of the parking lot when his car stopped. He tried restarting it, but to no avail. He was stuck. At the mall. Not where he wanted to be today. Especially not with Scully walking around in there.

He tried calling the towing company, but they weren't going to arrive for another hour or so.

He sat in the car at first, just waiting for them to arrive. Boredom got the best of him and he walked back towards the mall.

He walked around aimlessly, attempting to not go near any store he might see Scully in. Finally, he walked into a store that seemed to have everything. After glancing at the alien memorabilia he moved over to the humorous T-shirts. He saw one that he seriously considered buying for Scully to wear when she was with him. "Just Pretend I'm not here, that's what I'm doing." After careful consideration, Mulder moved to the check out with two shirts in hand. The one he'd admired for Scully and one for himself that said "Beer! The reason I wake Up Every afternoon!" As he moved to exit the store with his purchases, he ran directly into Agent Doggett.

"Agent Muldah."

"Agent Doggett." Mulder nodded at Doggett.

"So what brings you to the mall?" Doggett asked, attempting to make small talk.

Mulder would have none of it. "My car broke down after I dropped Scully off."

Doggett's eyes lit up at the mention of Scully. "Agent Scully's here?"

"With her mother, yes." Mulder replied, emphasizing the part about Scully's mom.

"Oh. Well, send my regards." Doggett nodded and slinked away. Mulder rolled his eyes and checked his watch. He was still standing there, contemplating where to go when he heard Scully's soft voice behind him.

"Mulder. What are you doing here?"

"Hey Scully, my car broke down so I figured I might as well wander around while waiting for the towing company to get here."

"Did you find what you were looking for?" Mulder asked Mrs. Scully.

"Not yet. We're still looking." She replied.

"Do you have jumper cables? We could jump start your car." Scully suggested.

"Nah, I don't have jumper cables. And the towing guys should be here soon anyway."

Scully and her mom looked around the store for a little and then decided to break for lunch. Her mother had some questions she wanted answered.

They ended up at the food court, Scully getting Cajun Chicken and Mrs. Scully getting a baked potato. They sat down at a table and ate in silence for a few minutes. Mrs. Scully waited for her daughter to explain what had happened, but she didn't.

"Well.?" She gently prodded.

"Well what mom?" Scully asked.

"What was that I just saw between you and Fox?"

Scully thought for a moment. "I don't know what that was." She admitted. "I mean, I guess I should be thrilled to have Mulder here with me. But a part of me got so used to not having him around that.." Scully trailed off. She looked up from her food to see her mother glaring at her.

"Dana Katherine Scully. After all you went through to get that man back, you're treating him as if he were nothing more than.than, than someone less important to you than he is! You've barely said a word about him the entire time we've been here, but yet you have had everything to tell me about this Agent Doggett. I want to know why!" Maggie hissed angrily.

"I, I don't know." Scully mumbled.

"Well, then I think you damn well better figure it out." Maggie finished. She didn't say another word, just continued to eat. Scully stared at one of the mall television screens for a few seconds before finishing her meal and going to the pizza place for seconds.

They finished eating and walked around the mall for a bit more time. But after another hour and not finding anything, they decided to continue next weekend.

Mrs. Scully headed towards Scully's apartment.

"Um, mom?"

"Yes sweetie?"

"Can you drop me off at Mulder's instead?"

"Sure." She said knowingly.

The rest of the drive was spent in silence. When they arrived, Scully got out of the car, saying goodbye to her mother and promising to call to make plans for the next weekend.

She walked up the flights of stairs, not bothering to wait for the elevator. She knocked on the door and stepped back, waiting for him to open it.

After a few seconds he appeared at the door and let her in.

"Oh hey Scully. What are you doing here?"

"We need to talk." She spoke slowly.

"You're right we do. I have some things I need to say. By the way, I bought you something today." Mulder disappeared into his bedroom and emerged with the shirt. He handed it to Scully and sat down on his couch after telling her to read the front.

"Mulder?" She asked, confused by his gift.

"It's for you to wear when you're with me Scully. Because you obviously don't want to be there when you are."

"Mulder, no."

"What do you mean no Scully? You must not want to be around me from the way you've been acting." Mulder was starting to get angry.

"Mulder, you know that's not it."

"Then what is it Scully? What fucking is it? Why the hell do you look like you'd rather be in the office writing expense reports than sitting on a damn couch eating dinner with me? Oh sure, I'm useful when you need a ride, or dinner, or someone to listen to you talk about Doggett and how damn wonderful he is."

"No Mulder. I do want you around, I do like being around you."

"Ha! I believe that now Scully. Maybe if you hadn't fucking made it clear who was important I would believe you." Mulder stood up, shoving the coffee table out of the way. He brushed past Scully, who was still standing in the middle of the living room her face scrunched up, looking for all the world like she was about to cry. Part of him ached to hold her, to stroke her hair and whisper his apologies in her ear.

"Where are you going?" She asked tearfully.

"Away. You obviously want me there. Maybe you should have left me dead." With that Mulder slammed the door, leaving Scully alone in his apartment.

He returned four hours later. Most of his anger had dissipated as he walked slowly around the park where he used to jog every morning. Much to his surprise he saw Scully lying on his couch, dead to the world asleep. After hanging up his coat, Mulder crossed over to kneel beside Scully's head. Through the strands of auburn that had fallen in her face, Mulder could see that Scully's face was completely tear lined, and judging by the mascara tracks, she'd been at it for a while.

"No, Mulder!" Scully cried out and jolted awake, sitting up faster than he'd seen her move in months. Without thinking, Mulder wrapped his arms around his trembling partner and rubbed her back and hair.

"Shh Scully, I'm here. I'm here."

Scully clutched at his back, whimpering softly into is neck. "Mulder. Mulder. Oh god Mulder." Scully released a shuddering breath and began to weep. Mulder held her tighter and started to rock.

"Shh Scully, it was just a dream. Everything's okay."

"You, you were dead Mulder. And I saw you. You told me that you'd never loved me and our entire partnership was a mistake. Then you left me again. Just like earlier. Only you told me to stay away and leave you dead."

Mulder closed his eyes and rested his head on Scully's. "It was just a dream. I'd never say that."

"You did earlier." Her words stung and Mulder drew in a breath.

"I'm so sorry Scully. That, that was uncalled for and out of line."

"But you meant it." She was more lucid now.

"No."

"You did. And you were right. I have been taking advantage of you. I'm sorry Mulder. And I do want you around. I love having you with me. I hope you'll believe me."

"I do Scully. I do." Mulder murmured as he kissed Scully's forehead.

They both fell asleep a while later.

Mulder awoke to find Scully not laying next to him. He looked around and saw no sign of her. He worriedly got up and ran into the kitchen hoping to find her there. No such luck. He ran into his bedroom. Relief washed over him as he heard the water running in the bathroom.

He walked back to the kitchen and started the coffee maker.

Scully walked into the kitchen a few minutes later.

"Good morning Scully"

"Good morning Mulder"

They told each other, unsure of what to say.

They both sat down at the table in silence, each waiting for the other to speak.

Mulder finally spoke first.

"Scully, I'm sorry." He sincerely said. "I didn't mean what I said yesterday." He told her in all honesty.

"I know, Mulder." She said as she put her cup in the sink and went to the living room.

Mulder soon followed.

He sat down on the couch and pulled her into his embrace. She didn't refuse. Mulder kissed the crown of her head and she sighed.

"So, I take it you didn't find anything with your mom yesterday?"

"No, but she did get me thinking." Scully tightened her grip on Mulder. He smiled into her hair.

"About what?"

"About how screwed up everything has gotten."

"What do you mean?"

"Honestly?" Scully asked. Mulder nodded. "Honestly, because you told me you didn't know where you fit in and you needed time and space. I gave you what you wanted, and now you're telling me that I've been neglecting you, which undoubtedly I have, but I don't know if this is what you want, or if this is just."

"Just what Scully?"

"If this was just you getting close to me so that you could leave again. Like last time, you'd finally gotten me into bed, now it was time to pursue your real focus."

"That's not true, you know that." Mulder defended. "I didn't go to Oregon intending to be abducted. I intended to go, find the ship, come back to DC, and make passionate love to my partner. After she went to the doctor and found out why she was having dizzy spells." Mulder whispered his last few words. "And I would stay by her side until we found out what was wrong, and whether the news was good or bad, I'd love her no less."

"Tell me you're not just saying that."

"Ask Skinner about the plane trip out there. Ask him about whom the topic of conversation was. Ask him about how I couldn't stop talking about you." Mulder smiled as Scully slowly grinned.

"Can we start over?" Scully asked, snuggling into Mulder's arms.

"I think we can." Mulder smiled.

"You think?"

"Uh hmm." Mulder leaned down and brushed his lips over Scully's. She kissed him back slowly.

When they broke apart, Scully reached out for the remote and turned on the TV. Mulder smiled and kissed Scully again, making her giggle. He planted soft kisses along her neck and up to her ear where he pulled her earlobe into his mouth. Scully sighed contentedly.

"You're in the wrong trimester for that sorta stuff Mulder." She informed him.

"Who, me? Looking for hanky panky? Never." Mulder grinned and plastered his lips to Scully's again. She took his face in her hands and held him in place until her cell phone began to chirp. Both Scully and Mulder groaned and Mulder reached into Scully's pocket and grabbed the offending object.

"What!?" He barked. "Yes, she's right here, please hold!" Mulder passed the phone over to Scully and went back to dropping kisses on her neck. She smiled and slapped him away playfully as she began to speak.

"Agent Doggett, hello." Scully spoke softly. Upon hearing the name of the other agent, Mulder growled and nipped at Scully's neck. As she continued to talk to Doggett, Mulder continued to nip at Scully's neck. Finally she ended the conversation and took Mulder's hand, placing it on her stomach.

"So, what did Doggett want?" Mulder asked.

"It doesn't matter." Scully replied.

He was about to reply but the baby chose that moment to kick. Mulder gazed at her belly in awe of the baby living inside of her.

"It's yours." Scully whispered.

Mulder took his hand off her stomach and stared at her in shock.

"Mine?" He asked, not believing she had said what he had heard.

"Yours." She repeated.

Mulder gently kissed her tummy and said in all seriousness.

"As long as its not named Fox."

Scully laughed and snagged his lips in a passionate kiss.

The End.

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