A/N:

Title: This Is It
Category: X-Files (MSR)
Summary: Mulder decides to make his move.
Rating: Strong PG-13 for language and some relatively mild sexual terms.
Spoilers: No spoilers.
Disclaimer: No, after twenty plus years I still don't own them.

This is another gem I found on my old hard drive. Honestly, I was a super cheesy writer (maybe I still am), and this is no different. Fluff and more fluff, with a barely there plot, and a tiny bit of humour thrown in. Sometimes I can't believe I wrote this stuff, and other times I just think it's cute. Decide for yourself, and please, pardon any grammar mistakes.

Btw, thank you all so much for feedback. I love it, and I encourage it. It always puts a smile on my face, even the flames, cause at least you read it! Please, feel welcome to leave any comment you have.

ps - I shall update my one and only multi-chapter story soon. I found the next chapter required some editing. I think I was mad when I wrote it. Two Fathers/One Son is not an easy combo to watch.

On with the show!

This is it. This is the night that I make my move on Scully.

We just got back from a joke of a case in Wisconsin. It was cold there, friggin' freezing. Scully was in a bitchy mood, not only because of the cold, but due to the fact that what she thought was the terrorizing of locals by a gang in the area, I thought – based on the evidence that it was obviously someone of very short stature who caused all the damage – was a goblin or gremlin. It really did make sense to me: no obvious entryway, everything was done at a low height, and it screamed of mischief. She didn't see it that way. Neither did anyone else for that matter, and while we were there for six days not a single incident occurred. It was deemed that bringing in the feds had scared off who ever was doing it. I stayed true to my convictions. She stayed true to hers, and was still very pissed off that I took her away for six days when she wanted to go to church on Sunday. I told her I could tell her a bit about the gospel according to Mulder, but she wasn't into it.

So why am I at her apartment at seven o'clock in the evening in my boxers and undershirt? Well, no laundry in Bumfuck, Wisconsin, most of my clothes have muck on them from trying to chase down "leprechauns" (as Scully called them) through the woods. The only clean outfit I had got soaked tonight in this crazy ice storm we've been struck with. I'm just glad it held out until after our plan landed. If we'd been rerouted somewhere I'm pretty sure Scully would have shot me… again.

It's the ice storm that has me trapped here. The bureau car we used to get from the airport to here doesn't have winter tires. It barely has tires after all the slipping and sliding we did. Once we managed to get here and park, Scully told me to call a cab or something. On a shitty day like today there are no cabs to be found. So, it's me and Scully, all night, and maybe tomorrow too if the weather report is to be believed.

"Jesus, Mulder, I just bought these grapes… if I had a little warning, if you just told me, maybe Friday, even on Saturday night, 'Hey, Scully, we may be leaving town for six days on a wild goose chase, don't waste your money on perishable food or anything….'"

She's cleaning out her fridge wearing very cozy looking flannel pyjamas and a thick robe. It is cold out there. I'm still kind of chilly and I had a very hot shower to warm me up.

Most men might be annoyed with a woman who constantly nags and argues, especially if he wasn't getting any sex out of the deal, but not me. I like Scully fighting with me. I like antagonizing her too. I love getting a rise out of her. I like how her eyes roll and her cheeks flush, and even if I could escape from here tonight I wouldn't. Though, I admit, adding sex into the mix would make it a whole lot better.

"Now you know why I don't have any food at my place," I call to her.

"You could help me, you know, Mulder."

"I think I'd better stay out of the line of fire. Hey, give up on that, come watch a movie with me."

She sighs. "I'm hungry," she says. "I don't have anything to eat."

This is where I come in. After Sam was gone mom didn't cook much. Hell, that shrink of hers had her hopped up on so many pills she didn't do much of anything. I learned how to make a half decent meal with pretty little back then.

I move into the kitchen and peer into the fridge with her.

"Scully, you have the perfect fixings for a grilled cheese sandwich."

"Grilled cheese? For dinner?"

"Sure. And…." I open the cupboard. Just as I thought. "See? Tomato soup. Nothing beats that combo. Now you sit here, and let me make you dinner."

I sit her down at the table while I get everything ready. I know this kitchen pretty well. I've had to entertain myself a few times while Scully was throwing together some clothes for an overnight case or two.

"See, Scully, for great tomato soup from a can, you can't just add water. You have to add half milk… and luckily your milk is two days away from expiring."

"Lucky me," she mumbles. I ignore her.

"Unfortunately, this is skim milk, so let's skip the water part. Let's let that boil. Now, grilled cheese is pretty straight forward, but don't use those processed cheese singles ever, Scully. They make for a disgusting sandwich. Take the real deal and slice it, not too thin, and layer it on. Now, low heat, but cover this bad boy so the cheese melts and the bread doesn't burn."

"Since when do you know how to cook, Mulder?"

"Aha, you don't know everything about me, do you Scully? Actually I only know how to make a few things, the simpler the ingredients, the better. This just happens to be one of them. Now, don't forget to flip your sandwich very carefully. If you had bacon, we could have put that in. Makes it taste even better."

"God, Mulder, that's a heart attack waiting to happen, never mind the salt content of something like that."

"You're no fun, Scully. And here we go. Perfect sandwich number one."

Making them one at a time makes better sandwiches than crowding out a pan with two. Very quickly I've made two sandwiches, which I cut diagonally and place on a plate, next to a very steaming bowl of tomato soup, with a little cheese grated on top. Looks pretty good if I do say so myself.

"And here you go, dinner is served." I place the plate in front of her, and I'm rewarded with a smile. Tonight has got to be the night I make my move.

"Thank you," she says, grabbing her sandwich. She pulls the two diagonals apart, watching the cheese stretch. "Nice," she says, and goes in for a bite.

We eat, discussing which type of movie to watch and about the ice storm – the likes of we have never seen before – and a little about the case. I avoid the topic; I know that getting Scully too worked up isn't good either. There's a balance I have to keep so she doesn't toss me out in that frozen storm in my underwear.

Finally our bellies are full and we clean up and wash the dishes together.

"Isn't this domestic of us?" I comment, drying the pot she just handed me.

"Mhm," she says, non-committaly.

"It's kinda fun, isn't it?"

"Sure."

Jeez. What do I have to say to get some feeling in her answers?

"We should do this more often."

"What, go away on crazy cases then come home to this weather and eat grilled cheese and tomato soup for dinner?"

"Uh… no, I kinda meant this whole domestic thing… the nice parts."

"Oh. Listen, I'm sorry, Mulder, I'm just tired and cranky. I really was looking forward to eating those grapes."

"I promise I'll replace them, Scully."

"You don't have to, Mulder," she sighs.

She wipes down the counter and I head back to the living room when suddenly there's a knock on her door. I look at her, and she looks at me, then shrugs.

"Who is it?" she asks.

I almost tell her I'm not a frigging psychic, or we wouldn't have to go on these false X-Files, but then I realize I can just look through the peephole in the door. Who I see nearly knocks me down flat.

"Shit, Scully, it's your mother," I whisper loudly to her so she can hear.

"What?" She's a bit panicked too, looking at my 'outfit.' She comes to the door, then looks through the peephole. "What is she doing here?" Her mother knocks again, more insistent this time.

"Dana?" she calls, and we hear the rattling of a keychain. Rather than her mother catch us, Scully moves quickly.

She opens the door, and I just stand there. I don't really know what else to do with myself, half naked in Scully's apartment.

"Dana, thank god," Maggie says, a bit out of breath.

"Mom, what are you doing here?"

"Have you seen it outside, Dana? It's horrible, just horrible." She steps in, moving around Scully easily. "Hail keeps falling, the roads are – "

And she spots me. Hard to miss, the 6 foot, mostly naked man standing behind your daughter. I smile. What else am I supposed to do?

"Hi, Mrs. Scully," I say.

She looks back to her daughter.

"What happened, mom?" Scully asks, taking her mother's coat.

"I, um, I was having dinner with some very old friends, maybe you remember Captain Parkdale's wife and her sister? I didn't expect this storm to hit so fast and be so dangerous. I was closer to here than to my house so I thought it would be better if I came here… I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

"Oh god, no!" Scully is a bit too quick with her answer. "No, Mulder got stuck here too, the car kept sliding everywhere."

"I see."

"His clothes are in the wash."

"Oh."

"Sit down, mom, you've got ice all over you." Scully ushers her mom to the living room.

"Scully, don't you have anything I can wear?" I say quietly to her.

"I don't keep men's clothing laying around, Mulder."

"Well I think now you should. A bathrobe, anything?"

"Do you think my robes will fit you?"

"I can't walk around like this in front of your mother! I'd rather wait this storm out in the car!"

She sighs. "Okay, okay. I'll try to dig up something."

"Dana? You know, I'm a bit worried, I just abandoned the car about two blocks away when I couldn't find parking, I really do have to move it."

"I'll go down and get it," Scully says.

"No, no, I'll go. You stay here and get your mom some soup."

"Mulder, you have no clothes. How are you going to go out there?"

"Scully," I whisper forcefully, "I am not staying up here with your mother while dressed like this so you can go out and park her car."

She sighs again. "Fine. Whatever."

"Which way is the car, Mrs. Scully?" I ask, while I grab my thin trench coat and wrap it securely around me.

"It's that way, about two blocks or so… Fox, really, you shouldn't go like that. Maybe when I warm up I can – "

"No, I insist. I'll be back very soon. Put on some coffee for me, I'll need it."

Fuck it is cold out here. Cold, and still raining down ice pellets. They sting as they hit my face and bare calves. I find Mrs. Scully's car just fine, it's stopped diagonally in the lane, just before the stop sign. It'll cause a nice accident for someone who can't stop in time, never mind the three cars it's blocking in.

I get in, start it up, and begin to drive slowly, looking for a place to park. Ice has already begun to harden on the car, but I'm not planning on standing out there to chip it off, so I roll down the window and stick my head out to see.

A miracle. Finally something good to happen tonight. A spot at the end of the street, I just have to line up, back up a bit, and I'm good. I take a minute to brace myself for the outside, and look around the car. It's a typical small sedan, neat and clean and… what's this? I pick up the pack lying between the seat and console. Cigarettes? Since when does Mrs. Scully smoke? I carefully tuck the pack back where it was. Interesting.

I'm frozen by the time I get back. Luckily, Scully and her mother are there to fawn over me. Well, Mrs. Scully does, showering me with appreciation and helping me off with my coat while wrapping me up in a warm blanket at the same time. So… motherly. I could get used to this.

Scully brings me a very hot coffee, made just the way I like. I take it, and nearly drop it when I feel her fingers run through my hair. I look up at her. She's smiling at me. I feel like a hero, and my chest puffs out a bit unconsciously. What's a little freezer burn when it wins me brownie points like that?

"Thank you so much, Fox, isn't nice to have a man around the house, Dana?"

I practically choke on my coffee then, and I know 'Dana' is probably rolling her eyes dramatically somewhere behind me.

"Mother, I would have been quite capable of parking your car."

"Yes, I know, but you didn't have to, that's the point."

"Mom…."

"I'm just saying it's nice, that's all. Can you believe this weather? They were saying on the radio that this will be one of the worst storms ever, power will probably be lost tonight too, and it's so cold."

"Good thing you have that fireplace, Scully," I say, hugging my coffee for warmth.

The three of us sit on the couch: me, then Scully, then her mother at the other end. It's quiet except for me sipping my coffee every now and then. How awkward. I can imagine what everyone is thinking. Mrs. Scully is wondering why the hell I'm in my underwear roaming around Scully's apartment like I own the place. Scully is probably wondering how she got herself into this mess. I'm thinking that as much as I love Scully's mother, I am really pissed about the cockblock.

I really was planning on making a move tonight. If it did ice over tomorrow, like it was supposed to, that would mean no work on Friday, then the weekend… four nights, three days to spend in Scully-land, kissing and frolicking and doing things naked. I had everything planned out. I was so confident. Shit.

"What did you two have planned for this evening?" Mrs. Scully finally asks.

"Nothing," Scully answers. "Mulder just kind of got stranded here so we were just going to watch a movie or something on tv."

"Don't let me stop you, you two can go ahead with your plans."

"They weren't 'plans' mom."

"I don't suppose you would be interested in watching Dawn of the Dead, Mrs. Scully?"

"Oh, no, Fox, you two go ahead. I can go into the bedroom and read."

"Mom…." Scully mumbles a warning under her breath. I smile. Looks like Mrs. Scully isn't the cockblock I thought she would be. I don't say anything, hoping she will retreat to the bedroom, but Scully cuts in.

"We'll watch something else. Pick something else, Mulder."

"Sure," I say.

"No, really, you two please go ahead."

"Really, Mrs. Scully, we've seen that movie already, I've seen it five times myself." I have read that the way to a woman's heart is to be kind to her mother.

"Five? It's that good?"

"No, it's not that good, mom, Mulder just has peculiar taste. Find something else, Mulder."

I am in charge of the remote, which is good. I hate how Scully flips through the channels so slowly. I skip the crappy channels, go straight to the good stuff.

"Mulder, we can't tell what's on when you go so fast," she says.

"Trust me, Scully, nothing good is on those channels."

"You always say that, but how do you know? Look, channel 20 is one of my favourite channels."

"That channel? All that does is play those cheesy made-for-tv movies."

"They aren't all 'cheesy made-for-tv movies.' I happen to like them."

I make a disgusted face. How could I not? This is the woman I'm pretty much head over heels in love with? I flick to her channel, to prove nothing good is on.

"See?"

"Oh, is that Sally Field?" Mrs. Scully asks.

Oh shit. Please don't like this, please don't like this….

"It just started, want to watch it?" Scully asks.

"If the two of you don't mind."

"Of course not, mom."

I put down the remote. If the way to Scully's heart is through her family, I can put up with this for Scully's mother's sake. I don't miss Scully's smirk, however, and I give her a scowl back. This might be a long night.

I feel a jab in my side, then a second one, and I realize Scully is hitting me with her elbow. I look at her, a bit dazed. I must have fallen asleep.

"You're starting to snore," she mouths to me. I rub my face. The shitty murder-mystery-love-story is still going strong, with Mrs. Scully glued to the tube in rapt interest.

I'm trying to focus on the screen when suddenly everything goes dark. I look around.

"Well, there goes the power," I say, a bit cheerfully. First, I don't have to sit through that god awful movie; second, maybe Mrs. Scully will go to sleep and I can have my Scully all to myself for a little while.

"Mulder, get our flashlights, I'll grab some candles."

As usual, we both keep a small penlight in our jackets. Keeping the blanket wrapped around me, I get them, and hand one to Mrs. Scully.

"Too bad we won't get to see the end of the movie," she sighs.

"Too bad," I mumble. "I'm just going to help Scully with the candles."

I rush to her bedroom where I find her groping around her dresser for some candles. The light of my flashlight brightens the room slightly.

"Mulder?" she asks when the light blinds her.

"It's me. How are you doing in here?" I touch her back with my fingertips, and let my hand slide down and settle firmly in its spot.

"I think these three are enough." She holds them up and I move extremely close to see. I stay in her space for just a moment longer than necessary, and she looks up at me, her eye brow raised.

"You don't think they're enough?" she asks.

"They're perfect."

She takes a deep breath. "Mulder, what are you doing?"

I realize now that my hand has begun to draw shapes over the small of her back without my knowledge. I don't stop. I kind of like the feel of her.

"Nothing," I whisper, in response to her question. She takes another deep breath.

"Mom is waiting for us…."

"Yeah," is all I say. I can't help it; I bend and kiss her forehead. I hand her the flashlight, and take the candles from her. "You get the matches, I'll be out in a minute."

She looks at me before she leaves. I know she's wondering what's up, but I was really eager to have an evening alone with her. It's not easy for me to drop the idea so fast.

When she goes I take three very deep breaths, and focus my mind on the image of Skinner at an eight AM, Monday morning meeting. There. Calm once more. I wrap the blanket tightly around me and I head out to the living room.

"Sweetheart, I know he's trying to be alone with you, I don't mind going into the bedroom for a while, or if you two want to go in there for some privacy, I can entertain myself-"

"Mom, he does not want to be alone with me! It's not like that!" Scully hisses. I smile inside. Mrs. Scully is definitely not a cockblock. She's turning out to be my wingman.

"Got the matches?" I ask a little loudly so I don't embarrass anyone.

"Right here," Scully says. I take them, then light up the candles, handing them to her to scatter around the room.

"Now what?" she says.

"Do you have any games? A deck of cards?" I ask.

"I have a deck of cards here somewhere. Hand me the flashlight, I'll check the closet."

While she's gone, Mrs. Scully looks at me very apologetically. "I'm sorry for interrupting your evening, Fox."

"Don't be silly, Mrs. Scully. Honestly, you're keeping her from biting my head off, really. She's not happy with me since we've been out of town."

"You know she doesn't mean it."

"I know. She's just got a bit of that Irish temper in her."

Mrs. Scully sighs. "Just like her father."

Scully comes back then, and cuts our conversation short. I wanted to ask about Captain Scully, but instead Scully drops a box on the table in front of us.

"I couldn't find cards, but I found this."

"Monopoly?" She's brought out the board game.

"Yeah. Come on, it'll be fun, and it'll kill some time."

"Alright, but I'm the shoe." I claim my piece, and before long we're in a very intense game.

Not many people know it, but Scully is a very bad winner. Losing she is fine and gracious, but when she wins she can't help but gloat. She has somehow bested me and is flaunting her money and her properties as she collects my very last dime.

"It's just a stupid game," I mumble.

"Oh, poor baby. Maybe next time, Mulder."

I shoot her a dirty look. Mrs. Scully yawns. I look at my watch. It's already midnight.

"I think it's time I call it a night," she says.

"It is late," Scully says, checking her own watch.

"The sleeping arrangements…." Mrs. Scully starts. I can feel the redness cover Scully's face during the slight pause before she answers.

"You and I will sleep in my bed, obviously. Mulder will sleep out here, like he was going to."

"Oh. You don't mind if I retire then? I'll just borrow a set of nightclothes, Dana."

"Sure, mom. I'll be there in a few minutes."

"No rush. I'm going straight to sleep. Goodnight, Fox."

"Goodnight, Mrs. Scully."

Finally! I think, as Scully cleans up the game. I help her, moving quickly so we can sit on the couch for a while.

"Well, I guess I'll let you get to sleep," she says when the box is packed up.

"Hey, I'm not really tired. Why don't you sit with me for a while?"

She looks at me a little strange, but nods, and soon we're pressed side by side on the couch.

"I'm sorry for taking you away from home for so long," I say softly.

"It's okay, Mulder. I know it won't be the last time."

"No, as long as you're with me, Scully, it won't be the last time."

She looks at her fingers, playing with them as if she doesn't know what else to do with them. In the candlelight she is glowing, even more beautiful than usual, which is saying a lot. At a time like this, anything any hot blooded male wants to do is throw her back on the couch and bury himself deep inside of her, and I'm no different. Thankfully my brain tells me that won't work out so well.

"Hey, I promise, if we ever get out of this ice storm, I'll make it up to you this weekend."

"Really? How?"

"I'll bring over some movies and make you another grilled cheese sandwich. And I'll replace your grapes."

That gets a laugh out of her and my heart starts to pound.

"It's a deal."

"But you didn't have such an awful time this week, did you?" I ask, letting my finger stroke up and down on her knee. "Remember the deer we saw the first day?"

"They were amazing," she says softly.

"And I thought that restaurant was pretty good."

"With all the fresh cheese, how could it be bad," she whispers. I lift my arm and put it around her shoulders. I can hear her breath quicken.

"And I know you enjoyed the fact that the bathroom had that huge, clean tub."

"That was nice." She lifts her face to me and the time is right. I move closer, and I kiss her.

First my lips barely touch hers. I want to give her room to move away if she wants. She doesn't, instead her lips press against mine very softly. God… so softly. Her lips are like two soft, perfect pillows.

I shift a bit, one arm still around her, my other hand moving to her waist. I press against her mouth harder this time, and she doesn't pull away, so I let my tongue slip out and lick her lips.

My cock comes alive when she opens her own mouth and lets me taste her. A warmth spreads through me. This must be what heaven feels like. Her hand touches my cheek and she kisses me back and it just encourages me to pull her body closer.

Our kisses are slow and deep, wet and very erotic. I'm completely hard by the time we pull back for air. I've got to adjust myself before I come peeking out of my boxers.

Her forehead presses against mine as we take deep, quick breaths, sharing the air between us.

"What was that?" she whispers.

"I've been trying to do that all night."

"Mom was right?"

"She's smart. Stay with me on the couch tonight, Scully."

"I can't, mom will wonder where I am."

"She'll know where you are. Okay, just for a little while then?"

She takes a deep breath. "Hey, remember you promised to make it up to me this weekend? Maybe then we can share the couch together."

"Maybe then we can share the bed?" I ask, hopeful.

"Maybe."

She leans forward and kisses me soundly one more time before standing and getting the bedsheets to make up the sofa for me. We do it together, with me touching her as often as possible. I grab her hand before she leaves.

"Goodnight, Scully," I say softly, pulling her to me for just one last kiss for the night.

"Sweet dreams, Mulder."

She turns to leave, but I have a hard time letting go of her hand until finally she pulls away, walking to her bedroom.

I sigh, and flop down on the couch. This weekend. Oh god, I can't wait until this weekend. Sweet dreams indeed.