A/N: Here's chapter 14 – the last one to this story. I hope, that you all like it.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
It was wonderful outside, strolling side by side through the garden that was lit with lots of colored chinese paper lanterns. Most of the guests were standing near the veranda and in proximity to the house. So they were most likely alone, heading for the round bench, where they had spend time before.
The frogs from the pond were trying to drown the music from the house with their croaking, but failed. Crickets were cheeping and the sweet smell of the peaches mixed with the smell of the buffet.
Scully was still feeling a little our of her mind. But in a positive way. "Mulder … are you aware of the fact that you just talked to my brother? And that it didn't end in a quarrel or fight?" She seated herself on the bench.
Mulder nodded his head. Still stunned. He was thinking about the conversation that had just happened. He nodded his head again but seemed distant, still thinking, but a smile washed over his face. "Well, not really." He seated himself next to her.
Scully laughed and nicked a leaf of salad from the plate Mulder had packed with a lot of edible buffet stuff. "Mulder, this is the best day of my life. Ever. Do you know how happy I am today? How glad I am that you agreed to come here?" She stated with such a beaming on her face that she nearly felt embarassed. But she wanted to tell him. To tell him just how happy she felt and how much it had to do with him being with her. She sighed loudly but happily.
Now Mulder watched his partner stunned. He saw her beaming, her joy and satisfaction. "Well, if I had known that you'd be so happy, you could have asked me earlier, if I would accompany you to one of your family events … so your whole family can make fun of me!" He replied smiling.
"But … they're not making fun of you!"
Mulder chuckled. "Oh yes, they do … somehow your granny knows about our conversation about the feeding cups and her being old and deaf."
Scully laughed again and nicked another leaf of salad. "I just wanted to say thank you!"
Mulder nodded and put the plate aside, before he leaned back against the bench and looked over to the house. "No, Scully … I have to say thank you. This was the best weekend in a very long time. You know, if I had stayed in D.C., I would have ended up with the gunmen … and that's something you can definitely not compare with THIS."
Again she smiled contently and looked over to Mulder, who sat next to her totally relaxed and looked into her eyes. His soft eyes examining every spot in her face and she felt every look on her body. "Mulder …"
"Thank you!" He breathed and slowly brought himself closer to her.
Her heart was pounding heavily in her chest. She knew what was about to happen. She so knew. But was this really what she wanted? Her complete inside screamed YES. She swallowed, feeling a little light-headed, but then closed her eyes expectantly. Awaiting, what she had thought of so many times before.
She closed her eyes and maybe she had thought just the same as he had. His heart stopped beating as he realized how close their faces were. Her skin looked soft and smooth and the nearby lampions painted it in every imaginable color, making it look even more magical. God, hopefully this is right! Thought Mulder and felt enormously tense. Hey, you know her since seven years! And you love her at least since six years, what's your problem? Exactly that was his problem! Everything would change in just a few seconds from now. Would they be able to live with such a change? But before he could think about anything more, his body decided for him and he closed the distance between her and his face, feeling the heat of her face and body next to him.
She was not able to think. She couldn't think about anything. She just felt. His heat, his breath and his closeness and then … his lips lightly pressed against hers as suddenly: "Auntie Dana, uncle Fox! Hurry! Great-grandmother's friends are giving her her present!"
Patrick, of course a little ahead of his older sister, was suddenly standing next to them and shot glances from Dana to Fox and back again.
The conversation with the kids only a few hours ago flashed before Mulder's inner eye. Now, Patrick was smiling all over his face, but all Mulder could think of was the feeling of Dana's lips on his. Unfortunately, it hadn't been a real kiss – just the imagination of one.
Annabelle stopped next to her aunt and layed her hands on Dana's knees. "Come on, Dana, hurry!"
Scully nodded, trying to get her breathing under control and started to look over to Mulder for the first time after their nearly-kiss. He was looking at her, too. They were both thinking the same thing right now. It would have happened. If Patrick and Annabelle hadn't interrupted them, it would have happened.
Mulder smiled at her softly, hoping Scully would smile back at him, just to assure him. Hopefully, she won't regret this! He hoped for he didn't know how to deal with that. Right now, he thought he couldn't live with rejection. But she smiled back.
They got up, each of them with one kid on their hands, and strolled back towards the mainhouse. Maybe it wasn't supposed to happen. Or maybe it was supposed to happen someplace else oder sometime else.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
" … and that's why we are going to give you this journey through the United States." Stated Frederic Burton at the exact moment Annabelle, Dana, Fox and Patrick entered the large living room.
Katherine, who was standing right next to Frederic, raised her hands to her face and took the envelope Frederic held for her with so much emotion. "Thanks! Oh my gosh, thanks so much!" She said with tears in her eyes. "This is so huge … I … I don't know what to say! I'm speechless!"
Mulder grinned. This woman finally being speechless was a real surprise. His line of vision trailed back to Scully, standing next to him. She was smiling. At him. And suddenly he wasn't afraid, that something might have changed. They had just taken one step forward on a long way. A way he was looking forward to.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
9.47 AM, EST-Time, Sunday
House of Katherine Scully, Lincoln Landing
Katherine, Maggie, Tara, Megan, Annabelle, Patrick, Bill, Charles and Matthew were all standing on the veranda.
Mulder unlocked their car and approached the Scully family. Dana was still somewhere inside, packing the last things. "Well, I think, we have everything packed!"
Annabelle and Patrick stormed towards him. "Are you going to visit us?"
Mulder smiled and leaned down to them. "Sure. If I can talk your aunt into it or if I'll be on business in England, I'll visit you." He looked up to the others again.
"Fox, it was a real pleasure to finally getting to know you. I wish you could sty longer. And I hope, I'll be seeing you next year on my birthday, understood?"
Mulder nodded. "Of course, Katherine!"
Sculy stepped out of the house, casted one last look over it and the garden. Traces of yesterday's party were still visible for example the paper lanterns, some empty champagne bottles. "Okay, we have to go now." Dana knew she would miss all of this.
"You call me, when you get home!" Maggie stepped forward and took her daughter into a very tight embrace.
"Of course!" She said and headed together with Mulder for their car, waved goodbye, got in and drove of.
Annabelle and Patrick chased the car, still waving goodbye and watched the dust of the car, that got smaller and smaller and then vanished.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
11.21 AM, EST-Time, Sunday
Somewhere near Georgia's border
It was hot, but that wasn't the problem. They both felt a little uncomfortable. And they both knew why. It was just a question of when somebody would take the first step and start talking.
"So …", it was Scully, "… Mulder, about yesterday …"
Mulder nodded and looked over to her. He swallowed and then started: "Dana, I know what you want to say. But we shouldn't talk this moment apart, you know? I thought it was wonderful and to speak frankly, I wish we had kissed."
Now, it was Scully's turn to swallow. She hadn't been ready for so much honesty, but that made her love him even more.
Mulder's eyes tried to stay focused on the street in front him, but it was hard. "But, I could understand, if … if you want to forget about this incident." This was hard to say and once it was out he didn't look over to her. Now, it was her decision what would happen. It was on her what would be. Or what wouldn't.
Scully mused, if he was able to hear her nervous heart beating. She paused a little moment, gained some strength and then said: "How could I possibly want to forget?" Her voice was soft and she reached out to touch his upper arm. As his eyes locked with hers she felt unbelievably happy, because they told her of his astonishment but at the same time of his joy.
And than he started laughing. He hadn't expected something like that. He had hoped for it, but actually he had expected another answer. Although he was sitting, his legs felt shaky. "Uhm … okay … since we've talked about that, there's only one question left!"
Scully shot him a confused look.
"Do you really think my nose is too defined?"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
11.21 AM, EST-Time, Sunday
Katherine Scully's house
"Well, what do you think about me starting my US-journey in Washington?" Katherine Scully asked her daughter in law, as they were taking off the paper lanterns together. Being in Washington, she could visit Fox and Dana. A smile washed over her face.
Maggie shrugged her shoulders. "Well, if you want to. But maybe you should be a little bit more sensitive, start your journey someplace else, because I think you really made them suffer."
"Who? Me?" Asked Katherine with her sugar-sweet and innocent voice and started smiling again. Everything had worked out as planned!
The end
A/N: Thanks so much for reading this story! I would have never thought someone actually liked it. But to read all your nice and kind reviews told me otherwise. The ones of you who are writers themselves, know how satisfying reviews can be! But I welcome all reviews, either good or bad. But until now, I've only been blessed with the good ones: )
Maybe you've all expected more to happen between our two favorite agents … but guys, you have to give me something to write about in the sequel: ) Because I think, it's worth a sequel … you know, what happens when granny Scully does go to Washington …
Okay, that's all I can say to you … and hopefully, I'll get some of your reviews or nice messages, when I post the sequel. But … I still have to practice writing english – right now, I'm writing everything that comes to my mind in german, and then I translate it afterwards, which takes more time and must sound not very "smooth". Maybe I should just write everything in english from the start.
Till then, have wonderful lifes and take care, yours Kat.
Story finished: 2007-01-22