Disclaimer: They are not mine. If they were the show would still be on the air and William would be a really early recruit into the FBI. There's a reason I don't write for reals.

Spoilers: Not exactly sure where this fits, somewhere before 2F/1S...

A/N: I have really wanted to write something from Bill's point of view for a long time. I even started a few, but I haven't felt they were to the point that I could post them. This one started out only mentioning Bill, but I suddenly realized I could make this his story... at least the first chapter.

It was a rare treat when the family was together for an extended period of time. With me in California, Charlie in Texas, and mom and Dana both on the east coast, it was hard for all of us to meet up. This year though, we'd managed to make some time at the end of January. All the remaining Scullys would be together, and we were going to try to cram in birthday celebrations for mom and Dana and Matthew while we were there. Of course, a birthday for mom or Dana meant that Fox Mulder would be there. And being their birthdays, I had promised Tara that I wouldn't cause a scene. So far, I was doing pretty good. I'd greeted him politely when he and Dana came through the door, and we'd even managed to have a decent conversation about baseball. If it wasn't for all the crap Dana went through with him, I might have even liked the guy.

Halfway through dessert, his cell phone rang, and he'd excused himself to the other room. When he didn't return in about 3 minutes, Dana went looking for him. Then when she didn't come back after a moment, I went looking for her. I could hear them talking in the front hallway, and I quickly ducked out of sight.

"So you're just going to leave? Why?"

"I can't discuss this right now," he said, almost apologetically. Yeah, you'd better be apologizing, buddy.

"Why, Mulder?"

"Because. We can talk about it later, but right now you have your family in the other room."

"Tell me."

"No."

"Mulder, last I heard, we were partners. I know you've made it a habit to ditch me in the past, but you're not going to do it anymore. You promised."

His voice lowered and I had to strain to hear what he was saying.

"Listen to me. I would take you, but your whole family is here and you never get to see them." I guess I could give him points for that. "Besides, you wouldn't want to go anyway."

"Give it to me."

"What?"

"Your phone. Give it to me right now."

I had never heard my sister talk to Mulder that way. I knew she had it in her, but she always talked to him with respect. That was the tone one would use when talking to a disobedient child, and I actually cringed for the guy.

"Why?"

"You know exactly why, Fox Mulder."

Sweet mercy, she sounded like mom.

He sighed and there was a silence. I assumed she was looking to see who had called him.

"Diana," she said finally. I had never heard such defeat in her voice. "Where are you meeting her?"

"Reflecting pool."

"Fine," she said softly. "Go ahead Mulder. I don't care anymore."

"Don't do that."

"I can't compete with her like this anymore. I'm done."

Done? Score one for the Scully clan!

"What are you talking about?"

"I never wanted to give you an ultimatum, Mulder, but it's me or her. Only one of us can be your partner."

This was too good to be true.

"You."

"Do you pick me all the time, or are you just doing it to save face?"

I almost laughed at that one.

"If you really pick me, you won't go."

There was another long pause and I almost came out of my hiding place to punch the man. Did he really have to decide?

"Can I at least tell you what's going on?"

"Fine."

"She claims to have information about the chip in your neck. I don't know if it's true, or what the information might be-"

"Or why she would want to do anything to help me."

"Okay, or that. But I would like to know what this information is, so that you and I can figure out together what to do with it. I'll go and be back in an hour."

"Why can't I go with you?"

"You know why. Besides, your family would miss you, and I really don't need another thing stacked against me."

"You mean Bill? He's a jerk."

"He's not a jerk. He loves you. He wants you to be safe. That's his job, you know."

Well, at least he understood that.

"I don't like it."

"I'd rather have him hate me than have him not care about you."

"That's true. Alright, Mulder. Get out of here. I'll see you in a while."

"I'll be in touch and we'll talk more about it later, I promise."

"Be safe alright?" Her words were muffled, and I imagined them hugging each other. "I don't want to visit you in the hospital tonight."

"Don't worry, I'm armed."

There was a moment of quiet and I heard him leave. I was about to come out and confront her when I heard the distinct beep of a cell phone.

"Hey Byers, it's me. Turn off the machines... Listen, Mulder just got a call... Yes, it was her. He's meeting her at the reflecting pool. Can you guys hack into their security cameras and just keep an eye on things? ... Yeah, well you'd be paranoid too if you understood this woman's loose grasp on reality.... Just call me if anything looks suspicious or if he leaves with her, or if she even breathes wrong, okay? ... I appreciate that Byers, and I definitely agree... Thanks for doing this, I know you feel like you're betraying him, but you're not.... Yeah, I'll be fine. And tell Frohike to quit making obscene comments in the background. They're not even clever.... Thanks, Byers. Bye."

She hung up the phone and found me eavesdropping around the corner.

"Bill."

"Who's this woman? You really seem to hate her."

"His old partner. I don't trust her. He does."

"Simple as that?"

"Simple as I'm willing to admit."

"You're jealous."

"Bill..."

"You think she's going to steal him from you. Well, she's not. She might try, but he loves you, no matter how much I hate that."

"I know you hate it. But he really is good to me, Bill. He cares about me and he's there for me."

"I know that."

"And I'm not in danger as often as you think I am. He protects me, even when I don't think I need it."

"I'm still getting over the fact that you let him protect you and take care of you."

"What are you trying to say, Bill?"

I chuckled at her defensive posture.

"Nothing bad, Dana. I just mean that you're so self-sufficient that you don't really need anyone. And you let your guard down for him. I've never seen you do that before."

"He's my partner. I have to do that."

"He's just your partner?"

"Yes, Bill."

"Coulda fooled me. You sounded like a disgruntled wife back there."

She grinned a little, and I could swear she was pleased with herself.

"We're just partners, Bill. Partners and best friends."

"And soul mates?"

"You sound like Tara. But without all the romantic connotations, yeah, we probably are."

I chuckled and hugged her.

"As long as you're happy and safe, I guess that's all I can ask for. I still hate the guy, probably always will, and I don't trust him either. But you know him better than I do, and you seem to have him under control. You've got spies, I gather?"

"They're actually his friends, but they like me better. There's been a lot that's happened in the last year and some of the things he's done make him out to be a bigger jerk than he actually is. A lot of times I misunderstand things he does, but his heart is in the right place even when his blinders are on."

"I'm trying to like him, Danes. I just worry. But you won't have to hear it anymore."

"Okay. Now not a word of this conversation to anyone. Got it?"

"Got it."

We walked back into the dining room and she made her excuses for Mulder. Mom looked a little suspicious that she wasn't telling the truth, but no one said another word about it.