Mulder pulled a bottle of beer out of his nearly empty fridge and twisted the cap off. Today had been hell, his day back at work without Scully. The memorial service had been held a week ago, but it was hard to have closure without a body. Mulder knew she was out there somewhere.

He flipped on the radio, wanting some noise his apartment. The song playing wasn't one he knew nor was it his usual type. The voices had marvelous harmony though and the lyrics caught his ear.

The song was obviously about two lovers and though he and Scully never had that kind of relationship, the words meant so much to him. The chorus was especially hard hitting...

It was almost as if this song was written for him. Mulder downed the rest of his ber and the DJ said, "and from Canada, that was Nova Scotia's very own Rankin Family with their hit song, Fare Thee Well Love. Next up from Ireland we have the Chieftains.." Mulder flipped off the radio and wrote down the name of the group.

Mulder arrived at the bureau the next day at precisely 8:00. When he looked at his desk there was a note from Skinner to meet him in his office at exactly 8:30. Mulder groaned, he was not in the mood to see Skinner today. He sat down in his chair and looked over at the area that had been Scully's. He almost expected her to be there pouring over a dusty file with her red hair falling around her face.

There had been a dull ache in Mulder's heart since Agent Scully had been presumed dead. He had been spending time with her mother, his last link to the woman with whom he'd spent almost every waking moment with in the past six years. He enjoyed listening to stories about little Dana Scully and looking through the photo albums.

Mulder remembered when she'd been taken away several years ago, but he hadn't received any unwelcomed smoking visitors lately, so he doubted her disappearance had anything to do with the government. It had been decided that Dana Scully was dead, and a service was planned. Mulder had read a eulogy to her and her service was widely attended for Dana Scully despite her associations, was a well respected woman.

Mulder wiped away the tear that had fallen and headed upstairs to see Skinner.

Inside Skinner's office sat a rather nervous looking young agent. Skinner greeted Mulder with his customary brisque tone and said, "Agent Mulder, I'd like you to meet Agent Michael Perry, your new partner."

Perry jumped up and pumped Mulder's hand enthusiastically. Mulder did not look pleased. Skinner continued, "Agent Perry has been assigned to work with you on the X-Files. I suggest you show him to your office. A desk for him will delivered shortly."

Mulder scowled, "six years and Scully never got a desk." he thought angrily. Agent Perry practically ran out the door and as Mulder turned to leave Skinner said,,"Agent Scully was a good agent, Mulder. I don't expect Perry to replace her." Maybe the bastard did care after all..

After putting up with Perry's neurotic questioning all day, Mulder gladly left the office. He walked by the small garden out front and yanked some tulips out of the ground. Then as if on auto-pilot he drove to a small cemetary. He came here everyday in an attempt to make peace with himself. He approached a grey cement headstone and as usual rad the words on it..

Mulder had been tempted to suggest that The Truth Is Out There be written on it but instead the closing line of her favourite poem was used. It made sense. As he lay the flowers down he thought about how stupid it was to come here when there was nothing of Scully here. But he had no where else to go.

Mulder just sat there for ages staring at the stone, remembering Scully. Why did it always take death to make a person realize their love for another. He wished he could take her into his arms and hold her close, feeling the beating of her heart againt his chest. He wanted to run his fingers through her hair and press his lips against hers, feeling the soft warmth of them. Instead he had an uncaring headstone and no answers.

He stood up and brushed his pants off. Before leaving, Mulder whispered, "Fare thee well love"

All week Mulder struggled to find some sort of routine in his life. Agent Perry was becoming almost unbearable; one day Mulder had arrived at work to find Perry already there cleaning up the office. He had thrown everything left of Scully in the trash. Mulder, in a fit of rage, had struck Perry and told him to empty the trash and to put everything back. Mulder knew he could get into serious trouble for striking another agent, but this man had touched things very personal to Mulder.

Relations between them did not improve despite Perry's gallant efforts. Mulder kept a small, framed photo given to him by Maggie Scully of Dana, in his desk drawer. It was a rare picture, as she was smiling, and it reminded him of better times together. Perry saw Mulder looking at the picture one day and inquired into who it was, hoping to crack through the wall Mulder had built up around himself. Mulder had looked up at Perry with anger blazing in his eyes and frothily told him to mind his own business. After that Mulder was very careful to leave Scully in the drawer whenever Perry was around. Dana Scully was not something Mulder wanted to share with that imbecile.

Skinner noticed Mulder's resentment towards his new partner and compared it to the resentment he had seen when Dana was first assigned to the X-Files with Mulder. He had known Mulder liked to work alone, but now it appeared he worked only with a stubborn, redheaded woman and not agents fresh out of the academy. But, there wasn't much Skinner could do.

Mulder had found an mp3 copy of the song he had heard weeks ago and often fell asleep listening to it. He wanted his last waking thoughts to be of Scully. He knew he was becoming almost obsessed with her memory, but he knew she was out there, all he had to do was find her.

It was later that week that Mulder and Perry were assigned to their first case. They were being sent to a remote research base in the northern Canadian territory of Nunavut. A team of American scientists up there had discovered something unusual. The case was vaguely remeniscient of something he and Scully had already investigated so Mulder wasn't too interested. As he sat on the flight to Nunavut, Mulder wondered where the restofit was...

The plane landed in the capital city of Iqualuit and the agents boarded a bush plane that would take them to the base. Perry made no attempt to his his excitement and Mudler did nothing to disguise his disgust. Mulder felt the small rectangle in his jacket pocket that was Scully, he couldn't bear to leave her behind.

It was one cold night as Mulder lay huddled in his cot that his cell phone. He fumbled around beside him before picking it up, it was probably Skinner. "Mulder" he said.

The voice on the other end was weak, muffled and hard to make out but Mulder knew who it was. She was crying now and Mulder attempted to comfort her and to get her to tell him where she was. He had known she was out there.

Through her sobs she managed to tell him some of the story. It had to do with revenge for a case they had worked on several years ago. It had nothing to do with aliens, just simply a crazed lunatic. She didn't know where she was and when she managed to to ahold of a phone she had called the first number that came to mind. Now more than anything Mulder wanted to get out of this frigid hell hole and back to the bureau.

He dialed Skinner's digits and told him the story. To his annoyance, Skinner had refused to allow him to return until the current case was wrapped up. He would have some men working on Scully's case though he promised.

Mulder didn't sleep the rest of the night instead he took out Scully's picture and lightly ran a finger over her paper features. He pretended it was her and poured his heart out to her. When, he decided, he and Scully were re-united he would tell her how he felt, he would leave out nothing, she needed to know the truth. He would also get straight to work on a transfer for Agent Perry.

When morning broke Mulder dialed Maggie Scully's number and informed her of the midnight call from her daughter. Mrs Scully was overwhelmed and Mulder wished he could be there to comfort her. He had a lot of comforting to do.

Mulder worked hard that day on the case, surprising Perry who had previously found Mulder to be rather non-committal. He wondered what could be accounted for the change but was afraid to ask as his bruise from when he'd cleaned the office hadn't healed yet. Perry knew that Nykder had brought the picture of the redhaired woman along. He must be very attached to it or have a thing for pretty redheads. Perry knew nothing about Mulder's previous partner but wondered if it was possibly the woman in the picture.

Several days later Mulder wrapped up the case and he and Perry headed back to the bureau. Mulder wasted no time meeting with Skinner, who to Mulder's glee had some promising leads. Skinner saw Mulder crack a smile that day for the first time in a month.

It was decided that Mulder and Perry would pursue a lead that would take them to Maine. Mulder resented having Perry along as he was forced to tell him about Scully.

Perry accepted the info provided with no questions. He saw a photo of Dana Scully and realized that she was indeed the lovely redheaded woman in Mulder's picture. He didn't know what had happened between Mulder and his previous partner but that was obviously the reason behind Mulder's refusal to accept him.

Once in the small Maine town, Mulder knew she was there. He could feel her and his heart cried out. But he had to take things slowly, Dana's life was on the line. he could not bear to lose her again. A plan had been formulated and each step had to be carefully implemented. Mulder realized that Perry was trustworthy and was actually glad he was along though he'd never admit it. Mulder had a reputation to keep up.

The first step was for Perry to get to know the man suspected of taking Scully. Mulder had to keep undercover because of his involvement with the man prior to now. Perry, who was rather outgoing and friendly succeeeded almost immediately. Scully's abductor thought Perry was simply a town newbie and took him under his wing.

While Perry went out with the man, Mulder sat in the house. He could do nothing except wait.

A month later Perry got the man to agree to an overnight hunting trip, the next step of the plan. Before leaving, Perry informed Mulder of the location of the man's house and provided some info about the surrounding area. At 7:00 the next morning Perry and the man were out of the town and Mulder was out of the house. He could not approach the the property until darkness fell so he bided his time that day by recalling his history with Scully from day one. By the time he reached their kiss on the eve of the new millennium darkness had fallen. Mulder set into action.

Making sure his gun was loaded and concealed, he headed towards the man's run-down property. There was a dog on the premise but with one belly rub Mulder dealt with that obstacle. He approached the door and listened, ther was no sound. The door was locked so Mulder kicked it down. He flicked on the flashlight and surveyed the house. In the office he went through the man's desk finding Scully's ID badge and her crucifix necklace. He pocketed the badge and clutched the necklace, Scully was here somewhere.

There was a set of stairs leading to what Mulder assumed to be the basement, so he followed them. In the basement was a few shelves with canned goods on them, a few spiders and assorted rusting hunks of metal. He shuffled his feet over the floor feeling for any hidden doors but found nothing. Once Mulder was sure there was nothing of suspicion in the basement he went back upstairs.

Within half an hour he had made an entire sweep of the house, finding nothing more of Scully. Not ready to give up yet he went back outside, pausing only to give the dog another scratch. The dog followed Mulder, and Mulder decided maybe that wasn't such a bad idea having a dog with him. He doubted that the dog was trained to pick up Scully's scent but it couldn't hurt. There were assorted small buildings scattered around the property. Mulder assumed that this was once a farm, but was no longer being used for that purpose.

Out of the corner of his eye he caught a slight movement behind one of the buildings. He withdrew his gun and walked quickly but silently. The dog followed him, sniffing at his heels. Then suddenly the dog began to growl and raced forward ahead of Mulder. Mulder ran to catch up with the dog, wondering what the dog knew. The dog began pawing at a hole behind the building and snarling fiercly. He could have sworn he heard a woman scream.

Grabbing the dog by the collar, Mulder pulled him away. The hole leading underneath the building was no more than a metre wide, only a small woman could fit down there. "Scully!" Mulder cried suddenly, not realizing he had said that aloud. Scully was a small woman. The dog, upon hearing the name became surprisingly vicious and jumped up on Mulder. As much as Mulder hated to do it, he shot the dog. It had become a threat to his own safety. Once he made he sure the dog was really dead he shone the light down into the hole.

A scream came up, surprising the hell out of Mulder. "I didn't come out Bruce!! I promise I didn't come out!!" said Scully's voice. It sounded as if she were crying. Mulder took a deep breath as he heard Scully's voice.

"Dana...", he said, "it's me"

Her voice came again..."Mulder??"

Her face appeared in Mulder's light and Mulder nodded. She scrambled out of the hole and into his waiting arms. Mulder held her tightly, "I thought you were dead.." he murmered into her hair. Scully was sobbing now and Mulder couldn't hold back his own tears. He was aching to tell her how he felt, but he knew that getting her clean and fed was more important.

Mulder took her back to the house he and Perry had. He realized that he had forgotten to bring along some clothes for her so once she was out of the shower he handed her a pair of his own sweats and t-shirt. As she had lost so much weight, she was really swimming in his clothes, but to Mulder she had never looked more beautiful. Her face was gaunt, but her eyes were bright. Mulder let her pick and choose what she wanted to eat and then sat down next to her at the table in the kitchen.

"I can't tell you how good it is be warm..." she said, "And to see you again" she added as an afterthought.

Mulder smiled. He said nothing but just watched her eat and smiled.

After Scully finished eating, he led her to the couch were he picked up his own hairbrush and began to brush her hair. It had almost dried, leaving it full of tangles. He gently worked the brush through each one until her red hair lay softly around her shoulders. Mulder smiled and said, "I guess you are a natural redhead Scully"

Scully looked around the house and saw more belongings than could possibly be Mulder's. "Mulder.." she asked, "is there someone else here?"

Mulder, realizing that she knew nothing of Agent Perry, quickly filled her in on what happened. It was the rest of the plan to leave town early tomorrow and be back in Washington before Perry and Scully's kidnapper returned. Scully nodded and leaned against Mulder. She hadn't stopped thinking of him, she knew she never would.

They fell asleep that way, with Scully snuggled up against Mulder. It was almost a shame to wake up in the morning. Mulder frantically packed most of his belongings and scribbled a note to Perry that he had gotten her and was back in Washington.

There was almost nothing said on the flight back, there was no need to, they were just relishing the novelty of each other's company. Scully had fallen asleep again and Mulder just let her sleep. He still hadn't told her the truth, he knew that if he waited much longer his nerve would run out. The words to "Fare Thee Well Love" ran through his head once more as he looked over the sleeping woman next to him.

He gently poked Scully and she opened her eyes, "are we landing?" she asked.

Mulder shook his head, "I just wanted to tell you something Scully..."

Scully looked at him with her gorgeous blue eyes, and cocked her head to the right, urging him on.

"Scully..I..uh..I..I love you Scully." Mulder finally got the words out.

Scully smiled, "I love you too Mulder, you know that."

Mulder scrunched his face, "No, Dana.."he said purposely using her first name, "I really love you."

Scully started to cry then, making Mulder feel rather embarrased. The flight attendant approached them, "Sir" she said addressing Mulder, "is your wife okay?"

Mulder nodded, "yes she's fine, at least she will be" he replied, not bothering to correct her error. He liked people thinking that he and Scully were married, it meant that the idea of them together wasn't preposterous. The flight attendant nodded and walked away.

He and Scully didn't exchange another word until they arrived at the bureau in Washington. Mulder had wanted to take her home, but Skinner insisted they come in. Skinner gave Scully a hug and asked her to write up a report about what she knew about the incident. Then he said to Mulder, "I guess Agent Perry will be needing a transfer?" Mulder nodded and lead Scully out of the office.

"Where do you want me to take you Scully?" Mulder inquired.

Scully though for a moment then said, "would it be okay if we went to your apartment?"

Feeling mildly surprised Mulder nodded and drove them there. Once inside Scully looked around at the familiar surroundings..she glanced over at the fishtank. "uhm Mulder" she said with a hint of mirth in her voice, "your fish are dead."

Mulder raised an eyebrow, "uhm I forgot I had fish" he said

Scully chuckled and turned to him. She looked up at him with her blue eyes wide. Mulder, not knowing what else to do, stepped towards her and pulled her against him. He could feel her heart beating against his chest. He ran his fingers through her hair and pressed his lips against her. She resisted at first but then let herself go. Mulder felt the soft, warmth of her lips and moved his hands so they rested on her back. As they broke apart, Scully smiled as she had done on New Years. She brushed her lips lightly against his again before resting her head on his chest.

Mulder smiled and just held her, for now. They swayed to the sounds of mute music, emotions coursing through their bodies, years of pent up emotions finally coming to the surface. Mulder slipped a hand up her shirt and touched her bare back. The feeling of his cool hand on her warm skin sent shivers up Scully's spine. She kissed him again this time gently using her tongue, never had she been so aroused.

Mulder's hand moved forward and lightly touched her stomach. She was willing his hand to move farther up and to touch her breasts. She needed him as much as she knew he needed her. Never breaking apart Mulder's hand curved around her breast and she gasped. His need for her was growing more and more evident with each passing second. He pushed her towards the doorway to his bedroom and gently pressed her down onto the bed. It was time that Scully discovered the truth.