Condoms (17/18)
by Lola

e-mail: lolabeegood@gmail.com

Time: Set during and post- TheTruth.
Spoilers: Everything up to the end of the series, IWTB.
Summary: Mulder hates condoms for more than the obvious reasons.
Overall Rating: NC-17

Author's Notes: It's looking like it'll be wrapped around part 
18 so hang in there as I finish it off.  I have really 
enjoyed this WIP and love all the comments people have been 
sending--keep them coming! I really wanted to explore Mulder 
and Scully's life after The Truth and wanted to tie some of 
my thoughts to the earlier series--thus the flashbacks to 
other episodes. I am trying to make everything fit together 
nicely (but even CC couldn't hold true to that always!).  
So, if you notice any issues with the original storyline 
please let me know so I can fix it.

I do not own the characters.  I do not make any money from this.

Thank you to the Bee Gees for the use of their Lyrics to
"How Deep Is Your Love" used in this chapter.

Enjoy!

*************

Mulder dragged his feet up the long road leading to their home.  
Although it was only 6pm it was dark and rainy.  He was soaked 
through and he wanted to get to the house and not leave for 
about 3 years.  All the bus transfers and crappy motels had 
finally got to him and he was spent.  Days of insufficient 
sleep and constantly being in motion had made him weary and 
miserable.

He knew Scully had been there for about 3 days now and, knowing 
Scully, was knee deep in boxes she'd hauled from the garage.  He 
had ordered many things by phone and online since he bought the 
house, some essentials that would make starting a new life 
together much easier.  He had them all shipped to the house 
and stored in the garage.  He didn't know when, or if, they 
would ever need these things so he had planned for....

"Shit!" Mulder cursed as he stopped dead in his tracks.

He thought of the fake ID's that also had William's name on 
them.  Well, not William, but Charles Hewitt, their son.  Mulder 
had the baby added to the family just after he was born.  He had 
failed to tell Scully this.

"Fucking idiot" he cursed himself as the rain pelted down.

He had also ordered things for William.  He had a twin bed, 
mattress, bedding, bookshelves, a desk, and miscellaneous 
sports equipment all sitting in that garage.  He had not even 
thought about the ID and those things and now, if Scully were 
to just come across them without him there... 

Despite his fatigue Mulder started to run down the road.  The 
chances that Scully had already come across the items was pretty 
good, but he couldn't waste another minute getting to her.  He 
had been running for about 2 miles when he spotted it up ahead 
on the road.  There was a faint light on in the front room and 
some curtains were drawn.  Funny, he hadn't remembered to get 
curtains.  There was a car in the driveway as well. He knew he 
had not ordered that.  Mulder squinted his eyes to look at the 
house more closely through the downpour.  That was the house.  

He jogged the remaining half mile and cautiously opened the gate.  
Approaching the house slowly he thought of Scully and hoped she 
was alone in the house.  He hoped they had not been found out.  
But, the likelihood that the FBI would park in their driveway 
was pretty slim.  He walked up to the door and knocked.  

The door opened quickly and Scully pulled him into her arms.

"You're here and you're safe" she said into his chest.

"I am" he said as he crumpled into her.

He immediately took in his surroundings.  There was jazz music 
playing on the stereo and something smelled delicious in the 
kitchen.  Scully had a half-full glass of  white wine sitting 
on the floor near a box.  Half-opened boxes were everywhere and 
piles of house ware items littered the room.

"You've been busy" Mulder commented noting the twin mattress in 
the middle of the floor.

"I have, and you must be tired and starving" she said as she tried 
to relieve him of his drenched backpack.

"You made me something?"

"Well, I didn't know when you'd be in, whether it was today or 
tomorrow. So, I have some homemade pasta sauce that should be about 
ready.  I just need to boil the noodles."

"Sounds wonderful" he said shedding himself of his wet coat and 
shoes.

"Why don't you grab a nice shower and, by the time you're out, 
I should have everything ready."

"Scully, you have not said one thing I don't agree with so far."

"Good" she smiled.

"Uh, are you finding everything okay?" Mulder ventured.

"You had a lot of fun ordering all this" she grinned.

"I did.  I did." he smiled "I am sure I forgot some things though." 

Mulder leaned over and peered into a box.  Flipping though the 
contents quickly.

"You forgot curtains, unless they are in another box buried in that 
garage?"

"I did forget curtains.  So, you got these?" he said pointing to 
the front window.

"Yeah, I hiked into town, bought a car..."

"I noticed."

"Like it?" she grinned "It's 2 years old, off lease, paid in full.  
I got a good deal."

"Looks great" he offered with a smile "You accessed the accounts 
okay?"

"Yes.  I had no probelms Mulder."

"Good" he said relieved.

"I got some curtains, some groceries and some fresh clothes, you 
like?" she asked as she turned around in a sundress.

"I do like" Mulder said as he grabbed her waist and pulled her 
toward him.

"Mulder, you'll get me all wet."

"That's the plan" he said as he leaned in to give her a slow 
passionate kiss.

She kissed him back and Mulder could tell she was relaxing within 
his embrace.  He knew she was happy to have him there, to start 
their life together, again.  

"You like the house?" he asked as he released her.

"It's wonderful Mulder.  Perfect for privacy but also close 
enough that I can go into town and get anything we need." she 
said looking around the living room "It's big enough that we won't 
get in each others way, but not so big that it's hard to maintain.  
You did well, kid."

"Speaking of which..." he drew in a deep breath.

"I found his stuff Mulder" she said frankly.

"I saw you had the mattress out, and figured..."

"I know you are worried about it upsetting me. But you know Mulder, 
I actually find it very heartwarming." she paused to look into 
his eyes deeply "To think of you choosing things for our son....
you...you didn't have much time with him.  I guess this kind of 
makes me realize how much he has always meant to you."

"He means the world to me Scully."

"I know.  I know."

"Scully, I can just take his stuff back out to the garage again."

"No, that's silly.  We can use the bookcase and desk in the house.  
As for the bed, it's always good to have an extra one in case one 
of us is ever sick and doesn't want to infect the other." she 
lowered her head to her chest and rubbed the back of her neck  
"Uh, maybe I can drive the sports equipment into the local community 
centre and they can use it for their programs.  It'd be nice to see 
some kids getting use from it."

He lifted her chin with his finger and looked her right in the eyes. 
"That is a really nice idea, William would approve."

He gave him a tight-lipped smile and turned to go back to the 
kitchen.

"You better get in that shower.  I'm putting the noodles on, you 
have about 15 minutes."

"You don't have to tell me twice" Mulder said as he climbed the 
stairs.

"Oh, and Mulder?"

"Yeah?" he asked from the top of the stairs.

"Doctors Without Borders?"

"Oh yeah.  I figured in case you ever wanted to get back into 
medicine it was good for your resume, Irene."

"What about checking the reference?"

"Langley's brother is a bigwig at their US office.  He'll back it 
up."

"You thought of everything" she muttered from below.

He smiled and walked to the washroom. 

He shed his wet clothes and threw them into a basket Scully had 
sitting on the floor.  The water in the shower was refreshing.  As 
wet as he was from the rain some nice soap and water made him feel 
like a new man.  He emerged from the shower stall feeling a bit 
like a noodle himself.  He wanted nothing more than to crawl into 
bed with Scully and sleep for a few days, but he knew she would 
want him to eat something first.  

He found some clean shorts and t-shit in a GAP bag and pulled them 
on.  Scully had apparently gone shopping for him as well.  He was 
going to propose burning the rest of their worn clothes in a 
campfire later this week.  He was sure Scully would agree.

The smell of the pasta, the sound of the jazz CD, and the feel of a 
real roof over his head overwhelmed Mulder as he walked down the 
stairs.  They were finally home.  He walked into the kitchen with 
a grin spread from one ear to the next.

"That must have been some shower" she smiled at him as she put 
pasta on two plates.

"I'm just really happy to be here, with you, in our home" he said 
as he wrapped his arms around her from behind and rested his chin 
on her shoulder.

"So am I" she said as she grated parmesan on top.

"This looks amazing Scully, you made this from scratch?"

"I did.  I am actually looking forward to trying some recipes in 
those cookbooks I found" she said gesturing to the pile on the 
counter.

"Yeah, I figured we could both use some help in the cuisine 
department" Mulder quipped as he grabbed his glass of wine and 
took a drink.

"Are you ready to eat?  I've got a blanket spread on the floor.  
We'll have to carry in all the big stuff tomorrow."

"An indoor picnic.  Sounds perfect" Mulder commented as he put 
down his wine, picked up both their plates and walked toward the 
blanket.

Scully grabbed the glasses and followed him.  There was the rest 
of the wine bottle and some fresh bread waiting on the blanket, 
a dim lamp was illuminating the area from the corner and he 
noticed Scully turn down the volume on the CD player. All in 
all, it was a very romantic setting for their first night in
their new home.

They happily ate together while Mulder relayed stories from the road 
and Scully told him about her wheeling and dealing with the Used 
Car salesman.  He told her about the couple having sex in the 
washroom in Buffalo, and she told him about ordering a microscope 
that should be in by the weekend.  

When they were done eating Scully started the dishes and Mulder 
played with the stereo tuning in a radio station instead.

"I wonder what kind of news they get around here" he said as he 
picked up a dish towel.

"Lots of local news but they do have national reports at 6pm.  
We should think about ordering a satellite dish."

"I'll call a couple companies and see who can set it up fastest.  
You know there are all kinds of different packages that we can 
get  like BBC World News and..."

"Mulder, shhh" Scully said as she put her wet hand on his chest.

"What, you hear something?  Is someone outside?" Mulder was 
immediately alert.

"No,  it's this song, listen."

Mulder listened to the radio.  It sounded like the Bee Gees.  

      And you come to me on a summer breeze 
      Keep me warm in your love and then softly leave 
      And its me you need to show.

"What about it?" Mulder asked.

"This was the song playing in Kroner the night we danced."

"Okay" he was still not sure of the significance. 

"Mulder, it was this song that convinced me to become intimate 
with you."

He listened to the lyrics more closely, sure that Scully knew some 
meaning in them that he did not.

     cause were living in a world of fools 
     Breaking us down 
     When they all should let us be 
     We belong to you and me.

"Dance with me, Scully" Mulder smiled as he offered her his hand.

She took it and they swayed around the kitchen dancing for 
the second time to the Bee Gees.  Mulder then understood how these 
lyrics would cause Scully to take a leap forward in their 
relationship.  A leap, that up until Kroner, she had been 
avoiding. 

     I believe in you 
     You know the door to my very soul 
     You're the light in my deepest darkest hour 
     You're my saviour when I fall 
     And you may not think 
     I care for you 
     When you know down inside 
     That I really do 
     And its me you need to show. 

Mulder held Scully closely to his chest and took in the smell of 
her hair and the feel of her body as it moved instinctively with 
his.  He was home.

***************************

Continued in Part 18 (the final chapter)