Home Is Where The Heart Is (1/8)
by Amanda Hawthorn

Feedback: amanda_shepherd@live.co.uk 
Rating: R
Spoilers: Home Again (10 x 4)
Disclaimer: Mulder and Scully do not belong to me unfortunately.

Author's Note: I have been away from writing for a while so I'm a
little rusty.

This is for my wonderful friends Purdy's Pal and JediSkysinger.


Chapter 1

Fox Mulder sat quietly beside his partner, his hand closed over
hers. He knew nothing he could say would ease the pain of the
passing of her mother... but he hoped by just being here that he
could ease a little of it.

It was no secret that they had ceased to be lovers some time ago,
but the deep love that had kept them tethered together ran just as
deeply today as it had so many years ago. She was still the only
one he would ever trust... he would still go to the ends of the earth
for her... nothing about his love for her had changed and he
doubted that it ever would.

Glancing across at the woman beside him he squeezed her fingers in
reassurance when she seemed to tremble a little more as time wore
on. When she didn't return his gaze he lifted their joined hands to
his lips and placed a soft kiss across her knuckles.

"Hey," he whispered gently as he tried to gain her attention.
"Dana..."

Taking a breath, Scully slowly turned to face him, her eyes wet with
tears. She opened her mouth to speak but every time she tried, the
lump in her throat constricted her voice. So instead she clutched his
hand tighter, knowing that she could convey to him without words
that she needed to be away from here.

"Tell me what to do," he told her. "Tell me what I can do."

His words caused her heart to ache and she closed her eyes briefly
before opening them again to look up at him. Scully swallowed
hard against the constant ball of emotion that swelled in her throat.
She knew there were duties still to be done. There was still the
wake to get through and the family to see... but all she wanted to
do now was stay as close to the man beside her as possible. She
needed his strength... his warmth and his arms around her.

"I..." she started but her voice failed her. Tears gathered in her eyes
only to tumble down over her already tear stained cheeks.

Without speaking, Mulder untangled their fingers and slipped his
arm around her shoulders to hold her against him. He could feel her
trembling as she fought for control, so he tightened his hold on her
as he tried to comfort her with his touch.

"It's okay..." he soothed, his lips buried in the soft strands of her
hair. "I'm here."

"Don't let me go..." she pleaded, her voice breaking through her
sobs. "Don't let go..."

"Never...I won't..." he promised with conviction, knowing that he
meant every single word.

Clamping his eyes closed against his own teetering emotions,
Mulder held her as she sobbed against him, much like she had done
for him when his mother had died. She had been his rock back
then. She had been his friend, his touchstone and so much more
than that... Opening his eyes he blinked back his own tears and
planted soft kisses into her hair while whispering how much he
loved her over and over again.

When her sobs slowly began to subside he loosened his hold so
that she could pull away, but she didn't move. Instead she shifted
positions so that she could lay her head in between his neck and
shoulder, taking comfort in his warmth. She knew that just a short
distance away from them her eldest brother was watching. No
doubt using his grief as an excuse to channel his anger at Mulder,
but she wouldn't give him the chance...not any more. Reaching for
Mulder's hand she threaded her fingers through his and held on
tight... she loved this man more than anyone else in her life and it
was time that her brother accepted it.

Mulder could feel the change in her and inclined his head to glance
down. Her face was flushed and her eyes were red through tears
but she was still the most beautiful woman he'd ever known.

A few seats away from them Mulder could feel eyes upon him and
he didn't need to turn to see just exactly who was watching them so
intently. He'd known that by coming here he would open himself up
to the disrespect of Scully's brother but this wasn't about him.

Mulder didn't know, or care, whether the looks being cast their
way were ones of contempt or not, but he knew that whatever the
older Scully had to say could wait until they were out of earshot of
the polished mahogany casket that was slowly disappearing behind
a blue velvet curtain.

Silence echoed around the small chapel until the rustling of clothing
and hushed whispers filled the room. Mulder felt the warmth of
Scully's hand in his and half expected her to pull away but even
when the small crowd began to dissipate she still didn't let go of his
hand.

Inclining his head, Mulder glanced down at the woman beside him,
He wasn't surprised to see her gaze fixed on the curtain that had
now closed behind the casket that contained her precious mother.
He doubted that she even realised that they were the only two
people left inside the now empty chapel... but he knew she wasn't
ready to leave just yet. So he did the only thing he could do to ease
her through her grief... he held her. He didn't speak... he didn't urge
her to leave... he just held her.

ooo

It was just over an hour later when Mulder and Scully finally arrived
at Margaret Scully's residence. Parking the car, Mulder turned off
the engine and turned to face her. Her silence worried him, but at
the same time he knew exactly what she was going through. She
had lost too many members of her family already. All he really
wanted to do was comfort her, but he knew it would take so much
more than his presence to help her. So instead he settled into the
silence, keeping a close eye on her flushed face.

"Are you ready to go in?" he asked a few moments later, not really
sure he was going to get a reply, She hadn't spoken a word since
he'd parked the car, but when she turned in her seat and reached
across to take his hand, he was lost.

"I can't go in there," she whispered, her voice so soft that he had to
strain to hear her. "I... I can't..."

"Hey," Mulder soothed as he reached over to encase her hand in
between both of his. "You don't have to do anything you don't want
to, okay..."

The softness of his voice and the reassurance of his words brought
a fresh onslaught of tears to her eyes and for the life of her she
couldn't remember why she had left him behind. This man was her
world, he had been for so many years now... she had left him and
tried to move on with her life but she just couldn't do it. He was so
ingrained within her that she couldn't have ever got through any of
this without him.

"Mulder..." she started, her voice thick with tears. "Can I come
home?"

Before Mulder could answer, Bill Scully appeared at the window,
tapping on the glass impatiently with a grim expression littering his
face. His stark eyes cut into the moment, ruining whatever was
brewing between them.

"Everyone's waiting for you," he groused, his obvious grief making
his black mood even darker. "They're asking where you are."

"We'll... be in... I just need..."

Mulder could see his partner struggling and it broke his heart to see
her so upset. Squeezing her hand in reassurance he slowly
untangled their fingers before releasing her hand.

"Wait there Scully," he told her gently. "Take all the time you
need... I'll be right back."

"Mul-"

"Hey," he soothed, glancing back at her to offer her a reassuring
smile. "It'll be okay... maybe he's mellowed!"

"Mulder..."

He could still hear his partner's protests even as he opened the car
door. He had no idea how the eldest Scully would greet him, but by
the look on his face he didn't expect any hearts and flowers coming
his way.

"Bill," he greeted cautiously. "Scul-"

"You've got some nerve-" Bill spat, his caustic voice slicing through
whatever Mulder was trying to say. "After everything you've done.
You've got a damn nerve showing up here!"

"What?" Mulder snapped angrily as he cut through Bill's rant. "To
pay my respects to possibly one of the most wonderful women I've
ever known?"

"I-"

"No," Mulder groused. "I am here for your mother... because she
treated me like someone, not just because I was your sister's
partner, but someone that mattered... And when Scully was
abducted... she stayed by my side... she kept me the link between
your sister and me alive... she was..."

He was unprepared for the swell of sorrow that washed over him
and he suddenly couldn't speak for fear of his voice breaking. He
could see the older man staring at him with something akin to
sympathy but he was sure it was just his own grief that bonded
them in that moment.

"Yeah," Bill nodded, his icy glare seeming to melt away. "She was
like that."

The click of Scully's door brought both of them out of their revere
and whatever this moment was between the two men, it evaporated
just as quickly as it had formed.

"Dana," Bill greeted, his eyes taking in the dark circles beneath her
eyes.

"Save it Bill..." she told him on a sigh, her eyes brimming with
unshed tears as she moved around him and surged towards the man
she loved.

Mulder swallowed his own simmering sorrow and caught her hands
in his own as he gazed down into her grief filled eyes. Stepping a
little closer he ignored the older man who was watching their every
movement and lifted one of his hands to caress her tear stained
cheek.

"Whatever you want to do, I'll be here," he promised. "If you want
to go in to see your family I'll come with you. If you want to leave
then that's okay too."

Scully wanted nothing more than to take his hand and flee, but she
knew she had to stay. She owed it to her mother to do this and
with Mulder by her side she knew she could. Swallowing hard, she
lifted her hand to cover his on her cheek and turned slightly to place
a kiss into the centre of his palm.

"You'll stay?"

"Always," he promised, knowing that he would give her everything
if she asked him to.

"Okay," she whispered with a sad smile as she stepped away from
him, letting his fingers fall from her face so that she could take his
hand firmly in her own. "Let's do this..."


Continued in Chapter 2