Home Is Where The Heart Is (7/8)
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 Notes: Thank you to everyone for your comments,
follows, PM's etc. I am very humbled by your kind words. This is
the penultimate chapter. 

Thanks as always to my wonderful friends Purdy's Pal,
JediSkysinger and DaisyDay for their constant support


Chapter 7

When the two of them eventually made it downstairs, the smell of
freshly brewed coffee hit them as soon as they walked into the
kitchen. Lucy who was busily flitting around the kitchen didn't even
notice that they were there, or that both of them watching her with
amusement.

When the elderly woman turned towards the table she almost
jumped out of her skin and held her hand over her heart as she
mockingly scolded them for almost scaring her to death.

"Oh my goodness!"

Scully shook her head in amusement and leant into Mulder's side.
She couldn't seem to stop touching him...even more so now that
they had found their connection again. Every glance, every smile,
every touch...each one sent her heart fluttering like a lovestruck
teenager.

"Sorry Aunt Lucy," she grinned. "We didn't mean to scare you."

"Oh you didn't dears," she beamed, already noticing how close they
seemed this morning. "How are you both feeling today?"

Mulder tilted his head to look down at the woman beside him and
couldn't help the smile that formed on his lips. Lifting his arm to
nestle his hand in the small of her back, he couldn't stop himself as
he dipped his head to press a kiss into her hair, before pulling away
again to look into her eyes.

"I think we *both* feel better today."

Scully smiled up at him, her gaze flitting between his eyes and his
lips. How could it be that this man had managed to ease her heart
and make the loss of her mother just a little less painful today? One
thing she did know was that a few weeks ago she didn't think she
would ever recover from her loss, but now, she'd had her faith
restored that she could get through this pain, and that was all due to
him.

"We do," she smiled as she tore her eyes away from his to look
across at her aunt. "Things don't seem so bleak today."

"And that's just what your mother would want, sweetheart," Lucy
nodded knowingly. "Now sit, both of you. I'll make you some
breakfast."

"I can do that Lucy," Mulder told her, ushering Scully gently
forward towards the table before he did the same to the older
woman. "You've already done enough for us."

Lucy regarded him fondly and watched him move around the stove
to finish the eggs that she'd started in the pan. Shaking her head in
amusement she turned back towards her niece, not at all surprised
that her gaze was centred on the man in the kitchen. Reaching
across the table she enclosed her fingers around Dana's hands,
bringing her attention back to her.

"Sorry..." Scully told her with an embarrassed smile. "Did you say
something?"

Lucy just patted her hand and smiled knowingly. Her sister would
certainly be happy with this turn of events.

"So, I'm heading back home today."

"Are you sure Aunt Lucy?" Scully asked as she squeezed the older
woman's fingers. "We're both on leave for another week if you'd
like to stay with us."

"I..."

"That's okay right Mulder?" Scully asked as her gaze once more
returned to him.

He looked up and nodded enthusiastically before bringing two
plates of steaming food towards them.

"Of course," he grinned as he placed the plates onto the table "You
can stay in William's room."

The name of his son spilled from his lips without thinking and for a
moment he stopped in his tracks, feeling the sadness creep over
him...but when he felt a warm hand enclose around his, he found his
gaze captured in cobalt blue eyes.

"We kept a room for him," Scully smiled, her eyes shining a little
brighter with unshed tears as she tore her gaze from his to look at
the woman who was watching them. "We bought a house with two
bedrooms...just in case..."

"Maggie was the only one to sleep in it," Mulder told Lucy with a
small smile. "But you are welcome to stay."

"I appreciate the offer," Lucy smiled. "But I really should get
home...but maybe I could visit soon?"

"We'd like that," Scully told her as she squeezed her hand before
she met Mulder's gaze, realising that she was a little relieved that
Lucy had turned them down. Releasing Mulder's hand she couldn't
help but notice that he too was a little relieved...and when he
stepped away from the table to return to the stove she kept her
gaze focused solely on him.

"So you're not going to stay here?" Lucy asked as she held her
hand up to gesture the house around them. "Do you have any idea
what you're going to do with the house?"

Scully watched Mulder's every movement, her eyes following him
until he brought his own plate to sit down beside her at the table.
Shaking her head she speared some scrambled egg with her fork
before she lifted her eyes to her aunt.

Everything was still far too raw to even be thinking about things like
this house and probate. She knew her mother had left her this
house for William but Scully couldn't even focus on that possibility
right now...even though she had always hoped...always dreamed
that they would see their son again one day.

"I haven't thought about anything," Scully told her with a sigh as she
looked down at her untouched food on her fork. "Maybe in a few
months when things have settled down...I just..."

"Hey," Mulder's soft voice broke through her words, erasing the
pain before it could take its hold. "There's plenty of time to decide
what you want to do, okay...just focus on today and we'll figure
everything else out later."

Scully could already feel her heart aching for this beautiful man
beside her. All she wanted to do was take their son's photos,
empty her apartment...and just...go *home*...home to the man she
loved. Turning her head to look into his eyes, she offered him a
warm smile and nodded in agreement before she returned to eating
her breakfast.

000

The rest of the morning passed quickly with Lucy helping her niece
with some boxes that her mother had arranged before her death.
Lifting one of the larger ones onto the desk beside several others,
Scully could see Bill's name scrawled clearly over the top of the
box. It seemed Maggie Scully had prepared everything in advance,
as if she'd known that she was going to leave them. Scully could
only guess what was stored in the boxes earmarked for her brother
and his family, but she knew that whatever they contained, the items
inside would be cherished.

"You know your mother changing her wishes wasn't anything to do
with you, don't you?" Lucy asked suddenly when she saw her
niece's eyes linger over the boxes on the desk. "She didn't want any
of you to sit by her hospital bed hoping she would wake up."

Scully's hands stilled as she looked up at her aunt, the look in her
eyes almost breaking her apart. If she was honest with herself she
had wondered if her mother had given up because of what she and
Mulder had done. She knew that by giving William away she not
only broke her own heart, but she broke her mother's as well.

"I...don't..."

Scully couldn't seem to make her mouth work. The words she
wanted to say caught in her throat, constricting her voice, causing
her to lower her gaze.

"She loved you," Lucy told her softly. "At the end of everything
else...she *loved* you."

Lifting her eyes onto the older woman once more, Scully tried to
blink the moisture away before it blurred her vision.

"Did she...ever forgive me?" She asked softly, her voice trembling
as she spoke. "I can't..."

"Oh sweetheart," Lucy gasped out as she came around the desk to
embrace her niece in a powerful embrace. "Of course she forgave
you...she was your mother."

"Then why didn't she tell me she didn't want to live?" Scully asked
brokenly as a single tear broke free to slip down her cheek. "Why
didn't she talk to me?"

Lucy loosened her arms and pulled back slightly so that she could
see Scully's face before she lifted her fingers up to swipe them
away from the younger woman's cheek.

"When you get to a certain age you start to think of your own
mortality," she explained softly. "Your mother was living in this
house that was full of memories, each one reminding her of a time
when she was needed..."

"I needed her..." Scully interrupted, her voice almost coming out in
a wail. "I..."

"Dana, you have your own life...you have a life with Fox," Lucy told
her. "Bill has his own life and a family to take care of. Charlie is
off...doing whatever it is he's doing and that leaves just her...she
was lonely sweetheart, and believe me, when you get to my age
you'll understand just how lonely life can become."

"But, I...I made it worse..." the tears were falling again as Scully
tried to sniff them back. "I gave her grandson away...and I don't
think she ever got over losing him."

"Of course she didn't," Lucy's voice lowered a little as she stepped
a little closer and caught her niece's hand in her own. "But she
understood your reasons and as your mother she grieved not only
for herself, but for you, too."

"I just wish..."

"I know," Lucy sighed sadly before pulling Dana back into her
arms. "But the past is over now. Honor your mother by living. Don't
dwell on the things you can't answer."

Scully squeezed her eyes tightly shut and took a deep breath as she
nodded against the older woman's shoulder. Pulling back she
stepped out of her embrace to wipe at her face, pushing the
moisture away as she tried to regain her composure.

"Okay," she whispered shakily, swallowing at the lump that had
settled in her throat. "I'll try."

"Good girl," Lucy told her with a soft smile. "Now, how about we
go and have some tea before your brother gets here to collect these
boxes."

Scully regarded her aunt fondly as she nodded her head. She knew
that her mother had left her with so many unanswered questions,
and no matter how many times she told herself that everything
would become clear in time...she still had her doubts. Taking a
deep breath she forced a smile onto her lips and followed her aunt
out of the room, hoping that Mulder wouldn't notice that she had
been crying.

000

The knock on the door a few hours later filled Scully with a deep
sense of dread. She had not been in any hurry to see her brother
again after what he'd said to both her and Mulder the day before.
Right at the moment she would happily walk out of his life forever,
but she knew she owed it to her mother to try and at least keep the
family together, even if it wasn't easy.

Before she could even think about what she was going to say to
him, she felt a presence beside her and a warm hand engulf hers.
Lifting her head she looked up into his eyes and instantly found the
strength that she needed to face her brother head on. She could do
anything with Mulder beside her...she could face her eldest sibling
with a confident air...

Mulder watched the emotions shining inside her eyes as he
squeezed her hand in reassurance. He kept his gaze upon her as he
watched her for any signs that she wasn't ready for the oncoming
confrontation...because he had no doubts in his mind that Bill Scully
would find any way to antagonise this situation.

Bringing his body to stand just in front of hers, he took it upon
himself to be her protector, keeping the same stance when Lucy
opened the door to allow Bill into the house. Mulder was prepared
to shield her from the older Scully, even if it meant he would be
hated even more than he already was. There was just no way that
Bill Scully would ever hurt her again, ever...not while he was
around to stop him...


Continued in Chapter 8