How do we do this mulder?" She laughed uneasily while talking over the wine and pasta. Mulder just shrugged and smiled. "I've never dated my best friend, I really don't know. What about those dodgers?" She smiled humoring him. He stretched out a hand. "Come on Dana. Let's dance." She got up and followed him to the small wooden dance floor with George Strait playing "Let's fall to pieces together.
He whisked her onto the dance floor smoothly turning in his old black cowboy boots. She haphazardly tried to keep up looking hesitantly at her feet then at Mulder's grin. He leaned in close to her ear. "Scully you are a horrible dancer." He smiled mischievously as she became more determined to keep up with his flowing steps. "Guess I never made it to the high school functions." He closed his eyes swirling her in a lazy two step. She finally started smiling as she finally picked up the sache backwards.
They sat down after the song was over. He just smiled at her. "Mulder you know it is twice as hard for women." "Well, that's what all my partners said" He smiled and her mouth flew in a smile. YOU KNOW Ginger Rogers was twice the dancer Fred Astaire was. She did everything he did backwards and heels." "And feathers." He added slyly. She rolled her eyes and gave a lopsided smile. "Well, if we had a feather boa and you might get lucky." He chuckled. The song died away and they weaved their way back to the table. As always Mulder's hand rested on Scully's back. Mulder held Scully's chair as she slid in. "Thank you" she muttered.
Scully sipped the red wine looking at the sparkling raspberry color. The light played off it varying the shades, and she remembered the first man who really ever bought her wine. "This night reminds me of an old boyfriend. He was my first love." Mulder watched her expectantly as she began to relate a new side of herself. "I was so young then, right out of high school. He was the first man to ever buy me wine. I remember he bought a bottle for us once and just the two of us drank the entire thing at his house. God I loved him. My father hated him." Mulder looked at her far away look. "What happened?"
"He was young, and so was I. We ignited a flame and burned each other I guess. He showered me with gifts and words. I would've given him anything, if only he had asked." Mulder looked at her eyes glazed with anguish and pain. "He didn't ask?" She smiled. "No, he wanted everything but my heart. He was young, and I was in love." Mulder saw her wipe a tear away. "I've never loved anyone like that again." Mulder looked amazed at the girl she must've been. "He was your first Scully." She nodded sipping the wine. "mmm hmmm." "You still think of him?" Occasionally, who doesn't. I will see something and it will remind me of him. I was in love with him for a long time after, it seemed no matter what he did, I still loved him. He loved me in his own way I guess. I realize I couldn't have made a life with him. It seems love isn't enough to make things work sometimes. Scully looked off for a minute before speaking as if she could see something on the wall Mulder couldn't.
What about you Mulder?" "Oh there was a girl back in college. I do still think of her, she was incredibly smart and incredibly sweet. My mother loved her. I could've possessed her but I was an ass to her. She just kept coming back for more. I never understood that. Finally it got to the point where I didn't respect her anymore. I treated her as an inferior. That was something that finally did get through to her and she left. I regret my actions. I wish I could erase the whole relationship for all the terrible things I did to her."
Scully looked in his eyes and saw the pain he felt as he looked through the girl's eyes. "If you had it to do over would you marry her?" Mulder looked away. "If I had known back then what I know now, about how lonely life can be, and how rare and wonderful she was I probably would've tried to make something work. I've never regretted not marrying her; I probably would've made her life miserable. I do regret never telling her how sorry and what a fool I was."
Scully smiled. "You know Mulder the fact that you realize it now I'm sure would be enough for her, and I've always believed God brings people in our lives, and takes them for a reason. I feel I'm on a path, and each experience is a lesson." Mulder smiled wanly. "So you don't regret all the pain love has caused you. Each failed relationship doesn't eat away at your soul Scully like wild animals nibbling on a carcass waiting for their turn." Scully quipped "Well since you put it in such idealistic romantic terms, but no Mulder I'd like to think that God is just readying me for the person I am supposed to be with. Maybe all those trials were something I had to endure to get to where I am now. I might have had the romance of my life. He might have a different road for me that lies ahead."
He had a disbelieving look on his face. "I never pictured you as the idealist when it came to romance. Somehow I always thought you would be practical." She smiled as she tipped the wine goblet to her lips and swallowed. "Love is never practical Mulder." "Tell me this Scully how will you know when you've met this person God has deemed for you? Will he have a big sign, because in our line of work we might just shoot them first and ask questions later." "I don't know how, I figure I'll just know. I have faith that I will recognize love when I see it."
Mulder took Scully's hand. "Do you think it's possible Agent Scully that we already have recognized it. He looked up at her imploringly. Her breath hitched and she quickly ducked her head saying in the smallest of voices. "I don't know." There was a long silence before she spoke again. "I do know Mulder that God has set me on this path, and that we were meant to find each other. I know I'm supposed to be here with you. I feel that more strongly than anything else." He swiped his thumb across her cheek sweeping back a few errant strands of hair. "I think maybe tonight might be the first step on the path we've both been searching for."