�No.� Mulder shook his head. �Not weird like you think. Weird because, it wasn�t weird. We got along, we laughed, we�� Mulder shook his head. �I can�t explain it. We were together for five days, and it seemed like we�d always been��
�Brothers?�
Mulder considered this and dismissed it. He wasn�t ready to call Krycek his brother. �Like we�d always been friends.�
Scully smiled. �Tell me about it. What did you guys do?�
Mulder thought for a moment. An evil grin broke out on his face.
�Oh no.� Scully said, releasing his hand to reach for her wine. �Why don�t I like the look of that smile.�
��I don�t want to start any blasphemous rumors�But I think that God�s got a sick sense of humor�And when I die�I expect to find him laughing��
Mulder shook his head. �We were just being stupid. We hung out in downtown a lot. Went to Gameworks, rode the monorail, went to the Experience Music Project.�
�Gameworks?� Scully asked, grinning over at him. �How much did you spend on the virtual shooting games?�
�Too much.� Mulder returned her grin. �We rode the Ducks. We went to the aquarium, we went to the zoo.�
�I�ll be Cade loved that.� Scully said, looking out over the ocean.
�He did.� Mulder nodded and looked over at her. �Krycek has the whole thing on video. He never put the damn camera down. I had to take it from him a couple of times.� Mulder�s voice trailed off as he remembered one of those times.
�What�s wrong, Mulder?� Scully sensed his thoughts. �What are you thinking about?�
�Krycek wanted me to talk about my�my favorite memory of you. For Cade.� Mulder hesitated and scratched his head.
�Please tell me it has nothing to do with Rob Zombie.�
Mulder laughed. �No, it didn�t. I told him about when we had gone to LA for the premiere of our stupid movie. When we went to Magic Mountain.�
Scully began to laugh. �We went on that ride that spins around so fast that you stick to the walls when the bottom drops out.�
�And you tried to turn your body upside down,� Mulder said, chuckling, �but got stuck halfway and kept yelling until they stopped it and you slowly slid to the ground.�
They were both laughing hard now and Scully pointed at him, barely able to speak. �And we both puked in the bushes at the exit.�
They both took a moment to catch their breath.
�And that�s your favorite memory of me?� Scully asked. �Stuck sideways on a spinning wall and screaming?�
�We ate caramel apples, and got our picture taken on that horrid roller coaster.� Mulder smiled. �The huge wave on the water ride drenched us. We ate in that stupid restaurant where all those clicking animals on the wall start to sing. It was a good day.�
They were both silent.
��As she passed away�Birds were singing in the summer sky�Then came the rain�And once again�A tear fell from her Mother�s eye��
�I made Krycek tell me his favorite memory of you.� Mulder said softly.
��I don�t want to start any blasphemous rumors�But I think that God�s got a sick sense of humor�And when I die�I expect to find him laughing��
�Yeah?� Scully swallowed the uninvited lump in her throat.
�He said it was when you told him to have a seat.�
Scully didn�t say anything.
�He said he came to your apartment the night after I�d been abducted. He said you were afraid of him, you hated him, that he disgusted you.�
�He did.� Scully whispered. �I hated everything about him.�
�He said that you took one look in his eyes, and were able to look beyond all your emotions and find the good. That the only thing you wanted was for him to turn around and walk away, but instead you told him to have a seat.�
Scully was silent again.
�He said that by doing that, you saved his life.�
She fought the tears that were threatening to come forward.
�You know, Scully.� Mulder turned towards her. �I believe that Krycek saved my life, figuratively speaking. I think that without the things that he had said to me, that I wouldn�t have made it through your �death�. Because of thing�s he�d said, I chose to move on, almost just to spite him, to prove him wrong. He had told me that I reminded him of Cancer Man. That I was going to end up like him if I wasn't careful.�
Scully ran her hands through her hair as a new song came on. She didn't think she could say anything and was enjoying this new side of Mulder. He was very open these days.
��There�s a nail in the door and there�s glass on the lawn�Tack�s on the floor and the TV is on�But I always sleep with my guns�When you�re gone��
Mulder turned towards her.
�Hey Scully?�
Screaming interrupted them.
They both immediately jumped up and ran into the house.
'Cade?� Scully cried out to her son. �Cade!�
The screaming was the most horrible thing Mulder had ever heard in his life. He drew his gun as they pounded down the stairs to the middle floor and ran down the hall.
��There�s a shark in the pool�And a witch in the tree�A crazy old neighbor is done watching me�And there�s footsteps loud and strong coming down the hall��
�Cade?� Scully dashed into the room ahead of him.
The little boy was sitting up in his bed, screaming, staring straight ahead.
��Something�s under the bed�Now it�s out in the hedge�There�s a big, black coat sitting on my window ledge�And I hear something scratching through the wall��
Scully ran her hands over him to make sure he wasn�t hurt as Mulder checked out the rest of the room. Finding no injury, Scully pulled Cade into her arms and held him.
�Cade, sweetheart, what�s wrong?� Scully�s eyes met Mulder�s over the top of Cade�s head.
Cade was not to be consoled. He just kept screaming.
�Cade�� Scully�s own eyes welled up in tears.
Feeling�s sudden poured over Mulder like cold water. Pain. Total, and inexplicable pain. He had a sudden sense of Krycek and really hoped to god that Cade wasn�t able to feel what his father was feeling.
Cade screamed again and Mulder pressed his hands over his mouth in a childish gesture as his eyes welled up in tears. He couldn�t take much more of this. This pain that was tearing through him, feeling almost as his heart was about to explode.
�Scully.� He whispered.
The little boy�s scream trailed off into heartbreaking sobs and Mulder began to shake.
��Well you�re up so high...How can you save me when the dark comes here tonight to take me�
Out of my mind for a walk�And into bed�Where it kisses my face�And eats my head��
Mulder wanted to leave, to exit the room and get away from this feeling that his insides were on fire, but Cade�s eyes caught his and he was trapped. Rooted to the spot he stood in by the eyes of the little boy.
��What should I do, I�m just a little baby�What if the lights go out, and maybe�And then the wind just starts to moan outside the door and follow me home now�Goodnight moon.�
Cade closed his eyes and after a moment, the feeling went away.
Scully held her son, rubbing his back, sniffing as tears slid down her cheeks. Several minutes went by before Mulder said anything.
'What the hell was that?' He asked, his voice hoarse. 'Nightmare?'
Scully didn't look at him. She closed her eyes. 'I hope so.'
Mulder was doubtful, but nodded anyway. 'Me too.'
��No it wont be too soon until I say�Goodnight moon��
***
Scully and Mulder sat in down in the rec room, sifting through videotape's. Maggie had taken Cade out to the fun zone for the day to give her some time alone. Scully wanted to see as much of Cade�s life as she could and there was no telling what kind of memories she was going to see. Knowing Krycek, he had probably recording Cade doing everything, sleeping, eating, whatever. She didn�t know how this was going to affect her and didn�t want Cade to see her so upset. He�d been through enough emotions the past few weeks.
Mulder picked up a tape and looked at the side. �Labor Day, 2000.�
�Oh God.� Scully said, smiling. �Put it away.�
�Is this the whole Labor Day weekend extravaganza I missed?� Mulder asked, popping the tape into the VCR. �The BBQ and decorating party?�
Byers and Bill popped up on the screen, leaning on the kitchen counter and drinking Corona as �Tusk� played in the background.
�Do something interesting.� Frohike�s voice sounded over the television. �This is for the kid, you know. You wouldn�t want the poor thing to think it has a boring family.�
Byers and Bill blankly stared back at the camera.
��Why don�t you ask him if he�s gonna stay�Why don�t you ask him if he�s gone away��
�Yeah, that�s great, guys.� Frohike said, spinning the camera away and stopping on Krycek and Scully.
She groaned, watching herself on TV. �I can�t believe how huge I was, turn it off.�
Mulder smiled at the image of Scully. Her hair blonde and grown out, just a little pregnant at the time. She glanced shyly at the camera, a sarcastic look over her face.
�Frohike, if you don�t get that thing out of my face-�
�Oh, come on, Dana.� Krycek said, playfully rat-tailing her with a kitchen towel. �You want your kid to see you pregnant, don�t you?�
�Easy for you to say.� She said, whipping him back. �You don�t have to carry a bowling ball around in her stomach.�
They resumed their cooking, Scully bouncing up and down to Fleetwood Mac, causing Krycek to smile.
��Don�t say that you love me�.� They both sang out. ��Just tell me that you want me��
�Tusk!� Frohike�s voice blurted out from behind the camera along with the song.
�I�m not touching that.� Krycek said as Scully set garlic cloves on the counter next to him.
�You�re definitely not using garlic powder.� Scully said, setting the press down next to the cutting board he was using. �That�s illegal.�
He began dicing another zucchini. �Then you can do whatever it is you want done with it, because I don�t have a great relationship with anything that looks all gnarly like that.� He gestured at the ominous garlic cloves with his knife.
�You think garlic looks gnarly?� She asked, unable to suppress a grin.
�Same with ginger�� Krycek shuddered. �Uck, reminds me all those bugs in Temple of Doom.�
�It�s not a bug, Alex.� Scully said. �It�s a garlic clove.�
Krycek grabbed a vidalia onion and tilted his head at people unseen to the camera. �Recruit one of them to wrestle with those ugly things. They�re just sitting there, watching us slave away while preparing their dinner.�
Langly moved past in front of the camera on his way to the refrigerator. �That part in Temple of Doom was one of the most horrifying scenes in all of cinematic history. Gave me nightmares for a month.�
�I hear ya, bro.� Krycek said.
Scully stood next to Krycek, a scolding look on her face. �Alex.�
�Ain�t gonna touch it.� He shook his head, not looking at her.
�Unbelievable.� Scully shook her head.
�That I don�t like bugs?� He finished the onion and moved onto the red peppers.
She looked at him slyly. �Mr. Big, Bad, Hit Man, Tough-Guy, afraid of a root.�
Krycek stopped and looked down at her. �I�m not afraid of a root.�
Scully turned away from him and kneaded dough on the counter. �Yes you are.�
�I am not.�
�Are too.�
�Whatever.� He turned back to his cutting.
�Root-A-Phobia.� Scully shook her head, as if in sympathy. �How very sad.�
Krycek laughed. �Now you�re just making things up.�
�Good thing we don�t have a backyard.� She said. �With your condition, you�d be afraid to do any weeding because you have to make sure you get the root out.�
�Do you know how dangerously close you are to having pizza sauce as a hair conditioner?�
She ignored him. �I�ll bet you can�t even have a little herb garden.�
�So the threat of tomatoes as head gear doesn�t dissuade you at all?�
�And how do you manage to cook with green onions because the root is usually hanging off the end?�
She finished her diatribe and innocently looked up at him. He stared back at her, a smirk planted on his face at her display of wit. They smiled at each other in silence for a few moments before Krycek let her win.
�If me touching the horrid root will stop your rambling, I�ll do it. But you have to show me how.�
Scully smiled and picked up a garlic clove. �Allora lasciarlo li insegnano, il mio brave soldato.�
�Molto buono, il mio caro.� Krycek beamed down at her. �Suoni come sto insegnando ugualmente.�
�Whatever.� Frohike said. �You want to translate that for the rest of us?�
Scully smiled back at the camera. �I said, �then let me teach you, my brave soldier�.� She gestured at Krycek, who smiled down at her.
�And I said, �very good, my dear. Sounds like I�ve been teaching too�.�
�What language was that?� Frohike asked.
�Italiano.� Krycek replied. �Siamo mosto la linguetta natale dell� alimento che stiamo preparandosi.�
�Italian.� Scully said, smiling up at him. �We must speak the native tongue of the food we�re preparing.�
�Check you out!� Krycek exclaimed. �I�m very impressed.�
Byers spoke from out of the camera�s view. �So, if we were eating carne asada you�d speak Spanish, right?�
�Somos vegetarianos.� Scully said.
Krycek smiled at her again. �No comeriamos asada del carne.�
Langly passed in front of the camera again, holding a Corona. �We�re vegetarian.� He translated. �We wouldn�t eat carne asada.�
Krycek and Scully glanced at each other in surprise before he eyed Langly. �Usted habla espanoles?�
�Mejore que su apesadumbrado asno.� Langly replied before taking a drink of his Corona.
Scully burst into laughter and Krycek shook his head, smiling. �There�s no need to be rude.�
�Scully?� Frohike asked. �The rest of us are feeling left out again.�
She smiled at the camera. �Alex asked him if he spoke Spanish.�
�Yeah, I got that much.�
�And Langly said, �better than your sorry ass�.�
The room erupted into laughter again.
�Do we have to listen to Fleetwood Mac?� Langly asked.
Scully began to peel a garlic clove. �It�s flashback weekend on KROQ�
�What station�s that?� Langly asked, walking towards the staircase.
�I�ll get it, Langly.� Krycek said, dashing towards the stairs. �You can peel the garlic.�
�Coward!� Scully yelled, throwing pizza dough at his retreating back.
�Pregnancy makes women so violent.� Frohike�s voice muttered from behind the camera.
�Don�t you start.� Scully glared playfully at the camera.
Mulder sat, staring at the television, Scully at his side.
He felt like such an idiot. He could see it all. Why he never did before was beyond him.
Scully glanced into his face. �Mulder?�
He was so stupid. When the three of them had been down on the beach, Krycek and Scully had a silent conversation that had left him confused for a long, long time. He�d arrived at his own conclusions.
Mulder had thought that Scully had sensed Krycek�s love for her. That she had let him know that she belonged to Mulder and Krycek had stormed off, pouting and pitching a fit.
He now believed that he�d been wrong.
Watching the tape had given Mulder a different understanding. The way that Scully and Krycek had interacted�She had smiled up at him, joked with him, acted towards him in a way he�d only seen her act with one other person.
With Mulder. And she didn�t act anywhere near as playful with him as she had with Krycek.
He didn�t think that Scully had sensed Krycek�s love for her. He now thought that she�d sensed her own love for Krycek.
Krycek had been surprised; he�d taken a step back, as if to remove himself from what was happening. As if two feet of distance would erase the past minute of his life.
Mulder felt betrayed. She had sworn up and down. He was her friend; he was the father of her child, but nothing else. All that time, she had been lying. That wasn�t fair, Mulder thought to himself. Maybe she hadn�t known. Maybe it was something she�d just realized.
�Mulder?�
Her voice interrupted his thoughts again.
Get a grip, he told himself. There�s nothing to be gained by arguing now. It was a long time ago. Things are different now. So why am I so upset? He asked himself. The psychologist in him answered. Maybe I just need some sort of closure.
Mulder turned and looked at her. He opened his mouth, but no words came out. He stared into her blue eyes, unable to think of anything to say. When the hell was she planning on telling me? He asked himself. Why wouldn�t she tell me?
�You were in love with him.�
Scully stared back at him in disbelief for a moment.
�That night, on the beach?� It was his turn to stare into her eyes. �What was that?�
�Mulder�� Her voiced trailed off as her face fell.
Mulder nodded, looking away. �Two years later, neither one of you can tell me what happened.�
He thought back to the night before New Years. He and Krycek had been sitting in the living room, drinking some scotch. Mulder had asked him what had happened the night before Cade was born.
�It was Thanksgiving.� Krycek said. �We had a pumpkin fight, lot�s of visitor�s, a huge dinner, the baby had been kicking��
�That�s not what I meant.� Mulder said.
Krycek hadn�t looked at him. �I know.�
�Did you love her?� He bluntly asked.
�Of course I loved her.� Krycek had responded. �She was the mother of my child, she was my best friend.�
�That�s not what I meant.� Mulder said, looking sternly at him.
Krycek had smiled and taken a swallow of his scotch. �I know.�
�Why are you bringing this up now, Mulder?� Scully looked back at the television. Krycek was acting like the proverbial court jester again. Dancing back into the room, singing to her, acting like an idiot. He was always so good at that.
��With the heartbreak open�So much you can�t hide�Put on a little make-up, make-up�Make sure they get your good side, good side�If the words unspoken�Get stuck in your throat��
�I don�t know, Scully.� Mulder followed her gaze to the memory playing itself out before them. �I thought we had been attempting some kind of relationship back then. Maybe I just don�t like the fact that you were hiding things from me.�
�I wasn�t hiding anything from you, Mulder.� Scully said softly. �If you had been around more, you would have seen things differently.�
Mulder nodded and smiled sadly. �Seems we�re both still holding on to things.�
�The same things we were insecure about back then.� Scully said as they both watched the performance on screen.
��Don�t drink, don�t smoke�What do you do?�Don�t drink, don�t smoke�What do you do?�Subtle innuendo�s follow, must be something inside��
�I just wish you would have told me.� Mulder shrugged. �Hypothetically speaking, if you were in love with him, you should have said something. It might have been easier on all of us.�
Scully stared at him, stared through him. �That�s kind of unfair, don�t you think, Mulder?�
�What�s unfair, Scully?�
�You sit there, judging me, criticizing me.� She shook her head. �You�re such a hypocrite.�
�A hypocrite?� He barely raised his voice. �How can you call me a hypocrite?�
�You bring this up now?� She looked him in the eye, leaning a little closer. �How much time have we spent together, Mulder? A few weeks?�
Mulder thought for a moment, nodding and shrugging. �Yeah, so?�
�When were you planning on telling me about Marie?�
***
Scully raised her eyebrows at him, waiting for a response. She wasn�t angry, wasn�t challenging him. She was calm, she was collected. She had thrown out the question as if asking him about the weather.
Mulder stared back at her. How very, very, very stupid did he feel now? Forgetting that Scully could feel feelings? Read thoughts? She�s probably known this whole time that he needed to talk to her about this, but kept chickening out.
Oh yes, who is the idiot now?
He had begun to tell her the other night, had opened his mouth, had even given her the �hey, Scully� signal as a warning that serious thoughts were ahead. Then of course, The Sixth Sense was reenacted down in Cade�s bedroom and he hadn�t worked up the nerve since.
�There will be no Mulder-bashing in my house.�
They both looked back at the television at Krycek�s voice to see him staring across the counter at Bill. �I don�t want anyone bad mouthing Mulder, okay?� There was nothing menacing about him, he didn�t look angry.
Bill shook his head. �How can you-�
�What did I say?� Krycek interrupted softly. �It is disrespectful to your sister to sit here and talk shit about someone who is obviously very important to her.�
Bill sneered and opened his mouth but Krycek pointed a wooden spoon in his direction. �Not only is Mulder important to Dana, he is also very important to me. Okay?�
There was silence in the room, both on television and in the rec room that Mulder and Scully were now inhabiting. This scene was new to both of them.
The Lone Gunmen and Maggie had been watching the exchange in silence.
�Are we done?� Krycek asked.
Bill appeared subdued and gave a small nod of his head as he tilted his Corona in Krycek�s direction.
�Good. I hope you didn�t take offense. We�re all friends here.� Krycek smiled. �We�re having homemade pizza, drinking some beer. Tomorrow we�re decorating your nephew�s room. It�s a happy time. No need for negativity. Bad vibes aren�t allowed this close to the beach.�
There was silence as Scully walked back into the room, she stopped and looked at everyone sitting quietly as Krycek continued cooking.
�What�s going on in here? Why is everyone so quiet?�
�We were waiting for you.� Krycek grinned. �Just ain�t a party if you�re not around.�
She rolled her eyes and continued to the dining room.
Byers looked at Bill. �Cigar?�
Bill nodded and the two moved towards the French doors. As they moved past Maggie, she beamed a huge smile in Krycek�s direction.
�I�ve never seen him take a reprimand so well.� Maggie said softly. �He just shut right up, didn�t he?�
�Who�s the punk ass now?� Frohike asked.
�Hey.� Krycek said, pointing the same spoon at Frohike so he was talking into the camera. �I�ll have no Bill-bashing in my house-�
Maggie and Frohike laughed.
�You gonna have that thing attached to your face all day, Frohike?� Krycek asked, still staring into the camera. �I forgot what you look like back there because all I can see is electronics. I don�t want my kid to think Uncle Frohike is a Borg.�
�I just don�t want to miss anything.�
�And my cooking is entertaining?� Krycek raised his eyebrows. �I�m not Martha Stewart, you know. Look, there�s pizza sauce all over the counter, vegetables all over the floor, dough that the pregnant freak threw down the hall. The poor kid is going to think that the house always
