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“What do you mean you have a flight to catch?”
“I swear, Scully, it’s not a case. I’m not ditching you, I promise.”
“I don’t understand. Where it is that you’re going?”
“I can’t say.”
“Mulder.”
“Listen, I gotta go Scully. My flight is boarding. I’ll be home for Christmas, I promise.”
With that, Mulder disconnects their call. She brings her mobile phone away from her ear and stares at it dumbfounded.
She had come back from a consult with VCU to find a post-it note in Mulder’s familiar scrawl that he needed to catch a flight and would “catch her later”. She never hit speed dial 1 so fast.
Still at a loss at where he is going, she contemplates getting the Gunmen involved. She knows it would take them all of two seconds to hack into the flight manifest to find out where he was going. Hell, she could bribe Holly who’s now on the 3rd floor in homeland security to hack into the manifest.
She paces the bullpen aisle ten times before she gives up and just gathers her things to go home. She won’t be productive for the rest of the day.
In the elevator, she hit speed dial 4.
“County Morgue. You kill ‘em, we chill ‘em.” Frohike’s voice sounds over the line.
“It’s me. Turn off the tape.”
“Anything for the Missus.”
She waits with bated breath.
“All clear. What can I do you for?”
“Is he safe? He’s not running off doing something stupid, is he?”
“Uhhh…”
“Don’t play with me, Frohike.”
“My darling Dana, for once in my life I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Stunned into silence, she can tell he is being honest.
“You need us to look into something for you?”
Scully sighs heavily, wiping a hand across her forehead.
“….No. I’m just—over-reacting.”
“If you change your mind…”
“I will. Sorry to have bothered you.”
“Never a bother. It’s always good to hear your sultry voice.”
“Hanging up now.”
Sleep would not come easy tonight.
***************************************
Rental secured, Mulder heads down the familiar county highway. Iowa is covered in about two feet of snow. The drive to the hotel is pretty, the moonlight reflecting off of the pristine snow glitters like diamonds.
He’d placed a call the day before to the establishment he and Scully stayed at while working a case a week or so ago. Did they perhaps come across a pair of gloves while cleaning? Indeed they had. While Mulder could have easily purchased Scully a brand new pair, these had sentimental value. So he told the proprietor he’d be by to pick them up and reserved a room as well.
The gloves are placed on the countertop as Mulder signs a credit card receipt for the room. As he picks them up, the satiny softness brings him back to the night of passion they’d shared here.
He can’t wait to see the look on Scully’s face tomorrow when he returns them to her.