Falling
Chapter 29 Part One
Disclosures in Previous Chapters:I make no money from
this and the obvious characters are certainly not
mine!
See previous stories... would be helpful, but
not necessary:
Quantum
The Road Less Traveled
Falling

For those of you that have stuck this out, thanks!
I apologize for the long times between chapters, since
that is really uncharacteristic of me!  My last surgery
was last week, so I am on the mend and ready to write!
Thanks again and enjoy!
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Chapter Twenty-Nine

"And how many days was he expelled?" Scully asked around
a sip of tea.

"Well, in England, they make you return home from the
expulsion, disgracing kith and kin.  But, Fox, the 
sly devil, was able to use his dad's connections to 
get authentic Cuban cigars sent to the entire board.
So, he didn't have to return to the Americas, head 
hung in shame and defeat."  Brian explained.

"Gasp!  Mulder, bribery?  Really?" Scully laughed,
swatting Mulder's knee underneath the dinner table.
Mulder ducked his head with a slight blush and a 
roll of his eyes.

"But, he did have to change dorms which is how we became
bunkmates, but had distinctly different majors."
Brian explained in grand fashion, a lone piece of 
beef being pushed around on his plate as he rambled.

"Well!  I think we have heard about enough about
my trysts at Oxford, eh Brian?  The roast was great,
I appreciate it".  Mulder stretched his arms over
his head and rested his closest arm on the back of 
Scully's chair.  "I guess if we are planning to run
this tonight, I need to catch a nap.  How are you 
feeling Scully?"

When he looked over at her, she positively glowed.
Her cheeks took on a pink air, from the over exposure
to the winter air and the laughter at Brian's stories.  
Her hair had dried naturally, falling in tawny waves
around her face and her light blue sweater only
added to the sparkle in her eyes.  

It struck Mulder, as he watched her, that they had
not had a night like this.  Where they sat back
and shared stories over a meal, laughing and teasing,
letting each other into that mysterious part of their
lives referred to 'pre-X-files'. It almost made him
sad that they were about to throw this normalcy out
the window to break into a foreign hospital to get 
proof of a new extraterrestrial disease.  Would he
ever choose this over the unknown?  It gnawed
at the base of his skull, Scully's yearning to 
"Get out of the car" swirling around his brain.

"Mulder?"  Scully asked, her eyes wide in question
and waving her hand in front of his eyes.  "You 
okay?"

"What?  Yeah, great.  Sorry, I spaced out for a bit."
Mulder replied, offering her a small smile.

"Okay... Well, I was just saying I could use a nap
before tonight." Scully said, sliding her fingers
into Mulder's.  Mulder nodded his head in agreement
and turned his weary eyes towards Brian.  

"What are the accomidations?" 

"Well, we have a pull out couch in the office.  It
isn't the most comfortable thing, but it will do, if
that is alright.  It's a full." Brian said standing
up from the table, collecting both his and Scully's
plate.

"Yeah, that will be fine.  Is, uh, Ava not going to 
eat?" Mulder asked, standing as well.

"I dont know what the hell her problem is, Man." Brian
said, his back to Mulder as he walked to the sink.  "You
know she gets in these funks, but I'm from Charleston,
South Carolina.  My Mama would wear my hide out if I 
sulked and pouted while we had company."  

Mulder grinned and slid his plate into the sink.  

"Have you two been together since we left Oxford?"

"No, not really.  A few weekends here and there,
then she got put on assignment in Prague and I was looking
for a change of scenery.  It just kinda happened,
I guess."  

Mulder leaned back against the counter and caught
Scully's eye as she stood near the island.  "You know
Ava has been through a lot and I am sure she sees me
as part of the problem, Bri.  Cut her some slack."

He walked around Brian and extended his hand for Scully's
before he left the kitchen.  "See ya at 2:00am, Buddy."

"Yeah, man.  Pillows are in the closet on the left."
Brian said, abandoning the dishes in the sink and 
going to find Ava in the den.