Chapter Text
Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, with swaths of gold fabric draped along the walls. The room was imbued with the light of a thousand candles, and a scent of decadence and sandalwood drifted through the air. She was standing in front of a large mirror that hung the length of the wall. She could see beautiful men and women dancing in the reflection. Her eyes caught sight of a stunning woman, she was dressed in an emerald floor length gown made of satin or silk. Roses made from green lace hung around her shoulders and breasts. Her hair was swept up into a mass fiery red curls, a single diamond pin could be seen on the side. The woman’s hands were covered in white gloves that trailed up her arms to her elbows. She was perfect. A man walked up behind the beautiful woman, he placed a kiss at the woman’s throat. She turned, the woman was her. The man took her by the arm and led her to the dance floor. His hair was longer than she remembered, and he looked different in his suit. More refined than she was used to. But as he led her in the dance she let herself gaze into his eyes, his ever changing eyes. She knew them well, every flicker of gold. The way they shifted into green at the edges, the same green as her dress she noted. Those eyes could be deceiving, telling only what he wanted her to see, and always hiding the deeper reasons. They could change at a moment’s notice, leaving her breathless in wonder. But tonight his eyes told a different story. As they moved around the floor swaying to the music, his eyes spoke only of love. He stopped dancing and pulled her aside.
“Yes?” she asked, waiting for the words she never knew she longed for.
“Scully, I.”
He stopped suddenly and pulled a feather out of his pocket, he brought it up to her nose and started tickling her with it. She swatted the feather away wanting to hear what he was about to tell her, but he kept bringing it back to her face. She felt her eyes start to itch and she knew what would happen next.
Feb23 2000 8:30 AM
Scully let out a sneeze and rolled over in the bed opening her eyes. What the hell? Before she had a chance to figure out where she was and what was happening Charlie jumped on the bed next to her. “Happy Birthday!” He shouted in her ear.
She pushed herself upright and tried to clear the veil of sleep from her eyes. “What?” She asked stupidly blinking at her brother.
“God your slow in the morning, it’s your birthday. Wake up I want to celebrate.” He said lightly shaking her.
“Charlie, what the hell are you doing?” She asked looking at the alarm clock that she had expected to wake her this morning. “Shit, Charlie its 8:30 I’m late.” She jumped out of her bed and rushed to the closet looking to throw on the first thing she came to. I can’t believe I’m late on my birthday. What a great start to the day, she thought sarcastically.
Charlie was lounging on her bed seeming nonplussed at his sister’s panicked rush. “It’s fine, you have the day off.” He said casually plucking the floral comforter.
“What?” She turned to him furious, first he woke her up, then he waited until she was already getting ready to tell her she isn’t working, and how the fuck does he know that she has the day off? She didn’t ask for it, what did he think he was playing at? He know she hates surprises.
“Before you get all huffy at me, there’s a pot of coffee brewing in the kitchen. Have some of that, and then you can scream at me.” He said jumping off the bed and pulling her from the room.
They sat on the benches in the kitchen drinking coffee until she had calmed down enough to ask him. “How did you organise getting me the day off?”
“Oh, I rang Mulder.” He said taking a sip of his over sugared coffee.
“You did what? When? You don’t even have his number.” Her mind was reeling, how dare he call Mulder to ask his permission for her to have the day off. How dare he give it.
“I rang him from your phone last week when you were in the shower.” He could see the rage peeking out from his sisters wide eyes. “Dana, I was trying to do something nice, please? This is the first birthday I have got to see you on in almost ten years.”
That took the wind out of her sails a bit, she tried to see things from his perspective. He had been very much on the sidelines of their entire family’s life for a long time. It made sense that he wanted to enjoy her birthday this much. She took a calming breath. “Thank you Charlie, I do appreciate it, I just don’t really react well to surprises. I’m sorry, but you should know, it was inappropriate of you to ask Mulder for me to have the day off.”
“I didn’t ask him to let you have the day off, I asked him to help plan the surprise.” He said plainly.
“Oh.” She felt like such an idiot, it had always been so important to her that she wasn’t treated like a lesser just because she was a woman. It hadn’t occurred to her that both her brother and her partner never had. “So what’s the surprise?” She asked.
“Well, finish your coffee because we are going shopping. I am so sick of seeing you in black all the time. And it’s all my treat.” He said waving his wallet at her.
“Okay.” She said smiling. “But you are not buying me everything, there is nothing wrong with my clothes.”
He just rolled his eyes.
****
Mulder had been agonizing over what to get Scully for her birthday ever since he received a surprise call from Charlie last week. He wandered around the mall aimlessly, going over the gifts he had given her in the past. There was that Apollo eleven key chain he had given her a few years back, but she didn’t even like space travel. What else? Countless sporting videos that he saw she had dutifully kept on a shelf in her home, he doubted that she ever watched any of them. There was that book, but that was a one of a kind moment of luck that was surely never to be repeated.
Damn it, what did Scully like? How could he not know this after everything they had been through? He threw his hands up in the air and cursed loudly, fellow shoppers gave him looks and stepped away from him. He ignored them. Okay Mulder, think! He told himself. Break it down, what does she like.
Well, she liked the quiet. She preferred books over movies, and when she did watch movies she liked the classics. She liked being alone. She wasn’t one to wear jewellery, or fuss over expensive items. She was caring, she’d cared for him for many years. She always put others needs before her own. She listens, she always knows what to say to make him feel better. She has the softest skin he has ever felt, and the bluest eyes he had ever seen.
He shook his head, he was getting of topic again. What should he buy her? He looked at his watch He was meeting Scully and Charlie for lunch in an hour here. He closed his eyes and cleared his mind, suddenly he started walking with determination, headed in a direction of purpose, for what he still hadn’t figured out. But then, there it was, on a tiny stand outside the food court. The second he laid eye on it he knew it was perfect.