***DISCLAIMER***: All "X-Files" elements and references
in this story belong to Fox Broadcasting, Chris Carter,
and 1013 Productions, and I am making no money from it.

ARCHIVING: Link only, please!

==========

Happy 34th
by shannono
shannono@iname.com


Story, Humor, Mulder/Scully UST (fluff, basically)

Rated PG

Spoilers through "Chinga"

Summary: Scully has a happy 34th birthday, with a little help
from Mulder and her mom.

Comments: I know, I know, there are about 12 million "Scully's
birthday" stories out there, but I've had several requests
to do one. So here it is; hope you like it! If so (or even if
not), please tell me; I crave feedback!

Dedication: To the "several" people who asked for this (I'd list
them, but I'm afraid I'll leave someone out); to Kris and Erin,
for help with ideas; and to Dave, for giving Kris the birthday
card I stole from for this! <g>

==========

Happy 34th
by shannono


February 23, 1998
8:28 a.m.
J. Edgar Hoover FBI building
Basement office

Dana Scully pushed open the door to the office, took one step inside --
and froze in astonishment. A bunch of balloons were attached to the
back of her chair, a gaily wrapped box sat on the seat, a card on top
of it, and two cupcakes with burning candles in them sat on the table
next to her computer.

Standing behind her chair, a silly grin on his face, was her partner,
wearing a party hat and holding a blowout noisemaker in his hand.

A noisemaker he promptly used, assaulting her ears with a loud blast
before stepping to one side and gesturing with a flourish at her chair.
"Your party awaits, Agent Scully," he said, still grinning.

Scully shook her head as her mouth curved into a semi-smile. "Mulder,
you're crazy," she said.

"So you've said before," he replied, his grin growing impossibly wider.
"Come on, come on, blow out your candles so we can eat. I'm starving!"

"Real healthy breakfast there, Mulder," Scully said, walking over and
laying her briefcase on the table. She leaned over, reading the
writing across the two oversized cupcakes -- "Happy" on one and
"34th" on the other.

"Don't forget to make a wish," Mulder said, leaning in close over her
shoulder.

She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "Can I wish I was 33
again?" she asked, drawing a low chuckle. She leaned in, blew out
the candles, then picked one cupcake up and turned to offer it to Mulder.

He was still grinning as he plucked the cake from her hand, but he
didn't start in on it yet. "Okay, now open your card and gift," he said,
nodding toward the items in her chair.

"Well, I guess I *have* to open these, or I'll have nowhere to sit," she
said, a bit sarcastically, but with a smile on her face. She picked up
the box and card, sat in the chair, and set the box on her lap. She
pulled the envelope open and extracted the card. She was not
surprised in the least to see a cartoonish drawing of an alien -- a
grey alien, of course -- with stars and a planet in the background.

She read it aloud:

"Cheer up, there are worse things than getting older ..." She flipped
to the inside. "You could have three brains and have that 'Macarena'
song going through all three of them!"

She shot Mulder one of her patented looks, and he laughed. "Okay,
okay, I just had to," he said. "Now open your present."

Scully was a bit apprehensive about opening the box. Knowing
Mulder, it would either be another alien-related gift or some kind
of cryptic statement, like the keychain he gave her last year.

Scully carefully slid the paper from the box and lifted the lid, setting
it on the floor next to her. She pulled back the layers of tissue paper
to reveal a black T-shirt with a small flying saucer on the front.

She glared at Mulder. "Mulder, I don't believe you ..."

"Wait, you have to read the back," he said, barely containing his laughter.

Scully carefully lifted the shirt from the box, unfolded it, and then
turned it around. In huge, green letters, it read "WE ARE NOT ALONE."

Mulder was laughing out loud by then, and Scully couldn't help but
join in. "Where did you find this, that place on M Street?" she
asked.

"Yeah, it was right next to the poster," he said, pointing over his
shoulder with one thumb. "I was going to get you one of those, but I
figured we could share mine."

Scully was checking the label inside the shirt. "Well, we can't share
the shirt," she said. "A small? They didn't have a medium?"

"Naw, I wanted to see you in something tight and black, and I figured ..."
Mulder's sentence died out into something like "oomph" as Scully
playfully punched him in the gut.

Mulder retreated to his own chair, still grinning, and bit into his
cupcake as Scully refolded the shirt and put in back in the box, putting
the card on top before replacing the lid. She set the box on the side
of her table, then ran one finger across the icing on her cupcake and
licked it off.

She snuck a peek from the corner of her eye to see, as she expected,
Mulder watching her, his smiled faded and his own cupcake forgotten in
his hand. So she repeated the move, this time bringing her finger very
slowly to her mouth, wrapping her lips around it and then dragging
it away.

She heard something like an "urrgh" from Mulder and heard him whip
his chair around so his back was to her, nearly slamming his leg into
the side of his desk in the process. She suppressed a laugh as she
booted up her computer and got to work.

==========

9:57 a.m.

The morning was going quickly, with both Scully and Mulder clearing
up paperwork from their last couple of cases. Other than the sound
of pen scratching on paper, computer keys clicking, and an occasional
question about a notation, the office was silent.

Finally, Mulder shoved his chair back and kicked his feet up onto
the desk. Letting out a long sigh, he hooked his hands behind his
head and closed his eyes.

Scully turned to face him, smiling a bit at the picture he made. His
sleeves were rolled up, his tie askew, and his glasses had slid down
almost down to the tip of his nose. His hair was spiking out in
unusual directions, which she supposed was the result of him running
his hands through it as he wrestled with various forms and receipts.
He hated paperwork.

Suddenly Scully realized Mulder's eyes were open, and he was watching
her watch him. She blushed slightly, but tried to cover by saying
sarcastically, "Comfy?"

"Oh, yeah," he said, still watching her, a half-smile on his face.
"Just taking your lead and enjoying the scenery."

Scully turned back to her computer to hide the increased color on her
face. "You can take a break if you need to, Mulder," she said, proud
that her voice remained strong and calm. "I know how much you hate
paperwork."

She heard a scrape and a dull thud behind her as Mulder dropped his
feet to the floor, then footsteps behind her. Before she could react,
he was bending close to her ear, sending a shiver down her spine.
Softly, he whispered, "Wanna take a break with me?"

Scully closed her eyes briefly to steady herself before she answered.
"I'm fine, Mulder," she said. "You go ahead. Walk around, get some
coffee, whatever."

She could feel him still close behind her but avoided looking either
at him or at the screen, where she might see his reflection. But
after a few moments, he moved away, and she heard the office door
open and shut.

She turned around to be sure he was gone, then back to her screen,
forcing herself to concentrate on the file updates she was working on.

==========

10:32 a.m.

Scully jumped when the office door opened. She turned to see Mulder
coming back in, his hair and coat damp.

"Is it raining?" she said as he took off his coat, shook the water
off, and hung it on the coat rack.

"A little," he said, reaching into the coat pocket and pulling out
a fresh bag of sunflower seeds. "I walked to the shop across the
street to get these, and it was sprinkling when I came back out."

"Great, rain on my birthday," she said, smiling wryly.

"Yeah, nice gift," he said in a teasing tone. "Too bad I didn't get
you a *white* T-shirt."

Scully rolled her eyes. "Mulder, you really need some new hobbies,"
she said, turning back to her screen.

"What, shooting innuendoes at you isn't enough of a hobby?"

"I meant something *constructive*," Scully answered. "You know,
like reading something besides all those books on astral projection
and the occult."

"Hey, those books have come in handy," Mulder said defensively.
"It's research."

"Yeah, and so are all those videos, right?" Scully shot back,
satisfied when no response was forthcoming.

After a few minutes, though, Mulder did speak again. "So, Scully,
when are you leaving?"

She stopped typing and turned back to face him. "Leaving?" she
said. "For what?"

"I thought you were taking the afternoon off to go out with your
mom," he said. "She called while you were up in the lab on
Friday, but she said she'd call back, so I didn't take a message.
She said you were going to a movie or something."

Scully felt herself start to blush again. "I forgot," she said, a
bit embarrassed. "I mean, I was going to tell you last week, and it
completely slipped my mind. Yes, Mom and I are going to lunch and
a movie today. I already put in the leave request for the afternoon
off. Sorry I didn't tell you."

"That's okay," Mulder replied, waving his hand. "We've got nothing
going on except paperwork anyway. Go, enjoy yourself, see a chick
movie -- and tell your mom I said hi."

"I'm not leaving yet, Mulder," Scully said, turning back to her
computer. "I want to finish these updates so I don't have them
hanging over my head for tomorrow. Besides, I'm not supposed to
meet Mom until one."

Mulder let out a loud sigh. "Damn," he said dramatically. "And I
thought maybe I could sneak out once you'd left ..."

Scully shot another look at him. "Back to work, buster," she said,
drawing another laugh as he turned back to the stack of forms on
his desk.

==========

12:09 p.m.

Scully saved the last of her reports, then set it printing as she
stood and stretched her back and neck.

"Need a back rub, Scully?"

Scully looked over at Mulder, only to see the top of his head as he
appeared to be engrossed in the papers piled in front of him. She
kept her eyes on him, not speaking, and managed to keep from
smiling as she saw a small blush creeping across his cheeks.

She turned back to the printer and picked up her report, then reached
back to shut down the computer and pack up her things.

Mulder had still not moved or spoken again by the time she was ready
to go. She walked over and stood in front of his desk, waiting a few
moments until he finally looked up.

"I'm leaving now, Mulder," she said. "Did you have any *other*
questions before I go?"

The color started seeping back into his face and he smiled
sheepishly. "No, no, go on, have fun. And happy birthday."

"Thanks, Mulder," she said, heading for the door. "See you tomorrow."

"Sure." Mulder watched her leave, and as the door shut behind her,
he smiled. "Or sooner ..." he said softly.

==========

4:39 p.m.

Scully and her mom emerged from the darkened theater, smiling,
though their eyes were a bit red around the edges. They'd chosen
an emotional story and enjoyed both a good laugh and a good cry.
Scully had even remembered to grab some tissues when she'd gone by
her apartment to change before lunch.

Scully sighed happily. "Thanks, Mom," she said as they walked back
to the car. "This has been really nice."

"You're welcome, Dana," Mrs. Scully said. "This was fun, wasn't
it? We should do it more often."

"Definitely," Dana said emphatically. "But next time, let's see a
really silly comedy!"

They laughed as the climbed in the car and headed for Mrs.
Scully's house. As Scully drove, her mom looked at her, heartened
by the soft smile on her face. "Did Fox do anything for you, Dana?"

Scully's smile widened. "Yeah, a typical Mulder birthday
celebration," she said. "Two cupcakes, a card with an alien on it,
and a T-shirt that says 'WE ARE NOT ALONE.'"

Mrs. Scully laughed. "That does sound like him," she said. "He's
such a sweetheart."

"Yeah, when he wants to be," Scully agreed.

"Do you have anything planned for tonight?"

"Not really," Scully said. "I'll probably just sit around and
vegetate in front of the TV, maybe read a book. Believe me, a
quiet night is a real treat for me, I'm on the go so much."

"That's certainly true," Mrs. Scully said. "Bill and Charles
usually call, don't they?"

"Usually," Scully said. "But isn't Bill out on his ship this week?"

"Yes, actually, I believe he is," Mrs. Scully said. "Maybe Tara
will call instead."

"Well, I'll be home," Scully said lightly. "It'll be nice to hear
from any of them."

They lapsed into a comfortable silence as they approached Mrs.
Scully's home. Scully pulled up in front of the house, and Mrs.
Scully turned to face her. "Do you want to come in for coffee,
Dana?"

"No, I don't think so, Mom," she said. "I'm a little tired, so I
think I'll head on home for my relaxing evening. A long bath
sounds very good right now."

"All right, dear. Call me soon?"

"Of course. I love you, Mom."

"I love you too, Dana."

Scully waited for her mom to get inside the house before
pulling away and heading for home. The bath idea was getting
better by the minute.

==========

5:42 p.m.

Scully walked up to her door, flipping through the mail she'd
picked up on her way in. Bills, junk, and a couple of birthday
card-looking envelopes, one from Ellen and one from Bill and his
family. She pulled out her keys and unlocked the door, stepping
in and dropping the mail on the table beside the door. She
turned around, and froze in shock for the second time that day.

Her dining room table was set with a deep green tablecloth, her
best dishes, silverware and glasses, and two tall taper candles.
And, she realized, some wonderful smells were wafting in from
the kitchen.

As she stood in the entry, Mulder stepped through the kitchen
door, a towel over his shoulder and a bowl of salad in his hands.
He'd changed into black jeans, a sweater, and his favorite boots.
He smiled at her. "Hi, honey, you're home?" he said teasingly.

She finally found her voice. "Mulder, what is this?" she said.

Mulder set the bowl on the table and walked toward her. "You
didn't really think that little party this morning was all I
was doing, did you?" He stopped a couple of feet in front of
her, still smiling. "Dinner, and a movie, if you can stand
another one today."

"You cooked?" she said skeptically.

"Yes, I *can* cook, believe it or not," Mulder retorted. "I don't
do it very often, but I can when I want to."

Scully finally moved, peeling off her coat and stepping over to
hang it in the wardrobe next to the door. "So what's cookin'?" she
asked lightly.

"Fettuccine Alfredo with grilled chicken, salad, bread. Nothing too
fancy."

"Sounds great," Scully said, turning back to face him with a
sweet smile on her face. "Mind if I change before dinner?"

"Ooo, slipping into something a little more comfortable, huh?"
Mulder said, waggling his eyebrows comically. "Do I get to pick?"

"No," Scully shot back, heading for the bedroom. "And I am
*definitely* not putting on that T-shirt."

"You wound me, Scully," Mulder said, following her.

She stopped just inside the door. "Back to the kitchen, slave,"
she said haughtily, closing the door in his face.

Mulder just grinned and obeyed.

==========

6:48 p.m.

Scully put down her fork and sighed contentedly. "Okay,
Mulder, I sit corrected. That was wonderful. I'm stuffed."

Mulder grinned. "Thanks, I'm glad you liked it. It's one of my
favorite meals. That's why I made sure I learned how to make it."
He started twirling another forkful of fettuccine, then asked,
"Are you sure you've had enough?"

"Definitely," Scully said. "Any more and I'd pop."

Mulder chewed, swallowed, and grinned again. "Does that mean
you don't have room for dessert?"

Scully stared. "Dessert?" she said. "Don't tell me you ..."

"No, no, I can't take credit for that," Mulder said, pushing his
own plate aside. "I was going to make something, but I didn't
really think I'd have time. So, instead, I picked up a black
forest cake. You like?"

Scully let out a sound something like a moan. "I *love* black
forest cake," she said. "But I think I'll have to wait a little
while before I have a piece and let dinner digest a bit."

"That's fine," Mulder said, standing up and starting to clear
the table. "We can watch the movie, then have dessert."

Scully started to help with the table, but the look she got from
Mulder sent her back to her chair. She watched through the
kitchen door as he scraped and rinsed dishes, loaded the
dishwasher, and wiped the counters.

While he worked, they talked. "So how long have you been
planning this, Mulder?" Scully asked.

"A few weeks, or at least something like this," Mulder said.
"When your mom called about the movie, though, everything fell
into place. I told her what I wanted to do, and she promised to
keep you busy."

"So *that's* why she asked me to come in for coffee," Scully said.

"Probably," Mulder said. "She was supposed to keep you out until
between five-thirty and six. I guess traffic helped out, though."

"Yeah, it was pretty bad," Scully said. "Of course, I told Mom
I was going to have a quiet evening at home. She was probably
struggling to keep from laughing."

Mulder folded his dishtowel, draped it over the sink, and
walked back into the dining room. "Hey, it's relatively quiet,"
he said. "No loud music, no yelling ..."

"No moans and groans from the TV, which means this movie better
not have come from your personal collection."

"I told you I was watching 'World's Deadliest Swarms' when you
called, Scully."

"Sure. Fine." She grinned at him, and they chorused, "Whatever."

Mulder grabbed Scully's hand and pulled her to her feet. "Come
on, movie time," he said, leading her to the sofa and sitting her
down. He picked up the remote and turned on the TV and VCR, then
started the tape.

==========

9:03 p.m.

>>... "People do fall in love. People do belong to each other. Because
that's the only chance anybody's got for real happiness." ...<<

Scully sighed again over the strains of "Moon River" as the movie
ended. She turned to Mulder and asked, "How did you know I love
'Breakfast at Tiffany's'?"

Mulder grinned again as he set the tape to rewind. "I saw the book
on your coffee table once, about a year or so ago," he said.
"Besides, it's a classic. *Everybody* likes it."

Scully returned the smile. "You're right," she said, pushing
herself up off the couch. "So, how about some cake?"

Mulder jumped up. "Hey, it's your birthday! Sit back down and
I'll get it."

Scully smiled as she sat. "You'd better be careful, Mulder. A
girl could get used to this kind of treatment."

"Girl?" Mulder said, making a face and looking around the room.
"I don't see no girls here!" He ducked the throw pillow she
tossed at him and disappeared into the kitchen.

Scully heard drawers and cabinets opening, and in few minutes,
he called back, "Hey, you want some milk?"

"Ooo, yeah, it's great with chocolate cake," Scully replied.

"I know, that's why I asked," Mulder said. More soft noises,
and he came back into the living room carrying a tray holding
two pieces of cake on two plates, two forks, two napkins, and
two glasses of milk. He set the tray on the coffee table,
picked up one slice and proffered it to Scully, who took it
with a grin. Then he grabbed his own piece, and they each took
a bite, his somewhat larger than hers.

"Ummm," Scully said, closing her eyes as she chewed.

"Umm-hmmm," Mulder agreed, drawing a laugh from Scully.

They ate and drank in comfortable silence yet again. Finally,
Scully set her plate back on the coffee table, leaned back
against the couch, and closed her eyes, letting out a
contented sigh.

She heard Mulder laugh and opened her eyes to see him watching
her. "Happy?" he said.

"Definitely," she replied. "This has been a wonderful birthday,
thanks to you and Mom."

"You're welcome," Mulder said. "But it's not over yet, you know."

Scully stared at him. "There's more?" she asked.

"Of course," he said, climbing up off the couch. "You haven't
opened your gift."

"But you already got me a gift, Mulder."

"That was your gift from your 'Spooky' partner," Mulder said,
picking up a flat box from beside the television. "*This* is
your gift from your friend."

Scully smiled and shook her head. "Mulder, you are nothing if not
unpredictable."

"Thank you," he said, grinning and holding the box out to her.

Scully took it, trying not to look apprehensive as she did so.
She slid off the ribbon and pulled off the paper, then lifted
the top to reveal an eight-by-ten frame containing a photo of four
smiling children, lined up like stairsteps, wearing their
Sunday-scrubbed best. Bill, Melissa, Dana, and Charles Scully,
when Dana was about eight.

Scully looked up at Mulder, tears shining in her eyes. "How ..."

Mulder shrugged as he sat back down next to her. "Your mom, of
course," he said. "When she called last week. I had been trying
to think of what to get you, and the idea just hit while we were
talking. I went by her place after work on Friday to get the
picture, then took it Saturday to get it blown up to an eight
by ten."

Scully smiled as a single tear rolled down her cheek. "You never
fail to amaze me, Mulder," she said, shaking her head slightly.
"Thank you. It's beautiful." She leaned forward and hugged him
tightly, feeling his arms come around her, almost hesitantly.

After a moment, they pulled back, and Scully stood to place the
photo on the table behind the couch. She smiled again as she
looked at it, remember the bright Easter Sunday when it was taken.

"You know, those pristine clothes didn't last long," she said,
an almost wistful tone in her voice. "As soon as we got home
from church, Bill and Charles pulled off their jackets and went
running out into the yard, and I was right behind them. We hit
the edge of the grass, and all three of us slipped, at almost
exactly the same time. It had rained the night before, the grass
was slick -- and the ground was muddy." She looked up at Mulder,
grinning. "That was the end of those Sunday clothes."

Mulder returned the smile, reaching for her hand. "I'm glad you
like it," he said. "I wanted to help you remember a happier time."

Scully moved back toward him, standing in front of him and
taking his other hand in hers. "I am happy, Mulder," she said.
"I still have my family. I have a job I love. And I have the
greatest partner and best friend anyone could ask for. My life
may not be perfect, but I am happy."

Mulder lifted her hands to his face and gently kissed the back
of each one. "You deserve to be happy," he said softly. "After
everything you've been through ..."

"After everything *we've* been through," Scully interrupted,
sitting back down next to him. "You deserve to be happy, too,
Mulder. You just have to *let* yourself be happy."

Mulder smiled again. "I wish it were that easy."

"It *is*," Scully insisted, pulling one hand free from his grip and
placing over his other hand. "How do you think I've gotten through
everything? You need to learn to let go, and just enjoy the moment."

Mulder's smile widened into a leer. "'Enjoy the moment,' huh?" he
said wickedly.

Scully yanked her hands back and planted one fist on her hip. "Watch
it, mister," she said. "Enjoying the moment is one thing. Taking
advantage of it is something else entirely."

"Okay, okay," he said, raising his hands as if to ward off her
ire. "I was just kidding, Scully. It's my hobby, remember?"

Scully laughed. "Yeah, I know," she said, standing up. "Now,
Mulder, don't take this personally, but I will see you tomorrow."

Mulder pouted up at her. "Are you kicking me out, Scully?"

"Yes," she said firmly, grabbing his hand and yanking him up off
the couch. She pulled him around to face the door, then released
his hand and positioned her hands in the middle of his back, pushing
him toward the door.

"Scull-eee," Mulder whined.

"Out, Mulder," she said, opening the door. "Tonight was wonderful,
but I am exhausted and I want to go to bed." At the look he shot
over his shoulder, she clarified. "Alone, Mulder. I will see you
in the morning."

"All right, I'll go," he said, still pouting, as he stopped just
outside the door and turned to face her. "But I have one more
question for you."

"What?" Scully asked, her hand on the doorknob.

"What are you going to wear to bed?"

The door slammed in his face.

==========END==========