"Don't say goodbye to the goodbye girl, just say see you soon…"

"Hello? Hello?" Mulder spoke loudly into his phone, heard a garbled "just a minute!" barely audible over the generic pop song playing in the background, and then the sound of Pluto faded away and Scully was there, saying, "Mulder, is that you?"

"Are you having a party without me, Scully?" he mock whined.

She laughed. "Not me, Mulder, the baby. He already knows what he likes, and he likes it loud."

"Don't encourage him, Scully. I'll bring back some Hendrix for him. Gotta make sure the kid doesn't wind up with bad taste in music."

"It's not so bad, Mulder. Where are you? I can hardly hear you."

"I know. The reception here totally blows, and not in that good way." He could hear her giggling again. "We're in—" He named a town she was unfamiliar with. "We're still heading north, and I think we'll be over the border tomorrow, at the rate we're going."

"Canada, Mulder? What the hell for?"

"I have no idea, Scully, but he says there's a place there he went to once before, and that he just needs to be there again. Could be Vegreville for all I know."

"Or Moose Jaw."

It was his turn to laugh. Her next question was serious though, and he responded in kind.

"How are you doing, Mulder? How is Walter doing?"

"I'm fine, Scully. Getting it on a regular basis, and enjoying the scenery." He thought he could almost feel the heat of her blush through his Nokia. "As for Walter, well, he seems better.  Not happier, exactly, but you know…"

"No goofy I'm-okay-you're-okay grins, huh?" Scully thought she understood.

"Not hardly. I mean, it's been seven years, Scully. How many smiles do you remember?"

A quick memory search revealed files marked with such titles as 'confused frowns', 'angry tense jaws' and 'distressed but grim resolve', but she only had one smile come immediately to mind.  The night the two of them told her they were seeing each other.

"You make him smile," she said softly.

"Not really, Scully, but thanks for the vote of confidence." He seemed almost embarrassed by the kind words, and quickly changed the subject. "How are things there. What's the good word from Agent Doggett? Has Kersh taken up flying yet?"

"Nope, but he's been suspended pending review. Doggett made sure of it. He and Reyes make a good team, y'know."

"A believer and a skeptic?" he asked archly, "How can that possibly work?"

"Good to hear that razor sharp wit is still intact. Do you have all the paperwork you need for a border crossing, Mulder? Did you need me to—"

"Everything's fine, Scully." He interrupted her smoothly. "He never told me where he was taking me, but I grabbed everything I could think of before we left, and passports were one of them. It's no biggie. We'll make out just fine. You just take care of J. Edgar Junior."

As if in response, he heard a loud wail on Scully's end of the phone.

"Is that the boy wonder—wow, he *is* surly, isn't he. Are you sure Walter isn't—"

It was her turn to cut him off. "Mulder, you and I both know you're more likely to be having Walter Skinner's baby than I am!"

"Scully, I'm shocked!" Actually he was oddly pleased at the risqué comment, recognizing it for the latest step in acceptance taken by a woman who's most lasting concepts of homosexuality had come from the Catholic version of Christianity, coupled with the OPR handbook. Hardly encouraging, but he knew she was trying her best for him, and the thought warmed him, almost like she'd physically reached through the phone and hugged him. He could hear William still blatting loudly.

"Mulder, I—"

"I know. Go make the kid happy, Miracle Mom. We're fine."

"Take care of yourself, Mulder. Take care of Walter."

"We'll take care of each other, Scully."

"I have to run, Mulder, keep in touch."

"I'll call ya from Moose Jaw."

He hung up on her gentle laughter, shut off the phone and tossed it on bed. Adjusting the towel around his hips, he dug into his duffel bag, pulled out clean clothes, and threw them next to the phone. Then he found the television remote, a show he liked and space beside all his crap on the bed, and propped himself up on pillows with a sigh. He set the remote down, then immediately picked it up again and adjusted the volume so he could hear it over the sounds of the shower running and the unmistakable baritone of a certain unnamed Assistant Director mangling "Joy To The World"

To Fox Mulder, right this moment, even Moose Jaw sounded good.