"I don't understand, Dana. Why would Mulder just leave without saying anything
to anyone? It doesn't make sense." Agent John Doggett is kneeling in front of
a somewhat stunned Dana Scully as she sits in her apartment across from Agent
Reyes and AD Skinner.
Scully and Skinner exchange a brief glance, and then Scully closes her eyes,
takes a deep breath and speaks slowly, "I know it doesn't make any sense, but
whether it makes sense or not doesn't change the fact that Mulder is gone and he
won't be coming back."
"But why? Did he say anything that might be any indication he was planning to
leave? Maybe he was taken again...." Doggett's voice begins to rise in a
panic, and he starts to pace the floor.
"I can't explain it, John; He's gone. Please just accept it and drop
this...please," Scully pleads and gets more and more agitated by the minute.
Agent Reyes immediately picks up on Scully's sudden mood change from
sorrow/acceptance to fear and anger.......and something else.....but she's not
quite sure what that is yet. Just a few minutes longer maybe.
Throughout this whole scene, Skinner has stayed uncharacteristically quiet and
definitely more somber that usual. ::Well:: thinks Reyes ::I know one thing for
sure, Skinner knows where Mulder is and what's happened, but he's not talking
either::
Doggett stops pacing and turns to Scully; maybe changing the subject right now
would be a good idea, "AD Skinner tells me Krycek's body has disappeared from
the Hoover's morgue. Do you think maybe Mulder has just disappeared temporarily
to dispose of Krycek's body so there will be no trace of him or of what happened
in the parking garage?"
Scully sways on her feet, and the color drains from her face. She composes
herself before anyone can notice the change, anyone except Agent Reyes. "Agent
Doggett, if Mulder has taken him, I would prefer not to think about what he's
doing to Krycek's body right now. If you will excuse me, I need to check on my
baby."
Scully storms out of the room and slams the door. Skinner immediately stands up
and grabs his jacket, "I told you that coming here was a mistake. She doesn't
know where he is, and even if she did, I don't think she would tell us."
"Just what exactly is she hiding here, Skinner. Monica and I seem to be the
only ones that don't know what the hell is going on!" As Doggett and Reyes move
toward the front door, Scully comes back into the room, and she looks pissed!
"Why won't all of you just accept the fact that he's gone? He left. He's not
coming back. He wasn't abducted or kidnapped. He left. Of his own free will.
What part of that don't you people understand?" Scully begins slowly to walk
toward Doggett, waving her arms, nearly on the brink of hysteria.
"But why would he leave you here? Why not take you along?" Reyes interjected,
trying to keep a good distance between Scully and Doggett just in case she went
from hysteria to violence.
Scully whirled and faced Reyes, "Take me along? Why the hell would he do that?"
Everyone in the room was shocked into silence for a couple seconds, then Reyes
continues, "Why wouldn't he? He loves you."
Scully throws back her head and laughs while Skinner closes his eyes and sighs.
"Loves me? Mulder and I have been partners for nearly 9 years. NINE YEARS! If
he had any feelings of love for me, don't you think I would have noticed, or he
would have said or done something to let me know in the past NINE YEARS? That's
a long fucking time to have a crush on someone. A long time for unrequited
love." the last sentence is nearly whispered, as Scully slowly sinks to sit on
her couch.
Reyes comes to sit next to her and says softly, "It's not too late to tell him
how you feel. If he's had these feelings of unrequited love for you, it's never
too late to make up for it. I can see clearly that you are in love with
him....tell him.....tell him his love isn't unrequited, and you two can begin
again....start over and try for a happy life."
Scully jerks back as if burned and stands up to tower over the seated Reyes,
"ME? You think this is MY fault?"
Reyes quickly tries to calm Scully down, "No...I didn't mean to imply it was
your fault, I just..."
"It wasn't HIS love that was unrequited! You idiot....IT WAS MINE!!" Scully's
statement stuns the three people standing in her living room into total silence.
Scully composes herself quickly and speaks more softly, "Mulder didn't..." deep
breath. "Mulder couldn't love me. Not the way I wanted him to.....he
couldn't. Not that he didn't want to, he did.
We tried. I told him I didn't care that he was in love with someone else and
that we could make it work. And it did work. For about two days. Then she
called."
Reyes came over and put her arm around the shaking Scully, "I'm so sorry, Dana.
I had no idea Mulder was seeing another woman. I wish I could do or say
something to help you right now."
Scully jerked back and glared at Reyes, "First, Mulder wasn't seeing another
woman, and second, she isn't what you are thinking she is. Her name is
Marita and she only called to have me relay a message to Mulder. She said
'Jeremiah Smith was successful'."
Reyes looks from Scully to Doggett and back to Scully again, "That's it? I
don't understand." Scully half smiled thru her tears and pats Reyes on the
knee, "No, I didn't expect you to understand."
She then stands up and begins to walk toward the door, "Thank you everyone for
coming over, I appreciate your concern, and I might just take each of you up on
your offers for company now and again. I'll need some company when I get over
all this and start my life again. But right now, I'd like to be alone with my
baby for a while."
All three agents walk out the door, and as Skinner leaves, he turns back to face
Scully with sympathy and concern, and maybe a bit more affection than is prudent
for an Assistant Director and the agent under his command, and whispers "I"m
sorry Smith succeeded....if you ever need me, for anything....anything at all,
please call day or night. I'm still here for ....you're not the only one that
has a few unrequited feelings. Maybe when you're ready I'll tell you about
mine." Skinner picks up Dana's hand and kisses it lightly on the back, gives her
a slight smile and quietly closes the door behind him.
Scully walks over to the couch and collapses. Grabbing a pillow and shoving her
face into it, she begins to scream out her frustrations and finally just lies
there, sobbing until she falls asleep.
Location Unknown
Mulder is sitting in a very uncomfortable chair, contemplating his life.
Marveling at how every situation and every decision in his life has led him here
to this exact place and point in time. If just one of those things had been
done differently, he might have been somewhere else right now. Boggles the
mind. Mulder smiles and shakes his head to clear the fog and cobwebs. He's been
sitting here for hours. Completely shocked that he had the guts to tell Scully
the truth and leave. Just leave.....like that. One second he's with her and
the next he's here...sitting in this god-forsaken uncomfortable chair and
waiting......waiting.
Jeremiah Smith walks into the room and quietly asks Mulder, "Any change?" Mulder
shakes his head no and shifts in his seat yet again, trying to find a
comfortable position. Smith smiles, "I told you it would take a while; this was
more difficult than any of the others I worked on; it will take more time...but
don't worry, everything will be fine."
Just as Smith walks out the door, Mulder hears a noise coming from behind him.
He turns in time to see the patient's eyes open. He walks back to the bed and
leans in close enough that the patient immediately recognizes him and all the
monitors in the room begin going crazy.....heart rate, blood pressure etc......
"Hello Krycek." Mulder's voice is smooth and sexy but with a detached coolness
that seems to frighten Alex all the more. Alex struggles to sit up but finds it
impossible, and he begins to panic a bit, "W-what are you going to do to me? Why
am I here.....why am I not dead?
Mulder leans in a bit more and whispers, "I wanted to give you something. I've
wanted to give this to you for quite some time now."
Not sure what Mulder is talking about, but seeing the bizarre light in his eyes
panics Alex even more, "You see, Alex, you gave me something once. And even
though you missed the mark by a mile, you opened my eyes and made me see
everything clearly now. I just want to return the favor and give it back. But
this time I won't miss."
Before Alex could protest or even consider that Mulder might be there to kill
him, Mulder bends down and kisses Alex full on the mouth. The kiss lasts
several seconds and goes from shock and surprise to a little hesitant and
finally to passionate.
When they finally break apart, Alex begins, but doesn't actually finish, a
barage of questions, "Why did you.....how can......why......I don't......who
told you......what about.......::::deep breath::: I don't understand. Are you
a clone? That's the only thing that makes sense....they want me dead again
::again?:: and they sent a clone. Or maybe you're brainwashed....that's
it....no, you wouldn't know me if you were brainwashed. I don't get it Mulder,
why are you here? I don't understand."
Mulder cocks his head to the side and smiles, "Didn't your mother ever tell you
not to look a gift horse in the mouth?" Alex nods and Mulder's smile widens
just a bit, "Ok, then don't ask....just shut up and kiss me, ratboy."
Reading Between the Lines
by DeAnna
Scully's Apartment
