Night Calling
Author: Maggie (X-Files_EBE@gurlmail.com)

Rating: MT / MSR / PG13

Key Words: Mulder Torture, M/S Romance

Spoilers: Minor for FTF, Redux, Emily, and Triangle

Archive: Anywhere, just keep Author Name and e-mail attached. Thanks!

Summary: Mulder is having a recurring dream about Scully, only it may not be
a simple nightmare. Can he save her before the inevitable happens?

Disclaimer: They're not mine, so don't sue me. Don't worry Mr. Carter. I
won't hurt them. I'm only taking them for a little test drive. So, can I
borrow the keys now? Please? But seriously folks, all the characters
contained herein are property of Fox and 1013 Productions.

Author's notes: I wrote this at about two o'clock in the morning one night
as the rain pattered on my awnings. It's kind of fluff, but I added a little
Mulder Torture to liven things up a bit. Oh yeah, NO ROMOS BEWARE!! Please
pardon the typos! :)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Mulder woke up drenched in sweat, his heart still racing from the dream he'd
had. He sat up quickly on his leather sofa and turned his eyes toward the
clock on his VCR. It read 4:24. In another hour he would be getting up
anyway, so there was really no point to try to go back to sleep now. He
adjusted his Georgetown University sweatpants which had been twisted tightly
around his legs in his fitful slumber and leaned his head back on the
cushion of the couch. His mind was still whirling and afterimages of his
nightmare still played across his semi-closed lids. A chill went up his
spine and he exhaled a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

Mulder was used to nightmares. He had them nearly every night and
experienced them nearly every day. But his subconscious seemed to be working
overtime now. He'd had this dream three nights in a row and he was sure this
was no run-of-the-mill nightmare. He couldn't remember all of it, only a few
snatches of it here and there. But it was enough to make him call
Scully...to make sure she was still alive...

****************

The persistent ringing of the telephone pulled Scully from her sleep like a
parent waking a child for school. She moaned and reached for the light with
her left hand, the phone with her right. "Scully," she said through a yawn.

"Scully, uh, hey. It's me."

"Mulder. What time is it?" She propped herself up in bed and pushed her
sleep-mussed red hair away from her face, a finger getting caught in a small
tangle on the way back.

"It's, uh, 4:40. Did I wake you?"

Hearing the slight distress in his voice, she answered in the negative,
turning off her alarm which had been set for 6:00. "I was just getting up.
Is something wrong, Mulder?"

He paused and Scully could hear his breathing on the other end of the line.
"I had a dream. I just, uh, I just needed to hear your voice."

Scully sighed inwardly. Which situation was stealing Mulder from his sleep
this time? Her abduction? Her cancer? Or maybe even Emily? His list of
things to feel guilty about in regards to her well-being was longer than her
grocery list after being away on a case for a week. The man sure knew how to
pile it on himself.

"You want to talk about it?" she asked, knowing full well that he wouldn't.

A short silence ensued before he spoke again. "Maybe. I - I don't remember
much about it, though."

Shocked beyond belief that Mulder actually wanted to have a discussion about
the realms of his subconscious mind, she sat straight up and swung her legs
over the side of the bed, her feet barely touching the floor. "Um, ok. Well,
what do you remember?"

He didn't answer and she wondered if he had hung up. "Mulder?"

"Yeah, I'm here. Scully, can I come over?" His meek request clenched her
heart. It was so unlike Mulder to act this way.

She looked down at her flannel peach-colored pajamas and blue socks adorning
her feet. "Yeah. Sure, I guess."

"Ok."

Pause. "Ok."

Longer pause. "Ok, see you in about twenty minutes." The line went dead as
Mulder hung up the phone and Scully replaced the receiver back onto the
cradle and moved to change into something a little more respectful.

****************

Nearly a half an hour later, Scully had changed into a dark blue oversized
sweater and white jeans and had opened the window in her living room,
letting in the fresh morning air. It was still somewhat dark outside, the
sun just hinting at its arrival atop a few buildings in the distance.
Cicadas sang quietly in the trees flocking her fronts steps and a few birds
flew by every so often. Scully perched on the window sill, looking out into
the street in search of Mulder's car. A few minutes later she could see
headlights in the distance and as the vehicle slowed, she could see clearly
that it was her partner.

She walked over to her door to greet him, leaving the window open, her room
welcoming the cool spring breeze. Moments later, Mulder strode up the steps
and down her hallway, smiling a little at the sight Scully standing just
outside her doorway. She smiled back and outstretched her arm, an invitation
for his entry.

He walked past her and she noted his clothing. He was already dressed for
work. He was wearing charcoal pants, dark shoes, a white dress shirt with
the sleeves rolled halfway up his arms, and a black and red tie hanging
loosely under his collar. His matching suit jacket hung haphazardly over his
arm and he laid it and his car keys on the table by Scully's couch. Then he
turned to meet her gaze, still not moving to say anything.

She looked down at her attire and, suddenly feeling very underdressed, she
blushed accordingly. "I, uh, I'm usually not up this early."

"Yeah. Sorry for waking you."

"You didn't -"

"I know I did." He smiled at her attempt to make him feel less guilty.

"Well," she said, moving to take a seat on her sofa. "You seemed like you
needed an ear. So, you want to talk now?" She patted the cushion next to
her, tucking her legs up underneath her body, and he nodded his head moving
around the piece of furniture. The wind coming through her opened window
ruffled Mulder's hair. The scent of his aftershave and cologne wafted
through the air and she breathed in deeply, relishing the scent that teased
her senses. That smell mixed with the aroma of morning dew and freshly cut
grass was heaven to Scully. She closed her eyes, momentarily forgetting the
company she was keeping.

"Are you tired? We could talk later." His distraught tone forced her to open
her eyes and smile reassuringly.

"No. Besides, we probably won't have any other time later. So, tell me about
this dream."

He turned on the cushion to look directly into her face. He needed to see
her. To make sure she was real. The dream had also been real. Too real.
Maybe if he told her, it wouldn't seem so bad. Maybe.

"I'm walking down a road. It's dark. There aren't any street lamps and I
don't have my flashlight. I'm not sure how I got there, only that something
is wrong. I think that's when I realize that you're not there. That's when I
think I start to hear a voice. Your voice. You're calling for me. Screaming
is more like it, I guess." He paused and took a deep breath. Scully noticed
his hands were shaking slightly. She reached over and placed her small hand
on his larger one.

"Go on," she urged him gently.

He sighed and licked his lips, moving his eyes down to rest on their joined
hands. "You're screaming for me, only I'm not sure where you are. The sound
seems to be coming from inside of me. That's all I remember until suddenly
there are two bright lights. Car lights and I see you." He pauses to swallow
and a chill runs through him, not unnoticed by Scully. He looks up again
into her bright blue eyes. "You were hit, I think. You're dead." The words
crack forcefully from his throat. "I couldn't save you. I'm sorry. I'm
sorry, Scully." His haunted hazel eyes shine with unshed tears.

"Mulder, I'm not dead. I'm right here." She scooted closer and brought him
into a hug. "See? Could a dead girl hug like this?" She felt the dampness
soak through her sweater and knew the tears that had been threatening
release from the confines of his eyes had finally found their escape.

He wrapped his arms around her small frame tightly, as if to reassure
himself of her existence. "It was so real, Scully. All the blood. And the
noise. God, the noise!" As he tightened his grip, she rubbed small circles
on his back.

Ages later, Mulder pulled back slowly and cupped her delicate face in his
hand. She smiled as his thumb brushed her cheek lightly. "I'm here, Mulder."

His tears had dried and he smiled sadly at her. "Yes, you are here. Today.
But maybe not tomorrow," he said forlornly. "I don't want you to leave
without my giving you something first."

"Mulder, I'm not going to -" She was abruptly cut off with the movement of
his lips to meet hers. The kiss. Finally. It had nearly happened in the
hallway and had been intentionally avoided since then. That would have been
a goodbye kiss. This - this was fueled by something completely different.

Scully's surprise was short-lived as she found herself melting into the feel
of his lips against hers. The scent of his aftershave this close to her nose
made her respond more fervently to his ministrations. Her mouth parted
slightly and he tugged gently on her lower lip with his teeth. Her hands
rose to the back of his head, her fingers playing casually with the tufts of
hair at the base of his neck. His hands travelled to her back and rubbed at
the material covering her porcelain skin.

The kiss lasted a mere ten seconds, but it sealed the bond between them,
making it stronger, and it lifted the heavy weight lying on Mulder's heart.
Scully was alive and he had let her know in not so many words what she meant
to him.

They slowly pulled away from each other, studying one another's expressions.
Scully's cheeks burned a deep crimson, a stark contrast to her usual pale
complexion. Mulder's eyes shone with an intensity that Scully had never seen
before. A small smile played across his slightly swollen lips.

They sat staring at their mirror for and eternity before Scully made the
first move to speak.

"Mulder, I -"

"Shh. Not now." He clasped both of her hands in his and held them in his
lap, never releasing her eyes from the grip his had on them. He could fall
into those pools of sea blue and be content forever. He blew out a soft
breath through his pursed lips and leaned his body deeper into the cushions
of her sofa.

Scully smiled at the sight. Mulder looked genuinely happy, the dream
seemingly forgotten for the time being. "Mulder..." He gave her a
questioning look, but she continued. "Why?" She pulled her right hand from
his grip and gently brushed a piece of his mocha-brown hair back behind his
ear.

"I just needed you to know. Without the influence of drugs this time." He
smiled quirkily, drawing a larger smile from his partner.

She untucked one of her legs and moved closer to Mulder, fitting her body
perfectly into his left side. She leaned her head on his chest, breathing in
his deep musk scent. "I know, Mulder. I've known for a long time," she
whispered against his shirt.

He stroked her soft auburn hair with his left hand, his right still holding
hers tightly. Within a few minutes her breathing had slowed and she was
asleep. 'Not tired, eh?' he thought with a slight grin. He'd wake her in a
few minutes in time to get ready for work. But he soon found himself being
lulled to sleep with the sound of her soft breathing, his head resting atop
hers. The breeze from the window covered them like a light blanket, allowing
sleep to overtake them wholly.

******************

*ring!*

Scully woke with a start at the chirping telephone. She noticed the room was
brightly lit now with the sun set high in the sky. The breeze, once cool
earlier in the morning, was now sticky and warm, promising a spring shower
later.

She looked over at Mulder and, realizing he was sound asleep, she carefully
scooted away from him and lurched for the offending telephone.

"Hello? Scully."

"Agent Scully, I hope I'm not inconveniencing you any by requesting your
presence at work sometime today." The cutting sarcasm in AD Skinner's voice
woke her fully.

"I, uh, no sir. The, um, the power went out and I, um, just woke up. I'll be
there in thirty minutes." She glanced at the grandfather clock in the corner
reading 9:25 and mentally cursed herself. Nearly two hours late.

"And where in hell is Agent Mulder?" The rage in Skinner's voice was thinly
veiled.

"He, um. He's here. He's.....sick. He came over this morning and he's...been
vomiting ever since." She felt a little guilty lying to her boss, especially
about Mulder, but she was just rambling, hoping a reasonably believable
explanation for her tardiness would fall from her lips.

"Why didn't he go to a doctor?" The Assistant Director's tone softened
somewhat.

"Sir, you know Mulder. When has he ever willingly gone to a doctor?"

The line went silent as Skinner pondered this. "I suppose you're right.
Well, get his ass to one right now. Then get to the office. I expect you in
attendance at the 2000 Budget meeting this afternoon at 2:00."

"Yes, sir. I'll be there." The conversation was abruptly cut off as her boss
hung up. She set the phone back down and exhaled a long breath. "Crap, crap,
crap, crap," she said, holding her hands to her temples, rubbing small
circles at the pressure points. She turned to wake her partner and was
surprised to find him peaking at her from above the couch.

"I'm sick, huh?" he said mockingly and then faked a couple of coughs.

She swatted his shoulder. "What was I suppose to tell him? What were you
thinking falling asleep?"

"Me?!" he asked, feigning hurt. "You fell asleep first!"

Scully opened her mouth to shoot back, but then snapped it shut, falling
into an over-exaggerated pout. He grinned his victory and she slugged him
with a pillow.

"Oww! Geez!"

She settled back down on the couch and rested her head on her elbow lying on
the back of the cushions. She stifled a yawn and closed her eyes briefly.
Moments later she was startled when she felt Mulder's fingers running down
her face. He gently touched her forehead, moving down the bridge of her
nose, her upper lip, her lower lip, and finally cupped her chin.

She opened her eyes to meet his stare and smiled at his truly inquisitive
expression. It was as if he was trying to read her mind with touch. She
wondered self-consciously if it was working.

He pulled his hand away and sat back against the arm of the sofa. "About
earlier. I just - it won't -"

"No, Mulder. It's ok." She smiled reassurance at his apparent embarrassment.
"Are you convinced that I'm real?"

He leaned over and gave her a small, sweet kiss on her lips. "For now."

"Mulder..." she warned.

"Scully, I'm sorry. I just can't shake that dream for some reason." He moved
his head down to look at the floor.

"Well, it'll be ok. You'll stay here today. Since you're 'sick.' I don't
have to be at the office until 2:00. Skinner wants me to take you to a
doctor."

Mulder groaned, their earlier discussion quickly forgotten. "What have you
gotten me into?" he joked.

She laughed and stood from the couch, offering her partner her hand. "Come
on. Let's eat some breakfast." Together they made their way into the
kitchen.

****************

A few hours later, Scully was dressed and almost ready to leave for work.
She stood adjusting her blouse in the mirror in the hallway, Mulder watching
her from behind. "I still can't believe Skinner bought that story," she said
with a wry smile. Mulder smiled back, catching her eye in the mirror.

"I could come in with you. I'm already dressed for it." He raised his arms
showing off his now-rumpled dress shirt and oddly creased pants.

She rolled her eyes, turning around to face him. "Actually, you SHOULD try
to rest. I know you haven't been sleeping well since the last case." They
had spent the previous week with Mulder having to lend his profiling talents
to VCS. Every time he got involved with Violent Crimes it wore him down,
physically and mentally. He hadn't slept more than a couple of hours a day
during the case and Scully was certain that it was his lack of sleep playing
havoc with his dreams. If only he could sleep soundly for once, it might do
him some good. "I want you to go to sleep. And stick that lower lip back in
there. No pouting," she said, walking past him to retrieve her jacket from
the bedroom.

His eyes followed momentarily before he retreated back to the living room to
lie on the couch. He knew there was no winning an argument with Scully when
she was so adiment about something, though he doubted he would actually get
any sleep with that dream lurking so close by.

"Besides, I'm getting you out of the budget accessment meeting, so don't
complain," she called from the back room.

He rolled his eyes and leaned his head back on the cushion, surprised at the
heaviness of his lids. He closed them, successfully blocking out the
brightness of the afternoon sun. It was partly cloudy, but the sun still
seemed to peek out once in a while. He hoped it would rain soon. Maybe it
would cool the city off. Before Scully had even returned from her bedroom,
he was semi-asleep.

"Oh, Mulder. I'll be back by 6:00. I have to stop by - Mulder?" Scully
didn't see him anywhere. She went into the kitchen. No Mulder. She knocked
on the bathroom door even though it was ajar slightly. No Mulder. She
rounded the couch and almost laughed out loud. Mulder - King of insomniacs
everywhere - had fallen asleep. Maybe she had a good influence on him after
all. She smiled and leaned over to kiss his cheek. "Sweet dreams, Mulder."
Then she left hastily to make it to the meeting on time.

Mulder smiled in his sleep as the door closed, the scent of her perfume
still lingering in the air. He was definitely glad he'd kissed her.

****************

Mulder was running, rain spattering wildly on th sidewalk around him.
"Mulder!!"

"Scully!!" He could see more details this time, which only served to
frighten him more. He could even see the clothes she was wearing. They
looked familiar, like - oh God! "Scully!!!"

"Mulder!"

He puffed frantically for breath as he ran along the crowded street. It was
dark, but the figure of Scully shown brightly mot more than 50 yards in
front of him. The sky was clouded over and all the lights in the buildings
he passed were off. The rain was falling in torrents, stinging his chilled
skin. It seemed the further he ran, the further Scully moved away from him.

Mulder glanced up and noticed the newspaper stand he passed everyday. He was
a block away from headquarters! The clock in the bell tower of an old chapel
three blocks south chimed the hour. Five. Five o'clock. "Scully!!"

She seemed to be ignoring him. Although the wind whipped savagely, she moved
with ease into the middle of the street...right in front of a speeding car.
The driver hit the brakes, but the wet pavement forced him to slide,
crashing into the small woman, sending her flying through the air like a rag
doll.

Mulder froze in his tracks, too shocked to move. He hadn't seen this much
before. He prayed this prophecy wouldn't come true.

As a loud crack of lightning broke the charged air, Mulder shot up on the
couch, trying to catch his breath.

The lightning had come from outside, a spring storm ravaging his sleep. Rain
was pouring and a few droplets found their way into Scully's apartment.

He ran his hands over his face and stood to close the window. Staring out at
the pouring rain, the details of the dream surfaced in Mulder's conscious
and he glanced at the clock without thinking. 4:18. He had slept for over
two hours, not that it did much good.

He cursed the dream-givers and grabbed his jacket, slipping on his shoes
without tying them. He had to hurry. He only had 40 minutes to save Scully.

****************

Scully sat stiffly in the hard-backed chair praying for some escape from
this meeting. She envied Mulder, asleep back at her apartment.

Assistant Director Lombard was discussing the armory expenses of the past
decade and Scully found her mind wandering. The room was full of nearly a
hundred and fifty agents, assistant directors, and the director himself. She
doubted they would miss her undivided attention for one minute.

Her mind wandered to the details of Mulder's dream. He didn't usually have
dreams for no reason. They were either memories, or - something she didn't
care to even think about. It was just a dream. But then again, as Mulder had
said so many times in the past, a dream is the answer to a question we
haven't yet learned how to ask. She dreaded what the question could be.

"And in the approaching fiscal year, the trend will turn more towards..."

'Please, God. Just this once. Get me out of here!' she pleaded, hoping for a
miracle. Her half-hearted request was heard.

"...with the introduction of - what the?!"

All the lights went out; the silence it created in the large room was
deafening. A moment later the back-up generator kicked on, struggling to
power up the entire building, but to no avail. Two minutes later the dim
emergency lights died, leaving the present company in total darkness once
again.

Eruptions of anonymous applause and relieved laughter broke out in the
convention hall, Scully smiled widely to herself. "Thank you," she mumbled.

With a few loud bangs of a book (she guessed) on a table, the director had
the group's attention. He announced that the remainder of the meeting would
be postponed until further notice, barring any more weather delays. She
snickered thinking that Mulder wouldn't be getting out of this after all.

The group made their way blindly through the back doors of the room, happily
greeting the soft light spewing through the large windows at the front of
the building. Now that they were out of the room, they had another obstacle
to overcome. The stairs. No lights were on and it was making it impossible
to see more than fifteen feet ahead, let alone go down the steps blindly.

Scully wasn't about to think about it long. She pushed through the crowd
toward the stairwell, a few younger agents following her.

"Um, Agent Scully? Are you sure this is safe?" Cadet Saunders asked, meekly
following his upperclassman.

"Mm, sure. I don't care anyway. I have to get back to Mulder."

"Spooky Mulder?" another faceless agent asked. She rolled her eyes in the
darkness.

"Agent Mulder," she replied, stressing the title "Agent." Scully threw the
door wide and bounded into the stairwell, memorizing the position of the
steps before the light left with the closing of the door. She gingerly
grabbed the rail and carefully made her way down the four flights of steps
to the first floor near the parking garage.

Minimal light filtered in through the vents of the underground parking lot
as Scully made her way over to her car. As she was sliding her key in the
lock, a shadowy figure appeared to her right, making her jump just a little
until she realized it was Carl, the lot attendant. "

"That won't do no good, agent. With the 'lectric out, the gate's plum stuck.
Nobody's goin' anywhere for a while," Carl said apologetically.

Scully grumbled and shoved the keys back into her pocket, glancing at her
watch, barely visible in the dull illumination. 4:50. If she hurried, she
could catch a taxi before rush hour really began.

She quickly nodded her acknowledgement of the little man and scurried to the
exit, dreading the rain pouring just outside.

*****************

Mulder rounded the corner toward the Hoover building, his heart racing. It
was a quarter till five. The rain was pouring heavily and his wet clothes
were sticking to him. Just as in his dream, the pelting raindrops stung his
skin as they fell. The traffic had been so bad that he ditched his car at F
Street and jogged the rest of the way. All the traffic lights were out and
it seemed that half the city had lost power. 'Just like the dream,' he
thought, murkily.

He was almost to the bureau now. He glanced at his watch again. 4:57. He had
three minutes to get there. When he saw the newspaper stand, he broke into a
sprint, determined to reach Scully before the unmentionable happened. Up
ahead, he thought he spotted her exit the parking garage.

"Scully!" he shouted through rapid breathing. She didn't hear him. He forced
his legs to move faster despite his muscles' protests. "Scul - Scully!!"
Still nothing.

Out of the corner of his eye he spotted THE car. It was just turning the
corner onto their street, going a bit too fast.

"Oh shit," he said under his breath. He watched as Scully tried to hail a
taxi, unsuccessfully. Her hair was quickly drenched and her suit was most
likely soaked clear through. "Scully!!!" he called once again, but over the
roar of the rain and thunder, it was impossible to hear anything.

A moment later a taxi pulled up on the other side of the street, waving for
her entrance. She pulled up the legs of her pants slightly and made her way
into the water-filled street. "Nooooo!!!!!" he screamed. He was closer now.
She heard him and turned slightly in the direction of the sound. He was
running at her, the car speeding unbeknownst to Scully, straight toward her
body. "God, nooo!!"

Her mouth dropped open as she saw him racing toward her. "Mul - !" Her word
caught in her throat, unspoken as he hurled himself at her, just in time for
the car to miss Scully. Unfortunately he wasn't so lucky.

The edge of the fender caught Mulder's right leg, yanking him away from his
partner. He spun around as his body rolled along the side of the car and he
fell into the street, his head hitting the curb. In the distance, the sound
of bells tolling could be heard above the thunder.

Scully, who had only gotten wetter in the ordeal, picked herself up from the
gutter and ran over the Mulder's still form. Blood was seeping from a wound
on the side of his head, making his hair a sticky mess. A dark purple bruise
was beginning to form on his right cheek, a scrape on top of that beginning
to bleed. His right leg was contorted unnaturally under his body and she was
sure it was broken. He needed to be at a hospital now! Her cell wouldn't
work in this storm and the lines were most likely down anyway.

"Someone help! This man is hurt! We need to get to a hospital. Somebody,
please!!" She pushed his soaked hair back from his forehead and whispered
words of comfort to her partner. A tall man in wire rimmed glasses stepped
away from the small crowd gathering around the scene and knelt to help.
Scully looked up and was greeted with the familiar eyes of the Assistant
Director.

"Sir. I - we need to get him to a hospital. Now," she pleaded with all her
energy.

He nodded and quickly hailed a cab. Then they gently settled Mulder in the
back seat, his head held in place by Scully. Thankfully the driver made it
to the hospital in record time and insisted the tab was on him, saying that
he had seen what "that young man" had done to save Scully. They dropped a
twenty into his hand anyway and rushed to get some help for Mulder.

****************

Waiting was the worst. It had been only thirty-five minutes since they had
taken Mulder to do X-rays and set his leg, but it felt like a week. Skinner
had gone down to the cafeteria to get a cup of coffee and make a couple of
phone calls, leaving Scully in the waiting room, alone with her thoughts.

Her mind was reeling a mile a minute. His dream had nearly come true. If it
wasn't for Mulder - she shuddered to think what would have happened. She
owed him so much. Her life was his. It had been for a long while. This just
added to the justification of the much-used cliche.

Ten minutes later a woman in a lab coat, not much taller than Scully with
mouse-brown hair, came into the waiting area. "Miss Scully?" The doctor's
name tag read Cindy Lyons.

"Doctor Scully. How is he?" she asked, wringing her hands in front of her.

"Well, Doctor Scully. The X-ray confirmed our suspicions. He has a compound
fracture of his upper right femur. We set it and he'll be in traction for a
few days. He has a slight concussion, hence the bleeding from his cranium.
His right wrist was sprained mildly. It should heal rather quickly. He has
contusions, most fairly mild actually, covering a large percent of his right
side and the bruise on his cheekbone we've iced down, although it doesn't
appear to have broken the bones. It'll be swollen for a couple of days, but
it'll heal. All in all, Doctor Scully, it could have been much worse."

Scully nodded in agreement. "When can I see him?"

"He's being moved to his room right now. Uh..." she said, looking at his
chart. "Room 526. I suppose it wouldn't hurt for you to stay with him."

"I always stay with him when he's in the hospital," Scully interjected.

"Ok, give them about ten more minutes to get him settled. Then go on up.
He'll probably be out of it for a while. We have him on some pretty strong
drugs."

"That's ok. Thank you," she said, shaking the doctor's hand. "

"No problem. One thing's for sure. This makes for good reading material,"
Doctor Lyons said, patting Mulder's extremely thick file.

"I know." Scully smiled slightly. "Hazards of the job. And the fact he's
good at finding trouble for himself."

The doctor smiled once again, then turned and left. A few moments later,
Skinner returned and Scully filled him in on Mulder's condition. Satisfied
that his two agents would be alright for the evening, he decided to go home,
promising to check in on Mulder the next day.

****************

The sterile room was dark except for a small lamp hanging on the wall
casting an eerie orange glow over the white walls. Mulder's head was turned
away from the door, his left cheek buried in the hospital issue pillow. His
right leg hung about a foot and a half off of the bed from the metal bars
attached to the ceiling, his cast ending four inches from his toes which
were now covered with a thick, specially-fitted sock. An IV ran to the back
of his hand, the bag dripping painkillers into his veins. His breathing was
slow and steady and Scully hoped he wasn't dreaming.

She moved around the side of his bed to face him and took a seat, holding
his hand. His lack of response to her touch finally brought the tears which
had been promising to spill all evening. She let them fall silently down her
cheeks as she stared at his face. His right cheek was swollen and a small
bandage covered the scrape. A thin layer or gauze was wrapped around his
head holding a thicker swab on the gash behind his ear. His complexion had
paled dramatically in the last two hours. Two hours. That's all the longer
it had been since the accident.

Scully choked back a sob and squeezed her eyes shut. She hated seeing Mulder
hurt. He seemed invincible in the field, but in a hospital bed he looked so
small and vulnerable. And this time it was her fault. He had been saving
her. In her mind, the blame lay on her alone.

A small sob finally escaped her mouth and she laid her head down on their
joined hands. The only sounds in the room came from the rain pattering on
the window and the hum of the forced air unit in the corner. Scully quickly
cried herself to sleep, her head resting on the light blue sheets.

Mulder's fingers twitched and grabbed her fingers in his hand. He didn't
have to open his eyes to know who it was, which was a good thing. He wasn't
sure he could if he wanted to.

Together they lay until the morning.

****************

At 7:30 AM the next day, Mulder still hadn't woken. Scully had called her
mom to tell her about his situation and Maggie Scully had insisted on coming
to visit saying her daughter needed a change of clothes at least. And she
wanted to check on "her Fox" for herself.

So with Scully now dressed in jeans and a UC Berkeley sweatshirt, she and
her mother were sitting in Mulder's room talking about what happened.

"I feel like it's my fault, Mom. If I had just been more careful, he
wouldn't be here right now." She stared out the window. The rain had stopped
sometime during the night and the sun was shining brightly through a few
cumulus clouds.

"Dana, honey. If it wasn't for Fox, YOU wouldn't be here right now." Maggie
reached over and took her daughters hand. "It's no more your fault than it
is his. He did what he did because he cares about you."

Scully sniffled and wiped at her eyes with her free hand and nodded. "I
know, Mom," she said, turning to face the older woman. "Mom, we kissed. Just
yesterday. After he told me about the dream." Looking into her mother's eyes
she couldn't help but notice the flash of excitement that passed across them
for just a moment.

"And how did he react?"

"Mom!" Scully hissed. "He instigated it. But......it was nice."

Maggie's smile lit the room. "Well, that confirms the fact that he saved you
out of love."

"I just wish he didn't have to," Scully added solemnly. "I never wanted him
to get hurt." She glanced at his leg hanging immobile from the brace.

"Of course you didn't, Dana. But he and I wouldn't want YOU hurt either.
What did the doctor say?"

Scully turned to look out the window once more. "He'll be in traction for a
couple of days so his muscles won't pull the bone while it's mending. He has
a concussion. It was worse yesterday, but the swelling is going down
rapidly. He has some bumps and bruises, but.....it could have been a lot
worse, I guess."

"Yes.....it could have."

The raspy voice from behind the two women forced them to turn toward the
sound.

"Mulder!" Scully rushed to his side and reached for his outstretched hand,
her tears flowing freely again. Maggie Scully stood in the background
watching the scene unfold before her. She thought it was about time her
daughter figured out that Fox loved her.

"Shh, don't cry." He lifted his hand and wiped a stray tear off her cheek.
"Are you ok?" She smiled at his question. It was just like him to ask about
her while he was the one lying in a hospital bed.

Scully nodded and wiped the remaining tears from her eyes. "Yeah, just a
little bit rain-soaked." She smiled at his dark eyes. He smiled back,
attempting not to stretch the skin around his bruise too much.

"Ok, I'm glad." He closed his eyes, but continued to talk. "So my dream
didn't quite come true after all." He sighed in relief.

"No, Mulder, it didn't." She leaned in close to his face and gave him a soft
kiss. "Thank you," she whispered.

He opened his eyes to stare into hers. "Anytime," he whispered back.

Maggie chose that time to walk out of the room leaving the two agents alone
together. As she closed the door behind her, she saw the Assistant Director
stepping off the elevator, two coffees in his hands. He noticed her also and
smiled. She met him halfway and announced happily that Fox was awake.

"Good. I was just coming by to check on his condition - and Agent Scully. I
thought she could use a little of this," he said, motioning toward the
styrofoam cup gripped in his hand.

Maggie smiled appreciatively and shook her head. "I think now that Fox is
awake she has other things on her mind."

Skinner glanced down the hallway and shrugged slightly, offering the
steaming cup to Mrs. Scully. She accepted it with a smile and the two of
them got on the elevator together, heading toward the cafeteria.

****************

"Mulder, why did you do it? You could have been killed."

"Because I know you would have been killed. I couldn't live with myself
knowing that I may have been able to save you. This isn't your fault,
Scully. Don't even think that. That car was going way too fast on that wet
street. Tell me you believe me when I say it wasn't your fault."

She stared down at her hands for a long while before answering.
"I.....can't. If it wasn't for me, you - "

"I would have been dead long ago. You've saved me so many times." He paused,
looking at her guilty face. "What do you say, we're even?" He lifted her
chin with one finger and forced her to smile. "That's better." He smiled in
return.

Mulder hung his uninjured arm around Scully's neck and pulled her into his
side for as tight a hug as he could manage. He held her for what seemed like
hours, just breathing in the fresh floral scent of her hair. He absently
wondered what brand of shampoo she used.

He slowly released his hold on her and she pulled back, a smile hinting at
her features. "Scully, drugs or no drugs, I have to tell you." He paused,
hoping not to hear "oh brother" uttered by her once again. "I love you,
Scully."

A lone tear slid down Scully's cheek and she smiled brightly, then leaned
down to give him a long, lingering kiss.

"I love you too, Mulder."

Mulder's nightmare long forgotten, they lay together, culminating six years
of unspoken vows into one simple phrase. The monsters of the night were gone
for now, two destined lovers finally meeting as one.

The End

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