From: Autumn Tancraitor Date: Wed, 07 Apr 1999 16:56:09 -0400 Subject: ALGOS Disclaimers: Dana and Fox don't belong to me. They belong to CC. Don't sue. I don't have anything to give you that you don't already have. Just X-Files memorabilia/ Thanks: To all my X-Files buddies, for putting up with me! You know who you are! Feedback: Sure. Good, bad, I don't care. I just like getting email! Spoilers: Leonard Betts Keywords: Mulder/Scully romance. Rating: PG. Summary: Alternate ending to Leonard Betts. Scully shows her soft side. Author's Note: This is a romance. Shipper's: don't say I didn't warn you! I wrote this because Leonard Betts is one of my favorite episodes. (Mainly because it happened in Pittsburgh, where I live.) I haven't seen any fics about Leonard Betts, so I thought I would write one! So, here it is! Ta Da! ALGOS By: Tumn. "I want to go home," Scully told Mulder dully. After wrestling with a cancer- eating mutant, who wouldn't? But Mulder saw something in her eyes. A fear. She knew something, and she wasn't telling him. "Are you OK?" he asked gently, placing a hand on her shoulder. He didn't know why he asked. He knew what the answer was going to be. It was always the same. "I'm fine Mulder." He closed the door for her and headed to his own vehicle for the drive home. The clock on Scully's night stand read 2:08. Scully coughed in her sleep and woke up. She rolled over to look at the clock when she noticed several bloodstain on her pillow. she reached out to touch the stains, noticing their freshness. Cautiously, almost fearfully, she brought her fingertips to her nose. Blood. Scully stared at the red on her fingertips and fought back tears. She knew why it was there. And she was terrified. Scully didn't know what to do. She wanted to talk to somebody. Mulder! He would be awake. He never slept anyway. Scully reached over and picked up the receiver. She dialed his number and waited. Mulder heard the phone ring and knew exactly who it was. It had to be Scully. No one else would call at this hour. He rose from his couch and picked up the receiver. "Mulder." The voice he heard frightened him. It was Scully, all right, but she sounded small and far away. "Mulder? Could you, um, come over?" Scully bit her lower lip. She knew she probably had Mulder worried now, but she was scared. "I need to talk to someone," she added. Mulder was really upset. Scully never got scared like this. She was always the strong one. The one that never needed to talk. he decided. "I'll be right over," he promised. He set down the receiver and ran to his car. Fifteen minutes later, he pulled up in front of her apartment building. He ran up the stairs and stopped in front of her door. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he knocked gently on her door. "Scully? It's me." He heard her footsteps cross the floor, and he heard the deadbolt unlock. The door opened slowly, and Mulder's jaw almost hit the floor. Tears streaked Scully's face, and she had blood on her night shirt. Mulder's first reaction was to panic. "Scully?"He stepped though the doorway and reached out to pull her close. "Waht happened? Who hurt you?" When she didn't answer, he stepped away from her, holding her by her arms. "Scully, who hurt you? Please! What's going on?" A new set of tears filled Scully's eyes, and she desperately tried to hold them back. But, it wasn't working. The tears spilled out and ran in torrents down her cheeks. "Oh Scully," he said softly, as He pulled her into his arms. Sobs racked her body, and she clung to him as if he would dissappear. "Shhhhh. Shhhhh. It's OK now. I'm here." "Mulder?" Scully pulled away from him, but only enough to look up at him. Mulder glanced down into her eyes. What he saw there scared him. Scully was scared. Strong, tough, formidable Scully was scared and lonely and god only knows what else. "What?" "I'm scared." Mulder led her over to the couch and sat down with her. He pulled her onto his lap and held her like she was a small child. Scully cried and cried, but never once mentioned why. They remained like that for what seemed like hours, and they both fell asleep. Mulder awoke grogilly and looked around. He was sitting on a couch, and there was someone on his lap. Scully. He replayed the events of last night in his head. He recalled Scully's phone call, and how upset she seemed at the hospital. At the time, he had brushed off her distress to the struggle with Betts. But now, he knew there was more to it than that. Had he said something to her? Was she hurt? Maybe it wasn't even related to the case. Maybe there were family problems. He tossed ideas about in his head, when he realized that none of them could fit. None of them explained the blood. Suddenly, Scully shifted in his lap. She reajusted, tucking her head under his chin and snuggling closer to him. He debated whether or not to carry her into her room and put her in bed. But, he realized he liked having her in his lap. He wrapped his arms around her and gave a gentle squeeze. Scully smiled in her sleep, and Mulder set his head down on top of Scully's and went back to sleep.