From: Buc252@aol.com Date: 24 Jan 2003 12:52:43 -0800 Subject: xfc: NEW: Apart, Yet Together 1/1 Source: atxc Apart, Yet Together By Mary Kleinsmith Category: Written for After-the-Fact's Sleepless Challenge Keywords: UST, M/S Friendship Rating: PG Summary: Alex Krycek, from the POV of M&S Disclaimer: They don't belong to me, and I fully realize this. If I make a dime on this, you can have it! Archive: Anywhere, just keep my name attached. Feedback: Any would be much appreciated. Author's Notes: This was a toughie, but when she said, "I'll see you later," I wondered if she really would - outside the Bureau. Apart, Yet Together By Mary Kleinsmith "I'll see you later." Her pulse jumped at his words, her mind simultaneously telling her what it meant. He'd be coming over when he got back to DC. It might not be tonight, or even tomorrow, but once the case was closed, or there was a lull, he wanted to spend some time with her. Her eyes sparkled as she thought about it. The once-pariah had become more important to her than anybody in her life, and she missed him more than she ever imagined she would. It wasn't romantic, although she felt the possibility of it being so one day. For now, it was a friendship-plus. A bonding that couldn't be usurped by mere separation or threat from external forces. She planned out how they'd spend their evening. Scrabble was one of his favorites, and playing it with Mulder was always good for a laugh. Only he could use "hendiadys" in one turn (yes, she'd challenged that one - and lost), and "clitoris" in the next. She secretly suspected he did it just to see if he could make her blush. Not an easy thing to do, she felt confident, but it wasn't impossible. Looking forward to it, she hoped it would be more sooner than later. It was lousy not being out there to cover his back when he needed her. This Krycek seemed okay, but she knew he couldn't protect Mulder the way that she could. Cripes, he almost passed out in the autopsy room! The beep of her computer brought her attention back to work. There'd be plenty of time to think about it after they'd untangled the mystery of Augustus Cole. ** "He looks like he's on his way to Sunday school," Mulder chuckled, and she couldn't help but laugh. Mulder had arrived on her doorstep, a surprise, yet not unexpected in the grand scheme of things, an hour ago. She'd quickly scratched her plan to dine on a frozen dinner, instead using the microwave to defrost a container of her mother's chili, which had sat in the freezer untouched until she had enough cause to use it. Mrs. Scully always packed too much for one, and she found that she had no desire to share it with anybody but her former partner. Her friend. The chili and some crackers served as a comforting meal, and although they tried to stay away from it, they couldn't help but end up touching on work all the same. She wasn't complaining; she wanted to hear it all, to be sure he was taking proper precautions to protect himself. Eventually, she couldn't resist asking him about the junior agent she'd recently met. "I swear, Scully. Have you ever seen a little boy shake hands?" He waited for Scully's nod. "That's exactly what he looked like the first day in the bullpen. He had more grease in his hair than I have in my car." Scully chuckled. "Mulder, it's not fair to judge him on his appearance. How was he otherwise?" "Well . . ." "Yes?" she asked with a grin. "Well . . . he's a hell of a lot harder to ditch than you were, I'll give him that much." "Is that a plus or a minus on his side?" She was enjoying watching him squirm. "The jury's still out," he smiled. "He seemed very nice, albeit slightly green in more ways than one," she volunteered, remembering how the young agent had turned away when faced with the sight of an autopsied body. The comment made Mulder chuckle. "Yeah, that was something else, wasn't it? You'd think that somebody going into law enforcement would have a stronger stomach." Their eyes met over their food, both becoming serious. "Do you trust him?" The question took him off guard. His face developed a far-away look as he considered her question, and she knew him well enough to wait patiently. Finally, he spoke haltingly. "I don't . . . trust him." "Then I can at least not trust him with you." They fell silent, and while Mulder took a bite, she decided to put herself out there. "It's hard for me to let go of you, Mulder. I know we were only partners for a year. In most cases, two people would barely have gotten to know each other. But we were different." For once, Mulder didn't feel the need to make a joke. "Yes, you were different. I didn't need to not trust you. I knew. I could see your honesty." She screwed up her courage, more nervous to ask than she anticipated. "Mulder, if . . . you finally get the X-Files reopened . . ." Would he let her come back? His face seemed to fall, and she wondered if he misunderstood where she was going with her question. Her suspicion was confirmed a moment later, when his face took on an almost-frightened expression. "Scully, I know you love to teach, and you're the best forensic pathologist Quantico's got, but . . . when the X-Files are reopened, would you consider coming back to work with me again?" The warmth in her chest grew, while at the same time, she sighed with relief. "But what about your new partner?" "He's not my partner - he's just someone I work with. And if he hasn't been scared off by then, maybe we can have three agents assigned to the Files. But if not, there's no contest. There's nobody else I'd trust to watch my back." He smiled, trying to lighten the mood without losing their commitment. "After all, not just anybody can figure out how to defeat a giant, blood-sucking worm." They laughed together, and she loved it. "I wonder what Alex Krycek would have done with thing." "Well, the way I figure him, he'd either run the other way or try to make plans to go deep sea fishing." Scully looked at him in confusion. "World's biggest bait, you know?" "If we ever encounter another flukeman, he's more than welcome to go down in the sewers after him." "You're telling me. You weren't the one down there drowning in the sludge." Mulder wrinkled his nose adorably. "No, but I think you smelled of it for two weeks afterwards, and that I have to put up with." They fell silent again, the uncertainty returning. "You're sure he's okay?" Scully asked him fearfully. "As sure as I can be. The kid was so clean, he squeaked." "Well, just remember. If it goes wrong, I'll be here. Whatever you need." He didn't know how wrong he was. And neither did she . . . The End