From: Sheryl Martin Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 20:02:28 -0500 Subject: NEW-Darkness into Light (1/1) Please Archive... grin... All Characters copyright of TenThirteen Productions and Chris Carter. No infringement intended on any part... go ahead, take me to court... I'm using the insanity defense... heh, heh, heh... Comments, complaints and just plain talk to sheryl_martin@goodmedia.com Summary: Scully and Mulder ponder the aftermath of Orison... oh, and Skinner too... Spoilers: Irresistible/Orison/Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose (really!) Rating: G, Story... (when life hands you lemons...) Darkness into Light (1/1) by Sheryl Martin "I'll only be a few minutes..." Scully's hands gingerly picked through the drawers; expertly pulling out a long-sleeved shirt and jeans. "I'll need this to start with..." The bedroom door flew open; startling the two agents. "Agent Scully..." Assistant Director Walter Skinner stood in the doorway, his face flushed. "Are you..." "I'm fine, sir." She tucked one curl of hair behind her ear as the other hand slipped up to pull the pajamas top tighter around her, as if that were possible. "I'm fine." "Good. Agent Mulder." His tone dropped to a low, menacing snarl. "Can I see you out here for a minute?" "Yes, sir." Nodding to Scully the tall man walked gingerly over the broken glass and out into the hallway; brushing by the older man. Carefully closing the door behind him Skinner whirled on the waiting man. "Want to tell me how this happened?" "Sir..." Mulder looked down at the floor; absentmindedly noting the scattered specks of glass that had skittered outside the bedroom. "I..." "You are lucky that I don't send you off to a field office in some hick town where the only crime there would be your choice of reading material!" The A.D.'s voice rose a notch; drawing the attention of the other agents and policemen located down the hallway. An angry jerk of the head and they turned away; leaving Mulder to his fate. "You heard what I said - what the hell were you doing?" The words snapped out between gritted teeth. "I might not have been the Golden Boy of VCU, but I would have figured out that Pfaster would be after Scully at some point. Especially after the attack." "Sir?" Frowning, Mulder tilted his head to one side. "Attack?" "Yes." Skinner hissed. "There was a message left by the Marshals on your machine; one you didn't pick up. It stated that a call girl was attacked by Donnie Pfaster; one that was specifically requested to be a redhead." Mulder blinked, his eyes full and wide in confusion. "Not to mention that you should have guessed that he would do this; come after Scully. But you pull her and you off the case after the chaplain is found dead; come back home and then leave her alone and unprotected." Spittle shot out from the angry man's lips; landing squarely on Mulder's chest. "Explain this to me, Agent Mulder." "I..." His voice dropped to a whisper. "I can't..." One hand landed just past Mulder's head; palm-first on the wall beside it. "I should have you brought up on charges for incompetence. I should have you transferred to the deepest, darkest field office we have. I should..." The bedroom door opened suddenly, startling the two men. Scully stepped out; now wearing the light blue blouse and jeans. In one hand she held a paper bag, the opening rolled down to seal the contents. The other held the small overnight bag they were both used to seeing. "I'm ready to go..." Avoiding Skinner's eyes she walked down the hallway; handing the paper bag to an officer. "For powder residue testing." The policeman nodded; eyes darting from the petite woman to the two men standing nearby. "Right." "This... is not finished." Skinner said quietly. "As of right now you are suspended for a week with pay." He glanced at Scully; his eyes darting to the bruised face and then away as his tone changed. "Both of you. This should be pretty open and shut, but there's procedure to follow." Scully nodded. "I understand. They already have my weapon." One hand brushed the side of her face, lightly grazing the darkening bruises. "Besides, I'll need a few days to rest." "Understood." The A.D. turned back to Mulder. "And you should think over what you want to do here. And who you want to do it with." Nodding mutely the tall man brushed by Skinner and through the crowd of agents and police photographing and fingerprinting the living room. His partner followed slowly; grimacing only once as she slipped her sneakers on and made her way out of the apartment. *********** Tapping his foot lightly on the brake Mulder brought the car to a stop at the corner. "Want me to take you to your mother's?" "NO!" The yelp startled him into stomping on the brake hard; sending the car into a sudden stop. Jerking his head to one side, he looked at her. "I mean..." She rubbed her nose. "I can't... not like this..." "Okay." He stepped on the gas pedal. "My place, then." "I can go to a hotel..." "Not a chance." Mulder shook his head sharply. "Skinner's right - this would have never happened if I had done my job properly." Scully opened her mouth to reply then fell silent; watching the streetlights as they flew by her window. Bars of light flashed across her face and hair as she stared out into the night; seeing but not seeing. ************ "Okay..." Mulder rubbed his palms on his jeans as he dropped her overnight bag on the couch. "I'll make up something for us to munch on if you want to take a ba... shower to freshen up or something..." He chewed angrily on the side of his mouth; cursing inwardly. "I'm fine, Mulder." Sitting down carefully on the sofa Scully pulled off her sneakers; wincing as her arms and hands worked. "You need to take a hot shower." He repeated himself, disappearing into the bedroom. "If you don't want me to call the paramedics back and have you admitted to the hospital; you'll take something for the pain." Leaning forward on the couch Scully let out a sigh as she arched her back; feeling the tension begin to shift and settle in her muscles. "A-ha!" Mulder reappeared in front of her; one hand clutching a bottle of Aspirin and the other an unopened set of men's flannel pajamas. "You're lucky on the pills - the expiration's date only two months away." "I'm honored." Taking the bottle from him she struggled with the child-proof cap for a second before dumping two tablets into her outstretched hand. Tossing them into her mouth she swallowed hard. "And you'll need something to wear tonight..." He offered the night wear. "My mother keeps sending them for Christmas even though I don't... well..." A light blush crossed his face. "I've got lots to spare." "Okay, Mulder." Pushing herself up from the sofa with a gasp the redhead took the package from him and headed for the bathroom. "Dare I hope for clean towels?" "There's a new package in there. My mother..." "Never mind, Mulder." *********** Stirring the second mug of hot chocolate Mulder peered expertly at the mass of small marshmallows covering the top. With a flourish he dumped another handful into each mug; totally obliterating any sign of liquid. "Now it's ready..." Walking into the living room he placed the two mugs on the table beside the box of oatmeal cookies; standing back to look at the results with a critical eye. "I can always order in pizza..." He mumbled to the empty room. Glancing at his watch he frowned. He didn't know the average time a woman spent in the shower; but an hour was definitely getting on the high side. Stepping quietly to the bathroom door Mulder waited for a second; one hand raised to knock lightly. Then he heard it. Over the torrent of hot water and the sound of steam streaming under the door and over the pounding of his own heart; now loud in his ears. The sound of a woman crying. Placing his palm on the door Mulder bit down on his lower lip; eyes tightly shut as he listened to his partner try to purge herself of this latest horror, this latest assault. That he had been responsible for. A tear broke loose, then another. Finally he gave in; leaning against the cool wood as he sobbed quietly, biting back the throaty cries that threatened to signal his closeness to her; to his partner. ************ Dana Scully raised a hand to her left cheek again; running her fingers along the bruised skin. The reflection in the clouded mirror did the same, although she looked a lot older than the Scully that had peered back earlier that day. She would have never guessed that Mulder owned a hairdryer. Although given some of the hair styles he had shown up with; nothing below a Weed Whacker would have surprised her. But it had come in handy to make a vain attempt to fluff her damp hair into some sort of respectability. The pajamas, however, were another matter. She had rolled the plaid sleeves up three times and still managed to look lost in the dense fabric. The legs were just as bad; giving her the impression that not only did Mrs. Mulder think her son still wore pajamas to bed, she thought he was eight feet tall. Opening the bathroom door slowly she peered out, letting the white wisps of steam race by her to signal her entrance. "Come on, Scully - your hot chocolate's getting cold." Shuffling around the corner and nearly tripping once on a cuff the petite redhead made her way to the sofa. Mulder had changed into a pair of gray sweat pants and a clean T-shirt and was now sitting comfortably in the center of the couch; television controller in hand. "I found a basketball game, of all things." Noting his reddened eyes she sat down beside him; suddenly afraid to speak. "I hope you like marshmallows..." He handed the lukewarm mug to her; seeing her eyes grow large at the white coating atop the drink. "I like cocoa with my marshmallows, Mulder..." Taking a small sip she looked up at him. "There is hot chocolate in here, right?" Picking up a paper napkin from the table he dabbed playfully at the thick white mustache she now sported. "Well, there was when I made it." "Hmm..." Ignoring the obvious comeback she leaned back on the sofa. "I do feel better." "I thought so." He stared at the television set; unable to keep his eyes from darting to her bruised hands as they held the mug. "Mulder..." Scully paused. "I was thinking. About when I shot that man." Turning his head slightly he peered at her. "Pfaster?" "No." Dipping a finger in the marshmallow concoction she stirred it slowly. "The Clyde Bruckman case." "Oh." He replied; confused. "You were cleared of that one. You saved my life." "Did I?" The finger leapt to her mouth for a second before retreating. "I could have yelled again. I could have avoided shooting him." "Well I, for one, am glad you didn't." The smug chuckle rolled around the room. "I wasn't in a mood to be filleted, thank you very much." "But I didn't feel the same way as I do now." Another deep sip of the hot chocolate. "I feel, well... different. Better." "Better?" Mulder frowned. "That can't be what you mean... "Mulder..." A tongue flicked out; darting across her lower lip before she continued. "I think you weren't meant to save me. Not this time." A thick finger jabbed down on the controller; turning the set off. Turning sideways, he stared directly at her. "What?" "You heard me." Taking a whistling breath, she continued. "I did some thinking... and I don't think you made all those mistakes on purpose." "I fucked up, Scully." The mournful tone in his voice almost brought her to tears again. "I wasn't there for you when I was supposed to be. Again." "No." A forceful shake of her head; accompanied by a wince as her shoulders screamed their annoyance. "No. I won't accept that." Swiveling away from her he leaned forward; hands tightly clasped around each other as he lowered his head. "What are you talking about?" "The first time... the first time we dealt with Pfaster you saved me; you came in when he was about to kill me. I had no chance to get to my gun because I wasn't fast enough. I blew it." A shaky breath. "Then I argued in court for him to get life despite the prosecution's recommendation for the death penalty because I thought it would be worse for him; that life would be more painful for him than a quick painless death by injection." She leaned forward beside him; reddened eyes peering through amber waves to lock with his as his head tilted towards hers. "But this time - this time there was no way he could be allowed to live. He had run out of chances." "Scully..." His voice was low and full of warning. "Don't tell me that you're the Avenging Angel of God or I will call the paramedics back, so help me..." "No." She took another strangling breath. "What I mean was that I had his life in my hands not once, but twice and both times I didn't follow through. I let him live and as a result more people died." "And then God let you right the wrongs?" The words came out slowly; rasping across his vocal cords. "I didn't pick up a message; didn't see the profile that a first-month rookie would have? All so that you would have another chance at killing Pfaster?" "No, not at... killing him." Scully's tongue rolled around her mouth; suddenly unfamiliar with the words. "It was put right again. Checks and balances, remember?" Suddenly Mulder buried his face in his hands; shaking it from side to side as she watched. Pulling his face up sharply she was astonished to see a sheepish smile. "Scully, I can't deal with this right now. Maybe tomorrow or the next day, but not right now." He rubbed his bloodshot eyes. "I need some sleep and so do you." Getting to his feet, he gestured. "I even put clean sheets on the waterbed." "Oh, no." She shook her head. "I'll take the couch. I'm not sure I wouldn't fall out of a waterbed." He shrugged. "Your choice. But I can't do this right now. I'm sorry." She nodded. "Yah. I know. Tomorrow." "Right." Stifling a yawn he padded barefoot towards the hallway. "Just don't eat all the cookies. That's our breakfast." ********** He awoke disoriented and shaky; a cold sweat covering his body as he jolted upright in the bed, ears straining even as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. He was in bed. In his bedroom. Alone. Well, that was normal. Then the faintest sound reached his ears; caught his heart and yanked on it hard. The sound of a woman crying. Slipping out of the bed he made his way to the hallway; slowly walking towards the small figure curled up on the couch, the blanket wrapped around in waves of protection. He slowly peeled it away, seeing her curl up even tighter, if that were possible. "Scully..." Kneeling down Mulder raised a finger; drew it down across the damp face. "Scully... I'm here..." Suddenly he stood up; reached down and scooped her into his arms; ignoring the whuf of air that escaped her lungs as she was startled into reality. "Whoa... you've gained weight. No more marshmallows for you..." The weary chuckle rumbled through his chest and into her heart. Her answering snort was lost in the fabric of his shirt as he carried her into the bedroom; carefully depositing her in the center of the bed. Sliding in beside her he gently pulled her head to his chest; meeting little resistance as he curled his long lanky legs around her, letting a chuckle escape as he found roll after roll of fabric surrounding her. "My mother does buy these things too large..." He murmured as one hand began to stroke her hair rhythmically as he listened to her breathing slow down; become regular and peaceful again. "And I won't let you fall... not again..." Looking above him Mulder caught their reflection in the mirror; barely visible in the shadows of the dark room. Dipping his head to place a kiss in her damp hair Fox Mulder wondered about the Mulder and Scully above him; what they would do tomorrow. Looking towards the open window he smiled and waited. Dana Scully listened groggily to the slow heartbeat of the man under her; felt the slow steady strokes of his fingers as they wandered through her hair and then finally stop as his breathing became deep and long. Suddenly a luminescence caught the edge of her eye, making her squint as the moonbeam crept slowly across the carpet; finally covering the two of them in an otherworldly glow. Suddenly she felt warm and at peace with the world. Things were as they should be; as they were supposed to be. Everyone was where they were supposed to be; the world was as it was and always would be. At least until tomorrow. Letting out something between a chuckle and a sigh she closed her eyes and slept; knowing that there would be no more dreams tonight. ************** been there, done that... wrote the fanfic... ************************* People live with cancer. They carry on, and so will I. You know I've got things to finish, to prove to myself, to my family ... but for my own reasons. Scully - Momento Mori ************************* "Heart of a warrior, mind of a fool... soul of a romantic..." - Jackie St. George ************************* Dragon's Lair - www.geocities.com/area51/chamber/7976 - sent via an evaluation copy of BulkRate (unregistered).