From: ephemeral@ephemeralfic.org Date: Sat, 4 Dec 1999 22:58:07 -0600 Subject: Deal by semperfi1013 Source: direct Reply To: semperfi1013@hotmail.com Title: Deal Author: semperfi1013 Spoliers:The movie Rating: PG-13 Classification: MSR Keywords: None Summary: Mulder is forced to make a choice that will effect the lives of both he and Scully Disclaimer: I don't own them, Chris Carter, 1013 and FOX do. Feedback at semperfi1013@hotmail.com When Scully reached the outside of her and her partner's basement office, she was surprised to hear Mulder yelling at someone. "Who the Hell does he think he is, controlling people's lives like this! What the Hell am I going to do?!" Scully was even more surprised when she heard Assistant Director Skinner's voice answering him. "I don't know what to make of this. You must be on to something huge if he's willing to deal with something this big. I don't know what to tell you, but I will be here to assist you in any way if there's anything you can think of." "I can't stay here right now. I need to go somewhere and think. Make an excuse to Scully for me, will you?" He didn't stick around to wait for the answer. When Scully heard his footsteps, she backed behind the partially open door. In his hurry, Mulder didn't notice her when he exited and headed the other way. After Mulder turned the corner, Scully entered the office. Skinner was sitting behind Mulder's desk, his head in his hands. "Sir?" she asked. "What's going on?" "Agent Scully. I just came down here to tell you that Agent Mulder won't be coming into work today. He..." "Sir, I heard you and Mulder talking." Scully interrupted. "What's going on? Who is willing to deal and with what?" "Scully, I think Mulder should be the one to tell you," Skinner said. "Okay, then where did he go?" "I'm not sure." "Sir, I'm going to go look for him, but if I can't find him, I need you to tell me what's going on." Scully got up to leave. "Scully!" Skinner called after her. "Think carefully before you tell Mulder what he should do." Scully raced out of the building and to the parking garage. She found Mulder's car still where it had been when she had arrived earlier that morning. Suddenly fairly certain where he was, she headed outside. He was where she expected him to be, sitting on the bench where they had met the first time the X-Files had been shut down, next to the reflecting pool. He had assumed a position similar to Skinner's in the basement, hands on his head. Lost in thought, his head jerked up when he heard Scully speak. "I thought I might find you here." When he looked in her eyes, she immediately noticed they were red. He had definitely been crying. But why? She sat down next to him at once. "Mulder, what's wrong?" "Skinner was supposed to tell you I wasn't coming in today," he said, but there was no anger in his voice. Instead, all Scully heard was intense sadness. "I got here early this morning. I heard the end of what you were telling Skinner about. Who offered you what deal?" Mulder was silent. "Mulder, please tell me. Who offered you what deal?" "Cancerman," he managed to choke out. "He offered to give me my sister back and guarantee your safety and mine." "In exchange for what?" Scully asked. "You and I stop investigating anything he's been involved in...." he paused and looked at the ground. "There's something else, isn't there?" Scully prodded gently. "And we are transferred to opposite sides of the country and can have no contact with each other. Ever." He looked up at Scully and saw her eyes mirroring his own. "Oh my God," she said. "And if we continue to work together, I may never get to see my sister and who knows what will happen to you, or me. Your cancer may come back, one of us may get killed. Who knows what he has in store for us?" "All you've wanted your whole life is to get your sister back," Scully said. "I've lived 27 years without her Scully. I can handle living like that. It hurts, but I can handle it. I'm not sure I can handle losing you, Scully. I thought I lost you when Duanne Barry took you, and I thought I would lose you again when you had cancer, and it almost killed me both times. And I might lose you whether or not I take Cancerman's deal. Scully, what should I do?" he pleaded, knowing very well that there was no way she could answer that question. One look in her eyes told him she knew he knew she couldn't. "Getting your sister back means everything to you," she said. "It did at one time, Scully. But things are different now. He's assured me that she's safe and happy now, she just doesn't remember anything about her earlier life. But she could be made to remember. And for some reason, I think he is telling the truth about that. So it's just being selfish to want her back, it isn't for her own protection anymore. But it would mean you were safe. But that I could never see you again. Or bring justice to these men for what they have done. Oh my God," he said, putting his head in his hands again. Scully wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his shoulder. Her heart was breaking for what making this decision was doing to Mulder. She didn't want to be separated from him, but she knew how much having his sister back meant to him, and she wanted to be assured of his safety as much as he did hers. "Scully?" Mulder said suddenly, looking up. "Yeah, Mulder?" she asked. "Can you answer a question for me honestly?" "I'll try," she replied. "Earlier, after Antarctica, you made the decision to stay with me, even though you would have been safer if you had left. Do you regret that decision?" "No, Mulder. I don't." "If you had to make the same decision over again now, would you?" Scully knew what he was asking her and knew how it would affect his decision. "Yeah, I would," she said honestly. He seemed satisfied with her answer and sat up straighter. "I'm not going to accept his offer. I can't. I guess you're stuck with me," he said, attempting a smile. "I'll try to deal with it," she said. "And we'll keep looking for Samantha. We'll find her, I promise." Mulder smiled a real smile this time, one that reached his eyes. He put his hand behind Scully's head and pressed his lips to her forehead. He then rested his forehead against hers and sighed. "You know I love you, right?" "Most of the time," she replied, honestly. "But sometimes you give me reason to forget." "And for that, I apologize. I'll try not to take you for granted anymore. God knows I do that too much. And I'll try to listen to you and trust you more. I know you're not going to try to hurt me. You've proven that over and over." "You know I love you too, right?" "So that's why you put up with me?" he said, only half-joking. "No, actually, I just like your taste in ties," she said, sarcastically. "I am offended by that!" he said, sitting up. Scully laughed. "So, now what do we do?" she said seriously. "Go back to being Mulder and Scully against the world." He replied. "Well, today we play hooky. Skinner can't expect us to come back into work today. Then tomorrow it's us against the world."