From: Emily_Fanatic@hotmail.com
Date: Thu, 20 Jul 2000 02:38:25 GMT
Subject: New: Facing Reality by Angela

Sorry if this is a repeat, but I didn't see it come before.  This is my
first X-Files story, but I'm not new to writing so I can take friendly
criticism:-)

Category: Angst, Angst, lotsa Angst.  I'm one sick puppy.  Oh, and
character death as well.  Not a happy story.

Rating: G, I think
Spoilers: None
Summary: Mulder retreats to a fantasy where everything is okay.

Distribute anywhere you like, just leave my name.  thanks.

Feedback: Yup:-)  Please! If you love it, or hate it, or want to
propose, just send your messages to Emily_Fanatic@hotmail.com.  Or just
post them
to the newsgroup.

Disclaimer: I hate these.  I'm not going to say I don't own the
characters.  I'm not going to say they belong to Chris Carter and 1013
productions.  You'll have to figure it for yourselves.

Okay?  On with the show.

Facing Reality by Angela Tircuit.

Hello," Mulder answered his cell phone.  He waited to
hear, 'Mulder it's me on the other line."  She had taken time off to go
to the wedding of an old friend.  He'd made a bet with her to see which
one would crack and call the other first.  Looks like I won, he
thought. "Fox?  It's Margaret Scully."
No, no, no.  He shook his head before she could say anything
else.  There was only one reason why she would call him instead of
Scully.  "No," he whispered.
"Fox, Dana was having lunch with her friend, when there was a robbery
in the restaurant.  She was shot"  Her voice wavered. "Is she?" In his
mind, he was still screaming, no!
"She's still alive, but it doesn't look good." She told him what
hospital they had taken her to.  "Hurry, Fox."
Mulder got in his car.  As he drove, he kept saying to
himself "She's okay.  She's okay."when he got to the hospital, Mrs.
Scully  put her arms around him.  He returned the embrace and wondered
why she was crying.  Scully was okay.  She *was*.  Look, there was
Bill, sitting in a chair, giving him the evil eye.  Would he take the
time to do that if Scully was....  He shook his head.  Mrs. Scully was
saying something.  He tried to hear her.
".... I'll give you a few minutes alone with her."
Bill stood up.  He started to say something, but Mrs. Scully
shot him down with a look. Mulder almost laughed.  She looked so much
like Scully when she was angry.  Small but ferocious.
Mulder went into the room, where Scully was lying in the
hospital bed.  Her eyes were shut.
She's sleeping, he thought.  "Hey, Scully.  Time to wake up. You
thought you'd be sneaky and get your mom to call for you.  Well it
won't work.  You still lose.  It's Plan 9 From Outer Space for you.
C'mon, wake up and face the music."  He grabbed her hand.  It was
cold. "Nurse!  Nurse!" he began screaming.  Mrs. Scully ran in.  "She's
cold.  Someone get her some more blankets.  She's cold!" He started
rubbing her hands, trying to warm them.
Mrs. Scully unhooked his hands from Scully's .  "She's gone, fox.  I'm
so sorry."
"No, she's okay.  She's just asleep.  Scully wake up!" "I'm sorry,"
Mrs. Scully repeated.
He backed away.  Why did she keep saying she was sorry.?
Sculy  was *okay*.  He ran out of the hospital.


Mrs. Scully drove to Fox' s apartment.  Even with her own
grief, she couldn't help but worry about him.  It was two weeks since
Dana's death, and he still refused to accept that she was gone.  He
hadn't left home since he ran out of the hospital that day.  Whenever
she came over, he kept insisting that Scully was okay, and he was just
waiting for  her to be released from the hospital.
"Fox, it's me.  Can I come in?"
He opened the door.  She was shocked at his appearance.  He
looked like he had lost weight.  there were dark circles under his
eyes.  But, he smiled at her.
"Hi, Mrs. Scully.  Sit down."  He sounded so normal.  "Have you been to
see Scully? Has she woken up yet?"
Mrs. Scully sighed.  "Fox, Dana died.  Don't you remember?  Her funeral
was last week."  It hurt her to say it so bluntly, but she felt she had
to, to break through the fantasy  he put himself in.
Mulder continued to talk as if he hadn't heard her.  "You have a very
stubborn daughter.  She's determined to get me to watch
Breakfast at Tiffany's.  That's why she won't call.  But, I'll wear her
down.  I always do."  He gave her another grin.
"Fox, stop!  She's not going to watch movies with you. She's not going
to wake up.  She's dead!  Dead!"  She grabbed his arms and started
shaking him.
The fog that Mulder felt himself surrounded in slowly broke
free.  Mrs. Scully's voice seemed to come from far away.  Then it got
louder and louder.  She was saying Scully was dead.  NO!  It wasn't
true.  It wasn't.  It.... He noticed she was crying.
"No, she can't be."  His legs gave out.  He sank to his knees. Mrs.
Scully held him.
He wouldn't cry.  He *wouldn't*.  He didn't believe her.  He
tried to keep thinking everything was okay.  But he couldn't lie to
himself anymore.  "She's dead," he whispered.  And the tears broke
free. Mrs. Scully held him even tighter.  They  both cried, for the
loss of one of the people they loved more than anyone in the world.