From: reneemaria714@hotmail.com
Date: Tue, 31 Jul 2001 14:45:23 -0400
Subject: story submission
Source: direct

"Fools To Believe"
by Renee Maria

Rating: PG
Category: SadFic, MSR
Spoilers: nothing big...
	I guess Within and Without...
	Essence and Existence...
Disclaimer: not mine
Summary: For the past year Mulder has
	 known of his illness and of 
	 its effects on him. 
FEEDBACK: PLEASE SEND IT ALL!! 

"Fools To Believe"

Fox Mulder stood wordlessly in front of 
the Hoover building where he had been 
standing for the past hour and a half. 
He was waiting for Skinner. 

For the past year Mulder had known of his 
illness and of its effects on him. He had
been going for treatments every other month 
down in North Carolina from the time he 
had found out. He had hoped that Scully 
wouldn't have to know. He didn't want her 
to know. He knew that she would fight for 
him and he knew that there was nothing that 
she would be able to do. She would know this 
too but she would not give up. He didn't 
want her to waste the last few weeks they 
had together now that he had returned 
trying to stop something that couldn't be 
stopped. 

Skinner finally emerged from the building 
and approached Mulder. Mulder looking up 
slightly at the bigger man and waited patiently 
for him to begin speaking.

"Mulder," Skinner began slowly. "Everything's 
ready. Your plane leaves tomorrow morning. You 
have your new identity and your new life." Skinner 
paused for a moment and looking down at the ground. 
"Everything's ready," he repeated.

"Thankyou," Mulder replied after a long moment. 
"Thankyou for everything you've done for Scully 
and me over the years, thankyou for this now." 
Mulder waited for the question he knew was coming. 
Finally it came.

"Have you told her yet?" Skinner asked carefully, 
avoiding Mulder's eyes.

"No. I was waiting for you, Sir. I wanted to know 
that everything was in place." Skinner nodded at 
Mulder's reponse, understanding how difficult this 
was for him. 

"It's been a pleasure, Mulder," Skinner finally 
said as he reached out his hand to Mulder. 
Mulder reached out and shook Skinner's hand 
and Mulder nodded. Finally, Skinner stepped back 
and the two men moved separate ways towards their 
cars. 

Mulder sat in his car for half an hour before he 
drove away. He knew what he had to do. 

He found himself at Scully's apartment door at 
11:30. He tried to knock softly so as not to wake 
the baby. Scully opened the door and smiled up at him. 

"Come in," she said. "William's not here. He's 
with my mom for the night."

Mulder stepped inside and they both moved over 
to the couch. 

"So what's up, Mulder?" Scully said as she sat 
down next to him. 

"Scully," Mulder started slowly. "There's something 
very important that I have to tell you that's 
hard to say."

"Mulder," Scully said softly as she tried to look 
at his eyes but he turned to look down at the floor 
in front of him.

"Scully..." Mulder's eyes began to fill with tears 
and his breath hitched in his throat. "I'm...dying..." 

"Mulder," Scully's eyes widened. "Mulder, Skinner 
and I found some things about that while you were 
gone but...you can't be dying, Mulder. You...
you're fine."

"No, Scully. I'm dying. I have two to three weeks 
to live if I stay here."

"If you stay here?" Scully began to feel her own 
tears well up in her eyes. "What...what are you 
talking about, Mulder?"

"Scully...if I go away...if I leave...I could get 
one maybe two more years...but...I..." He brought 
his hands up to his face and leaned forwards so 
that his elbows were resting on his knees. His 
tears began to flow down his face now and he didn't 
know if he could continue.

"But...what, Mulder?" Her tears fell as well 
and she tried to move closer to him so that 
she could hear his quiet whisper.

"I have to leave. I have to go away. I have to 
change my name, my life. I have to...start over. 
If I stay...in three weeks...at the most...it's 
over." Mulder finally turned and looked up into 
Scully's eyes. "I...I love you...Scully..." 

Scully began to shake as the tears rolled down her 
face. Mulder pulled her close to him and held her 
in his arms.

"I...love you...Mulder..." she whispered into 
his neck through her tears. 

Mulder kissed her neck softly and pulled her closer. 
Finally they pulled back enough to look into each 
others eyes.

"Stay..." Scully whispered just before their mouths 
met in a gentle kiss that quickly deepened. When 
their lips parted, Mulder spoke.

"I...I leave tomorrow morning."

Scully leaned against Mulder's chest and they 
slowly laid down together on the couch. They 
held each other through the night, neither one 
wanting to fall asleep...

The next morning came all too soon. They shared 
one more kiss on the couch before Mulder stood 
and took Scully's hand as he walked towards the 
door. Scully realized that he was leaving now 
and began to cry even harder but all the time 
tried to hold it in, trying to be strong. When 
they reached the door Mulder turned around to 
face Scully.

"Mulder...why...why does it have to be like this? 
I don't understand. We can...we can find a cure, 
like we always have. I...I could go with you..." 
She knew the truth but just couldn't accept it.

"Scully...this is the only way," he replied. "Do 
you think I would leave you without knowing for 
sure that I had no other choice? I would never 
do that...never..."

"I know that..." She kissed him for the last time 
and he started to turn to go.

It was over now. But in their hearts there would 
always be the question. It would stay on with them 
forever. And maybe someday they'd find the answer. 
But for now they parted ways, in hopes of meeting 
again, if by chance, just one last time...


THE END...OR IS IT?

<<
Thankyou all for reading...and feel free to send 
a little feedback my way, good or bad. Thankyou 
Chris Carter for giving me something to wait for 
every Sunday night! It's been a great eight years! 
I've enjoyed being along for this ride and I'll 
remember it forever! Love ya, Mulder and Scully!>>