From grh@teatime.com Sat Feb 15 22:02:44 1997


Missing Scene: "Beyond the Sea"  by G. Harbowy (grh@teatime.com)

Rated: G
Category: V,A
Summary: In a missing scene from "Beyond the Sea", Scully informs
Mulder of her father's death.
Keywords: Missing scene, Scully angst.

ok to archive

Disclaimer: The characters portrayed within are property of 1013
Productions. No infringement intended.

Note: Yeah, I know I'm a couple seasons too late on this. But, I was
watching some early episodes again for my own nefarious purposes and
realized that Mulder knows that Scully's father has passed away before
she comes into work the next day. Therefore, she must have told him.
Right?

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2:30 AM
Apartment 35

	Scully turned on the phone, then hung it up again, just as she'd been
doing for the past thirty minutes.

	This is stupid, she finally told herself.  The longer I stall, the
later it gets.  He poured out his soul to me about his sister; this is
my chance to let him know that I have the same regard for him.

	She found herself in the kitchen again. She'd been pacing the
apartment since she'd gotten the call from her mother, unable to stop
moving and unwilling to have to think.  She took the travel into the
kitchen as an opportunity to start a pot of coffee.  She wasn't going
to be getting any sleep tonight, anyway.

	Walking back and forth across the tiled floor with the phone in one
hand and a pillow clutched to her chest with the other, she made her
decision. She'd call him. As soon as the coffee was done.

	The last drops fell into the pot like fingernails tapping their
impatience.

	Okay, okay.  I'll call him now.

	"Mulder."

	"Hi. It's Scully. Did I wake you?" she asked tensely. Her thumb was
poised over the disconnect button, ready to press it as soon as she
muttered an apology for rousing her partner from his sleep.

	"No, actually, I was just catching a documentary on Whitley Streiber.
Did you know that he admitted his best-seller abduction was a hoax?"

	She took a deep breath, removing her finger from the button
reluctantly.  Did this man ever sleep?  "Actually, Mulder," she
replied, hugging the pillow tighter, "I'm calling because I have a,
ah, situation."

	Scully willed her lip to stop quivering, but it wouldn't listen. Her
perceptive partner seemed to sense the importance of the matter, and
changed his tone from lighthearted  to concerned.

	"What is it, Scully? What's wrong?"

	"It's my father, Mulder. He. . .he's passed away."

	"God, Scully.  I'm so sorry."

	"Yes, well . . ."

	"If there's anything I can do --"

	"No," she interrupted.  "I'm fine, Mulder. I just thought you should
know."

	"Do you need to take a few days?" he asked. "Because it's no problem.
I understand."

	"No, I'm -- " she paused, drew in a ragged breath.

	"You're fine," he said gently.  "I know."

	She felt the hot moisture roll down her cheeks before she realized her
eyes had filled.  He was being so nice about all this.  Too nice.  If
he'd stayed distant and professional, it would have been much easier
to retain her composure.  But for someone brought up in a family that
didn't believe in being emotional, the unexpected kindness stared the
waterworks.

	Scully wiped her eyes on the corner of the pillow.  She inhaled a
deep, sniffling breath through her nose, and let it out from her mouth
as a sigh.

	"Do you want me to come over?" he asked suddenly.

	"No.  Thank you, but no."

	"Why? Are you afraid of showing weakness in front of me? Because I can
assure you --"

	"No, I just. . .look, Mulder, it's not a question of showing weakness.
It's a question of losing control.  I know that in crisis situations,
people are more likely to do things that under normal circumstances
wouldn't occur to them."  She stopped to sip at the cooling mug of
coffee.  "I don't want to invite trouble."

	"I only want to comfort you."

	"That's exactly what I mean, Mulder.  We're both adults.  We both know
what a long hug late at night can lead to."

	"So," he said, the playful note returning to his voice, "you find me
utterly irresistible?"

	She smiled despite herself.  "No, Mulder. I find you too valuable to
lose.  Goodnight."

	Scully returned the phone to its base and shut off the percolator.
She had felt numb earlier, but now she was in the calm before the
tempest.  Her eyes were closing, and she slipped into bed, letting
them.  Tomorrow there was much work to be done.


--
G. Harbowy -- grh@teatime.com  X-PHILE: GAEB; OBSSE    
Specializing in reverse psychology. Please don't visit my web page at
http://www.teatime.com/grh/