From: ephemeral@ephemeralfic.org
Date: 30 May 2001 21:13:35 -0000
Subject: Quietly into the Night by Laura Sprys
Source: direct

Reply To: short_and_cute@hotmail.com


Title: Quietly into the Night
Author: Laura Sprys
Date: 5/17/2001
E-Mail: short_and_cute@hotmail.com 
Rating: a nice, healthy PG (with some swearing)  
Category: MSR?
Summary: Arguing sometimes is the healthiest thing
Spoilers: DON'T PANIC: There aren't any spoilers. 
I swear. 
Disclaimer: I've borrow our illustrious duo for a bit ... 
to write something that Carter wouldn't dare ... 
Mulder and Scully having a life ... 
because his toying is too hard to bare ...

$%&$&%$

Quietly into the Night
By: Laura Sprys

"I'm not doing this right now."

"Come on ... sit back down ... we need to finish."

"Back off Mulder."

"Don't get all pissed at me."

"Yeah, and who the hell am I supposed to get pissed 
off at? Bob the janitor, Jennifer in acquisitions, 
Andrew the security guard ... no, no, I'd rather be 
pissed at Fox fucking Mulder."

At that moment, one of the tech's from the fourth 
floor decided to walk through the door, "I found 
those ..." One look from Scully stopped him 
mid-sentence and sent him running back up the steps, 
genuinely afraid for his life.

Mulder picked up where Scully left off, "aw, what 
the hell. Blame me. Everybody else in the entire 
fucking free world seems to be after my ass. Why should 
you be any different?" Waving his paperweight at her, 
"here, would you like to cast the first stone?"

Flushed to an angry red, fire shooting from her 
eyes, "Jesus Christ Mulder, do you always have to 
play the martyr? I've heard less whining from my 
three year old nephew."

"If you show more patience than the average three 
year old and let me explain myself with more than 
half a sentence."

Scully answered with a laugh, "patience? I've shown 
you infinite fucking patience and look what it's 
gotten me!"

"What it's gotten you is a chance to see the truth."

"Son of a ... have you looked around lately Mulder? 
Your truth is no more evident than the monsters 
that live under the bed. Your truth, as you so 
lovingly refer to it, has become so convoluted, 
diluted and metamorphic that I don't think you have 
any concept of what you're looking for anymore."

"Just because there isn't a big fucking neon sign 
blinking 'TRUTH'..."

"Then for God's sake Mulder, would you please stop 
looking for one. It's not there and you're destroying 
both of us trying to find it." Grabbing her coat and 
heading out the door, "I don't want to hate you 
Mulder, but you're making it awfully hard not to."

Mulder was left standing, adrenalin and anger making 
his arms shake and his hands clench. He headed for 
the stairs a few minutes later and began running up 
and down them, working off his rage. By the time he 
went back to the office, sweat was pouring freely 
down his face and his shirt was soaked.

Collapsing in his chair, he seethed for a bit, 
pitched his tennis ball at the wall and realized 
they had to finish this for it would kill them both.

$%&$%&$%

Scully, fuming, stormed through the lobby of the 
building. Skinner attempted to stop her for a question 
but all she did was growl at him, "don't say it."

He watched her push her way through the main doors, 
nearly breaking the glass. Turning toward the basement 
stairs, he thought better of it and detoured to his 
office. If Scully was that livid, he sure as hell 
didn't want to face Mulder.

$%&$%&$%

She was lying on the couch a few hours later when 
she heard the knock. Without looking to see, "go 
home Mulder."

He knocked again, not to be deterred. After his 
fourth round, she swung the door open silently and 
he found her steel gray eyes boring a hole through 
him. Even though she didn't invite him in, he came 
anyway, to at least get away from the stares of the 
neighbors. Shutting the door behind him, "Scully?"

She had started to walk away but stopped, her back 
towards him. The silence hung for a minute until 
she broke it, "I hate going to work Mulder. I hate 
dealing with all the shit that we do and I'm afraid 
that if I do it much longer, I'm going to start 
hating you." He had no idea how to respond so he didn't, 
he simply stood silent until she turned around. "I don't' 
know how to live with it anymore."

The only thing he could do was stuff his hands in his 
pockets and shrug his shoulders, to which Scully 
softened a bit, "sometimes I just wish we could start 
over again somewhere else, without all the baggage."

"Maybe we can."

"Please Mulder, don't patronize me. We're stuck too 
damn deep in the pile."

Sitting down on the chair, he cradled his head in 
his hands for a minute, with Scully taking a seat 
on the couch, leaning her had on the back. He looked 
at her, "for what it's worth, I'm sorry for today."

"Mulder ..." her voice cracked and began to waver 
so she let the thought dangle until she regained 
her composure, "I needed to say what I said today, 
so I won't apologize for that but I am sorry for 
the way in which I said it."

"And that leads us to the question of what do we 
do now?"

Sitting up straight again, a lone tear escaped down 
her cheek, "I haven't a clue."

He studied her carefully before he proceeded, "would 
you mind if I presented a hypothetical?"

Throwing her hands in the air, she dropped her head 
back down again, "what the hell? Go for it."

"What if we went to Skinner, cashed in our enormous 
vacation cache and just disappeared?"

"Have you been dipping into the psychedelic drugs 
again? I told you to stay out of that cabinet."

He gave her the first smile of the day, "nope. Just 
a suggestion."

Deciding to play along, "and where would we go? I 
can't think of one safe place anywhere on this planet."

Shrugging again, "we won't know until we get there."

Forever playing the devil's advocate, "what about 
our families?"

"You're the only family I've got so it's not going 
to be a problem for me but it would be most ideal 
not to say anything. Just disappear." Getting up to 
sit next to her, she rolled her head in his direction 
and he continued, "I think your mom would understand. 
Bill would throw a fit and curse my very existence but 
he does that already so..."

This time it was Scully who smiled, "what about all 
the work? What'll happen to our files? All our 
information?"

"Someone will come through in the future and unlock 
the cabinets for themselves. They'll continue from 
there."

"You could never give that up Mulder. I don't know 
that you could survive without the work."

"Do you have any idea how long I've been thinking 
about this?"

She shifted so her back was to the arm of the couch 
and she was facing him. Seeing the determination in 
his eyes, "long enough to make me half-believe that 
you're serious."

He suddenly grinned at her and headed for the door, 
dropping a kiss lightly on her forehead, "I'll see 
you at work tomorrow."

For some reason, she felt like some great weight had 
been lifted off of her and she returned the smile, 
"I'll be there."

$%&$&%&$%

Skinner noticed that they worked in relative peace 
for the next few weeks. The pair were still having 
arguments about their cases but nothing like the 
knockout, drag down fight he had witnessed. Dropping 
off some papers one Friday afternoon, he said good-bye, 
"and don't forget, Monday morning ... budgets."

Giving Skinner a mock salute, "right. Monday. New 
ass ripping."

Ignoring him as any good boss would, Skinner nodded 
towards Scully, "good night."

"'Night sir."

$%&$&%&$

By nine-thirty Monday morning, Skinner was beginning 
to heat up, given that both agents were 45 minutes 
late. After calling both cell phones as well as the 
land line in the basement, he headed for the elevator. 

Once he got to the basement, he opened the door after 
a curt knock. Caught by complete surprise, he stood 
in the doorway a minute before going into the room.

The walls were stripped of photos and a majority 
of the junk on Mulder's desk was gone. One item 
that glared triumphantly at him was the 'I Want To 
Believe' poster garnished with something new. 
Skinner walked over and read the 'Post-It' note: 
Sir, we're out there somewhere but please don't try 
to find us. Give out work to someone who will 
respect it. - M & S.

He stood in shock for a moment, then high-tailed 
it out the door.

$%&$&%&$%

After knocking unsuccessfully on Mulder's apartment 
door, he made his way to Scully's, knowing full well 
she wouldn't be there but he had to try anyway. It 
was startling when his knock was answered. Mrs. 
Scully stood in the doorway facing him. Without a 
greeting, she asked, "they're really gone aren't 
they?"

He came in and shut the door, "I'm guessing you 
didn't see this coming?"

Shaking her head, "I was just dropping off some 
jars of jelly for Dana and I found this hanging on 
the T.V. screen: "Mom, we had to go but please don't 
worry about us. Mulder and I will take good care 
of each other. I wish we didn't have to leave this 
way. I love you. Dana and Fox."

Giving her the note he found, Skinner asked, 
"is anything missing?"

"Some of her clothes, her books and a few other 
things but that's all I know of."

Standing in bewilderment, "do you have nay idea why?"

With conviction and melancholy in her voice, 
"because it was time. I knew it would come eventually."

"Do you think they'll be all right?"

"Walter?"

"Yeah?"

"They'll be fine. They've got each other." Saying 
it once more to solidify her conviction, "they'll 
be wonderful."

$%&$&%&$

A few months later, a note arrived from a mailing 
service in Lisbon, Spain. Skinner stopped working 
to open it: "Sir, all is well. Can you let a few people 
know? Also, barren is not totally barren after all. 
Remember to believe."

Skinner sat back in his chair and turned to see the 
poster that had been re-located to his side wall, 
"good luck you three."

$%&$%&$%

Thanks for reading ... enter anytime ... my stories 
like to have visitors (all of which can be found or 
can be found soon, at the gossamer site - 
either under Sprys, Laura or Sprys, L.)