From: lalvarado@lambdalegal.org
Date: Tue, 12 Nov 2002 14:15:20 -0600
Subject: NEW SUBMISSION
Source: direct

Title: Revelation

Category: MSR/Vignette
Keywords: the truth at last, 
what's meant to be is mean to be.
Spoilers: S7, but let's pretend 
'all things' never happened,
Pre-Requiem.
Sequel to 'Small Knowledge'-- you'll
probably need to read it for this 
to make sense.

Feedback: alvaradomccain@e...

beta by glorious gwen

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"Mulder, it's me."

She's keeping a tight rein on her emotions,
modulating her voice. She has to keep it 
all together until she can see him, say the words, 
feel her fingers touch his face.

"Scully what is it? Are you all right?"

He's already half way to the door, he
knows that tone of voice. The last time he
heard it she'd asked him to bring her
the suitcase she kept in the trunk of the car.
She was dying, she needed answers, she needed 
him.

"Something's happened, Mulder..."

She hesitates, maybe's she's waited too long
to reach out for him, maybe whatever
chance she had's long gone. But she wants
to believe that she's read the signs in time,
seeing at last that in a universe of possibilities,
fate's mated the two of them.

"I'm on my way..."

"No, you don't have to..."

She offers him a way out, out of habit, 
out of fear. What if she is too late, what if 
what's been underground all these years has 
finally died a natural death? She feels a wave 
of remorse, and curses herself for being brave 
enough to face everything else that's
been put in her path, except the fact that 
she loves him.

"I'll be there before you know it."

He keeps his voice calm. He will not fail her, 
even though he can taste his own panic at the back 
of his throat, even though he's terrified his world 
is ending. It's late, it's cold out, and none of it 
matters as he hurtles down the stairs of his building 
two at at time. He thought maybe after Amber LaPierre, 
his visit to a ghostly playground, starlight and 
Samantha, that he could move on--move toward Scully 
and finally live the truth he's known for so long. 
He was going to tell her, show her, it's just that 
he was waiting for the right time.

As soon as he hits the last step, he starts running 
to the car.

You can't die, he prays, as he turns the key 
in the ignition. He feels her gravitational pull, 
and drives to Georgetown like a man possessed, getting 
there in fifteen minutes. It usually take a half hour, 
but time is something Mulder thinks is in short 
supply now.

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He doesn't bother to knock, letting himself in with
his key. The apartment is dark except for a small
lamp next to the sofa. Scully's sitting there, 
legs folded underneath her. She's wearing blue silk 
pajamas, and the pale light casts wavering shadows 
over her. It doesn't matter how much darkness surrounds 
them. She's a bright angel, and when she looks at him,
he sees the rest of his life, a world without end.

You're not dying, he tells himself, as he shrugs off his
jacket. You have to live, Scully. He will dare her,
dare the gods. Mulder walks over and sits beside her,
barely making a sound, barely breathing. Everything
is suspended in some warp of time, and now he's waiting
for her.

Slowly, she looks up and sees the taut line of his jaw,
the way his eyes are dark with sorrow. This isn't 
supposed to go like this. She wants him to feel what 
she finally feels, something wild pushing to break free, 
something like joy.

Something like love.

"I need to tell you something."

He moves closer, drapes his arm behind her,
resting it on the sofa.

"You're sick again...That's it, isn't it?"

He whispers the words, and his eyes shut at
the weight of what he's said. He will never 
leave her, he will never love any one else. 
You can't die, he tells himself. I won't let you die.

She watches him tense all over, readying himself
for the blow.

Scully moves toward him, takes her hand and
cups his face, "No, Mulder, I'm not sick...I'm alive,
really alive."

His eyes flutter open in time to see her lean into him,
brush her lips against his, press her open mouth to his;
and then all he knows is she's warm, so warm. And
he's kissing her hard and pressing her back against the
cushions and something in him's been set loose, and he
won't stop, can't stop. Flesh and bone has given him the
all the explanation he needs.

Somehow, he does stop, pulls away enough to speak.
"This is what you wanted me to know."

"Yes," she whispers. "Tell me it's not too late."

He gets up and slowly pulls her to her feet, 
holds her by the hand and backs his way into 
her bedroom. There's only the light coming in 
from the street, and he carefully leads her 
to edge of the mattress. Slowly, they sit down 
and undress each other. He pulls back the sheets 
and they ease into the bedding.

"What comes next, Mulder?" She smiles as she
asks him. She means after tonight.

"Whatever you want Scully." He knows what she's
really asking. "I should warn you though, I'll
be impossible to get rid of."

It's no small knowledge, it's a revelation.

And the two of them start that slow headlong slide 
into each other, into their future.


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