From: JENND378@aol.com Date: Thu, 10 Feb 2000 23:55:00 EST Subject: *New* Save Tonight Part 1 of 1 (Submission XF Fan Fic) Source: direct Title: *New* Save Tonight Part 1 of 1 Author: Jennifer Denges E-Mail: Jennd378@aol.com Distribution: Yes, please anywhere. Just one little catch - keep my name on it and let me know where you have archived it. Spoiler Warnings: None Classification: UST, Mulder Angst and Scully Angst Keywords: Mulder, Scully, Samantha, Cigarette Smoking Man Summary: Mulder gets news from AD Skinner that he Knows where Samantha is. Disclaimer: Mulder, Scully, AD Skinner, Samantha, CSM don't belong to me but you can keep CSM. Sorry Chris, I borrowed them while you weren't looking but I will return them to you later. Inspired by Eagle Eye Cherry's song "Save Tonight". Note: If you would like to read my other stories "Scully's Happiness" and "Girls Nite Out" please e-mail me and I will be glad to send them to you. I would like to thank my beta reader Shell for helping me with this story. Scully's Apartment November 19 Dana Scully dropped the keys from her hand as she went to unlock her apartment door. Cursing to herself, she bent down to pick up the jumble of keys, slipped the proper key in the lock, and unlocked her door. Her mind wasn't on what she was doing. She had not spoken to Mulder in two days and was afraid she might never see him again. Once inside her apartment she hung up her coat and laid her keys next to the phone on the table closest to the door. Wishing the phone to ring she saw there were no messages on her machine. Scully walked over to her fireplace and started a fire. The red and orange glow of the flames afforded the only light in the dark living room. Sitting on her couch she wrapped her legs under her and stared into the blazing fire deep in thought about the events that occurred over the past two days. 2 Days Earlier FBI Headquarters Mulder was sitting at his desk with Scully at the adjacent desk typing on her laptop when his phone rang and broke through the silence. "Mulder" he answered. "Yes, sir. Agent Scully and I can see you now." A moment of silence passed then "Yes, sir, I understand" he replied. "What does Skinner want to see us about?" asked Scully. "No, not you ...just me" Mulder answered back. Scully threw Mulder a surprised look as he went upstairs to Skinners office. ~~~~~~~ The moment Mulder walked into the outer room of the Assistant Director's office he heard Kim, Skinner's secretary say, "Please go right in, Agent Mulder." Mulder opened Skinners door and stepped inside. "Agent Mulder, please have a seat," Skinner said from behind his desk. Mulder sat in his usual chair in front of Skinner's desk and glanced over at the empty chair, usually occupied by Scully, wondering what was going on. "Agent Mulder, I called you in here today alone because this is a personal matter concerning you," said Skinner. "Sir...is there something wrong with my mother?" Mulder said with a concerned tone in his voice. "No, it's not your mother," Skinner said. "As you know the bureau has known about your sister's case for some time now". "Yes," Mulder answered still not knowing where this is going. "The man you call 'The Smoking Man' gave me information regarding your sisters whereabouts. Agent Mulder she is alive". The A.D. let Mulder take in this information for a moment before continuing. "Agent Mulder you do realize this is against every departmental regulation the bureau has but I am going to let you have the file on your sister's case" Skinner told Mulder and handed him the official bureau folder with the FBI seal on the cover. "Everything you need to know is in this file. You do understand that you cannot find her on official FBI business," Skinner told Mulder in no uncertain terms. As Mulder took the file and got up to leave the room Skinner told him, "Agent you do know what this means?" "Yes," Mulder replied, and walked out of the office. ~~~~~~~ Coming back from his meeting with A.D. Skinner, Mulder stood outside the door to his basement office probably for the last time. The same one he has occupied for many years now. He contemplated even going in to tell Scully what he learned in his meeting with Skinner. This is going to change both their lives forever. He didn't know how he was going to break the news to her. As he walked in Scully was still engrossed in typing up their notes on the latest X-Files case they just closed. Scully didn't even notice Mulder enter the room until he was halfway in. Startled, Scully removed her glasses from the bridge of her nose and placed them gently next to her laptop. "Mulder, what did Skinner what to see you about?" Scully asked. When no response came she called his name again, "Mulder?" Without speaking he slowly walked to his desk and sat down. Not liking what she read in Mulder's face, she knew something was terribly wrong. "Scully," he started with a somber voice. Scully felt her stomach tighten in anticipation of what she was about to hear next. "I just talked with Skinner. He told me Samantha's alive and has information that could lead me to my sister." "What!?" Scully said out without really thinking - surprised by the news. After gaining her composure Scully asked, "Who gave Skinner the information?" "The Smoking Man." "Mulder, do you think its true?" "Scully, how can I not. Its what I have been searching for - the truth and to find my sister." "But you have been down this road too many times just to be proven wrong or mislead. Do you think you can go through this again?" Scully said to him. "I have to... she's my sister. I owe it to her and myself. I made myself a promise. I will never stop trying to find her." Then he reluctantly admitted, "Scully I have to do this and I have to do it alone." It sounded like a confession to her. Scully almost didn't register the words in her head. "Alone?" was all she could say. /After all these years of doing everything together why would you do this alone?/ she thought to herself. "But Mulder," she said in protest. That was all she could get out. "Scully, I can't go on anymore not knowing if my sister is all right. That was the whole reason for me working on the X-Files. I know it's a long shot and the information could be wrong but I have to believe this is real. You could now go be a doctor." "Mulder, I don't care about being a doctor. I care about you and being with you. I object to you doing this by yourself," she said on the verge of tears. "I want to come with you," she said pleading with Mulder. "You can't, Scully. Your place is here, either with the bureau or in medicine. I have already put you though so much - cancer, the loss of your sister and Emily. You have such a bright future ahead of you. I will just hold you back." Mulder got up from his desk and walked out of the office without saying goodbye, leaving Scully alone again. ~~~~ Scully's Apartment November 19 Scully, sitting on her couch, stared into the fire of her fireplace thinking of Mulder when she heard a knock on her door. Knowing it could only be one person she answered her door without asking who it was. She thought he might come over but she wasn't sure considering how they left it at the office the other day. Opening the door she saw how haggard Mulder looked. "I'm sorry I shouldn't have come," he said and turned around to leave. Scully laid a gentle hand on Mulder's shoulder, "Come in please" she said softly. Mulder found his way to her couch and Scully went to the kitchen to open a bottle of wine she had chilling in the refrigerator. Pouring two glasses of wine she brought them into the living room and placed them on the coffee table putting one glass in front of him and one in front of herself. "Scully, I just came over tonight to say goodbye. I couldn't leave without at least telling you that." "Mulder, have you thought this through enough?" Scully said hoping to change Mulder's mind. "That's all I have been doing" he said. "Mulder where are you going?" Scully asked. Silence came from him as an answer to her question. "Mulder, talk to me. Don't shut me out," she said as his head turned away from hers. "Scully, I can't tell you. You would just come and find me" he finally said. "Mulder, why do you believe that this information is true? The Smoking Man has lied to us in the past," she said. "Mulder, what do you believe really happened to your sister that night?" "I know you never believed my sister was taken by aliens. At this moment I don't what to believe. All I know is I have a chance to see my sister again. I have to find her. You must at least understand that. What if you had a chance to see Melissa again? You wouldn't pass that up" "Damn it Mulder, would you listen to reason for once in your life," Scully said angrily. "Your too close. You're not thinking rationally." "Scully, you go on pure science, fact and reason. I go on pure faith," not knowing what else to say. They have been through this argument too many times on too many cases. He could see the tears in her eyes. She's trying hard to fight them back. Deep down he knows she is scared to loose him. ~~~~~~~ After they finished the bottle of wine, Scully excused herself and went into her bedroom to change into more comfortable clothes. She didn't realize how physically and mentally exhausted she really was. They had talked about him leaving all night but not about their feeling for each other. Scully pleaded with him not to leave but all she gave him was logical reasons. She never really told him what was in her heart. As she was in the bedroom changing out of her work clothes a million thoughts ran through Mulder's head. Staring into the fireplace he rehearsed what he wanted to say to Scully when she came back out. / This is going to be the hardest thing for me to do. To look her in the eye and tell her I don't love her. I can't let her see what she means to me. To show no emotion when she starts to cry. Fate brought us together now fate is tearing us apart. I have to turn around and walk away, pretending I don't love her. It's for our own good / he thought trying to convince himself that it was the right thing to do. Scully came out of her bedroom and walked over to Mulder standing by the fireplace. His back was to her and she laid a hand on his shoulder. "Mulder, let's save tonight," she said softly to him. He turned around and looked her in the eye. Scully could see the love in his eyes as she took his face in her hands and kissed him. Mulder responded by passionately kissing her back. Then he led her by the hand into her bedroom. ~~~~~~~ Mulder rolled over to glance at the clock radio on Scully's dresser. It was 3:15 in the morning. The sun was not up yet; it was still pitch black outside. He knew what he had to do. Mulder studied the angelic look on Scully face as she slept. He was going to miss everything about her. He got out of bed and started to get dressed. As he finished dressing and gathered all his belongings he took one last look at Scully sleeping. He hated himself for doing this but told himself that is was for the best. He went to Scully's bedside like he had done all those times she was in the hospital for cancer. It felt like second nature to him already. He always thought of himself as her protector. Not that he always acted like it or that he could always keep her out of danger. But now as he stood over her sleeping in her bed he leaned over to kiss her on the cheek for one last time. He placed a single red rose on the pillow beside her head. As he left her bedroom a solitary tear escaped his eye. Scully woke up because she thought she felt something brush her cheek. Sitting strait up in bed she looked around for Mulder in her bedroom. He was not there. All she saw was a single red rose placed on the pillow next to her with a short note that read 'Every time I see a red rose as beautiful as this I will always think of my beautiful red headed Scully'. He didn't sign his name. He was gone from her life for go now. She dropped the note from her hand and a solitary tear escaped her eye. The end. Save Tonight Go on and close the curtains All we need is candlelight You and me and a bottle of wine Going to hold you tonight We know I'm going away How I wish ... Wish it weren't so Take this wine and drink with me Let's delay our misery Save tonight And fight the break of dawn Come tomorrow Tomorrow I'll be gone There's a log on the fire And it burns like me for you Tomorrow comes with one desire To take me away ... It's true It ain't easy to say goodbye Darling please don't start to cry 'Cause girl you know I've got to go Lord I wish it wasn't so Save tonight And fight the break of dawn Come tomorrow Tomorrow I'll be gone Tomorrow comes to take me away I wish that I.....That I could stay Girl you know I've got to go Lord I wish it wasn't so Save tonight And fight the break of dawn Come tomorrow Tomorrow I'll be gone.....