From: Autumn Tancraitor Date: Wed, 07 Apr 1999 16:53:36 -0400 Subject: Unrequited? Think Again... Spoilers: Leonard Betts, Never Again (kinda) Disclaimers: I deny everything. Note: For those of you who don't know, the Pittsburgh Steelers are a NFL football team (who absolutely rock, thankyouverymuch.), and Sparkle Season is the coolest part of living in Pittsburgh. This is set post movie, and Mulder and Scully are still partners, and are still on the X-files. Rating: R Summary: Scully gets jealous of Mulder's new chick-a-dee, but it turns out to be as real wake-up call for Mulder, with the help of a dark alley, some Bryan Adams, and a shower. Dedicated To: All my philer buds (Meryl, Mols, Amanda, Maria), Jarrod (whom I love with all my heart, regardless of whether or not he returns my love), and Nate (for reasons I can't quite put me finger on, but mainly for being there for me.) Unrequited? Think again... by: Tumn XXXXXXXXXXXXXX Scully looked over at Mulder's desk and frowned. Mulder was gone. Out of town. And the office felt empty. She picked up a pen and threw it at the spot where he would normally be. It hit the wall and dropped to the ground. Frankly Scully was furious. He was gone, and she was stuck here at her desk *alone* doing paperwork. But, this time, he hadn't ditched her for some wild goose chase. He was on vacation. Normally, this wouldn't have bothered Scully. Sure, she would miss him, but it wouldn't bother her like this. Why? Marija. Scully hated her. She was everything Scully wasn't. Tall with a chest to rival Dolly Parton's, long silky jet black hair, and legs that went on for miles. And Scully was jealous. Oh boy was she jealous. Why? Well, that was ground she didn't want to tread on. Feelings she didn't want to touch for fear she would have to face them. And face that fact that she loved Mulder. Yes, it was true. She loved him and he was in love with someone else. How perfect. How wonderfully perfect. So, here she sat. All alone with a backlog of expense reports and case files. All she could think about was Mulder. She wanted to pick up the phone and call him, but she didn't want to interrupt his vacation. He said that if she needed anything, even if she just wanted to talk, she could call him. But she considered that gauche. He was gone to get away from work, so why would she call him. She was work. Why would he want to talk to her anyway, when he had Cindy Crawford's twin. Why would he want to kiss her, or run his fingers through her hair, or... RING! The telephone snapped her out of her reverie. She reached over and picked it up. "Scully." "Scully, go home." It was Skinner. "I will sir, I just have a few more..." Her cut her off before she could finish. "Scully, get your things and go home." He spoke to her as if she was a child. He knew why she was staying late. She missed Mulder, and didn't want to go home because she felt lonely there. At work, she felt close to Mulder. "But sir..." "Agent Scully, you're going home. But, make sure you stop up here first, I would like to talk to you." He sounded a bit worried, but also exasperated. "No if, ands, or buts. Get your things and come up here, OK?" The tone of his voice changed as he said the last sentence. Scully noticed it, but couldn't quite decipher the meaning. Did Skinner sound worried about her? Scully smiled at the thought. Skinner sounded like a worried father. "Yes sir." Skinner could here the smile in her voice. It made him smile. In the week that Mulder had been gone, he hadn't seen Scully smile. As much as his agents frustrated him, they were like surrogate children. Surrogate children who got hurt alot and always broke the rules. "Good-bye Agent Scully." "Good bye sir." Scully gently placed the phone back in the cradle and got up. After packing up her briefcase, she walked over to the coat rack and got her jacket. She gently touched Max Fenig's hat and left the room, locking the door behind her. When she arrived at the A.D.'s office, she gently tapped on the door. "Come in, Agent Scully," he called. "Sir?" Scully said, "You said you wanted to see me?" "Yes, please sit down." He took off his glasses and rubbed his nose where his glasses usually sat. Scully immediately noticed this. It was something he did when he was worried, or had to break bad news. "What is it, sir? Is Mulder OK? What's wrong?" Skinner was kind of surprised. He let out a long breath, and met her eyes. "Agent Scully, I asked you to come up here because..." He didn't even get to finish. Scully cut him off. "Oh my god. He is hurt!" She shook her head and looked down. "Agent Scully." She sighed and looked up to meet his eyes. He gave her a soft smile. "You two constantly amaze me. I know that assuming that Mulder was hurt is no great jump, but still... I swear you two are... what's it called? "Telepathic?" Scully offered. "Yes, that's it. Now, as for your conjecture. Yes, he is hurt. And I have to ask you a few questions..." "Wait. Is he OK? What wrong with him?" "He'll be OK. He was found unconscious in an alleyway with a concussion, a dislocated shoulder, and bullet graze wound in his left side. They'll be keeping him in the hospital untill tomorrow. They want to keep an eye on the bullet wound. They're afraid..." "That it might have gotten infected in the alleyway," she finished. "Um, yes. But what I wanted to ask you was if Mulder had said anything to you about his trip. Did he call you from there? Mention any names? Anything?" "Uh, sir, where exactly is 'there'?" "He didn't tell you?" Skinner frowned. That was very unlike Mulder. Very. He had been known to ditch Scully, but he would think that Mulder would tell her where he was in case something came up. Did he and Scully have a falling out? He hoped not. Otherwise, it would make this much harder. "No sir. He didn't mention it, and I didn't bother to ask. He said if I needed him, I knew his cell phone number." "Well, 'there' is Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Although it doesn't sound like the kind of place Mulder would vacation at. I was expecting Roswell or Graceland." He gave her a weak smile. "Nope. He's been there done that. Pittsburgh?" Scully sat and thought. And then it hit her. "Marija!" "What?" "Not what, sir. Who. Marija Madaras. Mulder's girlfriend." Scully tried to keep her tone even, but Skinner noticed the venom in the last sentence. He didn't know Mulder had a girlfriend. He always had thought that Mulder and Scully... "She used to live in Pittsburgh. A big Steelers fan." "What does she look like?" Skinner asked. A woman had been reported running from the scene. This might be the break they needed. "She's tall with long dark hair and green eyes. Young, maybe 28." Oh god, Skinner thought, no wonder Scully's pissed. This girl is her exact opposite. She sounded like she would be better suited to be Mulder's sister than his girlfriend. he told himself. Skinner considered her one of the most beautiful women he knew. The way her hair sat, and her bright blue eyes... But! Enough of that. Back to the matter at hand. The woman Scully just described fit the description on the police report. "Scully, does Mulder have a picture of her somewhere? On his desk maybe? Or in his apartment?" "No, sir. Not that I know of. She matches the description, doesn't she?" "Yes. Agent Scully, I've booked you a flight to Pittsburgh for tomorrow morning. That's why I was hustling you to get ready to go home so fast." "Why am I going to Pittsburgh, sir? Can't our field office handle this?" "Yes, they can and they will. I'm sending you down there to take care of Agent Mulder. Once he's out of the hospital, he won't be able to travel for 2-3 days. I want you to go down and keep an eye on him. I can't send anyone else, because I know he won't listen to anyone else. Okay?" "Yes sir. But, what is his current condition?" "Currently, he's unconscious. He had quite a concussion." Scully rose from her chair and headed for the door. Skinner cleared his throat and stopped her. "Agent Scully?" "Yes?" "Is everything okay with you and Mulder?" This question caught Scully off guard. She turned and headed back towards his desk. "Yes, sir. Everything's fine. Why do you ask?" "Well, you've been acting a little... spooky lately. I was worried." "No cause for worry sir. Spooky is standard around here." XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX NEXT DAY The flight in wasn't as bad as she thought it would be. Scully arrived at Pittsburgh International airport tired, but without the feeling of uneasiness she had had all night. Scully hadn't slept a wink, and the red eye flight hadn't helped much. She exited the building and flagged down a taxi. This was going to be a long day. She arrived at Allegheny General Hospital around 2:30. Skinner had told her this was where Mulder was. He had even given her directions to their hotel. She was surprised. He hadn't made reservations, but he had told her that this was probably the only hotel that still had rooms. Pittsburgh was celebrating the start of their "Sparkle Season;" where they lit up the city for Christmas, and lots of people would be in town for that and Thanksgiving. As she wandered through the halls of the hospital, she wondered what this hotel would be like. She didn't have too much time to think, though, because she quickly found Mulder's room. She gently opened the door. Mulder was sleeping peacefully on the small hospital bed. His hair was disheveled, and his lips were slightly parted. Scully thought. Scully gently slapped herself back into reality. She knew her feeling for Mulder were definitely unprofessional, and she was supposed to be doing a job, here. Besides. He had his little Marija. Scully reached out on an impulse and fixed his hair, then gently stroked his head. "Oh Mulder!" she whispered. "What have you gotten yourself into this time?" She pulled a chair up next to his bed, sat down, and laid her head on the bed next to him. He wasn't going to be waking up anytime soon, so why shouldn't she take advantage of the time? Mulder awoke about an hour later. He glanced around nervously before gaining his bearings. The events of the other night flooded his mind. He closed his eyes and concentrated, trying to remember who his attacker was. He then realized that there was someone else in the room with him. Holding his hand. He looked down the side of the bed and saw the last person he would have expected. Scully. Now, in any other circumstances, he would have expected her to be the first on there. But, in the past few weeks he had noticed she had been distant. She seemed mad at him. He wasn't sure why, but as he sat here now, he realized the reason behind her moodiness. Marija. She had started this when he had told her that he was seeing Marija. And then, another thought hit him. This one, though, was like a brick to the head. Scully was jealous! "Oh god, Scully!" he said gently as he stroked her hair. "I'm so sorry! I didn't know. I didn't even think..." Exhaustion overwhelmed him, and Mulder let his hand rest on her head and returned to sleep. Scully arose and realized it was dark out. She also realized that Mulder's hand was resting on her head. She sat up slowly and Mulder's hand slid to the bed beside him. He stirred and opened his eyes slowly. "Hey there," he whispered. "Hey yourself. How're you feeling?" "Like I should avoid dark alleys from now on." Scully couldn't help but smile. Dark alleys. "But Mulder! All your informant friends will be soooo disappointed!" Mulder laughed quietly. "So, what are you doing here? Decapitated men running around sucking up cancer again?" "I wouldn't be that lucky. I'm here to keep an eye on you till you're allowed to go home." Mulder made a face and started to say something, but Scully stopped him. "Not arguments. I'm going to find a doctor. They're going to want to know you're awake." With that, she walked out of the room. Mulder sat there dumbfounded. Had Skinner sent her to take care of him? This could be interesting, he thought glumly. He laid back in bed and waited for Scully to return. A few moments later, Scully returned with a young male doctor. She was talking to him and smiling. A pang of jealousy went through Mulder's heart. The doctor checked him over, all the while flirting with Scully. And then, as suddenly as they had entered, they left, leaving Mulder more perplexed than ever. But, after a few minutes Scully returned. "You can leave today, but not untill they get the results of your final blood test back. They gave you a prescription for an antibiotic to prevent infection, and a painkiller." She sat down beside him. "So, how are you feeling?" "I'm OK, just a little sore, I guess." "Hmm. OK. Well, we have about an hour untill the results come back. You mind if I turn on the radio? This silence is suffocating." Mulder shook his head. Scully rose from her seat and flipped through the stations. She finally found one, and sat back down. "And next, Bryan Adams' hit, Back to You," the DJ said. Mulder smiled broadly, and Scully tossed him a questioning eyebrow. "I love this song," he told her, and then added quietly, "It makes me think of you." Mulder hadn't intended for Scully to hear the last part of what he said, but she did. She smiled softly at him and took his hand in hers, giving it a gentle squeeze. The guitar chords filled the room, as the song began. I've been down, I've been beat I've been so tired, I could not speak I've been so lost, That I could not see I wanted things that were out of reach Then I found you and it helped me through Yeah, you showed me what to do And that's why I'm coming back to you Like a star that guides a ship Across the ocean That's how your love will take me home Back to you And if I wish upon a star someday I'll be where you are And I know that day is coming soon Yeah, I'm coming back to you Scully had to smile. It was true. Mulder did let his reach exceed his grasp. And like he had said in the hall that fateful night, she grounded him. She kept his head out of the clouds. She looked up at him, blue eyes meeting hazel, and almost cried. Mulder began to sing the next verse to her, and as the words poured from his mouth, she knew why it reminded him of her. It was her. You've been alone, but you did not show it You've been in pain but I did not know it You let me do what I needed to You were there when I needed you Might have let you down Might have messed you up But you never changed your point of view And that's why I'm coming back to you Tears streamed down Scully's cheeks. She got up and ran from the room. Scully refused to let Mulder see her like this. She collapsed in a chair outside his room. Mulder didn't know what to do. Scully had left him. She had ran out of the room in tears. What was he supposed to do now? He laid his head back on the pillow and sighed. "I'm sorry Scully." Outside, Scully sobbed relentlessly. She had not cried like this in a long time. The tears were a long needed catharsis, brought on by Mulder's song. As she began to quiet down she realized that she had ran from the room and left Mulder alone. She rose from the chair and brushed herself off. Scully dried her eyes and lifted her chin. She walked back into the room to face Mulder. "Mulder, I'm..." "Scully, I..." The two spoke simultaneously. Scully blushed and lowered her eyes, while Mulder gave a little smile and blushed also. "Go ahead," he told her. "Ladies first." Scully smiled gently, and then the smile faded as she spoke. "Mulder, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have run out on you like that. I just... I don't know. I'm not really sure why I did that. I guess I didn't..." "Want me to see you cry?" he finished for her. She took a step closer and was standing by his bedside. She looked up at him, wondering how he knew. He reached out and took her hand. "You've always been so strong. Sometimes we just need to cry. Please Dana, don't ever be afraid to cry in front of me." Scully nodded slowly. She was having trouble comprehending him. He had never been this way with her before. He had always been caring, but he had never been so open about it. She reveled in the moment, and then brought herself back to reality as the doctor came through the door. "Mr. Mulder, Dana." Mulder's head turned to Scully so fast she was afraid it was going to fly off. "Dana?" he mouthed, followed by a look that said, "So now he's calling you Dana?" Scully shot him one of her patented "looks" and he turned back to the doctor. "I have the results back. Everything looks fine, so you're free to go. Dana, I believe I gave you his prescriptions and the instructions?" "Yes." "Good. Take good care of him. Have a nice day." Scully turned to face Mulder. "You heard the man. Up. We're getting out of here. I want to get to the hotel and take a long hot shower." "Can I join?" "In your dreams Mulder." XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX BACK AT THE HOTEL Mulder parked the car while Scully checked in. She was standing in the entranceway when he returned. She didn't look happy. "What?" he asked. "One room." "What!?" "One room, Mulder. One room, one bed." She spun on her heels and headed for the elevator. He followed closely. "Why?" "It's the start of 'Sparkle Season' here. There's a ton of people in town." "Is there a couch?" "Nope." Mulder placed his hand on Scully's back and led her into the elevator. She checked her key and then hit the button. "Thirteenth floor?" Mulder asked. "Yup. Must be our lucky day." Scully stepped off the elevator. Mulder followed Scully down the hall and into her room. "Must be." Scully entered the room and tossed her bags on the floor beside the bed. She let out a groan as she looked about the room. "Mulder, if this room were any less furnished..." "It would look like my apartment," he finished for her. "Not was I was going to say, but it works." He punched her playfully in the shoulder as he strode past her to explore the rest of the room. Mulder didn't take long. The room, if you could even call it that, had a bed, a dresser, a desk with no chair, and a bathroom. The bathroom was nice, and the room was spacious, leaving Mulder to wonder why there was so little furniture. But, his reverie over this earth-shattering matter was broken by Scully's voice. He turned around to see a very pissed-looking Scully standing behind him. "Hello? Earth to Fox Mulder. Are you in there?" "Huh? Uh...Yeah. What? What's up Scully?" "Are you going to stand in the bathroom all day, or are you going to get out of my way so I can get a shower?" She looked up at him with fire in her eyes, but he knew she wasn't really as mad as she looked. "Well, here's my plan. You come in, and we get a shower together to conserve water." He gave her a broad smile and a wiggle of his eyebrows, and Scully decided it was time to turn the tables on him. Scully stepped into the bathroom and shut the door before he even had a chance to react. "Okay. Have it your way." Mulder's jaw hit the floor as Scully turned on the water and tested the temperature. When it was just right, she stepped back and took off her suit jacket. Mulder's mind was going to explode! His quiet little Catholic Scully was undressing here before him! Granted, he asked for it, but he didn't really think she would do it. Not Scully! Not here, or now, or EVER! Mulder plopped down onto the lid of the toilet seat. He watched in awe as she removed her shoes and pantyhose. When she started on the butons of her blouse he reached for the doorknob. Scully promptly smacked his hand. "Uncomfortable, Mulder?" He gave her a weak smile and a nod. "Good." Mulder dropped his head. Scully walked over to him and sat on his lap. "Mulder, you've already seen me entirely naked. Now, here's the deal. Either you get up and strip and get in the shower with me, or you leave." "Scully, the bureau... They don't approve of relationships between agents... And I..." He was stumbling for words. He wanted more than anything to get in that shower, but... "Mulder, get up.I'm not implying that this need lead to a relationship. It a bonding experience. A test in trust. Now GET UP!" It wasn't a suggestion, it was a command. And when Scully gave a command, you listened. He was off his ass, and he was off it fast. "Strip." And so Mulder did as he was told, untill he stood before her in only his boxers. Scully was down to her bra and panties now. She looked at him and smiled. "Mulder, do you know why I'm doing this?" she asked him gently. Mulder's voice trembled when he answered. "To conserve water?" Scully smiled. "No. Mulder, I trust you with my life. Now, I'm showing you that I trust you with my body." With that, Scully shed what little clothing was left and entered the shower. The room was very steamed up, and Mulder didn't get a good look. But, there was one way he could. Mulder dropped his boxers and got into the shower. For the room being so small, the shower was large. Mulder tried to keep his distance from Scully, but she turned to face him. She extended her arms to him, and he walked into her embrace. "I was so worried about you," she whispered into his chest. "I know. And I'm sorry. Marija was a mistake." "That's okay. I'm just glad you're safe." Scully began to sob lightly into Mulder's bare chest. Her tears mixed with the water, making them almost imperceptible. Mulder noticed them, thought, and bent his head to gently kiss one off of her cheek. He pulled her closer to him, and he hugged her tightly. "I'll never do that again," he promised her. "No, Mulder, you will. Don't make me promises that you won't keep." "Okay." "Mulder?" She looked up at him with a smile. "Just try, ok? Just promise me you'll try." "I promise." And with that, Mulder lent down and kissed her forhead gently, and then pulled her close yet again. But this time, he was fully aware that they were both naked, and that they were in a shower together. Scully realized this too. He blushed and looked down, and Scully just giggled. And the giggle got louder and became a roaring laughter. Mulder suddenly became very self-conciuos and turned away from her. Scully took a few deep breaths and steadied herself. "Mulder," she said. When he didn't respond, she put her hand on his back and tried again. "Mulder?" Still nothing. she told herself. She reached down and squeezed his butt and then purred his name in his ear. Mulder jumped and spun around. "Scully!" Scully thought. "Mulder, I wasn't laughing at you." "Like hell you weren't!" He looked down at the ground and pouted. "I was just laughing at... well, the situation. One of my, um, long standing curiosities has just been satisfied. And I guess...well, this is the last place I expected it to happen." "Long standing curiosity, eh? Would you mind sharing this curiosity with me?" "Actually," Scully purred, standing on her tip-toes and bringing her face closer to his, "I'd rather you share it with me." she thought to herself. Mulder couldn't take it any longer. He reached down and grabbed her head, crushing her lips to his in a passionate kiss. She reacted quickly, deepening the kiss. Mulder backed up untill they were leaning against the shower wall. "Are you sure?" he asked her. "Yes." XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX The next morning, Mulder rolled over in bed to see Scully sleeping peacefully beside him. He yawned and she snuggled closer to him. She opened her eyes and stretched lazily. "Morning, sunshine," he said with a smile. "Morning." Mulder leaned down and gave her a soft kiss on the forehead. "Scully, I think Max Fenig was right." She looked at him questioningly and raised an eyebrow. "About what? His UFO theories?" Scully smiled and let out a little laugh. "Leave it to you to bring up UFOs on the morning after!" "No, not about the UFOs. About you. You definately are 'enigmatic,' Dr.Scully." "How so?" "Well, in the sense that I can't find words to even touch the surface of how I feel right now. All because of you. Scully, I..." Mulder lowered his eyes. "Mulder, what wrong? If you think that last night was a mis..." Mulder's head snapped up and he cut her off. "A mistake? Hell no! Oh Scully!" He reached out and wrapped his arms around herand she laid her head on his chest. "Scully, last night was the most amazing night of my life. I wouldn't trade it for anything. Not even Samantha..." He took a deep breath. Scully lifted her head at his confession, letting her chin rest on his chest so she could look at his eyes. She could learn so much about him from his eyes. They told a story of a man who had faced endless hardships and loss, fear and joy, distruction and rebirth. And they told of a man who had wisdom far beyond his years. "Mulder, do you really mean that?" "Scully. Dana... I wouldn't have said it if I didn't." "Oh Mulder!" and with that, Scully did something that shocked the hell out of Mulder. She cried. Big, bad, tough, ice queen, "don't fuck with me or I'll shoot you" Dana Scully cried. And it was the most beautiful thing Mulder had ever seen. He wrapped his arms around her and held her while she cried. And when she finally stopped, she looked up at him and smiled. "Mulder, I..." "Scully?" he interrupted. "Yeah?" "Um, well... Would you call me Fox?" He gave her a boyish lopsided grin, and then looked down, his cheeks turned the lightest shade of pink. "Of course," she replied, kissing him gently on the lips. "Fox. Hmmm. I think I could get used to that." "You know, Scully. You had better be careful how you say that." "Oh yeah?" XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Well, Wadda ya think? Don't mind it if it's a little stale. It's only been sitting on my computer finished for almost 6 months. Email me and tell me what you think.