http://www.fanfiction.net/ It was the end of another hectic workday and Scully sat back in her chair and rubbed her tired eyes. She just finished a report on the latest case that Mulder had dragged her into. Well, actually he didn't have to drag her into anything. She knew that she would follow him to the ends of the Earth if he asked her to. She clicked off her computer screen and glanced over at Mulder. He was reading while simultaneously popping sunflower seeds into his mouth. For the past couple of nights she had been plagued by a series of weird dreams and they always featured Mulder. It was normal she supposed. After all she reasoned she did work with the guy and spent more time with him than she did at home. The dreams always varied but one thing remained the same: in it Mulder would touch her hands, and her face, kiss her and hold her close to him as though they would never part. The sheer memory of her latest dream brought a red stain to her face. She wondered what Mulder would think if he could read her thoughts right at that moment. What puzzled her the most was the fact that he featured so prominately in her dreams and in such a romantic context. She knew that she was not in love with him so what was with her dreams then? Finally Mulder looked up and saw her staring at him. "Anything I can help you with, Scully?" "Hmm?" She had been completely lost in her thoughts. "Do you need anything?" "Why do you ask?" "Well, it just looked as though you wanted to ask me something," Mulder said curiously. "Uhh…no I was remembering something I have to do." He watched rather mystified as she hurriedly got her things together and said a hasty goodbye. She didn't think she could sit there any longer looking into those hazel eyes of his and the magic of his smile. Not with her dreams of him so fresh in her mind. She didn't stop running until she was in the safety of her apartment. Then it hit her. She must have looked like a crazy woman the way she rushed out the office the way she did. Then another thought struck her. What if he saw her blushing? Groaning she decided a bath was what she needed. The day's mail sat on her coffee table where she had dropped it. She momentarily thought about going through it first. But her bath won out. As she slipped into a tub of hot, soapy water she couldn't help but wonder what Mulder was up to right at that moment.
Mulder was still shaking his head at Scully's odd behavior long after he had left the office for the day. Was it just him or did she look a little flushed? He changed clothes and plopped down on the couch in front of the TV. He began riffling through the day's mail and saw a package from The Lone Gunmen. He opened that first. The package contained a very simple black wristwatch and a report on it that they had written on it. They discovered the watch through one of their many paranoid sources. The kind that Scully laughed at and rolled her eyes to. It was a rather ordinary looking watch but according to the Gunmen the wearer of the watch would be subjected to some kind of mind control and they wanted him to investigate it for them. Turning the watch over in his hand he decided to swap it out for the one he had on. The two were virtually identical. Mulder sat and waited. And waited. And waited. Nothing. Oh well, he figured it was still early. He'd give it some time to warm up. His thoughts then drifted to Scully. She's been so quiet lately, he thought. It almost seemed as though she was mad at him or something. He was bewildered and even a little hurt, but he knew Scully well enough to know when to press and when not to. If she has something to talk about she'll do it in her own time, he thought. Eventually, despite it all, he fell asleep on the couch in the glow of his TV set.
Scully was just about to go to bed when she remembered she hadn't read the mail. She decided to open it in bed. There was the usual bills and assorted junk mail but there on the bottom was a letter from her mom. Scully opened that first. The letter contained the usual chitchat, latest news and motherly advice. However she also included a plain black wristwatch saying that she knew she needed a new one and it was really close to her birthday anyway. Scully smiled as she put it on. It was nearly identical to her old one. She then turned out the light and fell asleep.
Mulder was dreaming. But not a dream of his own creation. It was as if he were watching it through Scully's eyes. He felt what she would have felt and experienced. He saw himself at her apartment. He didn't know why he was there, but Scully seemed genuinely pleased to see him. She let him inside. "Mulder, what is it?" He honestly didn't know, so he simply shrugged. "I guess, I needed someone to talk to. I know it's late. I'm sorry. I'll go." "No, don't go. It's all right. I'll go make some coffee." Mulder sat down and watched her go to the kitchen. His eyes fell on her open laptop and thinking she was working on their case he began to read.
Mulder,
I don't know how to say this or even if I should. But I can't keep my feelings to myself anymore. I can't keep pretending that what I'm feeling isn't real. Over the past six years I have felt an awaking occurring within my heart. I have been so closed off for so long that I didn't even realize how far I had pushed everyone away until now. My greatest fear is getting too close to someone and then losing them. So I built a wall around my heart and I kept it under lock and key. But then you came along and systematically began to tear down the wall without either of us noticing. You have touched my heart and brought it back to life again. You saved me in so many ways and I want to say thank you but most importantly I want to say: I love you.
There was much more to it, but Mulder heard Scully coming back and he worked feverishly to hide the fact that he had been reading what was obviously a very personal entry. Still he couldn't help but ask himself if he truly read what he thought he did. Is Scully trying to tell me that she is in love with me, he wondered? He still had the laptop in his hands when she walked in. Her eyes darted quickly from the laptop to Mulder's stunned face and back to the laptop again. Setting the cups down she sat down next to him. She felt like hiding but she had to confront the issue no matter how uncomfortable. "Just how much did you read?" Mulder cleared his throat. "Enough." "Oh God, Mulder you were never supposed to read that. I was just…just…bored and I…" Her voice trailed off. She couldn't think of an excuse good enough to put to rest the questioning look in his eyes. "You know, to be honest I don't have anything to say about it. I…I…" She was at a loss for words perhaps for the first time in her life. Sensing her unease he took her hand in his. The warmth of his skin coursed through her veins like electricity. "It's okay, Scully. You don't have to explain anything to me. I am glad that I read what you wrote. You see, what you said were all of the things that I have wanted to say for so long but haven't had the nerve to. I was afraid you might not feel the same way." And then he smiled at her as her mind wrapped itself around the meaning of his words and the implications of them. She took in a deep sigh of relief. "No more pretending?" He brushed the hair away from her face. "No more pretending." "I feel as though a huge weight has been lifted off of me." "I know. I-" she cut him off with a long, soft kiss that seemed to last forever. Falling into each others arms, the dream ended in Scully's bedroom to the inaudible sound of two hearts and two bodies linking and joining and becoming forever one. Even in his sleep Mulder smiled. And all the way across the Potomac in Georgetown where Scully lay sleeping a smile was etched on her face as well.
The next morning Mulder raced to work. He got there early as usual and was already hard at work when Scully came in. Her perfume filled the air and Mulder looked up and smiled. Her perfume was always a welcome fragrance to him as it signaled her arrival at work. It was faint and fresh, yet still feminine and very alluring. "Hey, Scully." "Mulder." Neither of them noticed that they were each wearing identical watches. Scully sat down and quickly got down to work. But her mind kept wandering. She couldn't get the dream of then night before out of her mind. She was sitting on her couch at home; alone as usual watching The Swamp Thing when there was a knock at her door. She got up and saw that it was Mulder. He was standing in her doorway, looking at the floor and nervously shuffling his feet. He mumbled something about needing someone to talk to. He turned to leave when he thought that he was an intrusion but Scully refused and pulled him inside. "Mulder, you're not interrupting anything. Sit down, I'll go make some coffee." She sat him down on her couch and then disappeared into the kitchen. She was cool and collected on the outside but inside she was elated. Her brain kept screaming: he's here! He's here! She had been sitting alone and feeling miserable and just when she needed his company the most, he showed up at her doorstep. She was so happy and preoccupied that she forgot that she left her laptop open. She had been trying to work on their case but instead made an entry in a file she called: Star Keeper. Finally with two full cups of coffee she went back into the living room. She stopped dead in her tracks though when she saw Mulder and the open laptop. Her eyes darted back and forth between Mulder's face the laptop and back again. She could clearly read uneasiness in his eyes. She put the coffee cups down and sat down. "You read what I wrote didn't you?" Mulder nodded. "Mulder, you weren't supposed to read that." "I know. I'm sorry if I have violated your trust. But I thought that you were working on our case. I never meant to cross any lines." "How much did you read?" "Enough." "Well, you know that I didn't mean anything by it right? I was just bored one night and…and…" Her voice trailed off. Even to her that excuse sounded weak. Mulder took her by the hand and held it in his warm hands. "It's okay, Scully. You don't have to explain anything to me. I probably shouldn't have read it but I am glad. Relived even. All of those things that you said were things that I have wanted to say to you since day 1. But I haven't had the nerve to for fear that you wouldn't feel the same way. Scully, I…love you too." Scully sat there dumbfounded at what she had just heard barely daring to breathe. Once he had actually spoken the words he looked as though he had just been released from mental torture the depths of which could only be imagined. "No more pretending?" "No more pretending," Mulder echoed. "I feel as though a huge weight has been lifted off of me." "I know. I-" She cut him off with a quick and spontaneous kiss that took him by surprise. With a smile Scully stood up and pulled Mulder up with her. "Then don't leave. Not tonight. I am tired of being alone at night." A smiled played on his lips as she led him down the hall to her bedroom. "Oooh, the magic bedroom," Mulder said. She put her arms around him and kissed him again. Their lips and bodies seemed to melt into one as the nighttime crickets chirped outside.
"Scully? Scully?" Mulder was trying to get her attention. She reluctantly came out of her daydream and saw Mulder staring worriedly at her. The memory of her dream caused a flush of color rush to her cheeks. "Yes?" "I'm going to get some coffee. Do you want any?" "Sure. That'd be great." She watched him leave and she smiled to herself. She loved the fact that he remembered that she took it with cream only. But, she thought, when you have been with someone as long as Mulder and I, you learn those kinds of things about each other. He came back and put the coffee cup on her desk. "Hey, Scully. Are you all right?" He looked at her suspiciously. "Yeah, I'm fine." She took a sip of her coffee. Perfect. Mulder walked away and though, I'm fine. Sure Scully. When are you going to trust me enough to talk about your feelings with me? "I do Mulder." He looked up from his reading. "You do what?" "Didn't you just say something?" Mulder shook his head. "No." "Oh, never mind then." Throughout the day, both were silent as they worked on a new case that had them both stumped. Occasionally though, she would glance over at him and find it impossible to look away. The light from the window behind him illuminated his features and hair like a ring of light. Since she had begun working with him so long ago, he had slowly become an important part of her life that she could no longer recall what her life had been like without him. Just the thought of losing him made a sharp pain shoot through her and course through her veins. It was a feeling she was unfamiliar with and didn't truly understand. What is it that I'm feeling, she asked herself, Why is it that the mere thought of losing him hurts so much? I think I'm falling in love with him. Mulder, if only I could tell you. "Tell me what?" Scully's head snapped up. "What do you mean?" Scully asked. "I thought I heard you say something." Scully shook her head no. "I didn't say anything." "Oh, I thought…never mind. Forget it." Scully shrugged and went back to work but wondered if Mulder needed to get a little more sleep. It was almost as if he had read her mind though. But that's impossible, she thought. "What's impossible?" Scully looked at him in astonishment. "I didn't say anything." "Are you sure. Because I could have…" Scully shook her head no. "Nope. Haven't said a word." "Huh. Okay if you say so." Scully turned her attention back to work although by now Mulder was kind of starting to freak her out a little. It's getting late, thought Mulder, I wonder if Scully would want to go out somewhere to get something for dinner. "Yeah, sure Mulder. Just let me finish up here. Mulder looked at her oddly. "What are you talking about?" "Well, we're going out to dinner right?" Mulder stood and put his jacket on. "Okay, if you want to. Where are we going?" Scully looked into his eyes and saw that he had absolutely no idea what she was talking about. She cleared off her desk and shut down her computer. "Well, how about Sam&Harry's?" "Sounds good to me."
Soon they were sitting at a table and Scully sat stared blankly at her menu. The day kept replaying itself in her mind. She couldn't understand the oddities of the conversations that she and Mulder shared. But she didn't think that it was anything to worry about and she certainly didn't want Mulder to think she was losing it. So she simply pushed it to the back of her mind, smiled at him and ordered dinner. Afterwards, they said their good-byes and went their separate ways. Scully reluctantly went home to an empty apartment. Before going to bed, she took a bath and wrote her thoughts down in the Star Keeper file.
"Mulder, what is it that I am feeling for you? Why do I look at you and imagine what it would be like to kiss you? To feel your mouth on mine and your tongue caressing mine? Why do I dream of you holding me close to you and feeling your hands on my skin? Sometimes I wish you would take me in you arms and kiss me! Just kiss me stupid!" Scully closed her laptop and sighed at the latest edition to her writings. The letter she'd written to Mulder was still on her hard drive and for some time she'd been considering deleting it. Yet for some reason she couldn't bring herself to. After all, she reasoned, it's not like he's ever going to read it. She turned out her lights and was left alone with her longings for love and her dreams of Mulder.
At work the next day, Scully arrived to see Mulder engrossed in a file about their newest case. "Morning Scully." "Good morning, Mulder." "Hey Scully, you've got to take a look at this. It's a new development on our case." Scully finished putting her things away and went to take a look at what he was so eager to show her. Taking the file she sat down in front of his desk and began to read. "So five deaths in the city of Bradock Heights, Maryland within the past three weeks all found within a five mile radius of each other. Medical examiner has been unable to determine cause of death." Scully put the file down. "What do you mean, that they have been unable to find a cause of death?" "Well, there's no visible signs of trauma to the bodies." And I bet you want to investigate, thought Scully. "Actually, I don't think that there is anything to investigate." "Huh? I…uh…huh?" She began. He looked at her oddly again. "Scully are you feeling all right?" "I'm fine Mulder. Why do you keep asking me that?" she asked as she rubbed her forehead. "Oh no reason. It's just that you look a little pale. That's all." But he thought: I'm fine. I'm fine. She always says that but she never really means it. Why does she feel as though she can't confide in me? "I do Mulder." He gave her another strange look. "You do what?" "You didn't say anything just then did you?" He shook his head, but he was wondering if she needed to take a vacation. Maybe the stress of this latest case has finally gotten to her. "So why don't you think that there's anything to investigate. "Well because all of the deceased were suffering from pre-existing conditions. Cancer, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Lou Gerhigs. So it all seems like a case of natural causes." "So why are we talking about this then?" "I got a call from the sheriff. A Sheriff Matthews. He wants us to come down and investigate. And working on the X-Files has taught me not to take everything at face value." "So when do you want to leave?" "Today if possible. How soon can you get some things together?" "Are you're sure that we'll have to spend the night? Bradock Heights is only about 50 miles away." "Well maybe. Maybe not. But just to be on the safe side I'd suggest at least one change of clothes." "Okay. I'll go home and you can pick me up there." Scully went home and put two changes of clothes in a bag and few other essential items and was ready when Mulder came to pick her up. He drove as usual. He always drives. Why is it that I never get to? Is it because he doesn't trust me behind the wheel? Scully complained as she settled into the passenger seat. Mulder glanced over at her strangely but said nothing. Finally, "I didn't know it bothered you."
"You didn't know what bothered me?" He looked at her and saw confusion there. "Well, my driving all the time." "I've never complained about your driving before." By this time Scully was becoming annoyed at these back and forth exchanges. "But didn't you…you know what forget it. I was hearing things." Scully shrugged and closed her eyes but was really freaked out. She pushed it to the back of her mind and tried to get a little nap before they got there. Her quiet reverie was suddenly broken however by the sound of Mulder's voice. She didn't open her eyes but sat there listening intently. "I wonder if she knows just how much she means to me? I wonder if I do for that matter? I have tried so hard not to let my feelings for her show. When she was abducted I thought my life was over. And then when she was found I came back to life again. I can't imagine my life without her. She wants to know why I always drive? It's because on the occasions she does drive I'm always afraid I'll let my true feelings show. She can be really distracting. I love the way we seem to know what the other is thinking and feeling without having to verbalize it." At that Scully opened her eyes and patted him on the hand. He looked into her blue eyes and something that was too deep for words passed between them. They got to the city of Bradock Heights by mid-day and after getting a hotel room they went to the morgue so Scully could examine the bodies. Because of a big Star Trek convention being held they had been unable to secure separate accommodations. When they found that out, Scully saw a flicker of regret pass over Mulder's face. And she knew that he secretly wished he could attend. They both pretended as though it didn't matter but secretly they were both feeling anxiety about it. Scully went straight to work at examining the body a 45-year-old male who had been the last victim found. Mulder chose to remain in the room, though he looked pale and a little queasy. "You know you can leave if you want to. I'm going to be a while." Mulder shook his head. "Nah, I'm fine." As soon as the words were out of his mouth his cell phone rang. "Mulder. Yes.Yes.Ok, I'm on my way." He put his phone away and said, "That was Sheriff Matthews. He wants to go over some new developments with me." Scully smiled and nodded, but she was thinking, There you go, ditching me again. Same old story. Mulder whirled around to face her. "I'm not ditching you." Scully looked at him as though he had three heads. "What the hell are you talking about?" She was getting annoyed again. "You didn't just say that I…" he trailed off. Scully was slowly shaking her head no. "Oh. Well…I'll just…you know…" he seemed confused and at a loss for words as he left to catch up with Sheriff Matthews. He left behind a bewildered Scully who couldn't help but smile at the lingering fragrance of his cologne.
A few hours later, Scully emerged from the morgue to find Mulder waiting outside for her. "How long have you been waiting?" "Not long. I got here about five minuets ago."
"You know Mulder, you could have come on in. I wouldn't have minded." "No, that's okay. I didn't want to disturb you." His words were full of confidence, but Scully swore she saw him flinch. That's okay Mulder. Your secret is safe with me, thought Scully. "What secret?" "What are you babbling about now?" "Well, didn't you say something about…you know what it doesn't matter. What did you find out?" "Well, my findings are disturbing to say the least. The heart, liver, lungs, pancreas, spleen, small and large intestines they well…they…" she seemed unable or unwilling to say it out loud. "Yes?" Mulder prompted "Mulder, they're gone." His eyes widened in shock. "They're gone?" "Yes. It seems that just prior to death or at the exact moment of death…these organ were removed." "By who?" "I don't know. Whoever did it used a surgical precision so clean that I can't tell what kind of instrument was used." "What do you mean?" "Only that the incisions are unlike any I've ever seen before. But I can definitely determine that they weren't made by any conventional cutting device." When she saw that he wasn't going to say anything she went on. "Mulder, it appears that the incisions were made with some sort of laser. The bodies show elevated levels of radiation and instead of their temperatures going down they have remained at a stead 168 degrees farenheight. Also I have found implants." "Well, that fits in with what I found out. It turns out that all of the victims were multiple abductees. All of them were reported missing at least 48 hours prior to each victim found dead. I think that they were abducted and that they were subjected to some kind of experiments by aliens." Scully looked as though she wanted to argue that point when her phone rang. "Scully. I see. How long ago? Where at? All right thank you. Yes, we'll be right there." She snapped her phone shut. "Sheriff Matthews. Another dead body has been found at the same location as the last one. He wants us to come check it out." "Well let's go." As the left the hospital room Scully turned to him and said "Still think that there's nothing to investigate?" Mulder only smiled.
They arrived at the scene less than ten minuets later and Scully watched as Mulder strode over to talk to Sheriff Matthews. His jacket was off, tie loosened and sleeves were rolled up. Scully followed him but couldn't help but enjoy the view. God, he really does have a great butt, thought Scully. "Who does, Scully?" He turned to look into her questioning eyes. "I have no idea what you are talking about." "You sure, 'cause…oh well never mind. Must have been someone else." By this time Scully was really worrying about both of them. It's almost as if he read my mind, she thought. While Mulder was questioning the sheriff, Scully got called over to examine the body. When he'd gotten all he could out of the bewildered sheriff, Mulder walked to where she knelt. God, she is sexy when she is working, thought Mulder. Scully glanced up with a frown. "Mulder, would you please pay attention to the case not gawk at some woman." Though he did a double take at her words he couldn't help but detect a note of jealousy in her tone. It was almost as if she had read his mind. But how is that possible? , he thought. Scully stood up and dusted off her hands. They watched as the coroner came and took the body away and loaded it in the ambulance. "I'm going to go with the body to the morgue and perform the autopsy."
"All right. I'll follow in the car." She watched Mulder walk away. Mulder, she thought briefly. He turned around. "Yes?" "I didn't say anything." He looked confused but this time he didn't say anything but rather began walking back to the car again. She began walking towards the waiting ambulance when she was forcefully grabbed from behind by unseen hands. She kicked and fought furiously but to no avail. "Mulder! Mulder!" Wholly expecting a denial that she had said anything he turned around just in time to see what looked like Dwayne Barry dragging a kicking, fighting Scully, throwing her into his car and speeding off. Mulder jumped into the rental and sped after them in hot pursuit. The chase led all the way back to Skyland Mountain where Dwayne Barry had taken Scully when she was abducted three years ago. He got out of the car and followed them to a clearing. All that Mulder could think was the fact that he thought Dwayne Barry was dead. "Barry! Let her go!" "No! They're coming for her." Dwayne Barry with a desperate look on his face held a gun on Scully and seemed capable of anything. "I thought you died!" "After I died they abducted me and in exchange for my life back I promised to bring them people to experiment on. I work for them now." "Let her go, Barry! Don't make me shoot you!" "Don't worry, she'll return to you. When they're done with her that is!" Suddenly they were bathed in bright light. They looked skyward and saw a huge UFO hovering right above Scully and Dwayne. The realization of what was about to happen hit with full force. She began to claw and fight to break free. She accidentally bumped his arm because in the process of the struggle the gun went off. In horror, Mulder watched as Scully fell to the ground. He was filled with rage at that moment that was stronger than anything he had ever felt. A murderous rage as he turned his gun on Barry. He didn't stop shooting until all the rounds had been spent. He then ran over to Scully who was alive but barely. He scooped up her broken body and put her in the car. He paused only long enough to see Dwayne Barry's lifeless body being lifted into the air to the waiting UFO. "Couldn't have happened to a more deserving son of a bitch." He then got in the car and raced to Mercy General Hospital.
Hours later, he sat exhausted by her bedside, tears streaming down his agonized face. He thought about how close he came to losing her. He couldn't hold what he was feeling inside any longer. She was still sedated after a horrendously long surgery that saved her life. "Scully, I am so sorry that this happened to you. I feel as though it is all my fault. If it weren't for me you'd be a doctor right now. Not lying in a hospital bed fighting for your life. You almost died again because of me." Very slowly Scully began to surface from her deep sleep and though she was fully awake she did not open her eyes. "Scully, you are the most important person in my life and the only one I trust. I don't know what I would have done if I had lost you tonight. You make me a whole person and I can't lose you. My greatest fear is that I will wake up one day and I will have lost you. Scully I told you this once before after I was rescued from the Bermuda Triangle but I don't think you believed me. But I had really meant it: I love you. I do, with all my heart and mind and soul. I love you." He put his head in his hands and sighed. Just then he felt her hand on his head and her fingers brushing through his hair. He looked up and saw her smiling weakly at him. He suddenly felt his stomach jump into his throat. In a moment of unparalleled fear he realized that she had heard his declaration of love. But all fear was stripped away with her next words. "I love you too, Mulder. What you said to me is how I feel about you. I have wanted to tell you at least a thousand times a day. You are my Star Keeper. I love you more than I thought I could ever love anyone." His face brightened and she smiled back at him. He stood up and lightly kissed her lips. A kiss that she thought would never happen. "You look as though you need some rest. Go to sleep. I'll still be here when you wake up." Scully nodded and let sleep claim her once again.
A few weeks later she was released and went home. Her first night back Mulder cooked dinner for her and together they sat cuddled on the couch watching Mysterious Ways. "You know those watches we got?" Scully nodded. "I contacted the Lone Gunmen to tell them what we'd found out and they said that they had been given them by a source named Randy B. Weary. If you rearrange the letters you'll find that it's an anagram of Dwayne Barry. They said that it's alien technology, which explains how we were able to hear each other's thoughts. They can only guess the reason he wanted us to have them was so wouldn't trust each other. But what I can't understand is why we didn't hear each other's thoughts all the time? Why was it only certain, particular thoughts?" Scully shrugged and said, "Maybe it only happened when there was something important to be said." Mulder accepted that theory. It would have to be good enough. Anyway, he mused; sometimes there are things in life that will never be fully explained. Like how they could ignore their true feelings for each other for so long. "So what do you want to do with the watches?" Scully looked up at him and smiled. "Put them in a very safe place. I think we have both learned just dangerous they can be." "Hey, Scully. Do you really think I have a great butt?" Scully kissed him before answering. "I think you have a great everything. Do you really think I'm sexy when I'm working as a doctor?" "Scully, you're sexy no matter what you do. So do you like your ring?" She looked down at the diamond solitaire ring he had placed on her left hand and smiled. She knew that they would have to keep their romance and engagement a secret but she didn't care. All she cared about was that they were going to be together. She looked up at him and said, "I'd love anything you gave me." "Oh really? Even the chicken pox? 'Cause I've never…" "Oh shut up and kiss me."
THE END