Subject: Busted (11) Just Mac From: "Just Mac" Date: 19 Jan 1998 14:40:41 GMT

TITLE: Busted AUTHOR: Katie Taylor EMAIL ADDRESS: DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT:Anywhere, just tell me!
SPOILER WARNING: Pusher RATING: PG CONTENT WARNING:MSR CLASSIFICATION: S/A SUMMARY: Scully finds out what happened to Mulder in the Hospital.

Disclaimer: Almost forgot it this time! Mulder, Scully, Frohike, Modell,
and co. all belong to CC, 1013, Fox, yadda, yadda, yadda. I don't own 'em (ooo, the things I could do to Mulder! :-P) and I never will :-(. Please don't sue me. I ain't making any money here. (actually, I lose a quarter of a pfenning in the cost it takes me to post this, so, you can't sue me,
can you?) Well, don't sue me, 'cause I ain't got nothing other than this computer, my XF videos and a few Garth Brooks CD's, and if you take those away from me, you may as well kill me. Anyway, we're gettin' a little off topic here. On with the story!!

Busted by Katie Taylor

Mulder looked back to Scully's desk for the hundredth time. There had been a package on her desk when he arrived about an hour ago. Finally, at about the time he decided if she didn't get there soon, he'd rip the package open himself, she breezed through the door.

"What's up today, Mulder?"

"Not much, but you got a present." He smiled, and his eyes lit up with curiosity.

"Really?" She put her bag and jacket down on her chair, picked up the package and opened it. A typewritten note fell out. THIS MAY INTEREST YOU was all it said.

"A videotape! Want to watch it?"

"Sure," He continued as they walked to the TV/VCR "As long as it isn't a sleazy homemade tape from Frohike!" They laughed as Scully pressed 'play'.

Mulder's smile faded as he saw what was on the tape. It looked like footage from a hospital security camera--the 'Pusher' case. Mulder watched Scully sit on her desk, her smile fading as well, and her brow furrowing in confusion. He would rather go through in his head how he failed Samantha, what he should have done different, than watch this video.

But thinking about Sam didn't help, so he studied Scully. Her fiery hair hung around her shoulders, still wet in places. She must have gotten up late, he concluded. He looked into her eyes. She had such beautiful eyes. He couldn't help but think back to when he had come into his office that first day. She had seemed excited about working with him, it seemed he had quite a reputation at Quantico, and about working in a section of the FBI that few people knew about. Her eyes had held so much excitement, enthusiasm, happiness. She didn't seem excited or enthusiastic about him or the job anymore. She had come to know them more. They had put her in too much danger.

He saw her brow furrow deeper, an saw her reach for the remote. He tore himself away from her and reluctantly turned to the TV. He remembered this part. It was when he had felt that pull to stop and turn around. Because of the angle of the security camera, you could see his face perfectly. It had taken every ounce of his strength that day not to shoot her. To try warm her--he closed his eyes to erase the memory, but it didn't work.

Presently, Scully was rewinding the tape, just a bit. Oh no, he thought--he knew what was going to happen. He had come to the conclusion she hadn't heard, although he had felt his lips move, and from looking at her confused expression, he knew he was right. She didn't know, and she didn't need to know now, either. Before Scully could press play again, Mulder interrupted her.

"Why are we watching this, Scully? The case is closed."

"I just want to check something," she said quietly, concentrating as she pressed 'play' again. She could have sworn Mulder had mouthed 'I love you'.

Mulder quickly shoved his hands through his hair and sat back down. Calm down, he told himself, don't make her suspicious. Maybe she won't be able to make it out. Maybe--

"Mulder, were you trying to tell me something?" She had put the video on 'pause'.

"I don't know, Maybe 'Have a nice life, I think he's going to kill me'. Something along those lines. What does it matter now?" She looked at him skeptically and rewound the tape again.

Scully's heart skipped a beat. One last time, just to be sure. Definatly. she looked out the corner of her eyes to watch Mulder fidgeting as she ejected the tape. He caught her eye and turned to fake doing some work. she locked the door quietly and placed the tape on top of the VCR. She remembered back to that night. He had fidgeted that night as well, but she hadn't known why. She'd held his hand to try and comfort him.

She walked over to him and briefly admired a picture of a little girl--she figured it was Samantha--walking hand in hand with an alien, that Mulder had just quickly sketched.

"Fox?" Oh no, he thought. She called me Fox. She must have figured it out. He braced himself for the wrath of Scully, because he would try and convince her he didn't mean it. He now regretted saying it. If he had let Modell take all his thoughts away, maybe he wouldn't have said it. But then, he would have shot Scully. Again he closed his eyes against the memories and this time it worked.

"Did you try and tell me you loved me?" Was the correct answer yes or no? He asked himself.

"I might have," he said, trying to brush it off. "But it was one of those near death things, I thought he was going to kill me."

"But you said it."

"Yes, Scully, I said 'I love you'. Are you happy?" She looked hurt. "Scully, the words hold no meaning for me." Again, she looked skeptical.

"But you know they do for me." He said nothing. "Mulder, tell me how you feel about me."

"I would die for you."

"That's how you feel about Scully," she said. "I want to know how you feel about Dana." He looked deep into her blue eyes and got lost in them. He had no choice but to tell her the truth.

"Dana, everytime I see you I want to die because I know I can't have you. Whenever we're apart I want to die because I can't see you."

"Fox, you can have me. I'm all yours. Always have been."

"No."

"What?"

"I mean," he pushed his chair as far away from her as possible. "I could only cause you pain I've got two decades of pain and guilt built up from losing Sam and all the times I screwed up and put you in danger. You deserve someone who can treat you right."

"There better be a 'but' in there somewhere." Mulder tried not to, but he conceded. Scully knew him too well.

"But I want you so bad it hurts." She smiled, then walked towards him and kissed him, lightly on the lips. Mulder pulled away.

"Scully! In case you've forgotten, we're in our office." Her smiled broadened.

"Yeah, but I locked the door." A smile spread across his face and he pulled her down to him, capturing her lips in the passionate kiss he had waited so long for.

the end.

Author's Notes: Yeah, I know this one wasn't the greatest one I've ever written (not that I've posted that many so far...) It was one of those late nights. You know how it goes.

Just Mac