Title: A Friend to Me
Author: JusticeHouse
Rated: G
Summary: Mulder and Scully hear the same song and come to the same conclusion. Set during The Sixth Extinction: Amor Fati. Warning: Very sappy.
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Author's Note: This little ditty came out of divine inspiration. I wrote it in two hours, the day after the above episode aired. I'd been wanting to do a story using this song (which belongs to Garth Brooks and Capitol Records) and after seeing the last five minutes of this episode, I thought I'd found my chance. Please be nice, this was one of my very first fanfics!
10:13am
Scully's Car
"You were my friend and you told me the truth. Even when my world was upside down and unrecognizable. You were my constant. My touchstone."
"And you're mine."
Scully replayed the conversation she'd just had with Mulder over and over. She drove on automatic pilot, knowing she was headed home instead of work and not caring. As she drove, the song on the radio caught her attention:
"Well you and I
We're buddies
And we've been since we first met
Me and you
Well we've been through
Our share of laughter and regret"
Scully smiled as she remembered the past few years with Mulder. They both had lost so much, but what they had gained in each other was amazing, and Scully knew she wouldn't trade her time with him for anything.
"Lord knows we've had our bad days
And more than once we've disagreed
But you've always been a friend to me
You can be so stubborn
There's times I think you just like to fight
And I hope and pray
I live to see a day
When you say I might be right
And there's time I'd rather kill you
Than listen to your honesty
But you've always been a friend to me
You've always been
Time and again
The one to take my hand
And show to me it's okay to be
Just the way I am
With no apology
Oh you've always been
And you will till God knows when
Yes you've always been a friend to me"
By the time the song ended, Scully, with tears in her eyes, turned the car around and headed back to Mulder's apartment.
10:13am
Mulder's Apartment
Mulder sat quietly on his couch, radio playing softly. He saw himself with the boy in the sand and he sighed. He heard the words again.
"You were my friend and you told me the truth. Even when my world was upside down and unrecognizable. You were my constant. My touchstone."
"And you're mine."
Mulder could still feel Scully's fingers on his lips. The way she had touched his lips . . . "It was as if she wanted more," he mused to himself. "Maybe she's afraid. I'm afraid." Then he heard the song:
"Well you and I
We're buddies
And we've been since we first met
Me and you
Well we've been through
Our share of laughter and regret
Lord knows we've had our bad days
And more than once we've disagreed
But you've always been a friend to me
You can be so stubborn
There's times I think you just like to fight"
Mulder laughed, thinking of how many times he and Scully argued over the X-Files.
"And I hope and pray
I live to see a day
When you say I might be right"
He fell silent at these lines. Scully told him that she wasn't sure what to believe. But she had been willing to believe in order to save him.
"And there's time I'd rather kill you
Than listen to your honesty
But you've always been a friend to me
You've always been
Time and again
The one to take my hand
And show to me it's okay to be
Just the way I am
With no apology
Oh you've always been
And you will till God knows when
Yes you've always been a friend to me"
Mulder thought about the words in the song. They described Scully and his relationship perfectly. Scully had always accepted him, no questions asked, without any doubts. Reaching over to the phone, Mulder hit the speed dial.
"Scully."
"It's me. Would you mind coming back over?"
"No. Why is there something wrong, Mulder?"
"No. I just want to talk. Just want to spend some time with you."
"I'm on my way."
Not five minutes later there came a knock at Mulder's door. Opening it, he said, "That was quick!"
"I was already on my way back," Scully said, shyly.
"Any particular reason?"
"Same as yours, I guess."
"Scully," Mulder began after a moment, "There's a song I want to play for you." He quickly thumbed through his CD collection. Upon finding what he wanted, Mulder began the song.
When Scully recognized the song, she felt tears well in her eyes again. She couldn't look at Mulder, but felt his hand squeeze hers. After the song ended, Scully took a few deep breaths and tried to speak.
"Mulder, that's why I was coming back. I heard that song and it reminded me of us. Mulder, you're my best friend. And if I'd lost you . . ."
"But you didn't. You saved me. You're my best friend, Scully," he paused, but decided to finish his thought. "I love you."
It was his turn to look away, afraid of Scully's response. It was not long before Mulder felt Scully's small hand touch his cheek and move his face so that he was looking at her directly.
"Mulder, don't you know by now? I love you, too."
Mulder reached out to take Scully in his arms. He ran his fingers over her lips, much the same as she had done just an hour or so ago.
"I love you so much, Scully." Mulder leaned over and tenderly pressed his mouth to Scully's.
"I love you, Mulder. You always have a friend in me."
Finis