SHE HAS HER WINGS.
Spoilers: none
Rated PG: for violence and mild language.
Scully angst.
Disclaimers: Not mine. all CC's. Idea is mine though.
Feedback: yes please. this story touched on some sensitive issues for me.
Author: Stephy-Anne AKA DarnBeegrrrrrr@AOL.com
E-mail me please!!
December 23
Snow fell lightly to the ground. Dana Scully stood at the window of her apartment looking down at the passing cars. Today was the day she dreaded most. It had been three years since that fateful night. Dana leaned her head against the windowpane and sighed.
Fox Mulder paced back and forth in his living room. "Come on Dana, call." He knew what night it was, had been there to pick up the crumbled pieces of her life.
3 years earlier
"Hey Mulder." Dana Scully walked into Fox Mulder's office.
Mulder smiled. "Hey Scully. Come check this out." He was flipping through a thick folder.
Scully grinned. "What now? Ghosts, werewolfs?"
Mulder frowned. "Scully, you hurt me." he said, pouting.
Scully chuckled. "Aw. Poor baby."
Scully walked over to Mulder and glanced at the folder he was holding. "So, what's up?"
Mulder set the folder down. "See? Nothing weird. Just your run of the mill case."
Scully looked at Mulder, a confused expression on her face. "Then why are you so interested in it?"
Mulder shrugged. "Chasing after aliens and such has gotten me nowhere."
Scully reached up and brushed a strand of hair off his forehead. "Admit it. You like chasing after things that go bump in the night."
Mulder smiled. "Okay, so I like it."
Scully grinned. "That's what I thought."
Over the next few days the two of them worked closely together on the case. A rapist had escaped from prison and was terrorizing the local women.
By the fifth day, they had gotten close to catching him.
Scully walked through her building and sighed. It had been a long day and she was looking forward to taking a hot shower and crawling into bed with a good book. Moments later she felt a hand clamp over her mouth. "Don't move."
Scully reached for her gun, then realized it wasn't there. She had left it at the office. "Stupid" she thought.
The man forced her around so she was looking him in the face.
Scully gasped. It was the rapist.
The man smiled at her menacingly. "I know that you and your partner have been trying to catch me."
Scully just stood staring at him. "So. What's your point?"
The man hit her hard across the face. "Do not mess with me," he hissed.
Scully reached up and touched her stinging cheek. She didn't say anything.
The man dragged her into her apartment and closed the door. Roughly he pushed her down on the couch and got on top of her. "Your going to pay."
Scully struggled to get loose. The man hit her again, harder than before.
"Don't move."
Scully whimpered. "I'm sorry," she whispered.
The next few moments passed in a blur. Scully slipped in and out of consciousness. The man stood and surveyed his damage. He pulled a knife from his inside pocket and quickly stabbed her twice in the chest and once in the stomach. Then quickly he left. "She'll never survive,"
and with that, he was gone.
Mulder glanced at his watch. Something wasn't right. He had told Scully to call him as soon as she got home. That had been over an hour ago. Mulder grabbed his keys and quickly headed over to her apartment.
Mulder walked into Scully's apartment and gasped at what he saw. She was lying on the couch in a pool of blood. Quickly he ran over to her and felt for a pulse. It was faint, but she had one. He reached in his pocket and got out his cell phone, then dialed 911. Within moments the ambulance arrived.
Scully awoke in the hospital, aching all over. "Mulder?" she asked, when she saw him sitting next to her. "How did I get here?"
Mulder looked at her, concern etched all over his face. "I found you in your apartment. I thought you were dead."
Scully frowned. "Mulder. What happened to me?"
Mulder glanced down at the ground.
"Mulder, please tell me. I don't remember anything." Scully was starting to panic.
Finally Mulder spoke, his voice was barely above a whisper. "You were raped."
Scully looked at Mulder, a horrified expression on her face. "What?"
Mulder spoke again, this time a little louder. "You were raped."
Scully let out a strangled sob. "NO!"
Mulder reached over and laid his hand on Scully's head. "I'm so sorry."
Scully just laid there and cried.
Mulder stood and pulled her to him as best he could. Then he just held her while she cried.
Two days later, Scully was released from the hospital. She looked around nervously as Mulder put her bags in the car. "Mulder. I don't want to go back to my apartment. I can't."
Mulder nodded. "Its okay Scully. You can stay with me."
Scully sighed in relief. "Thank you."
Later that night, Scully crawled into bed and tried to go to sleep. She tossed and turned for hours, then finally fell into a restless sleep.
Mulder sat on the couch, flipping through channels. He was really worried about Scully and not paying much attention to what was on.
"No, please. Get away from me!" Scully screamed.
Mulder ran into the bedroom and saw her flailing around in the bed. "Scully. Its okay. Nobody is going to hurt you."
Scully stopped struggling and clung to Mulder. "It was so real," she gasped.
Mulder sat on the bed, holding her and stroking her hair. "Shh. Its okay. Everything's fine now. I'm not going to let anything happen to you."
Scully lay against Mulder, shaking. "I'm so scared."
They sat like that the rest of the night.
The next few weeks passed in a blur of nightmares and cold sweats. Scully refused to leave Mulders side.
Mulder took time off from work so he could stay with her.
Then three months later, Scully realized something wasn't right. "Mulder. I'm late."
Mulder looked at her in confusion. "What do you mean?"
Scully sighed. "Mulder, my periods late."
Mulder frowned. "What does that mean?"
"It means, I think I should go to the doctor."
Mulder nodded. "Okay. Let me get my keys and I will take you." Mulder grabbed his keys and the two of them headed out the door.
Forty-five minutes later Dana Scully collapsed onto the floor of the examining room. "I'm pregnant," she whispered to the empty room.
A minute later there was a tap on the door and Mulder stuck his head in. "Scully, are you all right?"
Scully shook her head. She couldn't get up, her entire body had gone numb. "I'm pregnant," she said, tears spilling over.
Mulder was at her side instantly.
"I can't keep this baby. I can't" She whispered over and over again.
Mulder sat and held her. "Its okay. Nobody is expecting you too."
Present day.
Scully walked away from the window and glanced down at the phone. She knew that Mulder was expecting her to call him. She was determined not to crumble this year. Determined to stand on her own two feet and not rely on him for support.
Mulder sighed. Scully was so stubborn and always tried to be so strong. He glanced at his watch again. With a sigh, he grabbed his keys and headed out the door.
Ten minutes later he pulled up to her building and headed for her apartment. "Scully?"
Scully glanced up from the book she was reading. "Mulder, you didn't have to come here. I'm fine."
Mulder nodded. He could see how "fine" she was. There were crumpled up tissues everywhere. "Scully, nobody blames you for what you did."
Scully looked at him. "I blame myself for what I did."
Mulder came over and sat down next to her.
Scully turned and looked at him. "Mulder, she was alive. I heard her cry."
Mulder reached over and placed his hand on her chin. "Scully, I'm so sorry for what happened and I wish I knew how to make it better."
Scully shook her head. "Mulder this is something I need to deal with on my own."
Mulder stood and walked toward the door. "Are you sure?"
Scully nodded. "Yes, Mulder. If I think that I cannot handle it, then I will call you. I promise."
Mulder glanced at her still unsure. "Okay," he said and walked away.
Scully wrapped her arms around her legs and brought her knees up to her chest. She didn't want Mulder to see her break. Didn't want to cry in front of him one more time.
Later that night Scully fell into a restless sleep.
Fog settled all around, Scully walked through the forest, a pale light up ahead. Scully glanced toward the light and ran towards it. The more she ran, the further away it got. She ran and ran, panting breathlessly. Soon she gave up. Rain began to fall lightly to the ground. Scully looked around for shelter and saw a small grove of trees just feet away. She jogged quickly to the trees and sat down exhausted. A twig snapped behind her. She spun around quickly and saw him. He lunged at her. "NO!" she screamed.
Scully woke up, drenched in sweat. Her eyes took several minutes to adjust to the dark. She glanced around the room and sighed. "Every year its the same thing," she sobbed. Unsteadily she reached for the phone and dialed Mulders number.
Mulder sat in his living room staring at the phone. He glanced at his watch. 2:57 A.M. "Scully" he mumbled, and stood up. A moment later the phone rang causing him to jump. "Mulder." He said into the receiver.
"Mulder. I need you. Please?" Scully's frightened voice said from the other end.
"I'll be right there." Mulder said and was out the door seconds later.
Mulder pulled up to Scully's apartment and looked up at her window. Light shown from it, illuminating the street. Quickly he went upstairs and let himself in. After the incident, Scully had given him a key.
Scully crashed into Mulders arms as soon as he came through the door. "The nightmare again?" He asked.
Scully nodded.
"It'll be okay. Shhh." Mulder whispered into her hair.
Mulder led her over to the couch and sat down next to her.
Scully looked up at him, tears glistening in her eyes. "Its always the same thing. I'm running through a forest and then he is behind me."
Mulder sighed. "I'm sorry."
Scully shook her head. "Don't apologize. Its not your fault."
"If only we had caught that bastard." Mulder thought to himself.
Scully leaned against Mulder, her fatigue catching up to her. They slept that way for the rest of the night.
The next morning the sun shone brightly through the window.
Scully woke up and looked around. Mulder lay next to her, snoring softly. Scully looked at him and smiled slightly. "Mulder, always there when I need you," she whispered and then went into the kitchen. She glanced out the window and sighed. "One more year gone by."
Mulder sat up and stretched. "Scully?" He started, then heard her moving around in the kitchen. "Hey Scully, what are you doing?" He called.
"Making coffee," she hollered back.
Mulder grinned. "Okay. I'm gonna go use your shower."
"Okay."
Scully sat at the table coffee in hand, reading the paper. She stared at the front page heading. "Local woman slain late last night in her car. She was found raped and stabbed."
Mulder walked up to Scully and looked over her shoulder. "You shouldn't be reading that."
Scully jumped. "Mulder."
Mulder placed his hand on her shoulder. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."
Scully turned to look at him. "Its okay. Guess I am just a little jumpy."
Mulder sat down. "Perfectly understandable."
Scully glanced back down at the paper again. What she saw next made her gasp.
Mulder looked at her with concern etched all over his face. "What is it?"
"Mulder, look," she said and pointed at a line in the article.
Mulder glanced down and frowned.
The woman lived only a few blocks away from Scully.
Mulder stood and quickly walked into her bedroom.
"Mulder what are you doing?" Scully asked as she stood to follow him.
"With that lunatic on the loose, there's no way I'm letting you stay here alone." He explained as he threw open her closet to get her suitcase.
Scully placed her hand on his arm. "Mulder, you can't baby-sit me. He knows where I live and if he had planned on coming back for me, don't you think he would have done so already?"
Mulder looked at her, a skeptical expression on his face.
Scully laughed inspite of herself. "Mulder, isn't it my job to look at you that way?"
Mulder frowned. "Don't joke Scully."
Scully sat down on her bed. "Mulder, I think its sweet that you worry about me, and I know your not going to believe me when I say this, but I'm fine."
Mulder laughed now. "Scully, I saw how fine you were last night."
Scully glanced down at the floor. "That was then."
Mulder sighed, placed his hand under her chin and forced her to look at him. "Scully, who do you think you are fooling?"
"Don't you have to be at work soon?" She asked, changing the subject.
Mulder decided to drop it. It appeared she still wasn't ready to talk about it. "Even three years later, she can't talk about it." Mulder thought.
Scully glanced pointedly at the clock. It was a quarter to eight. Mulder sighed. "Okay, I'm leaving."
After he left, Scully got herself ready for work. It was the day before Christmas, so today they just had to go in and finish up some last minute paperwork then they could leave to be with their families.
Scully was due at her mom's house this afternoon.
Ten minutes later she was out the door.
"Mulder, could I have a word with you?" Assistant director Skinner motioned for Mulder to come into his office.
"Yes, sir, what is it?" Mulder asked as he sat down.
Skinner dropped the paper down in front of him. "I'm assuming you saw this."
Mulder nodded. "Yes, sir."
Skinner sighed. "This is the seventh rape in as many weeks. I want Agent Scully to take some time off, to get out of town until this S. O. B. is apprehended."
Mulder glanced at him. "She'll never go for that. You know how stubborn she is."
Skinner nodded. "Yes, I know."
"She thinks that if he was going to come after her again, he would have done so already." Mulder said, repeating Scully's words.
"Agent Mulder, please see that she agrees to this." Skinner told him.
"I'll do the best I can sir."
Mulder walked into his office and closed the door behind him. He walked over to his filing cabinet and pulled out the case folder from three years ago. Michael Rawlins, age 32. Black hair, olive complexion. 6'5" tall, 235 pounds. Ex-marine. Wanted for sexual assault and murder. Mulder set the folder down on his desk.
A moment later there was a tap at the door and then Scully walked in. "Hey."
Mulder put the folder into a drawer. "Hey."
"What were you looking at?" Scully asked him.
"Nothing important, " Mulder said and then changed the subject. "So when are you going to your mom's?"
Scully glanced at him suspiciously and then said. "This afternoon. What about you?"
Mulder sighed. "I don't really know. I guess I'll just stay at home."
Scully frowned. "Why don't you come with me?"
Mulder chuckled. "I don't think that your family wants me horning in on their Christmas."
"Well, I do. If they don't like it, Too bad."
Mulder smiled. "No really. I'll be fine."
Scully shrugged. "If your sure."
Mulder nodded. "Scully, I have something I need to tell you." He said, then hesitated.
"Mulder what is it?"
Mulder took a deep breath and then quickly told her what Skinner had said earlier.
"Mulder, are you crazy?!" she exploded.
Mulder cringed. "Here it comes," he muttered.
"I can't take time off, I am not going to run from that bastard anymore. I refuse too!"
Mulder sat and watched her as she ranted and raved.
"Who does Skinner think he is? Treating me like a child, I can take care of myself!"
Mulder nodded, but didn't say anything. To himself he thought. "Your so fragile Scully, you could break so easily."
Scully continued to yell, but in her head she was thinking the same as Mulder. "I can't let him see me break, I can't."
Moments later she stormed out of the office and slammed the door behind her.
Mulder didn't even try to follow her.
Scully drove around for hours. She didn't know where she was going, she just drove. She ended up at Old Millers forest.
Scully stopped the car and looked around. She hadn't been here since she was a child. She got out of the car and glanced around. "Its still so beautiful," she thought.
She decided to find the tree where her and her brothers and carved their names. It took only moments. "Dana Katherine Scully. April 17, 1972." Scully smiled at the memory. "I wonder if that old cabin is still here." She decided to see. Scully walked for what must have been about 45 minutes. When she finally reached the spot where the old cabin had stood, she sighed. It had been torn down. "Oh well. One childhood memory gone."
Scully stood at that spot for a few minutes, eyes closed. When she opened them again, she noticed how dark it was. She glanced down at her watch. It was only three in the afternoon. She looked around. It was getting foggy. Up ahead was a light. Scully ran toward the light. "Not now." She mumbled. It was just like her dream. The more she ran, the further away the light got. Rain began to fall a moment later. Scully ran toward a small grove of trees up ahead. "No no no no no" she repeated to herself over and over again. A twig snapped behind her, she whirled around quickly but there was nobody there. "Quit scaring yourself," she said.
The man watched Scully, only feet away from her. "She'll pay. She wasn't supposed to survive," he muttered under his breath. Michael inched closer to her.
Scully stopped running and looked around. She couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. She decided it was time to go back to her car. She did so quickly. Michael followed close behind.
Mulder glanced at his watch. It was 4:30 P.M. "Maybe I will take Scully up on her offer." He thought. He picked up the phone and dialed her mother's number. "Hey. Its Mulder, can I please speak to Scully?"
Bill Scully frowned into the phone. "You mean she isn't with you?"
"No, why would she be with me?" Mulder asked, concern evident in his voice.
"She hasn't shown up here yet, so we assumed she was with you." Bill explained.
Mulder sighed. "I haven't seen her for hours."
Bill placed his hand over the mouth of the receiver. "Mom, Mulder hasn't seen Dana for hours." He hollered.
Mrs. Scully walked quickly into the kitchen and took the phone from her son. "Fox. What time was it when you last saw her?"
Mulder frowned. "Sometime this morning."
"Okay thanks." Mrs. Scully said and then hung up the phone.
Mulder grabbed his keys and walked out his front door. He had a feeling that Scully wasn't at her apartment. Mulder sighed. He didn't even know where to begin looking.
Scully made it to her car in record time. She reached for the handle and that's when he grabbed her. "Funny Mulder. Now how did you know where to find me?"
"Mulder? Who is this Mulder person you speak of?" Michael whispered in her ear.
Scully gasped and whirled around. "You," she said through gritted teeth.
Michael looked at her, a mock expression on her face. "I have a name you know."
Scully stood, staring at him but she could feel her legs starting to give out. "No. You can't let him get to you," she thought.
Michael stood and stared at the woman who had gotten away so many years ago. "I heard you killed my baby."
Scully gasped. "How did you know that?"
Michael grinned. "I have my ways. How did it feel? At least the people I kill can fight back." He said mocking her.
Scully stood her ground and stared at him. "I'm not going to let you use that to break me."
Michael glanced at her. "Did she cry?"
Tears started to fill Scully's eyes and a moment later she crumbled to the ground.
Michael laughed. "What's the matter? You can't handle the truth?"
Scully glanced up at him, tears in her eyes. "Shut up!" she yelled and then stood.
Michael reached for her.
Scully pulled away and reached for her gun, which was securely strapped to her back. "Don't move or I will blow your head off!"
Michael just stared at her. He didn't look too concerned. "Will you really?" he asked and reached out again.
Scully fired until her ammo was gone.
Michael slumped to the ground, a shocked expression on his face. "At least I didn't kill my child." He mumbled then died seconds later.
Scully fell to the ground, shaking.
"Scully!"
She could hear voices, faint in the distance.
A moment later she passed out.
4 days later.
Mulder stood at Scully's bedside and watched her as she slept. He had driven around that fateful day, not sure where he was going. He had finally spotted her car at the side of the road.
Scully woke and glanced over at Mulder. He had been here everyday for the past three days. "Hey."
Mulder smiled at her. "Hey yourself."
Scully smiled back. It was the first smile she had on her face since the day Michael had attacked her again. "Mulder, she doesn't blame me for what I did."
Mulder looked at Scully, a confused expression on his face. "What do you mean?"
"I saw her."
"Scully, are you all right?"
Scully smiled again. "Never better."
Mulder reached out and brushed a piece of hair off of Scully's forehead. "What do you mean you saw her?"
"She has her wings." and with that Scully drifted back to sleep.
The End.
Spoilers: none
Rated PG: for violence and mild language.
Scully angst.
Disclaimers: Not mine. all CC's. Idea is mine though.
Feedback: yes please. this story touched on some sensitive issues for me.
Author: Stephy-Anne AKA DarnBeegrrrrrr@AOL.com
E-mail me please!!
December 23
Snow fell lightly to the ground. Dana Scully stood at the window of her apartment looking down at the passing cars. Today was the day she dreaded most. It had been three years since that fateful night. Dana leaned her head against the windowpane and sighed.
Fox Mulder paced back and forth in his living room. "Come on Dana, call." He knew what night it was, had been there to pick up the crumbled pieces of her life.
3 years earlier
"Hey Mulder." Dana Scully walked into Fox Mulder's office.
Mulder smiled. "Hey Scully. Come check this out." He was flipping through a thick folder.
Scully grinned. "What now? Ghosts, werewolfs?"
Mulder frowned. "Scully, you hurt me." he said, pouting.
Scully chuckled. "Aw. Poor baby."
Scully walked over to Mulder and glanced at the folder he was holding. "So, what's up?"
Mulder set the folder down. "See? Nothing weird. Just your run of the mill case."
Scully looked at Mulder, a confused expression on her face. "Then why are you so interested in it?"
Mulder shrugged. "Chasing after aliens and such has gotten me nowhere."
Scully reached up and brushed a strand of hair off his forehead. "Admit it. You like chasing after things that go bump in the night."
Mulder smiled. "Okay, so I like it."
Scully grinned. "That's what I thought."
Over the next few days the two of them worked closely together on the case. A rapist had escaped from prison and was terrorizing the local women.
By the fifth day, they had gotten close to catching him.
Scully walked through her building and sighed. It had been a long day and she was looking forward to taking a hot shower and crawling into bed with a good book. Moments later she felt a hand clamp over her mouth. "Don't move."
Scully reached for her gun, then realized it wasn't there. She had left it at the office. "Stupid" she thought.
The man forced her around so she was looking him in the face.
Scully gasped. It was the rapist.
The man smiled at her menacingly. "I know that you and your partner have been trying to catch me."
Scully just stood staring at him. "So. What's your point?"
The man hit her hard across the face. "Do not mess with me," he hissed.
Scully reached up and touched her stinging cheek. She didn't say anything.
The man dragged her into her apartment and closed the door. Roughly he pushed her down on the couch and got on top of her. "Your going to pay."
Scully struggled to get loose. The man hit her again, harder than before.
"Don't move."
Scully whimpered. "I'm sorry," she whispered.
The next few moments passed in a blur. Scully slipped in and out of consciousness. The man stood and surveyed his damage. He pulled a knife from his inside pocket and quickly stabbed her twice in the chest and once in the stomach. Then quickly he left. "She'll never survive,"
and with that, he was gone.
Mulder glanced at his watch. Something wasn't right. He had told Scully to call him as soon as she got home. That had been over an hour ago. Mulder grabbed his keys and quickly headed over to her apartment.
Mulder walked into Scully's apartment and gasped at what he saw. She was lying on the couch in a pool of blood. Quickly he ran over to her and felt for a pulse. It was faint, but she had one. He reached in his pocket and got out his cell phone, then dialed 911. Within moments the ambulance arrived.
Scully awoke in the hospital, aching all over. "Mulder?" she asked, when she saw him sitting next to her. "How did I get here?"
Mulder looked at her, concern etched all over his face. "I found you in your apartment. I thought you were dead."
Scully frowned. "Mulder. What happened to me?"
Mulder glanced down at the ground.
"Mulder, please tell me. I don't remember anything." Scully was starting to panic.
Finally Mulder spoke, his voice was barely above a whisper. "You were raped."
Scully looked at Mulder, a horrified expression on her face. "What?"
Mulder spoke again, this time a little louder. "You were raped."
Scully let out a strangled sob. "NO!"
Mulder reached over and laid his hand on Scully's head. "I'm so sorry."
Scully just laid there and cried.
Mulder stood and pulled her to him as best he could. Then he just held her while she cried.
Two days later, Scully was released from the hospital. She looked around nervously as Mulder put her bags in the car. "Mulder. I don't want to go back to my apartment. I can't."
Mulder nodded. "Its okay Scully. You can stay with me."
Scully sighed in relief. "Thank you."
Later that night, Scully crawled into bed and tried to go to sleep. She tossed and turned for hours, then finally fell into a restless sleep.
Mulder sat on the couch, flipping through channels. He was really worried about Scully and not paying much attention to what was on.
"No, please. Get away from me!" Scully screamed.
Mulder ran into the bedroom and saw her flailing around in the bed. "Scully. Its okay. Nobody is going to hurt you."
Scully stopped struggling and clung to Mulder. "It was so real," she gasped.
Mulder sat on the bed, holding her and stroking her hair. "Shh. Its okay. Everything's fine now. I'm not going to let anything happen to you."
Scully lay against Mulder, shaking. "I'm so scared."
They sat like that the rest of the night.
The next few weeks passed in a blur of nightmares and cold sweats. Scully refused to leave Mulders side.
Mulder took time off from work so he could stay with her.
Then three months later, Scully realized something wasn't right. "Mulder. I'm late."
Mulder looked at her in confusion. "What do you mean?"
Scully sighed. "Mulder, my periods late."
Mulder frowned. "What does that mean?"
"It means, I think I should go to the doctor."
Mulder nodded. "Okay. Let me get my keys and I will take you." Mulder grabbed his keys and the two of them headed out the door.
Forty-five minutes later Dana Scully collapsed onto the floor of the examining room. "I'm pregnant," she whispered to the empty room.
A minute later there was a tap on the door and Mulder stuck his head in. "Scully, are you all right?"
Scully shook her head. She couldn't get up, her entire body had gone numb. "I'm pregnant," she said, tears spilling over.
Mulder was at her side instantly.
"I can't keep this baby. I can't" She whispered over and over again.
Mulder sat and held her. "Its okay. Nobody is expecting you too."
Present day.
Scully walked away from the window and glanced down at the phone. She knew that Mulder was expecting her to call him. She was determined not to crumble this year. Determined to stand on her own two feet and not rely on him for support.
Mulder sighed. Scully was so stubborn and always tried to be so strong. He glanced at his watch again. With a sigh, he grabbed his keys and headed out the door.
Ten minutes later he pulled up to her building and headed for her apartment. "Scully?"
Scully glanced up from the book she was reading. "Mulder, you didn't have to come here. I'm fine."
Mulder nodded. He could see how "fine" she was. There were crumpled up tissues everywhere. "Scully, nobody blames you for what you did."
Scully looked at him. "I blame myself for what I did."
Mulder came over and sat down next to her.
Scully turned and looked at him. "Mulder, she was alive. I heard her cry."
Mulder reached over and placed his hand on her chin. "Scully, I'm so sorry for what happened and I wish I knew how to make it better."
Scully shook her head. "Mulder this is something I need to deal with on my own."
Mulder stood and walked toward the door. "Are you sure?"
Scully nodded. "Yes, Mulder. If I think that I cannot handle it, then I will call you. I promise."
Mulder glanced at her still unsure. "Okay," he said and walked away.
Scully wrapped her arms around her legs and brought her knees up to her chest. She didn't want Mulder to see her break. Didn't want to cry in front of him one more time.
Later that night Scully fell into a restless sleep.
Fog settled all around, Scully walked through the forest, a pale light up ahead. Scully glanced toward the light and ran towards it. The more she ran, the further away it got. She ran and ran, panting breathlessly. Soon she gave up. Rain began to fall lightly to the ground. Scully looked around for shelter and saw a small grove of trees just feet away. She jogged quickly to the trees and sat down exhausted. A twig snapped behind her. She spun around quickly and saw him. He lunged at her. "NO!" she screamed.
Scully woke up, drenched in sweat. Her eyes took several minutes to adjust to the dark. She glanced around the room and sighed. "Every year its the same thing," she sobbed. Unsteadily she reached for the phone and dialed Mulders number.
Mulder sat in his living room staring at the phone. He glanced at his watch. 2:57 A.M. "Scully" he mumbled, and stood up. A moment later the phone rang causing him to jump. "Mulder." He said into the receiver.
"Mulder. I need you. Please?" Scully's frightened voice said from the other end.
"I'll be right there." Mulder said and was out the door seconds later.
Mulder pulled up to Scully's apartment and looked up at her window. Light shown from it, illuminating the street. Quickly he went upstairs and let himself in. After the incident, Scully had given him a key.
Scully crashed into Mulders arms as soon as he came through the door. "The nightmare again?" He asked.
Scully nodded.
"It'll be okay. Shhh." Mulder whispered into her hair.
Mulder led her over to the couch and sat down next to her.
Scully looked up at him, tears glistening in her eyes. "Its always the same thing. I'm running through a forest and then he is behind me."
Mulder sighed. "I'm sorry."
Scully shook her head. "Don't apologize. Its not your fault."
"If only we had caught that bastard." Mulder thought to himself.
Scully leaned against Mulder, her fatigue catching up to her. They slept that way for the rest of the night.
The next morning the sun shone brightly through the window.
Scully woke up and looked around. Mulder lay next to her, snoring softly. Scully looked at him and smiled slightly. "Mulder, always there when I need you," she whispered and then went into the kitchen. She glanced out the window and sighed. "One more year gone by."
Mulder sat up and stretched. "Scully?" He started, then heard her moving around in the kitchen. "Hey Scully, what are you doing?" He called.
"Making coffee," she hollered back.
Mulder grinned. "Okay. I'm gonna go use your shower."
"Okay."
Scully sat at the table coffee in hand, reading the paper. She stared at the front page heading. "Local woman slain late last night in her car. She was found raped and stabbed."
Mulder walked up to Scully and looked over her shoulder. "You shouldn't be reading that."
Scully jumped. "Mulder."
Mulder placed his hand on her shoulder. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."
Scully turned to look at him. "Its okay. Guess I am just a little jumpy."
Mulder sat down. "Perfectly understandable."
Scully glanced back down at the paper again. What she saw next made her gasp.
Mulder looked at her with concern etched all over his face. "What is it?"
"Mulder, look," she said and pointed at a line in the article.
Mulder glanced down and frowned.
The woman lived only a few blocks away from Scully.
Mulder stood and quickly walked into her bedroom.
"Mulder what are you doing?" Scully asked as she stood to follow him.
"With that lunatic on the loose, there's no way I'm letting you stay here alone." He explained as he threw open her closet to get her suitcase.
Scully placed her hand on his arm. "Mulder, you can't baby-sit me. He knows where I live and if he had planned on coming back for me, don't you think he would have done so already?"
Mulder looked at her, a skeptical expression on his face.
Scully laughed inspite of herself. "Mulder, isn't it my job to look at you that way?"
Mulder frowned. "Don't joke Scully."
Scully sat down on her bed. "Mulder, I think its sweet that you worry about me, and I know your not going to believe me when I say this, but I'm fine."
Mulder laughed now. "Scully, I saw how fine you were last night."
Scully glanced down at the floor. "That was then."
Mulder sighed, placed his hand under her chin and forced her to look at him. "Scully, who do you think you are fooling?"
"Don't you have to be at work soon?" She asked, changing the subject.
Mulder decided to drop it. It appeared she still wasn't ready to talk about it. "Even three years later, she can't talk about it." Mulder thought.
Scully glanced pointedly at the clock. It was a quarter to eight. Mulder sighed. "Okay, I'm leaving."
After he left, Scully got herself ready for work. It was the day before Christmas, so today they just had to go in and finish up some last minute paperwork then they could leave to be with their families.
Scully was due at her mom's house this afternoon.
Ten minutes later she was out the door.
"Mulder, could I have a word with you?" Assistant director Skinner motioned for Mulder to come into his office.
"Yes, sir, what is it?" Mulder asked as he sat down.
Skinner dropped the paper down in front of him. "I'm assuming you saw this."
Mulder nodded. "Yes, sir."
Skinner sighed. "This is the seventh rape in as many weeks. I want Agent Scully to take some time off, to get out of town until this S. O. B. is apprehended."
Mulder glanced at him. "She'll never go for that. You know how stubborn she is."
Skinner nodded. "Yes, I know."
"She thinks that if he was going to come after her again, he would have done so already." Mulder said, repeating Scully's words.
"Agent Mulder, please see that she agrees to this." Skinner told him.
"I'll do the best I can sir."
Mulder walked into his office and closed the door behind him. He walked over to his filing cabinet and pulled out the case folder from three years ago. Michael Rawlins, age 32. Black hair, olive complexion. 6'5" tall, 235 pounds. Ex-marine. Wanted for sexual assault and murder. Mulder set the folder down on his desk.
A moment later there was a tap at the door and then Scully walked in. "Hey."
Mulder put the folder into a drawer. "Hey."
"What were you looking at?" Scully asked him.
"Nothing important, " Mulder said and then changed the subject. "So when are you going to your mom's?"
Scully glanced at him suspiciously and then said. "This afternoon. What about you?"
Mulder sighed. "I don't really know. I guess I'll just stay at home."
Scully frowned. "Why don't you come with me?"
Mulder chuckled. "I don't think that your family wants me horning in on their Christmas."
"Well, I do. If they don't like it, Too bad."
Mulder smiled. "No really. I'll be fine."
Scully shrugged. "If your sure."
Mulder nodded. "Scully, I have something I need to tell you." He said, then hesitated.
"Mulder what is it?"
Mulder took a deep breath and then quickly told her what Skinner had said earlier.
"Mulder, are you crazy?!" she exploded.
Mulder cringed. "Here it comes," he muttered.
"I can't take time off, I am not going to run from that bastard anymore. I refuse too!"
Mulder sat and watched her as she ranted and raved.
"Who does Skinner think he is? Treating me like a child, I can take care of myself!"
Mulder nodded, but didn't say anything. To himself he thought. "Your so fragile Scully, you could break so easily."
Scully continued to yell, but in her head she was thinking the same as Mulder. "I can't let him see me break, I can't."
Moments later she stormed out of the office and slammed the door behind her.
Mulder didn't even try to follow her.
Scully drove around for hours. She didn't know where she was going, she just drove. She ended up at Old Millers forest.
Scully stopped the car and looked around. She hadn't been here since she was a child. She got out of the car and glanced around. "Its still so beautiful," she thought.
She decided to find the tree where her and her brothers and carved their names. It took only moments. "Dana Katherine Scully. April 17, 1972." Scully smiled at the memory. "I wonder if that old cabin is still here." She decided to see. Scully walked for what must have been about 45 minutes. When she finally reached the spot where the old cabin had stood, she sighed. It had been torn down. "Oh well. One childhood memory gone."
Scully stood at that spot for a few minutes, eyes closed. When she opened them again, she noticed how dark it was. She glanced down at her watch. It was only three in the afternoon. She looked around. It was getting foggy. Up ahead was a light. Scully ran toward the light. "Not now." She mumbled. It was just like her dream. The more she ran, the further away the light got. Rain began to fall a moment later. Scully ran toward a small grove of trees up ahead. "No no no no no" she repeated to herself over and over again. A twig snapped behind her, she whirled around quickly but there was nobody there. "Quit scaring yourself," she said.
The man watched Scully, only feet away from her. "She'll pay. She wasn't supposed to survive," he muttered under his breath. Michael inched closer to her.
Scully stopped running and looked around. She couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. She decided it was time to go back to her car. She did so quickly. Michael followed close behind.
Mulder glanced at his watch. It was 4:30 P.M. "Maybe I will take Scully up on her offer." He thought. He picked up the phone and dialed her mother's number. "Hey. Its Mulder, can I please speak to Scully?"
Bill Scully frowned into the phone. "You mean she isn't with you?"
"No, why would she be with me?" Mulder asked, concern evident in his voice.
"She hasn't shown up here yet, so we assumed she was with you." Bill explained.
Mulder sighed. "I haven't seen her for hours."
Bill placed his hand over the mouth of the receiver. "Mom, Mulder hasn't seen Dana for hours." He hollered.
Mrs. Scully walked quickly into the kitchen and took the phone from her son. "Fox. What time was it when you last saw her?"
Mulder frowned. "Sometime this morning."
"Okay thanks." Mrs. Scully said and then hung up the phone.
Mulder grabbed his keys and walked out his front door. He had a feeling that Scully wasn't at her apartment. Mulder sighed. He didn't even know where to begin looking.
Scully made it to her car in record time. She reached for the handle and that's when he grabbed her. "Funny Mulder. Now how did you know where to find me?"
"Mulder? Who is this Mulder person you speak of?" Michael whispered in her ear.
Scully gasped and whirled around. "You," she said through gritted teeth.
Michael looked at her, a mock expression on her face. "I have a name you know."
Scully stood, staring at him but she could feel her legs starting to give out. "No. You can't let him get to you," she thought.
Michael stood and stared at the woman who had gotten away so many years ago. "I heard you killed my baby."
Scully gasped. "How did you know that?"
Michael grinned. "I have my ways. How did it feel? At least the people I kill can fight back." He said mocking her.
Scully stood her ground and stared at him. "I'm not going to let you use that to break me."
Michael glanced at her. "Did she cry?"
Tears started to fill Scully's eyes and a moment later she crumbled to the ground.
Michael laughed. "What's the matter? You can't handle the truth?"
Scully glanced up at him, tears in her eyes. "Shut up!" she yelled and then stood.
Michael reached for her.
Scully pulled away and reached for her gun, which was securely strapped to her back. "Don't move or I will blow your head off!"
Michael just stared at her. He didn't look too concerned. "Will you really?" he asked and reached out again.
Scully fired until her ammo was gone.
Michael slumped to the ground, a shocked expression on his face. "At least I didn't kill my child." He mumbled then died seconds later.
Scully fell to the ground, shaking.
"Scully!"
She could hear voices, faint in the distance.
A moment later she passed out.
4 days later.
Mulder stood at Scully's bedside and watched her as she slept. He had driven around that fateful day, not sure where he was going. He had finally spotted her car at the side of the road.
Scully woke and glanced over at Mulder. He had been here everyday for the past three days. "Hey."
Mulder smiled at her. "Hey yourself."
Scully smiled back. It was the first smile she had on her face since the day Michael had attacked her again. "Mulder, she doesn't blame me for what I did."
Mulder looked at Scully, a confused expression on his face. "What do you mean?"
"I saw her."
"Scully, are you all right?"
Scully smiled again. "Never better."
Mulder reached out and brushed a piece of hair off of Scully's forehead. "What do you mean you saw her?"
"She has her wings." and with that Scully drifted back to sleep.
The End.