Title: Emily
Author: DanaFuchs ()
Rating: G
Category: VA
Spoilers: Emily/Christmas Carol
Archive: Yes. But let me know where, please.
Feedback: ... makes my day!
Disclaimer: None of the characters are mine... yadda yiddi yadda...
Summary: Very very short story about what might have happened between Emily's death and her funeral.
Author's Notes: This idea kept going through my head every time I watched these eps... It begged to be written...
Mulder lay awake in his motel room, blankly staring at the muted TV.
The soft rain that had started when he left Scully at the hospital had turned into a storm by now. And so had his emotions. When Scully had first called him, he had been a bit angry that she hadn't called him sooner. Then, during another sleepless night, he realized that she had called him sooner. She just hadn't said anything; she needed time to work up the courage to talk to him.
And what had he done?
He had rushed to her side, of course, but only to tell her that she was making a mistake. Sure, he did it to protect her, but he would never forget the hurt look on her face. He had immediately realized that it was him who'd made the mistake. He knew Scully. She seldom opened up to him like that. She had called because she needed his support and he had failed her.
That's why she told him she wanted to be alone, even when her body language and her watery eyes told another story.
Suddenly a knock startled him out of his reverie.
He knew instantly that it was her, sensing her presence even through the locked door.
Quickly, he got up to let her in. Her knock concerned her. It wasn't the strong knock of a confident person, it sounded small, scared even and not like Scully at all.
She was about to knock again, when he opened the door to her. Lifeless, her hand fell back to her side.
She was soaked, her clothes clinging to her small form and dripping off water. Her hair was plastered to her head and the water running out of them mixed with her tears.
Quickly, Mulder ushered her inside.
"Scully?" he inquired quietly.
She didn't answer him; instead she collapsed into the only chair in the room. Her lips started shaking and soon her whole body trembled as sobs racked her body. Mulder knelt down beside her and took her hands in his.
"She passed?" he asked. It was a rhetorical question, but Scully nodded slightly.
"I'm so sorry", he whispered, pulling her up and into his arms. He didn't care about the water from her clothes that seeped into his shirt.
For a while neither of them said a word and slowly Scully stopped crying. Both of them were shivering by now.
"You need to get warm", Mulder stated, letting her go to turn her in the direction of the bathroom. He pulled a pair of boxers and a shirt out of his suitcase and handed them to her. "Why don't you take a bath?" She nodded again as she turned around to face him. She thanked him silently with her eyes before closing the door.
After he heard the water running, Mulder sat down on the bed, contemplating his next move. He shouldn't force Scully to talk. That she came to him meant that she was willing to open up, but only at her own pace.
Should he get a room for her?
He was already standing in the parking lot when he decided that she shouldn't be alone right now. He wouldn't leave her side anyway.
They could still get a second room if Scully insisted on it.
Mulder noticed a car entering the parking lot and coming towards him. He'd totally forgotten about the pizza he ordered earlier.
After paying the pizza guy he found Scully sitting on the bed, looking down at her small feet.
"Dinner's ready", Mulder announced. She didn't even look up.
"Not hungry, huh?" he asked, sitting down next to her. She shook her head.
"Do you want me to get you another room?" he asked after a long moment of silence.
She shook her head once more. "I'd like to stay here, if that's okay for you." Her voice was barely audible and she still didn't look up.
Gently, he placed an arm around her shoulders. "Of course you can stay." He squeezed her shoulder and got up, opening the pizza box and taking a slize.
"You should try this, Scully, it's great" he announced, smiling reassuringly.
A shrill chirping from the bathroom interrupted the awkward silence.
Wordlessly, Scully stood and moved into the bathroom to retrieve her ringing cell phone.
Mulder slowly followed her, when the sound didn't stop after a while.
"Scully?" He was about to asked if she needed help finding the device, but fell silent when he found her in the middle of the wet pile that were her clothes, holding the ringing phone and staring blankly at the screen.
Gently, he pried the device from her cold hands.
"Mom" the display read.
He gave her a questioning look, while his thumb hovered over the button to accept the call.
No reaction.
Sighing he hit the button.
"Mrs. Scully?", he asked quietly.
"Fox? Is that you? Where is Dana? I called the hospital; they said that Emily died, that Dana left almost an hour ago and"
"Relax, Mrs. Scully. She's here with me."
"Can I talk to her?"
He looked at Scully again. A single tear ran down her cheek as she shook her head.
"No, I'm sorry. I think she was still in shock when she got here. I got her to put on some dry clothes and lie down. She finally fell asleep a couple of minutes ago. I'd just hate to wake her up so soon."
„Oh, okay. I'm glad she's with you Fox. Take care of her."
"Of course, Mrs. Scully", he replied still looking at his partner.
He hung up, followed her out of the bathroom and put her cell phone next to his on the nightstand.
"Thanks, Mulder", she whispered barely audible as she sat back down on the bed.
"You really should get some rest, Scully", he answered, not daring to ask why she didn't want to talk to her mother.
She sighed deeply. "I don't know if I'll be able to sleep." But she climbed into bed and under the sheets anyway.
Hesitating, he lay down beside her. When she didn't protest, he pulled her into his arms and held her tightly.
"Tara gave birth a few hours ago", she whispered suddenly.
So many thoughts had been going through his head that Mulder had totally forgotten about her sister in laws pregnancy. Finally, he began to understand why she hadn't turned to her family. No one could expect her to join the proud parents in their happy home after losing a daughter she hadn't even known.
They both knew that she would have to face them and their questions. Questions neither of them could answer at the moment.
He kissed the top of her head to let her know that he would help her find the answers she needed.
Sighing, she closed her eyes and fell asleep, feeling safe and warm for the first time since she left Washington.