Missing Scene:

The Darkness Before The Light

Part 1

by Trycee

TimeLine: Season 7, 2 days after episode En Ami, season 7, but before Chimera and All Things.

Disclaimer: I do not own the X-Files, this is written for fun not profit.

**There is a change that takes place between Mulder being angry with Scully after she goes off with CGB to him acknowledging to others that he is in an uncoventional relationship in Chimera...to them arguing at the beginning of All Things?

**Characterization: Mulder DOES have a temper, folks. And he has directed it on occasion to Scully. So this is not going against their characters in any way. I'm actually drawing from scenes within the X-files Canon. Please make note of that while reading. Thanks.

Mulder turned his key into his lock and pushed his front door open. His eyes focused on the black pumps that was left in the hallway as if she'd kicked them off as she entered. He moved past them into his living room where he saw her jacket strewn over his black leather couch. The bedroom door was slightly ajar and he quietly peeked into it. He could see Scully, fully clothed in light sweater and jeans sprawled out on his bed asleep. The sun cast a glow around her head, making her hair reflect the gold strains that peppered her red locks from the strawberry blond curls of her youth. He smiled to himself at first but it quickly faded and he tossed his bag down near his bedroom door making a sharp thud on the floor. Scully's head flew up from the pillow startled. Mulder moved away from the door and sank down on his sofa, waiting for her. He carefully moved her jacket out of his way, as he listened for her sounds. He could hear her scrambling as she rushed to the bedroom door. "Mulder?", she said, softly.

"Come here, Scully," he said, sternly.

Scully closed her eyes a second and took a deep breath and stepped out of his bedroom to face him. She glanced at him, trying to gauge his reactions and she could still see the anger registered on his face. "I'm sorry, Mulder...I must have fallen asleep when I came to feed your fish...", she said, standing near the arm of the sofa.

Mulder glanced at her quickly. He could see a few dried tear streaks down her face. "Scully, you and I both know you come here to sleep when I'm gone...I can smell your shampoo and perfume on my pillows..."

Scully was stunned. Her mouth tried to form words but none were forthcoming as she stared at him blankly for a moment. She was aware that he was still avoiding her eyes. Two days apart hadn't abated his anger towards her. She grabbed for her jacket. "I think I'll go..."

"No, sit down!", he said, pointing to the sofa.

She looked at the front door briefly and then at Mulder's finger that still hung in the air pointing to a space on the sofa. She gripped her jacket tightly. "Look...if you don't want me to..."

"Scully, you're welcomed here...you know that...and if I'm gone and you feel the need to come here...I've always been fine with that...I do the same thing when your gone...That's not the problem.", he said, with a noticeable edge to his voice.

She sat down on the sofa and tried to swallow but her throat was raw from crying. She stared down at her hands and then glanced over to Mulder. They're eyes connected for a second before he turned from her.

"Where were you?", she said, in a whisper.

Mulder turned back to her. "I called you, Scully..."

"When you were already out of town...", she said, nervously smoothing her suit jacket with her hands.

"I went to North Carolina...", he said, with his hands drawn up into a fist. "To visit my mother's grave..."

Scully ventured to look at him and could still see the anger clearly registered in his eyes and in his movements. A tear hung to the corner of her eyelids as she stared at him. "I was worried..."

He gestured toward her presences. "I got that...", he said, curtly.

"You told me you've forgiven me...", she said, as a tear trailed down her face.

"I do forgive you, Scully...But I can't help but be pissed...I'm very angry right now..."

Scully focused on Mulder. "At me?"

He sat back against the couch and placed his hands over his face. Scully stood up but Mulder grabbed her hand and pulled her back down to the couch. He then sat down on the edge of the coffee table, trapping her between his legs. Scully's face had reddened and her beautiful blue eyes were filled with tears as she cried into her hands, trying to shield her face from Mulder.

"Don't cry Scully," he said, pulling her into his embrace.

He smoothed his hand against her lean back as she wet his shirt with tears. He could feel her warm breath against his neck as he listened to her stilling her own cries, trying to gain control. He let go of her and watched as she wiped her face.

"I don't think you understand how I feel...", he said, slowly.

"I know you despise me right now," she said, pulling back from him. "I give in to you too much, Mulder. I see that now...You're the only one allowed to make mistakes," she said, pushing his leg that blocked her out of her way. She stood up and threw on her jacket.

"That's not it...Scully..."

"It is, Mulder...You can go off and do what you want...like your little trip for two days without giving me any warning...I just got back...I just came back in fear of my life that I'd never see you again...I came back...alive...safe...and you won't speak to me...and then you just take off...and I'm terrified...Yeah, you left me a message telling me you had to get away...but that only makes things harder for me to take," she said, as fresh tears crept down her swollen cheeks.

"You don't understand!", Mulder said, standing up. "I can't take seeing you get hurt any more, Scully...I can't take knowing that you're vulnerable...that something might happen to you or did..."

"Is that what's bothering you? Or that I went out on my own?", she said, glaring up at him.

Mulder put his hands on his hips and shook his head as he stared up at the ceiling. "It's Both, dammit!", he scoffed.

Scully's eyes cast down to the floor. "There's no evidence that anything happened..."

"You can't ever be sure...", he said, throwing his hands in the air. "And to answer your question...it's both...You can't possibly understand..."

Scully folded her arms in front of her and arched both eyebrows."Oh...like the many times I was left to find you without a clue and I never once reacted this way to you...", she said, defiantly.

"I never went off with a man that stripped me of my clothes and did GOD KNOWS WHAT with me and for what? WHAT?", he said, noticing her shiver each time he grew louder.

"I wasn't raped, Mulder...", she said, as her voice quivered through sobs. "I wasn't...and as far as I know he was a perfect gentleman..."

Mulder shook his head slightly. "CGB and perfect gentleman doesn't fit Scully, now does it!", he said, his hazel eyes blazing into her skin.

"I've got to go," she said, grabbing up her shoes and heading for the door.

Mulder caught Scully off guard and grabbed her arm and swung her around. "How do you expect me to feel? How do you expect me to react?", he spoke, threw gritted teeth.

"Not like this!", she said, as he tightened his grip. "Mulder, please...", she sobbed.

"I can't keep allowing this to happen, Scully...", he said, as his voice waffled. "I can't keep letting them target you...I can't...Its gone on for too long now..I need to put a stop to it."

"You don't have a choice, Mulder...This isn't your world or your universe..."

"Oh, I have a choice!", he spat.

She could find nothing but anger in his eyes as he stared at her. She swallowed her tears and stood in front of him, staring at his hand gripping her, she couldn't meet his eyes, there was too much rage directed at her there.

"Don't do something stupid, Mulder...", she said finally, as more tears trailed her cheekbones, exposing the freckles hidden carefully by foundation.

"Like you did!", he glared, flexing his fist, trying to control the anger that was boiling within him.

She nodded her head and closed her eyes for a second, letting his words and anger sink in. "Mr...Sensitivity...", she huffed, disbelieving. "Do what you want Mulder..."

"Dammit, Scully!", he in a whisper, releasing his hold on her arm. "When will we get this right? When will we just get it out in the open! When will we stop pussy-footing around! You know damn well why I reacted that way!", he huffed.

Scully stiffened her shoulders and crossed her arms in front of her. "No, I don't Mulder...and I don't have the time to sit here while you rant and rave in my face."

Scully broke away from him and moved over to his door and then stepped out into the hallway, clutching her shoes in her hands. She paused for a moment but without looking back, she slammed the door closed behind her. Mulder punched at the wall and then flopped down on his couch. He slammed his fist against the coffee table and then covered his mouth, trying to prevent himself from screaming.

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