"Mulder, just go….away!"
Mulder draped his lanky form in the chair next to Scully's hospital bed and smirked.
"Nope. Where would I go? Skinner is still ummm… not happy…about something he referred to as disobeying a direct order….or something. Better if I stay out of his way, for the time being."
Scully rolled her eyes.
"And you think going AWOL is going to get you back into his good books??"
Mulder decided to ignore Scully's normal preference to apply logic to their discussions. Of course he was supposed to be at work. But he figured almost loosing Scully (again) to one or the other paranormal occurrence in the form of a deranged abominable individual provides more than enough motivation for him to stick to her side. He needs some time to verify that she is indeed okay. Besides, he knows that Scully hates being in a hospital when she has to spent that time cooped up in a bed. If he cannot express his love for her in the million and one ways that lovers normally express love and fondness, then he will just have to find some other way of giving life to the love he has felt for this unique woman for such a long time.
"I brought something that we can use to entertain ourselves."
Scully eyed him suspiciously. "What?"
Mulder grinned. "I promise you, this will be the most fun you ever had in a hospital bed."
"Mulder…."
"What? I'm merely referring to the book I brought. My mom used to read to me out of this book when I was a kid." Mulder grabbed his backpack and proceeded to produce tatty looking children's book. He opened it with reverence.
"Whenever I got sick, she would take out this book and read me one of the fairy tales. I always made me feel better."
Intrigued, by this unexpected glimpse into Mulder's childhood, Scully asked, "What is it called?"
"Grimm's Fairy Tales for Young and Old."
Mulder looked at Scully expectantly, just waiting for that objecting "Muullddeerrr". It was not forthcoming. Instead she looked at him expectantly, so, a little bit flustered by her sudden and unexpected acquiescence, he started paging through the worn out pages of the old fairytale book until he came to a story which, even as a child fascinated him.
He cleared his throat and started reading: "The Three Snake-Leaves. There was once upon a time…."
"Mulder…what are snake leaves?"
"Be patient and all will be revealed."
"But how am I supposed to follow the plot of the story if there are elements present that are unknown to me…?"
"Scully, it's a fairy tale. I'm sure you'll manage."
"Okay…I guess"
Mulder started reading again, "There was once upon a time a poor man, who could no longer support his only son. Then said the son, "Dear father, things go so badly with us that I am a burden to you. I would rather go away and see how I can earn my bread." So the father gave him his blessing, and with great sorrow took leave of him."
"Mulder…?"
Barely able to repress an impatient sight, Mulder looked up from the written pages in front of him.
"Yes, Scully?"
"How old is this boy? It would hardly be responsible for the Father to allow a young child to go off on his own… Okay, never mind…it's a fairy tale."
Mulder closed the book, resignedly. "You know what? I think it would be better if YOU tell ME a story."
"Are you implying that I am unable to listen to anybody's voice but my own??"
"No….not really…" But obviously Dana Scully was not going to be appeased by such an unconvincing reply.
"You are too!"
Mulder grinned and got up to sit next to Scully on the bed. He framed her face between his two hands.
"Listen to me. You can be the most exasperating, irritating, annoying, infuriating female walking the face of this earth. As long as I get to be there next to you." With that he planted a firm kiss on her slightly parted lips, hopped off the bed and sauntered out of the room.
Scully smiled and snuggled down under the scratchy hospital linen. She'll be able to sleep now, knowing that this man will always be there, even when she is at her worst or facing the worst.
The End.