Author's note: Ok! Here's the last chapter!

I DO NOT OWN neither The X-Files, or "Hurt" song, originally from Nine Inch Nails but beautifully performed by Mr. Johnny Cash, neither "You" from the Pretty Reckless.

Read and review, please?

Tks! : )


She suddenly opened her eyes.

It was just like waking up from her previous nightmares or hallucination, except this time it was real. It felt real.

She blinked twice, trying hard to understand where she was.

She assumed that it was early morning since she was able to feel the first rays of sunshine coming through her window, which was something quite uncomfortable for eyes used to the darkness.

The only sound that she could hear was her heart beat coming from the heart monitor. She recognized that eletronic sound. It went slightly heavy, but at least it was still beating.

She realized that she was in a hospital bed. She turned to face her left side and also noticed that she was receiving some blood.

Unfortunately, everything went clear. She was able to remember each detail of what happened the night before. Memory is something surprisingly ironic.

"I hurt myself today

To see if I still feel

She gently caressed her stomach, in the injured area, making an effort to feel anything, even pain, the only thing that would assure her that everything was actually real. Though she was numb, she couldn't feel nothing at all, and that absence of feeling was familiar. She was obviously severely sedated.

I focus on the pain

The only thing that's real

The needle tears a whole

The old familiar sting

Try to kill it all away

But I remember, everything

Sadness invaded her being.

Despite the numbness, she was able to feel something heavy above her right hand.

She slowly turned her head to face it.

There he was, Mulder, holding her right hand and sleeping above it. Even though it was a heartbreaking scene, she felt safe, protected by him, and loved.

She started to move her hand and he woke up. He lifted his head, looking sleepy and confused.

What have I become

My sweetest friend"

"Scully! Sorry! I fell asleep. Are you feeling ok?" He sounded extremely worried.

He was a complete mess, a beautiful mess indeed. She noticed that he was still wearing his T-shirt from the previous night, almost full filled with blood, her blood. His eyes were reddish and a little bit swollen , which indicated that he had probably cried. His hair was messy too.

"And you could have it all

My empire of dirt

I will let you down

I will make you hurt"

"I'm..I'm ok". It's was hard to speak, not due to her sedated condition, but seeing him like that and remembering the latest events, was something truly painful and somehow, regretful. How can you regret something that you weren't even aware of doing?

"Is there anything hurting?". He said looking deeply into her blue eyes, while gently caressing her right cheek.

"No, not at all. I feel groggy."

"Yeah, the doctors sedated you".

He stood there, just starring curiously at her. There were moments, many moments actually, where even not saying nothing at all to each other, just their glances exchange was full of meaning. More than words could possible tell.

"Well, I should probably get the nurse here. She warned me to let her know as soon as you woke up". He finally broke the noisy silence. One of his virtues.

"No! Wait a second". She tried to stop him, searching for his hand.

He obeyed.

"I'm terribly sorry about everything. You saved my life, once again. I'm grateful to you, forever". She hadn't finished yet. He kept paying attention to her words, patiently.

She had a point. She had to admit it, if it wasn't him to rescue her from herself, she would probably be six feet under in that very moment, inside a coffin, just like in her nightmare.

"But you must know that it wasn't my intention to do this to myself, never. As much as I wanted to escape a little bit from my sickness, from the X-Files, and even from you, I would never do something like this. I...I just don't know what happened, I had those awful nightmares and something like an hallucination. It happened so fast, I fainted". She stopped, her eyes were filled with tears.

"If I could start again

A million miles away

I would keep myself

I would find a way"

His heart froze. That unbearable pressure again.

"I..I'm not crazy. You have to believe me". Two lonely tears streamed down her face. He tried to stop them, by wiping them away from her face.

"Shhh. I'm more than sure that you're not crazy. Don't be sorry, I'm the one who is sorry. I shouldn't have acted that way with you, saying those nasty words. I said those things for selfish motives. I'm still not entirely sure about it, but somehow, it bothered me to know that you went out on a date, and excuse my following words, that you had slept with him". He was trying to be excessively careful with his words, but at the same time, making an effort to be honest to her and to his own feelings.

"I...I didn't sleep with him. I thought you should know about it". She said immediately.

"Ow". He was speachless, surprised, but above all things, relieved. He gave a small smile to her.

"You know, I kept this incident for ourselves. I didn't phone Skinner or your mother. I thought it would be better to wait you wake up and talk to you first. I can still keep this secret and take it to my grave". He wanted desperately to regain her trust.

"Yeah, let's keep things like this. I'm gonna take it to my grave too, not soon enough, I hope". Even though it was a comforting and revealing moment, she couldn't helt but remembering of her recently sickness.

His eyes darkened. She regreted her words.

"I don't know what the future holds, but I do promise you that I'm gonna do the possible and even the impossible to get the cure for you. But you have to trust me on this, and promise me that you're going to be strong, as I know you are. It's never too late, Scully. Believe that, ok?". Somehow, just his words and promisses made her feel already healed.

She nodded.

"Thank you, Mulder, once again. Honestly, you're the best thing that ever happened to me". She gave him a smile.

He got up from the chair and leaned down to kiss her cheek, which happened to be extremely close to her mouth.

"I love you". He said whispering to her right ear.

Now she was frozen and speachless. Probably that innocent "I love you" meant much more now, more than they were ready to admit to each other. She prefered to remain in silence.

He moved quickly and turned to walk towards the door. "I'll get you the nurse, ok?"

"Ok. I won't go anywhere". She said joking a little bit, trying to break the seriousness of the moment.

He laughed and turned to say another thing before leaving.

"You totally rock my world, Scully! Plus...if you'll ever want to show me your tattoo again, I'll be honored". That was his trademark, to say something really caring, oddly romantic and then just ruin everything with any inappropriate comment. But she had to admit that she liked it.

She laughed too. As soon as he left her room, she said to yourself: "I love you too".

"And I want you in my life

And I need you in my life" (You - The Pretty Reckless)

- THE END -