Chapter 10: Just Like Friends

"Dana…"

Scully heard someone calling her name, she felt everything around was totally white. It was a male voice; he called her name so tenderly. "Please, Dana… don't give up…" Mulder? The wound felt like it was bleeding, was he still holding her in his arms?

"Don't give up," and then her mind sailed into darkness.

"Dana…"

Scully slowly opened her eyes. Everything seemed a little bit clearer now.

"Oh my… Dana, you wake up!"

Melissa held Dana's hands, tears started running down her cheek. Scully tried hard to fake a smile so that Melissa wouldn't worry much about her. She wanted to say something to her, but she can only mumble in her mouth.

"Hi…"

"Oh honey, you shouldn't say hi to me like that." Melissa laughed out. "Alright now, I'll go talking to our folks."

"Where…is…he?" Dana asked, felt a pain in her stomach.

"Who?" Melissa confusingly looked at her. "Bill's outside, you know. I'll call him for you."

Scully shook her head.

"Or Jack?"

Scully shook her head one more time. Melissa frowned for a while, then she smiled, winked at Scully.

"Oh yeah, I know."

Scully blushed slightly.

"Mulder was here, of course. But I told him to leave some hours ago. At least he shouldn't meet Bill now. But I'm calling him to say you are okay now." Melissa stopped, she saw Dana's lovely expression of shyness. "Oh yes, Dannie. Fox saved your life."

Some hours later, Dana could talk normally, although she still felt the pain.

"Dana…"

Bill stepped into the room, sat down on a chair. When he met Dana's eyes, he tried to turn away. It was uneasy for both of them, had a bight fight yesterday and met each other in a hospital like this.

"Bill… I'm sorry." Dana started first.

"It's OK, Dana. You're safe now…" Bill said hesitatingly, "and it was my fault, too…" he felt a little ashamed; it was really hard to admit that you were wrong in front of your sister, especially when you are the family's main pillar. "…I promised that I won't never let anybody hurt you… after that Cullen. I'm sorry… I was…"

Bill seemed a little bit overwhelmed. He loved Dana so much, even more than his own life, and he would do anything to protect her, any crime…but in fact, in many circumstances, he did hurt her indirectly.

"Ok Bill, I'm fine… Bill,… I love you"

Dana slowly reached out for Bill. He tried to be careful with those tubes and things stick in Dana's arm.

"I love you too."

They both smiled.

"Bill… About Mulder…"

"Aw…" Bill frowned when Dana mentioned this young man. He really didn't like him, and he tried hard to prove his anti-Mulder prejudice, but actually he felt that Mulder was so close to Dana, someday he may as well takes her away with him, or even hurts her. That could easily be one of the scariest things he could imagine. Bill was not ready to give his lovely sister – who he cared about for 20 years – to anyone else. But he couldn't deny the fact that Mulder save his sister's life when he was force to abandoned her. The thought that Dana could die made him shiver.

"Dana, I don't like Mulder…"

Scully didn't say anything. She seemed worried.

"But this time he did save your life… I own him something… so…. er … I will try not to treat him so bad."

Scully smiled. Bill was always a quiet man, she knew it was hard for him to show his feeling. But she knew that he really loved her, and by saying that he mean he could give Mulder another chance.

"Thank you, Bill…"

Bill gave her a kiss in her forehead, "Honey… Everything for you…"

Mulder received a phone call from Melissa. Thank God, Dana was safe. He wanted to go to the hospital to see her immediately. But Bill… he could be a contender, Mulder thought.

"Would you mind if I come and see her tomorrow?" Mulder asked hesitatingly.

"Tomorrow?" Melissa seemed surprised through the phone line. "Of course…"

"How about Mr. Scully…"

Melissa understood what he was trying to say. "Don't worry. Bill won't be in the hospital tomorrow.. and I think Dana and Bill had a talk, and Bill will try not to be… so impolite with you." Melissa laughed.

"Oh thank you, Melissa."

"Just call me Missy."

"OK."

"Goodbye, Mulder."

"Goodbye."

Mulder stood in front of Scully's patient room, wondered whether he should knock the door or not. He worried that when he opens the door and goes inside the room, he would see Bill inside with Dana. That's just frightening. He took a deep breath.

"Knock."

"Hey Fox, come on in…" Melissa opened the door.

"Not Fox, it's Mulder." Scully smiled. She still remembered how he hated someone call him by his first name. "It's not even a name, really." He explained.

Mulder stepped into the room with a bunch of flowers in his hand, confusingly looked at Scully.

"Hi, how are you?"

"I'm fine."

They just smiled and looked at each other, didn't know what to say, or where to begin.

"Um… Dana, I must go out for a while. Mulder, take care of her for me, will you?"

Melissa realized that she was becoming an obstacle between the two young souls, she said to Scully and winked to her.

"So…um…" Mulder sat down on a chair beside Scully's bed, and rubbed his hand together. He looked confused.

"It's not like you." Scully started to giggle, made him felt even more confused.

"Mulder." Suddenly, Scully changed to a serious voice and smiled beautifully. "Thank you."

"Oh, don't think about it Scully. I would do the same for my friends…"

"Yeah, friends…" Scully titled her head.

"Friends…" Mulder repeated, although he didn't even believe in what he just said. Only friends?

No Mulder, you don't kiss your friends. and drive like crazy in the night when you know that she is missing. You don't risk of being uncovered as a FBI agent to do anything for a friend. No, it's not you, Mulder. .. it's not the coldly intelligent agent Mulder…

But if she wasn't a friend, so who was she to him? Mulder just couln't find a word to describe it. Not exactly friends, and she would never be his friend if she had known the truth. Mission! That's all he can think of to justify himself.

"Mulder?"

Scully called out his name, brought him back to reality.

"Ah uhm… nothing, Scully. I'm just thinking about some pizza…"

"Pizza?" Scully giggled.

"Of course, if you recover and get out of the hospital soon enough."

"Yess…" Scully laughed, looked at him with her puppy eyes.

"You are a true fan of Pizza."

"No, I just want to eat a pizza without being kidnapped."

Scully pretended to sigh, and made Mulder laughed.

Yeah, Pizza…

A/N: I'm sorry... but is this chapter a little bit boring? I just want to explain how Mulder felt. Don't worry, their romance will be in blossom soon *hope so* and I can't wait a moment more. It's not going to be 8 years. Yes, I'm sure. HEHEHE