Chapter Ten – Reunion
She was breathing heavily, ruggedly almost, as if she had used all the strength left inside of her to beat the life out of him. Her eyes were on him, cold, empty and irate, as she dropped the metal crowbar she held in her hand with a clunk to the wooden floor. Her hair appeared darker at first, until Mulder realised she was soaking wet, presumably from the storm outside…as he looked at her he realised then that her feet were completely bare, cut up and bloodied.
"Scully…"
She didn't reply. Despite the pain he felt and the blood trickling down his face, Mulder attempted to stand up from the arrangement she had beaten him to on the floor. He failed on his first attempt, the floor shifting beneath him as his head pounded furiously. He gasped in pain, trying desperately to stay in an upright position. If he lay down he was certain he would never find the strength to get up again.
"I'm sorry."
He was unable to see her, squeezing his eyes shut in pain as he cupped the bleeding wound on the side of his head. However he felt comforted by the sound of her voice, having not heard it at all in over a month and in some ways having believed he would never hear it again.
"Scully," he called out her name blindly, hoping she would come help him. But she never did.
He opened his eyes. To his dismay she began to back away towards the front door.
"No-" he cried out, more aggressively than he had meant to. He didn't want her to leave.
He forced himself up off the floor, staggering through the pain and weakness he felt. He tried to ignore his weapon that was casually strewn on the floor between them, aswell as the metal crowbar she had attacked him with. The last thing he wanted to do right now was frighten her. He held on to the side of the couch that was nearby as he pulled himself up quickly, before moving closer to her with one hand on the wall to balance himself; he was unable to take his now fully open eyes off her.
"Where have you been?" he asked nervously, one hand clutching the bleeding wound on the side of his head.
He felt impending unconsciousness attempting to drag him under, tempting him, but he fought it. He daren't black out. Not now.
"What happened to you, Dana?"
She backed herself into the wall behind her as he reduced the few steps between them and approached her. She flinched as he reached for her gently at first, not expecting her to push him away quite so forcefully. In that moment she was free of his momentary grip on her, she attempted to reach for the front door that was just inches away.
"Scully-" This time he grabbed her forcefully, harder than had he wanted to but terrified of losing her again.
She struggled under the grip of his bloodied hands, panicking as he held her by the arms tightly, leaving him little choice but to back up her against the wall in an attempt to restrain her.
"No-"
"Keep still-"
She felt overcome by the urge to free herself, and in response to this unknown reaction bottling up inside her she lashed out. It was hard to think, hard to think logically that is, when suppressed memories of what had happened to her surfaced momentarily. She could not remember the exact details, nor the faces or locations behind her memories – only sheer emotions and a gut feeling that something terrible had happened to her.
She felt as if she could scream and cry at the same time – at least she wanted to, anything to unleash how she felt inside - but neither came out. Except for the sounds of her ragged breathing, and his, she was silent.
He attempted to grab her by the wrists as she attempted to strike him and push him away, but it was a struggle brought on by the head injury he was already suffering.
In sheer frustration he slammed her hard against the wall.
"Stop it!"
She let out a startled gasp, her eyes clenching shut in pain as the wall behind her connected with her head. Slowly, she forced her eyes open to regard the man before her, silently cursing the way her eyes were watering from the sudden blow. As her vision focused though, any thoughts of pain disappeared from her mind.
Mulder was staring down at her with cold disregard; his own eyes an icy mask. He tried to ignore the distressed look in her face and her glistening eyes staring back at him, hoping she wouldn't cry.
"Don't touch me-"
She couldn't bear to meet his eyes, staring over his shoulder instead. She knew they were watching her, and Mulder. She daren't look them in the face as they watched. They terrified her.
"I don't want you to touch me…"
Mulder's hands gripped tighter around her skin. He swallowed uneasily, listening to the sounds of their heavy breathing now that she was still.
"Why..?" he asked her, feeling her tremble beneath his grip.
She didn't answer. He attempted to catch her gaze, but struggled. She was too busy looking over his shoulder.
"Scully…" he repeatedly called out to her, trying to capture her attention.
He shook her gently as she stared at the wall behind him, only to find she remained unresponsive in a trance. There was a creak on the floorboards behind them - her eyes widened momentarily in fear, and in response Mulder turned round to where she had been staring.
There was nothing but thin air.
In that moment that he turned back to face her, he felt her weaken against him.
She felt limp in his arms, shivering and cold to touch. He let go of his grasp on her arms, instantly feeling guilty for restraining her at all. The blood from his hands stained her clothing where he had gripped her so tightly.
"Scully you're freezing…"
Against her wishes he pulled her close against him, wrapping her shivering frame tightly in his arms. He panicked slightly as he felt her head droop lifelessly onto his chest.
She said nothing. Her knees seemed to buckle right beneath her. Mulder held onto her tightly so that she wouldn't fall, relieved he had found her, but terrified at the same time. He stroked her wet hair, attempting to comfort her, trying to convince himself this was real, she was real.
"I'm afraid…"
As he gently stroked her hair, he moved a wet strand of hair away from her face as it stuck to her skin, gently brushing past her neck as he did so. She winced.
He looked down at her, suddenly aware of the bruising on her exposed neck, leading down over her shoulder beneath her clothing. Turning his stare to her face, he noticed once more her gaze was over his shoulder. He lifted her chin so their eyes would meet, and opened his mouth to speak, when he caught sight of a dark figure looming behind him in the reflection of her eyes.
Losing his nerve, he turned round abruptly.
"Mulder don't-"
He stared at the wall behind them. He felt her grab his arm tightly.
"Is there someone else here?"
Her eyes darted furiously over the wall, where she had been staring so vigorously.
"I just want to leave…" she whispered, her voice trembling in a struggle to contain her fear. "Please, Mulder…"