Sorry for the wait! This is the second to last chapter in this installment (unless my brain makes the next episode more than a two parter). Thanks for you guys' support. Spoilers for Wetwired.
Merry Christmas!
Enjoy!
"What happened?" Chloe asks softly wanting more to know what Scully means by being unable to trust Mulder. Her father shakes his head answering, "Scully was affected by the case. I think she's okay now, though."
The eleven year old nods watching the red head with her mother. After a few minutes, Scully reaches her hand out and Chloe takes it.
"I'm sorry, sweetie," The red head whispers still unsure of her actions. While the woman talks with his daughter, Mulder picks up the gun his partner discards and places it on the far table.
"Are you okay, Fox?" Maggie asks breaking away from her daughter's grasp. He nods as he rubs his neck.
With a sigh, he says, "I should probably have her taken in for testing. She was exposed to the same things as the victims."
"Do you need me to go with you?" Maggie asks looking briefly at her daughter who strokes Chloe's hair. Mulder looks too before asking, "Do you mind? I'd rather her go in as a patient rather than an attacker."
Maggie nods her head in understanding before offering to take them all to the hospital. Shaking his head, Mulder answers, "I'll take Chloe in my car. I feel I owe her a better explanation than I gave."
The brunette nods answering softly, "Just don't analyze her, Fox."
The man chuckles at how much the woman sounds like her daughter. They wait a minute as jackets are donned before Mulder guides his daughter to his car while Maggie does the same with her car and daughter.
"Dad, where are we going?" Chloe asks as the car starts.
"The hospital. Scully needs to be checked by doctors."
Nodding, the eleven year old soon asks tentatively, "What really happened?"
Taking in a breath, the father answers, "She was affected by the case we were working on. Tapes someone made were making other people kill each other."
Chloe absorbs the information for a few minutes before asking again, "Then why didn't she go after me or Maggie?"
Mulder sighs. He knows it's because of the tapes' message and the complex relationship he and Scully have. Not wanting to talk about his relationship with his daughter, Mulder answers, "It's complicated."
When his daughter gives him an eyebrow raise to rival Scully's, the man answers, "What happened is between me and Scully, Chlo."
"But, I want to know," The girl insists.
"Chloe, I can't. Some conversations are only meant to be between two people. Mine and Scully's is like that. I know you can't fully grasp that yet, but I promise when you're older, you will find yourself in a similar situation."
He just hopes the conversation is tamer than his and Scully's. Not knowing how to make the conversation better, Mulder simply calls Skinner to have them meet him at the hospital. Realizing her father is telling Skinner about as much as herself, Chloe looks out the window as the city lights come into view.
Pulling into the hospital parking lot, Mulder parks near Maggie who has her arms around a shaky Dana Scully.
The man can see the fear in his partner's face and squeezes her hand in reassurance as her and Chloe walk beside her. To his dismay, Mulder's hand is rejected by his partner. Entering the building Turning to Maggie, Mulder says, "Take her to get checked out by someone. If anyone asks, tell them she is in shock."
"I can speak for myself, Mulder," Scully replies shakily. Her partner merely nods as he catches sight of his boss. Seeing her father head over toward the man, Chloe stays closer to her surrogate mother and grandmother.
"Just fill out the information here on this clip board, Ms. Scully and we'll get you checked out," One of the nurses says. Scully nods mechanically as she takes the clipboard and realizes her mother guides her toward a chair. When Chloe puts her head on the woman's shoulder, Scully quickly relinquishes the chart to her mother before tears stream down her face.
"Mom, I almost killed him," The red softly admits. Putting an arm around her daughter, Maggie answers tenderly, "I know, baby, but you didn't. This will all get worked out."
"But, Mom, I almost killed my partner. Why would I do that?"
"It was from your case, sweetheart. Don't you remember?" Maggie questions looking pointedly at her daughter. Chloe, realizing something is wrong, quickly goes to her father who stands with Skinner at the nurse's station.
"Dad, something's wrong," Chloe states nodding to Maggie who is desperately trying to console her daughter. A nurse thankfully springs into action bringing the woman a blanket.
"Ma'am, you're in shock," The nurse explains. "Can you tell me your name?"
"Dana."
As the nurse continues to ask questions Mulder watches realizing he is in no position to help tonight. Skinner, seeing the helplessness in the agent's eyes says, "Go home. I'll take care of this."
Shaking his head, Mulder answers, "I know the signs all the other victims displayed. I should be here."
"Fine, just give me your report two days from now. I'll explain what I can to whatever doctor Agent Scully is given and then I'm leaving," The Assistant Director states already weary of Mulder's attitude at two in the morning. The agent nods before seeing Maggie come back out.
"Take Chloe home, Fox. I can take care of Dana until you're ready to come see her. She's already telling the nurses what to check for anyway," The woman remarks with a grin. Glancing at his daughter who curls up in a chair, Mulder nods. He wants to stay, but knows his daughter will be less than happy when she wakes up in a hospital the next day. Maggie nods that he can leave stating that she will stay with the red head. Mulder nods and gives a small smile before waking Chloe up and taking her home.
"But, Scully," She mumbles as they leave.
"I know. We'll see her tomorrow," Mulder states.
The next day, with his daughter in tow, the agent enters Scully's hospital room and gives a small smile to his partner's mother. Knowing he needs to speak with his daughter privately, Maggie ushers the eleven year old from the room promising to come back in a little while.
"'How do you feel?'" Mulder asks sitting down in a chair beside her bed.
"'Ashamed'," Scully replies. "'I was so sure, Mulder. I saw things, and I heard things, and... it was just like' the 'world was turned upside- down. Everybody was out to get me.'"
"'Now you know how I feel most of the time'," Mulder answers. He watches his partner's expression before she states, "'I thought you were going to kill me'."
"'I'm not surprised'," The man states before giving his theory on the messages left in the videos his partner watches. The red head nods answering, "'Like me thinking that you'd betray me. I was so far gone, Mulder, I thought that you had gone to the other side'."
"'What do you mean?'" Mulder questions wondering if his partner is actually okay. Explaining, Scully replies, "'The Cancer Man, the man that smokes all those cigarettes, I was sure that I saw the two of you sitting in your car in the motel parking lot. You were reporting to him, you handed him a videotape. I'm... it was crazy'."
"'Ah, maybe not'."
"'What do you mean'?" Scully asks concerned. Easing her worry, Mulder answers, "'Well, somebody's behind this, we just don't know who'/"
"'You think it could be him?'" She asks eager to figure out the case even from her hospital room.
"'I don't know'," Mulder replies as he catches his partner's look. Knowing the woman needs to get better, Mulder states, "'Why don't you get some rest?'"
He leaves his partner to get some rest before speaking to both her physician and her mother. Seeing Chloe is still with the woman, Mulder asks, "Do you mind if Chloe stays with you for a bit?"
"Actually, we were going to ask you the same thing," Maggie replies. "I know Chloe wants to see Dana."
"Can I?" The eleven year old asks hopefully. Mulder nods before kissing her on the cheek.
"I'll pick you up later, okay?" Mulder states. He is in no mood to disclose his meetings with X, even if his daughter and Maggie have no idea who the man is.
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