Title: A Reason to Live
Author: Liz Main
Rating: G
Category: Scully angst, vignette, MSF (Mulder/Scully friendship), takes place somewhere between Momento Mori and Gethesmane (I know that's not exactly current.)
Distribution: Go ahead, take it. I'd be flattered. But let me know where it is so I can visit, please.
Feedback: In the review box, por favor. (Spanish III honors next year and darn proud of it!)
Spoilers: Only if you don't know that Scully had cancer once, and if you didn't know that, well, sorry, I just told you here. :o)
Summary: Set when Scully had cancer, Scully is thinking of giving up on life, until she finds a certain letter…
Disclaimer: Woo-hoo! These are fun! Ok well I don't own these characters, never have, never will until I become a billionaire and get paid for my fanfic and can buy them from CC and 1013 and make them do what I want them to. NOT at all like season 8.
Author's notes: This is the first story I have ever written, so please don't tear me apart. If you like it, yay! If you don't, that's fine, too, but don't just tell me it sucked, tell me why.
A Reason to Live
by Liz Main
Scully settled into her chair with a sigh. Mulder was taking a rare day off, and she had the tiny basement office to herself. Due to her rapidly progressing cancer, Scully was only putting in half-days at the office despite Mulder's insistence that she should take full time off. More than anything else, Scully was just plain tired. Tired of her doctor's bad news.
Tired of the nosebleeds.
Tired of her partner's sympathy.
Tired of the lies.
Tired of fighting.
Tired of living.
The truth was, she frequently felt like giving up. The treatments hadn't been working anyway, and she just didn't feel as though there was any reason for her to be living anymore. Scully knew that Mulder had noticed the change in her, but she didn't care. Let him think what he wants…
Sifting through the papers on Mulder's desk, she came across a plain envelope with simply, "Scully," printed in square letters on the front. Her curiosity mounting, she broke the seal and began to read the handwritten letter inside:
Dear Scully,
I've been watching you a lot lately. Maybe you've noticed. And one thing about you is as plain as day to me: you're giving up. You're accepting defeat. I know you've never said it, but I can see it in your eyes. And it scares me to death. It just isn't like you to give up on anyone or anything, least of all yourself. I'm not going to try to pretend that I know what you're going through because I'm sure I truly don't and probably never will. But for the past four years you have been my best friend, truth, and the other half of me. And I will always stand by you. We will manage. We will get through this. And we'll be stronger than ever. You can't quit this battle, Scully. Especially since I know we can win. It WILL be scary, I'm not denying that. But we've handled scary before. I'm asking you to keep trying, Scully. I'm not going to give up on you. Please don't give up on me.
-Mulder
By the time Scully finished reading the letter, tears were streaming down her face. OK, Mulder, she thought. Now I do have a reason to live. You.
Scully picked up the phone with a slight smile. She had to thank a certain other half.
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End
Thank you for taking the time to read this! Please review it so my writing can get better. And read Erin's stories! :o) ~Liz
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May, 2001
