****************************************
Chapter 4
****************************************
Scully's Apartment
When they arrived at Scully's apartment, Scully went to her room to change clothes. When she came out they sat on the couch. "Scully, I need to tell you something. I want you to know that what I'm about to say has nothing to do with your cancer coming back. I've been working up the courage to tell you this for months, actually since Anarctica, and I'm afraid that if I don't do it now that I'll chicken out and never do it."
Scully looked at him, "Mulder, you're scaring me. What's wrong?"
Mulder smiled, "Nothing's wrong, Scully. When you were stung by that bee and I woke up in the hospital, I was so scared, Scully. All I could think of was finding you. I stole Byers clothes and left the hospital. The whole time I was going to Anarctica, I kept telling myself you were ok, because if I thought that you might be gone, I would go crazy. Scully, I realized then that I can't live without you. Somewhere in these past 7 years, I fell in love with you, and I will find a cure for this. I won't lose you. I can't."
Scully couldn't believe it. He loved her, was actually in love with her. How long had she dreamed of this moment. She had always known it would happen, and she used to dread it because it meant everything would change, but she wasn't scared anymore, and actually welcomed it. Why, though, did it have to come now, of all times. She thought about telling him that she didn't love him like that, just to try and save him the pain of having to lose her so soon, but when she looked up into his eyes, she saw such love and compassion in them that she just couldn't. She smiled up at him, "I have loved you for so long. I just wish we hadn't wasted so much time."
He gathered her in his arms and she buried her face into his chest. "That doesn't matter anymore. What matters is that we're here and we're together."
She began to sob softly into his chest, and he lifted her chin to look her in the eyes, "Hey, What's wrong?"
She looked into his eyes, "But how long will we be together?" She asked and once again buried her face into his chest, "I don't want to leave you ever again."
He didn't know what to say, just held her close to him. He heard her breath even out and knew she was exhausted. He laid her down on the couch, and went to use her phone. He had phone calls to make. First, he dialed the Skinner's secretary, "Hi, Kimberly, it's Agent Mulder. Could you tell the A.D. that Agent Scully and I had an emergency and that's why we aren't at work today."
"I would, Agent Mulder, But A.D. Skinner has been trying to reach you all day, I suggest you talk to him. I'll patch you through." She said, and the next thing he heard was the ringing of a telephone. He really didn't want to talk to Skinner, but if he wanted to keep his job, he knew he had better stay on the line. Hanging up on your boss is not a good way to gain his respect. He almost laughed when he heard the A.D.'s stern voice come on the line. Only a few of his agents knew that Skinner had a softer side, and that the gruff exterior was just a cover. "Skinner."
"Sir, this is Agent Mulder, Agent Scully and I . . ." He started, but was cut off by Skinner.
"I'll tell you what you and Agent Scully are, not here. Now would you please tell me why I saw you come to work today, and then I try to call your office to give you a new case and you have suddenly disappeared?" Skinner asked.
Mulder sighed, Skinner was in one of his moods. "You're right, sir, I did come to work today, but then I received a call from Scully, who was in the hospital. They ran some tests and it's not good news. The cancer's back, Sir, and I'm sorry that I ignored your phone calls and left work without telling anyone, but Dana's my partner and she comes first. Always."
Skinner's voice lost it's stern tone instantly, "Is she going to be all right? Can they operate?" He asked.
Mulder sighed, "No, sir, they can't, and the doctor said that chemo would probably only make her sicker."
Skinner couldn't believe it. Even though he was their superior, he had begun to think of both Mulder and Scully as his children. Mulder definitely needed a father figure after his own father, and Scully had always looked to Skinner to help Mulder out when he wouldn't listen to her, which wasn't that often anymore. "What's the prognosis?" He asked.
Skinner heard Mulder's voice choke up, "Three to six months, Sir," and Skinner could have sworn Mulder was crying.
"What are you going to do?" He asked.
"I need you to set me up a meeting with that black-lunged son of a bitch. I need to kill him." Mulder said.
Skinner was scared, Mulder actually seemed serious, "Now, hold on, I'll set up the meeting, but I'll talk to him. What good are you going to do to Scully if you go to jail for murder. Don't do that to yourself. Don't do that to her. She needs you now."
Mulder sighed, "You're right, Sir. I just feel so helpless. She's going to die before my eyes and I can't do a damned thing about it. I need to find a cure for this. I can't lose her, not now, not ever."
Skinner did not find Mulder's admission that he needed Scully surprising. He had known for years that they were in love with each other, and was starting to wonder if they would ever realize it. Mulder had obviously realized it, and Skinner wondered if he had told Scully yet. "Mulder, I need to ask you a question. This might surprise you, but I want you to answer truthfully, all right?"
Mulder noticed the seriousness in Skinner's voice, and wondered what he was going to ask. "Yes, Sir."
Skinner took a deep breath, "Have you told Dana yet?"
Mulder was confused, "Told her what, Sir?"
"Don't bullshit me, Mulder, you and I both know that you are in love with her. What I'm asking is have you told her that you are?"
Mulder was surprised, he thought he was good at hiding his feelings. It shouldn't have surprised him that Skinner had seen right through him, though. "Yes, Sir, I have. She loves me, too, but she's worried that we might not be together that long. Listen, Sir, I'll be at work tomorrow. We can talk then. Besides, Dana will probably want to talk to you, but I really need to go right now. I need to call Mrs. Scully."
"Ok, Mulder. I'll see you tomorrow. Take care. Bye." Skinner hung up the phone and immediately picked it back up and dialed another number. He had to find some kind of cure for Scully's disease. They couldn't lose each other, not when they had just found each other, and admitted what they really felt for each other. He heard someone pick up the phone, "Listen here you son of a bitch, I need to talk to you, and I have to warn you, I have one very pissed off agent looking to kill you."
"Ahh, A.D. Skinner, you wouldn't be talking about Agent Mulder would you? I have no reason to meet with you."
"Suppose I gave you a reason. Let me ask you a question, Sir. Can you read Navajo? Because if you don't meet me, Navajo is going to become the most popular language course in every high school across the country."
"I'll meet you in one hour."
Chapter 4
****************************************
Scully's Apartment
When they arrived at Scully's apartment, Scully went to her room to change clothes. When she came out they sat on the couch. "Scully, I need to tell you something. I want you to know that what I'm about to say has nothing to do with your cancer coming back. I've been working up the courage to tell you this for months, actually since Anarctica, and I'm afraid that if I don't do it now that I'll chicken out and never do it."
Scully looked at him, "Mulder, you're scaring me. What's wrong?"
Mulder smiled, "Nothing's wrong, Scully. When you were stung by that bee and I woke up in the hospital, I was so scared, Scully. All I could think of was finding you. I stole Byers clothes and left the hospital. The whole time I was going to Anarctica, I kept telling myself you were ok, because if I thought that you might be gone, I would go crazy. Scully, I realized then that I can't live without you. Somewhere in these past 7 years, I fell in love with you, and I will find a cure for this. I won't lose you. I can't."
Scully couldn't believe it. He loved her, was actually in love with her. How long had she dreamed of this moment. She had always known it would happen, and she used to dread it because it meant everything would change, but she wasn't scared anymore, and actually welcomed it. Why, though, did it have to come now, of all times. She thought about telling him that she didn't love him like that, just to try and save him the pain of having to lose her so soon, but when she looked up into his eyes, she saw such love and compassion in them that she just couldn't. She smiled up at him, "I have loved you for so long. I just wish we hadn't wasted so much time."
He gathered her in his arms and she buried her face into his chest. "That doesn't matter anymore. What matters is that we're here and we're together."
She began to sob softly into his chest, and he lifted her chin to look her in the eyes, "Hey, What's wrong?"
She looked into his eyes, "But how long will we be together?" She asked and once again buried her face into his chest, "I don't want to leave you ever again."
He didn't know what to say, just held her close to him. He heard her breath even out and knew she was exhausted. He laid her down on the couch, and went to use her phone. He had phone calls to make. First, he dialed the Skinner's secretary, "Hi, Kimberly, it's Agent Mulder. Could you tell the A.D. that Agent Scully and I had an emergency and that's why we aren't at work today."
"I would, Agent Mulder, But A.D. Skinner has been trying to reach you all day, I suggest you talk to him. I'll patch you through." She said, and the next thing he heard was the ringing of a telephone. He really didn't want to talk to Skinner, but if he wanted to keep his job, he knew he had better stay on the line. Hanging up on your boss is not a good way to gain his respect. He almost laughed when he heard the A.D.'s stern voice come on the line. Only a few of his agents knew that Skinner had a softer side, and that the gruff exterior was just a cover. "Skinner."
"Sir, this is Agent Mulder, Agent Scully and I . . ." He started, but was cut off by Skinner.
"I'll tell you what you and Agent Scully are, not here. Now would you please tell me why I saw you come to work today, and then I try to call your office to give you a new case and you have suddenly disappeared?" Skinner asked.
Mulder sighed, Skinner was in one of his moods. "You're right, sir, I did come to work today, but then I received a call from Scully, who was in the hospital. They ran some tests and it's not good news. The cancer's back, Sir, and I'm sorry that I ignored your phone calls and left work without telling anyone, but Dana's my partner and she comes first. Always."
Skinner's voice lost it's stern tone instantly, "Is she going to be all right? Can they operate?" He asked.
Mulder sighed, "No, sir, they can't, and the doctor said that chemo would probably only make her sicker."
Skinner couldn't believe it. Even though he was their superior, he had begun to think of both Mulder and Scully as his children. Mulder definitely needed a father figure after his own father, and Scully had always looked to Skinner to help Mulder out when he wouldn't listen to her, which wasn't that often anymore. "What's the prognosis?" He asked.
Skinner heard Mulder's voice choke up, "Three to six months, Sir," and Skinner could have sworn Mulder was crying.
"What are you going to do?" He asked.
"I need you to set me up a meeting with that black-lunged son of a bitch. I need to kill him." Mulder said.
Skinner was scared, Mulder actually seemed serious, "Now, hold on, I'll set up the meeting, but I'll talk to him. What good are you going to do to Scully if you go to jail for murder. Don't do that to yourself. Don't do that to her. She needs you now."
Mulder sighed, "You're right, Sir. I just feel so helpless. She's going to die before my eyes and I can't do a damned thing about it. I need to find a cure for this. I can't lose her, not now, not ever."
Skinner did not find Mulder's admission that he needed Scully surprising. He had known for years that they were in love with each other, and was starting to wonder if they would ever realize it. Mulder had obviously realized it, and Skinner wondered if he had told Scully yet. "Mulder, I need to ask you a question. This might surprise you, but I want you to answer truthfully, all right?"
Mulder noticed the seriousness in Skinner's voice, and wondered what he was going to ask. "Yes, Sir."
Skinner took a deep breath, "Have you told Dana yet?"
Mulder was confused, "Told her what, Sir?"
"Don't bullshit me, Mulder, you and I both know that you are in love with her. What I'm asking is have you told her that you are?"
Mulder was surprised, he thought he was good at hiding his feelings. It shouldn't have surprised him that Skinner had seen right through him, though. "Yes, Sir, I have. She loves me, too, but she's worried that we might not be together that long. Listen, Sir, I'll be at work tomorrow. We can talk then. Besides, Dana will probably want to talk to you, but I really need to go right now. I need to call Mrs. Scully."
"Ok, Mulder. I'll see you tomorrow. Take care. Bye." Skinner hung up the phone and immediately picked it back up and dialed another number. He had to find some kind of cure for Scully's disease. They couldn't lose each other, not when they had just found each other, and admitted what they really felt for each other. He heard someone pick up the phone, "Listen here you son of a bitch, I need to talk to you, and I have to warn you, I have one very pissed off agent looking to kill you."
"Ahh, A.D. Skinner, you wouldn't be talking about Agent Mulder would you? I have no reason to meet with you."
"Suppose I gave you a reason. Let me ask you a question, Sir. Can you read Navajo? Because if you don't meet me, Navajo is going to become the most popular language course in every high school across the country."
"I'll meet you in one hour."