Title - Wake To This Nightmare
Author - Nicky
Rating - PG-13
Spoilers - Up to beginning of Season 8
Keywords - Mulder/Scully romance
Summary - Scully sinks deeper and deeper into a depression as the hunt
for Mulder seems to wind to an unsuccessful conclusion. As she
struggles to hang on to hope, Mulder awakens to a life he doesn't
remember and faces his own struggles to maintain his grip on reality.
Disclaimer - Most of these characters aren't mine. You know that. And
I know that. They're property of someone else and used without
permission strictly for entertainment purposes.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Chapter 4
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Okay, Em. I'm going to go in there and get Diana. You stay right
here. Hopefully, she'll agree to come with us," Mulder explains to the
little girl. The other day out on the lake with her got him thinking.
He had to find a way to get Emily away from Diana and to her mother.
And he thinks he's finally found a plan.
"Daddy, why does she have to come with us?" Emily whines. "Why can't
we just go. Just the two of us. We'd have more fun that way."
"Emily, I already told you. The trip to the zoo in San Diego is only a
cover. We need to get away from this tiny town and into a bigger city
in order to do a more thorough search for your mother without Diana
getting suspicious. I have a feeling that if we used the computer at
the house or at the library, she'd find out what we were looking for.
This way, I'll surprise her with a 'family trip' out of town for a few
days. She'll be caught off guard and won't have time to monitor us
properly. We'll have a day or so to poke around without her
realizing."
"Okay," Emily sighs, appearing to understand what Mulder just said.
"But can we still go to the sea otter show? My friend Becca says
they're really cool."
Her innocence causes Mulder to chuckle. To her, this really was just a
vacation. A day at the zoo with Daddy. But really, it was much more.
It could be a matter of life and death. He just hoped life would be
the end result. He smiles at her one last time before going into the
house.
Minutes later, he emerges with Diana. She's smiling uncomfortably and
wondering what he's up to. Nevertheless, she gets in the car anyway.
She was surprised that he seemed to be making the first step towards
her this time. Ever since he woke up, he's been so distant. Almost
like he knew he really didn't belong there. This was the first time
he's ever made any move of this nature. And she didn't want to ruin
that.
"Fox, where are we going?" Diana asks after she's strapped into the
front seat of the jet black Lincoln Navigator. She turns around and
notices Emily in the back and sighs her disdain.
"I thought a family trip would be nice," he smiles, trying hard to hide
his contempt for the woman. "I wanted to surprise you and Emily with a
trip to San Diego. Her friend went a few weeks ago to the zoo and it's
all Emily's been talking about. It's only an hour and a half drive,
but I thought we could stay a few days."
"A few days?" Diana almost groaned. But she saw a frown starting to
form on Mulder's face, so she changed her tune. "That would be nice,
Fox. I'm glad you're starting to feel like yourself again. You used
to surprise us with trips like this all the time," she lied.
"Especially before Emily. We'd slip off for a romantic weekend all the
time."
She began to run her hand up his thigh and Mulder could actually feel
his skin crawl. He started to regret his decision until he peeked at
Emily in the rear view mirror. Her teeth gently bit down on the corner
of her rosebud lips and he knew he couldn't let her down. He'd do
anything to protect her. Even if that meant playing footsie with
Diana.
The trip was quiet and fairly uneventful. Emily fell asleep shortly
into the drive and Diana used the quiet time to continue to fill
Mulder's head with lies about their past. He barely listened to her,
though, his mind busy thinking about his plan. It was fairly simple in
concept. But in reality, it might be a little bit more challenging to
pull off. Stage a kidnapping to make Emily disappear. Then, begin
framing Diana for the girl's murder. It would be easy to prove that
Diana didn't love Emily. Even more so to prove that she wasn't Emily's
real mother. And while Diana's fighting to prove her innocence, Mulder
can slip away and join his real family. The only thing was that the
plan hinged on him being able to find Emily's mother or someone else
they could trust. But with his memory being gone, that someone just
may have to find him.
Emily awakens just as they get settled into the hotel, excited and
ready to get to the zoo. Her excessive energy is amusing to Mulder,
but annoying to Diana.
"Fox, will you get her out of here? She's getting on my nerves with
all of that bouncing around," Diana whines.
"This is a family trip, Diana. Aren't you coming with us?" Mulder
pleads, trying to make it sound sincere.
"You know, I actually have a couple of things to take care of before I
can have any real fun," she claims. "So why don't you two go. And
maybe I'll be ready for the zoo tomorrow?"
"Are you sure?" Mulder questions one last time. "Alright then. We'll
see you later. Come on Em." They both walk out into the hall, leaving
Diana alone in the room. That was almost too easy, Mulder thinks with
a smile.
The two walk down the crowded city street, looking at all of the store
displays as they pass. A busy store catches their eye and they peek
inside to see what was causing the commotion.
"Daddy!" Emily shrieks. "It's the Powerpuff Girls. We have to go in
and see them. Please?" she begs, jumping up and down in her
excitement.
"Em, what in the world is a Powerpuff Girl? And why do you want to see
one of them?" Mulder asks quizzically.
"Only the very best crime fighting team on Cartoon Network," she
explains. "Can we go in? Please?"
He was a little wary at first, but relented, knowing that he couldn't
deny her request. The store was one of those big bookstore chains.
And off in the corner, he noticed a row of computers. They could kill
two birds with one stone. Emily could see her cartoon superhero. And
he could begin to surf the net for any information about their past.
"Emily, I'm going to be right over here at these computers. You make
sure you can see me at all times, okay?" He instructs the girl. But
she was barely paying attention, already entranced by the actors
dressed up as the cartoon characters. He stands where he is until he's
sure she's gotten in the long line to wait her turn before heading
towards the computers.
The search was slow and unproductive. Mulder had no idea where to even
begin looking and was starting to lose hope. He looked up to check on
Emily's position when he realized he could no longer see her. The
crowd of parents waiting was growing larger and this one man was
blocking his view.
"Could you excuse me, please?" he petitions the man in front of him.
"I'm trying to keep an eye on my . . . "
"You!" the man growls. "What in the world are you doing here?" The
man was large. Taller than Mulder and much bigger. Military in
stature and attitude. And he seemed to be very angry with him.
"I'm sorry. Do you know me?" Mulder asks, thinking maybe the man just
has him confused with someone else.
"Don't try it, Fox Mulder. I don't think I'd forget the crackpot who
ruined my family's life," the man spits out. But he notices the
genuine look of confusion on Mulder's face and pauses for a moment.
"We've established that I know you. But you have no idea who I am, do
you?"
"Everything before about a month ago is a blur. I have no idea how I
got to where I am, living with the people that I'm living with. But I
know that I don't belong there. My daughter and I . . "
"Daughter? You don't have any kids," the man tells him. This time,
he's the one who's confused.
"Yes, I do," Mulder insists. "She's seven. Here she comes now."
Emily comes running excitedly back to Mulder, an autographed copy of
the latest Powerpuff Girl video waving wildly in her hand.
"Look what I got Daddy! We'll have to watch it when we get back to the
hotel." She stops abruptly when she sees the strange man talking to
her father, grabbing onto his leg and hiding behind him. "Daddy, who's
that man?"
"Emily?" the man asks, gasping in shock at seeing the girl. "It can't
be. You were . . . we saw you . . ." He looks up at Mulder with a
questioning look in his eyes. "Where did you get her? What are you
doing with Dana's daughter?"
"Dana? That's her mother's name? Do you know her?" Mulder asks
excitedly.
"Know her? Of course I know her. I've known her all her life. She's
my sister." The man sticks his hand out to Mulder as a way of
introduction. "Bill Scully. But you probably don't remember that. My
sister, Dana Scully, works with you. This is her daughter. But we all
thought that she was . . . dead."
* * * * * * * * * *
". . . and that was the last she's heard from you. It's been about 4
months now, I think. And much to my dismay, she's been pretty
heartbroken about you," Bill finishes. The story behind Mulder's
disappearance had to be told. And it left Mulder's mind spinning.
"I woke up a month ago. So I guess they took me and kept me for a few
months before that," Mulder mumbles to no one in particular. He was
just trying to get things straight. "I take it you weren't very fond
of me. But I can't say that I blame you. All that stuff I put your
family through. How could she have stayed with me for as long as she
did? Why didn't you make her quit. Just pack up and leave me? She
would have had a much happier life."
"Believe me. I tried. But my sister is stubborn. She does what she
wants. And the reason why she was with you, was because that's exactly
where she wanted to be. And as much as I hated that, I couldn't do
anything about it. Except fight with you. And fight with her. Until
now, we barely speak anymore," Bill sighs.
"But what about your other sister? And Dana's disappearance? All the
other stuff that's happened to her. Not to mention the heartbreak your
mother must feel on a daily basis worrying about her baby girl. That's
all because of me," Mulder insists, feeding into what Bill was telling
him.
"I can't believe I'm going to say this, but it's not your fault,
Mulder. Dana tried to tell me that time and time again, but I needed
someone to blame. So I blamed you for her absolute devotion to you and
your cause. She's so devoted to you because she loves you. But I can
see now that you care about her just as much. You don't even remember
her, yet you care. That says a lot, man. I just wish now that I could
somehow make it up to her. All those years that I could have been
supportive."
"I think maybe I know a way," Mulder hints. "That woman, Diana, told
me she was my wife and that Emily was our daughter. Right away I knew
something was off. But Emily seemed so familiar. My love for her
seemed to come naturally. I didn't have any reason to doubt that.
Because of that love, I have to get her out of that house. Away from
Diana and back to her real mother. Until today, I didn't know who that
was or how I'd accomplish my goal. I won't be able to take her to
Dana. But you can."
"Won't that woman notice that she's gone?" Bill asks, confused. "And
why can't you just come with me? Take Emily to my sister yourself?"
"It would be too dangerous. Diana's up to something and I refuse to
drag your sister into this. I need to stay awhile until I can safely
get away. This is my way to make up for the past. I couldn't protect
her always, but I can now," Mulder insists.
"She won't like it," Bill warns. "And I can't promise she won't come
looking for you herself. I told you that Dana's determined. And what
are you going to do about Diana?"
"That part I already have planned. Just be at the front gates of the
zoo tomorrow afternoon at 4:15. I might not be there, but Emily will.
Get her out of town as soon as you possibly can. But don't take her to
Dana's. That'll be the first place they look. Let her know who's
involved and she should be able to keep Emily safe after that," Mulder
says optimistically. He looks over at the play area where Emily is
with Bill's son Matthew. She leads the younger boy around, protecting
him from some of the other kids. A sadness comes over Mulder when he
realizes this could be the last time he sees his daughter. Or at
least, who he thought was his daughter.
"I'll take good care of her, Mulder," Bill assures him, noticing the
gloom on the other man's face. "Both her and Dana. Until you come
back for them."
Mulder flashes a smile of thanks to the man before calling Emily over
to him. He grabs her hand and after saying their good-byes, leads her
to the door. Her hand closes around his and he feels a connection with
her too strong to deny. No matter what anyone said, this little girl
would always be his daughter. Soon they would be parted, but if all
went well, they'd be back together again - for good.
* * * * * * * * * * *
The next morning, Mulder's awake before Diana and Emily, getting things
ready for what he called the great escape. This was the day Emily
would win her freedom. Her backpack was already by the door, filled
with all she'd need for her getaway. He paced around the hotel room,
unable to get any sleep worrying about how things would turn out today.
"Fox," Diana says, breaking the silence. "What are you doing up? Why
didn't you ever come to bed?"
"Emily couldn't sleep last night. She was afraid to be out here on the
sofa bed alone. And I didn't think you'd appreciate me bringing her to
bed with us. So, I stayed out here with her," Mulder explains.
"Fox, she's a big girl now. And I thought this trip was the start of
something new for us. You've been so distant since your accident. I
haven't said anything before because I wanted to give you time. But
I'm starting to get awfully lonely in that bed of ours. The one you
haven't slept in since you woke up last month." She says the last part
louder than she realized and they both look over her shoulder to make
sure she hadn't woken Emily up.
"I realize that, Diana. And I'm sorry. But you're still a stranger to
me. And what kind of husband would I be if I could sleep with
strangers so easily?"
"But Fox . . ."
"Listen, just give me some more time, okay? And I promise, the next
trip we take will just be the two of us," he lied.
"You mean it, Fox?" She runs over to hug him, but is beaten to him by
Emily who has just woken up. Mulder sighs in relief that his arms now
held his daughter instead of Diana. But he didn't know how much longer
he could hold her off. He just hoped he wouldn't actually have to take
this trip with her. Once Emily is safely with her mother . . . with
Dana . . then he'd be able to take care of things with Diana and join
them. But everything depended on things at the zoo today. He said a
quick prayer that Emily's escape goes smoothly, because it all depended
on that.
"I'm going to go take a shower," Diana says, glaring at Emily and
causing the little girl to bury herself deeper in Mulder's embrace.
Diana sighs impatiently and turns to leave. Moments later, they hear
the shower start.
"It's almost over, Princess," Mulder whispers in Emily's ear. "Are you
sure you can do this?"
"I'm scared, Daddy," she confesses. "What's Diana going to do to you
when I'm gone? I don't want her to hurt you."
"And I don't want her to hurt you anymore than she has already. That's
why we have to do this now. Just think of it this way. Pretty soon,
you're going to be with your mom. She loves you, Squirt. And she'll
take care of you."
"But I want you to take care of me. I'm going to miss you, Daddy," she
cries.
"I know, Baby," Mulder says, barely able to hold back his own tears.
"I'm going to miss you, too. That's why I'm going to do whatever it
takes to get back to you."
To be continued . . .
Author - Nicky
Rating - PG-13
Spoilers - Up to beginning of Season 8
Keywords - Mulder/Scully romance
Summary - Scully sinks deeper and deeper into a depression as the hunt
for Mulder seems to wind to an unsuccessful conclusion. As she
struggles to hang on to hope, Mulder awakens to a life he doesn't
remember and faces his own struggles to maintain his grip on reality.
Disclaimer - Most of these characters aren't mine. You know that. And
I know that. They're property of someone else and used without
permission strictly for entertainment purposes.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Chapter 4
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Okay, Em. I'm going to go in there and get Diana. You stay right
here. Hopefully, she'll agree to come with us," Mulder explains to the
little girl. The other day out on the lake with her got him thinking.
He had to find a way to get Emily away from Diana and to her mother.
And he thinks he's finally found a plan.
"Daddy, why does she have to come with us?" Emily whines. "Why can't
we just go. Just the two of us. We'd have more fun that way."
"Emily, I already told you. The trip to the zoo in San Diego is only a
cover. We need to get away from this tiny town and into a bigger city
in order to do a more thorough search for your mother without Diana
getting suspicious. I have a feeling that if we used the computer at
the house or at the library, she'd find out what we were looking for.
This way, I'll surprise her with a 'family trip' out of town for a few
days. She'll be caught off guard and won't have time to monitor us
properly. We'll have a day or so to poke around without her
realizing."
"Okay," Emily sighs, appearing to understand what Mulder just said.
"But can we still go to the sea otter show? My friend Becca says
they're really cool."
Her innocence causes Mulder to chuckle. To her, this really was just a
vacation. A day at the zoo with Daddy. But really, it was much more.
It could be a matter of life and death. He just hoped life would be
the end result. He smiles at her one last time before going into the
house.
Minutes later, he emerges with Diana. She's smiling uncomfortably and
wondering what he's up to. Nevertheless, she gets in the car anyway.
She was surprised that he seemed to be making the first step towards
her this time. Ever since he woke up, he's been so distant. Almost
like he knew he really didn't belong there. This was the first time
he's ever made any move of this nature. And she didn't want to ruin
that.
"Fox, where are we going?" Diana asks after she's strapped into the
front seat of the jet black Lincoln Navigator. She turns around and
notices Emily in the back and sighs her disdain.
"I thought a family trip would be nice," he smiles, trying hard to hide
his contempt for the woman. "I wanted to surprise you and Emily with a
trip to San Diego. Her friend went a few weeks ago to the zoo and it's
all Emily's been talking about. It's only an hour and a half drive,
but I thought we could stay a few days."
"A few days?" Diana almost groaned. But she saw a frown starting to
form on Mulder's face, so she changed her tune. "That would be nice,
Fox. I'm glad you're starting to feel like yourself again. You used
to surprise us with trips like this all the time," she lied.
"Especially before Emily. We'd slip off for a romantic weekend all the
time."
She began to run her hand up his thigh and Mulder could actually feel
his skin crawl. He started to regret his decision until he peeked at
Emily in the rear view mirror. Her teeth gently bit down on the corner
of her rosebud lips and he knew he couldn't let her down. He'd do
anything to protect her. Even if that meant playing footsie with
Diana.
The trip was quiet and fairly uneventful. Emily fell asleep shortly
into the drive and Diana used the quiet time to continue to fill
Mulder's head with lies about their past. He barely listened to her,
though, his mind busy thinking about his plan. It was fairly simple in
concept. But in reality, it might be a little bit more challenging to
pull off. Stage a kidnapping to make Emily disappear. Then, begin
framing Diana for the girl's murder. It would be easy to prove that
Diana didn't love Emily. Even more so to prove that she wasn't Emily's
real mother. And while Diana's fighting to prove her innocence, Mulder
can slip away and join his real family. The only thing was that the
plan hinged on him being able to find Emily's mother or someone else
they could trust. But with his memory being gone, that someone just
may have to find him.
Emily awakens just as they get settled into the hotel, excited and
ready to get to the zoo. Her excessive energy is amusing to Mulder,
but annoying to Diana.
"Fox, will you get her out of here? She's getting on my nerves with
all of that bouncing around," Diana whines.
"This is a family trip, Diana. Aren't you coming with us?" Mulder
pleads, trying to make it sound sincere.
"You know, I actually have a couple of things to take care of before I
can have any real fun," she claims. "So why don't you two go. And
maybe I'll be ready for the zoo tomorrow?"
"Are you sure?" Mulder questions one last time. "Alright then. We'll
see you later. Come on Em." They both walk out into the hall, leaving
Diana alone in the room. That was almost too easy, Mulder thinks with
a smile.
The two walk down the crowded city street, looking at all of the store
displays as they pass. A busy store catches their eye and they peek
inside to see what was causing the commotion.
"Daddy!" Emily shrieks. "It's the Powerpuff Girls. We have to go in
and see them. Please?" she begs, jumping up and down in her
excitement.
"Em, what in the world is a Powerpuff Girl? And why do you want to see
one of them?" Mulder asks quizzically.
"Only the very best crime fighting team on Cartoon Network," she
explains. "Can we go in? Please?"
He was a little wary at first, but relented, knowing that he couldn't
deny her request. The store was one of those big bookstore chains.
And off in the corner, he noticed a row of computers. They could kill
two birds with one stone. Emily could see her cartoon superhero. And
he could begin to surf the net for any information about their past.
"Emily, I'm going to be right over here at these computers. You make
sure you can see me at all times, okay?" He instructs the girl. But
she was barely paying attention, already entranced by the actors
dressed up as the cartoon characters. He stands where he is until he's
sure she's gotten in the long line to wait her turn before heading
towards the computers.
The search was slow and unproductive. Mulder had no idea where to even
begin looking and was starting to lose hope. He looked up to check on
Emily's position when he realized he could no longer see her. The
crowd of parents waiting was growing larger and this one man was
blocking his view.
"Could you excuse me, please?" he petitions the man in front of him.
"I'm trying to keep an eye on my . . . "
"You!" the man growls. "What in the world are you doing here?" The
man was large. Taller than Mulder and much bigger. Military in
stature and attitude. And he seemed to be very angry with him.
"I'm sorry. Do you know me?" Mulder asks, thinking maybe the man just
has him confused with someone else.
"Don't try it, Fox Mulder. I don't think I'd forget the crackpot who
ruined my family's life," the man spits out. But he notices the
genuine look of confusion on Mulder's face and pauses for a moment.
"We've established that I know you. But you have no idea who I am, do
you?"
"Everything before about a month ago is a blur. I have no idea how I
got to where I am, living with the people that I'm living with. But I
know that I don't belong there. My daughter and I . . "
"Daughter? You don't have any kids," the man tells him. This time,
he's the one who's confused.
"Yes, I do," Mulder insists. "She's seven. Here she comes now."
Emily comes running excitedly back to Mulder, an autographed copy of
the latest Powerpuff Girl video waving wildly in her hand.
"Look what I got Daddy! We'll have to watch it when we get back to the
hotel." She stops abruptly when she sees the strange man talking to
her father, grabbing onto his leg and hiding behind him. "Daddy, who's
that man?"
"Emily?" the man asks, gasping in shock at seeing the girl. "It can't
be. You were . . . we saw you . . ." He looks up at Mulder with a
questioning look in his eyes. "Where did you get her? What are you
doing with Dana's daughter?"
"Dana? That's her mother's name? Do you know her?" Mulder asks
excitedly.
"Know her? Of course I know her. I've known her all her life. She's
my sister." The man sticks his hand out to Mulder as a way of
introduction. "Bill Scully. But you probably don't remember that. My
sister, Dana Scully, works with you. This is her daughter. But we all
thought that she was . . . dead."
* * * * * * * * * *
". . . and that was the last she's heard from you. It's been about 4
months now, I think. And much to my dismay, she's been pretty
heartbroken about you," Bill finishes. The story behind Mulder's
disappearance had to be told. And it left Mulder's mind spinning.
"I woke up a month ago. So I guess they took me and kept me for a few
months before that," Mulder mumbles to no one in particular. He was
just trying to get things straight. "I take it you weren't very fond
of me. But I can't say that I blame you. All that stuff I put your
family through. How could she have stayed with me for as long as she
did? Why didn't you make her quit. Just pack up and leave me? She
would have had a much happier life."
"Believe me. I tried. But my sister is stubborn. She does what she
wants. And the reason why she was with you, was because that's exactly
where she wanted to be. And as much as I hated that, I couldn't do
anything about it. Except fight with you. And fight with her. Until
now, we barely speak anymore," Bill sighs.
"But what about your other sister? And Dana's disappearance? All the
other stuff that's happened to her. Not to mention the heartbreak your
mother must feel on a daily basis worrying about her baby girl. That's
all because of me," Mulder insists, feeding into what Bill was telling
him.
"I can't believe I'm going to say this, but it's not your fault,
Mulder. Dana tried to tell me that time and time again, but I needed
someone to blame. So I blamed you for her absolute devotion to you and
your cause. She's so devoted to you because she loves you. But I can
see now that you care about her just as much. You don't even remember
her, yet you care. That says a lot, man. I just wish now that I could
somehow make it up to her. All those years that I could have been
supportive."
"I think maybe I know a way," Mulder hints. "That woman, Diana, told
me she was my wife and that Emily was our daughter. Right away I knew
something was off. But Emily seemed so familiar. My love for her
seemed to come naturally. I didn't have any reason to doubt that.
Because of that love, I have to get her out of that house. Away from
Diana and back to her real mother. Until today, I didn't know who that
was or how I'd accomplish my goal. I won't be able to take her to
Dana. But you can."
"Won't that woman notice that she's gone?" Bill asks, confused. "And
why can't you just come with me? Take Emily to my sister yourself?"
"It would be too dangerous. Diana's up to something and I refuse to
drag your sister into this. I need to stay awhile until I can safely
get away. This is my way to make up for the past. I couldn't protect
her always, but I can now," Mulder insists.
"She won't like it," Bill warns. "And I can't promise she won't come
looking for you herself. I told you that Dana's determined. And what
are you going to do about Diana?"
"That part I already have planned. Just be at the front gates of the
zoo tomorrow afternoon at 4:15. I might not be there, but Emily will.
Get her out of town as soon as you possibly can. But don't take her to
Dana's. That'll be the first place they look. Let her know who's
involved and she should be able to keep Emily safe after that," Mulder
says optimistically. He looks over at the play area where Emily is
with Bill's son Matthew. She leads the younger boy around, protecting
him from some of the other kids. A sadness comes over Mulder when he
realizes this could be the last time he sees his daughter. Or at
least, who he thought was his daughter.
"I'll take good care of her, Mulder," Bill assures him, noticing the
gloom on the other man's face. "Both her and Dana. Until you come
back for them."
Mulder flashes a smile of thanks to the man before calling Emily over
to him. He grabs her hand and after saying their good-byes, leads her
to the door. Her hand closes around his and he feels a connection with
her too strong to deny. No matter what anyone said, this little girl
would always be his daughter. Soon they would be parted, but if all
went well, they'd be back together again - for good.
* * * * * * * * * * *
The next morning, Mulder's awake before Diana and Emily, getting things
ready for what he called the great escape. This was the day Emily
would win her freedom. Her backpack was already by the door, filled
with all she'd need for her getaway. He paced around the hotel room,
unable to get any sleep worrying about how things would turn out today.
"Fox," Diana says, breaking the silence. "What are you doing up? Why
didn't you ever come to bed?"
"Emily couldn't sleep last night. She was afraid to be out here on the
sofa bed alone. And I didn't think you'd appreciate me bringing her to
bed with us. So, I stayed out here with her," Mulder explains.
"Fox, she's a big girl now. And I thought this trip was the start of
something new for us. You've been so distant since your accident. I
haven't said anything before because I wanted to give you time. But
I'm starting to get awfully lonely in that bed of ours. The one you
haven't slept in since you woke up last month." She says the last part
louder than she realized and they both look over her shoulder to make
sure she hadn't woken Emily up.
"I realize that, Diana. And I'm sorry. But you're still a stranger to
me. And what kind of husband would I be if I could sleep with
strangers so easily?"
"But Fox . . ."
"Listen, just give me some more time, okay? And I promise, the next
trip we take will just be the two of us," he lied.
"You mean it, Fox?" She runs over to hug him, but is beaten to him by
Emily who has just woken up. Mulder sighs in relief that his arms now
held his daughter instead of Diana. But he didn't know how much longer
he could hold her off. He just hoped he wouldn't actually have to take
this trip with her. Once Emily is safely with her mother . . . with
Dana . . then he'd be able to take care of things with Diana and join
them. But everything depended on things at the zoo today. He said a
quick prayer that Emily's escape goes smoothly, because it all depended
on that.
"I'm going to go take a shower," Diana says, glaring at Emily and
causing the little girl to bury herself deeper in Mulder's embrace.
Diana sighs impatiently and turns to leave. Moments later, they hear
the shower start.
"It's almost over, Princess," Mulder whispers in Emily's ear. "Are you
sure you can do this?"
"I'm scared, Daddy," she confesses. "What's Diana going to do to you
when I'm gone? I don't want her to hurt you."
"And I don't want her to hurt you anymore than she has already. That's
why we have to do this now. Just think of it this way. Pretty soon,
you're going to be with your mom. She loves you, Squirt. And she'll
take care of you."
"But I want you to take care of me. I'm going to miss you, Daddy," she
cries.
"I know, Baby," Mulder says, barely able to hold back his own tears.
"I'm going to miss you, too. That's why I'm going to do whatever it
takes to get back to you."
To be continued . . .