Back In Mulder's Living Room
"Oh it must've been those boxes I have stacked up to the ceiling," Mulder said responding to Scully's question regarding the noise that had come from behind his bedroom door.
"Oh," Scully replied softly as Mulder held up two identical cell phones.
"Pick the right one and win a prize," he said forcing a smile. Smiling weakly, Scully pointed to the phone in Mulder's left hand. "Wow, you're good."
"Well I'd better get going. Thanks for finding my phone," Scully said heading for the door. She knew that if she stayed a moment longer, was forced to look into Mulder's eyes for more than a second more, she wouldn't be able to control the tears she could feel brewing inside.
"Scully, wait," Mulder exclaimed, almost too passionately for his usually low-key demeanor. As Scully turned to face him, Mulder took a deep breath. He silently coached himself not to get mad or say anything that would make her mad, just to address this issue like any civilized, rational adult would.
"Why are you leaving me?" Mulder blurted out mentally kicking himself for such a sophomoric question.
Feeling as if she had been punched in the stomach, Scully stared at her partner, "Mulder, that's not fair..."
"Fair?" Mulder said disregarding his previous idea of addressing the issue like a rational adult. "Is it fair that I have to spend the entire week trying to figure out what the hell is bothering you, only to find out that you are leaving me?"
"I didn't know that being your partner required me to run every decision by you first," Scully said dryly.
"But you didn't even ask me what I thought," Mulder whined.
"Well forgive me for not consulting the all-knowing, all-seeing 8th wonder of the world that is Fox Mulder. Mr. King of the whole universe himself!" Scully spat. "Did it ever occur to you that I can make my own decisions Mulder? You know I'm not just your little sidekick who spouts out scientific fact at your beck and call."
Mulder was suddenly at a loss for words. How could Scully not realize how important was to the X-files, to him. Finally regaining his ability to speak, he asked, "Is that what you think you are to me?"
"At times," Scully answered barely loud enough for him to hear. The guilty look that appeared in Mulder's eyes was enough to break her heart into a thousand pieces, and Scully hated herself for wanting to leave...and even more for waiting to stay.
"Scully," Mulder said taking her hand as a clap of thunder outside signified the arrival of a storm that had been brewing all day. "I can't do this without you."
"You were managing just fine until I showed up. You said yourself that you work better alone," Scully said more harshly than she had intented to.
"I was teetering on the brink of total insanity," Mulder said taking a step closer to her as rain began rap softly against Mulder's window. "Then you appeared and brought me back to down earth. You brought balance back into my life, you evened me out, made me a whole person again."
"Mulder, you can't honestly believe I did all of those things for you," Scully said suddenly getting angry at him for trying to flatter her into staying.
"But I," Mulder began very hurt that Scully doubted the sincerity of his words.
"No you weren't and no I didn't," Scully hissed trying to fight back the tears that were once again welling up in her eyes.
"Look, I know you're upset about your father, and I repsect that, but you can't throw your life away just because it wasn't the life he wanted for you," Mulder snapped instantly regretting the statement when he saw the tears rolling down Scully's cheeks.
Feeling as if she's had all of the air knocked out of her, Scully stared at her partner, disregarding the tears that were now streaming down her cheek. She had promised herself that this career switch was not because of some deep-rooted issues with her late father, but now hearing it from Mulder, Scully knew that it had been the entire time. All at once feelings of loss, guilt, and remorse swept over her, but for some reason, the idea of letting Mulder see her cry was a terrifying thought.
"I..I think I should go," Scully said pulling away from Mulder's steady gaze and heading for the door as rain began to pour down in heavy sheets outside.
"Scully...Dana wait!" Mulder shouted as Scully opened the door.
As she turned back towards Mulder, shock at the use of first name, Scully realized that she wasn't the only one who was crying. A bolt of lightning caused the lights in Mulder's apartment to flicker, sending a chill through Scully's spin. It was almost as you could feel the electricity in the air.
"I don't want to tell you how to live your life because you don't need anyone else doing that," Mulder began.
"But that's exactly what you're doing Mulder, don't you realize that?" Scully said cutting him off.
"Well what the hell do you want me to do?" Mulder shouted. "Say well Scully it's been fun, but have a nice life?"
"Is that so much to ask?" Scully shouted back in order to be heard over the rain.
"Yes it is," Mulder answered practically sounding like a two year old during a temper tantrum. "I need you Scully."
"Will you quit being so damned irrational and act like an adult for once in your life?" Scully snapped as the lights flickered again.
"You want irrational?" Mulder shouted over a giantic clap of thunder. He placed his hands on his shoulders and stared into her blue eyes. "How about I can't live without you? How does that suit you? How about you are the only person that I would go to ends of the galaxy and back for? What about that?"
"Saying those things and meaning them are two totally different things Mulder," Scully said unable to break away from his gaze.
"So you're calling me a liar now," Mulder snapped staring harder at her.
"In a manner of speaking," Scully said glaring at him. "If you actually want to hear my opinion for once, I think you've gotten yourself so worked up that you don't know what you're saying anymore."
"Well let me tell you something Miss High and Mighty," Mulder began getting right up in her face.
"I hope your next partner is as understanding as I've been," Scully began at the same time looking up him.
As a bolt of lightning riveted through the air causing the light's in his apartment to go out, Mulder's lips met Scully's for a short but passionate kiss. In this brief moment it seemed that fate had smiled upon Fox Mulder, and he wanted this moment to last forever. When Scully ended the kiss and broke away from their embrace, Mulder softly whispered her name in the dark. His only response was the door slamming shut as the lights came back on.
**Meanwhile in Chapter 6B...**
"Oh it must've been those boxes I have stacked up to the ceiling," Mulder said responding to Scully's question regarding the noise that had come from behind his bedroom door.
"Oh," Scully replied softly as Mulder held up two identical cell phones.
"Pick the right one and win a prize," he said forcing a smile. Smiling weakly, Scully pointed to the phone in Mulder's left hand. "Wow, you're good."
"Well I'd better get going. Thanks for finding my phone," Scully said heading for the door. She knew that if she stayed a moment longer, was forced to look into Mulder's eyes for more than a second more, she wouldn't be able to control the tears she could feel brewing inside.
"Scully, wait," Mulder exclaimed, almost too passionately for his usually low-key demeanor. As Scully turned to face him, Mulder took a deep breath. He silently coached himself not to get mad or say anything that would make her mad, just to address this issue like any civilized, rational adult would.
"Why are you leaving me?" Mulder blurted out mentally kicking himself for such a sophomoric question.
Feeling as if she had been punched in the stomach, Scully stared at her partner, "Mulder, that's not fair..."
"Fair?" Mulder said disregarding his previous idea of addressing the issue like a rational adult. "Is it fair that I have to spend the entire week trying to figure out what the hell is bothering you, only to find out that you are leaving me?"
"I didn't know that being your partner required me to run every decision by you first," Scully said dryly.
"But you didn't even ask me what I thought," Mulder whined.
"Well forgive me for not consulting the all-knowing, all-seeing 8th wonder of the world that is Fox Mulder. Mr. King of the whole universe himself!" Scully spat. "Did it ever occur to you that I can make my own decisions Mulder? You know I'm not just your little sidekick who spouts out scientific fact at your beck and call."
Mulder was suddenly at a loss for words. How could Scully not realize how important was to the X-files, to him. Finally regaining his ability to speak, he asked, "Is that what you think you are to me?"
"At times," Scully answered barely loud enough for him to hear. The guilty look that appeared in Mulder's eyes was enough to break her heart into a thousand pieces, and Scully hated herself for wanting to leave...and even more for waiting to stay.
"Scully," Mulder said taking her hand as a clap of thunder outside signified the arrival of a storm that had been brewing all day. "I can't do this without you."
"You were managing just fine until I showed up. You said yourself that you work better alone," Scully said more harshly than she had intented to.
"I was teetering on the brink of total insanity," Mulder said taking a step closer to her as rain began rap softly against Mulder's window. "Then you appeared and brought me back to down earth. You brought balance back into my life, you evened me out, made me a whole person again."
"Mulder, you can't honestly believe I did all of those things for you," Scully said suddenly getting angry at him for trying to flatter her into staying.
"But I," Mulder began very hurt that Scully doubted the sincerity of his words.
"No you weren't and no I didn't," Scully hissed trying to fight back the tears that were once again welling up in her eyes.
"Look, I know you're upset about your father, and I repsect that, but you can't throw your life away just because it wasn't the life he wanted for you," Mulder snapped instantly regretting the statement when he saw the tears rolling down Scully's cheeks.
Feeling as if she's had all of the air knocked out of her, Scully stared at her partner, disregarding the tears that were now streaming down her cheek. She had promised herself that this career switch was not because of some deep-rooted issues with her late father, but now hearing it from Mulder, Scully knew that it had been the entire time. All at once feelings of loss, guilt, and remorse swept over her, but for some reason, the idea of letting Mulder see her cry was a terrifying thought.
"I..I think I should go," Scully said pulling away from Mulder's steady gaze and heading for the door as rain began to pour down in heavy sheets outside.
"Scully...Dana wait!" Mulder shouted as Scully opened the door.
As she turned back towards Mulder, shock at the use of first name, Scully realized that she wasn't the only one who was crying. A bolt of lightning caused the lights in Mulder's apartment to flicker, sending a chill through Scully's spin. It was almost as you could feel the electricity in the air.
"I don't want to tell you how to live your life because you don't need anyone else doing that," Mulder began.
"But that's exactly what you're doing Mulder, don't you realize that?" Scully said cutting him off.
"Well what the hell do you want me to do?" Mulder shouted. "Say well Scully it's been fun, but have a nice life?"
"Is that so much to ask?" Scully shouted back in order to be heard over the rain.
"Yes it is," Mulder answered practically sounding like a two year old during a temper tantrum. "I need you Scully."
"Will you quit being so damned irrational and act like an adult for once in your life?" Scully snapped as the lights flickered again.
"You want irrational?" Mulder shouted over a giantic clap of thunder. He placed his hands on his shoulders and stared into her blue eyes. "How about I can't live without you? How does that suit you? How about you are the only person that I would go to ends of the galaxy and back for? What about that?"
"Saying those things and meaning them are two totally different things Mulder," Scully said unable to break away from his gaze.
"So you're calling me a liar now," Mulder snapped staring harder at her.
"In a manner of speaking," Scully said glaring at him. "If you actually want to hear my opinion for once, I think you've gotten yourself so worked up that you don't know what you're saying anymore."
"Well let me tell you something Miss High and Mighty," Mulder began getting right up in her face.
"I hope your next partner is as understanding as I've been," Scully began at the same time looking up him.
As a bolt of lightning riveted through the air causing the light's in his apartment to go out, Mulder's lips met Scully's for a short but passionate kiss. In this brief moment it seemed that fate had smiled upon Fox Mulder, and he wanted this moment to last forever. When Scully ended the kiss and broke away from their embrace, Mulder softly whispered her name in the dark. His only response was the door slamming shut as the lights came back on.
**Meanwhile in Chapter 6B...**