Mulder sat at the table, staring at the bathroom door, waiting for Scully to finish getting ready, the hair dryer currently blowing mutedly. He ran a hand across his mouth as he sighed.
Last night she had woken from a bad dream, crying in his arms as he held her, trying to soothe her. She had shaken her head against his chest, crying harder when he had asked if she wanted to talk about it.
Her sleep after that had been fitful, murmuring his name and whimpering. He had tried to help calm her by gently tracing the worry lines that had ceased her forehead.
His own sleep had then been patchy as he had stirred nearly every time she had moved, wanting to make sure she was okay. When he had woken, early sunlight shining through the gap in the curtains, he had felt as though he had not slept.
Scully had still been sleeping, a tight grip on his shirt and her head on his shoulder. He had no idea what she had dreamed about. But if it had led to her clinging to him all night, it had to have been bad. Scully held her emotions close to the vest and it took quite a bit to break her down and leave her vulnerable.
Sighing, he realized he desperately needed to use the bathroom. Attempting to loosen her hand, she had stirred and hummed, shifting impossibly closer to him. Trying again, she had moved again with a whimper and he had stopped.
She had then drawn in a deep breath, pressing closer to him for a few seconds and then let go of his shirt as she had pulled back and he had frozen, not wanting to startle her.
Rising up, she had stared at him, breathing hard before she had left the bed, looking back at him as she stepped into the bathroom.
Waiting until he had heard the sink running, he had then gotten up. Knowing she would be in there for a while, he had taken both room keys and quietly left to use her bathroom next door.
Now, he sat waiting to use the bathroom to brush his teeth and get ready for the day. The hair dryer stopped and he sat up straighter.
The door opened and she met his eyes briefly as she let out a deep breath and walked into the room; hair and makeup done, but still wearing her pajamas and his sweatshirt.
"Sorry for taking a long time."
"You didn't."
"Well…"
"Scully-"
"You need to get ready and I need to get dressed," she said, not looking at him.
"Scully-" he tried again, standing to his feet and drawing her attention.
"It was just a bad dream. I don't… it's not…"
"Hey…you're right. We need to get ready. How about we discuss this later? Maybe get some coffee first?" he suggested with a forced smile and she let out a breath. "Okay. I'll be out in a few minutes."
"You were accused of something. A crime of some kind," she said quietly as he passed her, pausing before the bathroom doorway.
"What?" he asked, turning to look at her.
"In my dream. You were… it was me they wanted, the one who deserved the punishment, but you told them it was you," she said, staring at the floor and shaking her head. "They took you and… led you to the gallows."
"Gallows?" he asked, frowning and taking a step closer to her.
"Yeah," she whispered with a nod.
"What happened?"
"I woke up before I saw, but…" she said, shrugging slightly and he took another step closer. "I'm sure it's because of the things we've been discussing and what I've been thinking about the past couple of days, imagining how life would have been over two years ago. It just felt so real."
She glanced at him quickly and then looked away, squaring her shoulders and nodding.
"It was irrational to be so upset, as it was just a dream, but I-"
"Scully," he said, close enough now to take her hand and squeeze it gently. "Considering where we are, all we've done and heard, it's understandable that you would have dreams of that nature. And that they would feel quite vivid."
"I know that," she said, trying to pull her hand away, not meeting his eyes.
"But," he continued, holding tighter to her hand and waiting for her to look at him. When she did, he saw tears shining in them and what he was going to say no longer seemed important. "Scully…"
He stepped closer and pulled her to him, closing his eyes as she remained stiff in his arms until finally she wrapped her arms around him.
They did not speak as they stood together, her occasional sniffling the only sound in the room for a few moments.
"It was just a dream," she repeated, sniffling once again.
"Hmm," he hummed, his lips pressed to the top of her head.
"But I couldn't save you. I couldn't…" She sobbed in a breath and he sighed deeply. "They wouldn't listen… you… you died for me." He held her tighter as she cried softly. "I felt powerless to do anything… just as I had when… when I couldn't find you. I was so worried that you…" She cried again and he sighed.
He did not remember much about being gone, aside from the dreamlike world he had been forced into. A life that went by far too fast, none of it making much sense.
But then Scully had been there, the person he had missed the most, speaking truths and waking him up. She had saved him, just as she always had, showing up just when he needed her.
"It was just a dream," he said to her, speaking softly, rubbing her back. "But that doesn't mean it wasn't also real."
"Mulder," she said, shaking her head.
"The worry you felt then, that was very real. Perhaps it's been lingering, even though everything was fine."
"Fine," she scoffed. "Your head was cut open and operated on. That's not fine."
"No. That was not fine," he agreed with a small smile. "But I am."
He pulled back and she looked up at him with wet eyes, her mascara smeared slightly. He placed his hand on her cheek and gently ran his thumb under her eye to wipe it away.
"It's a mess isn't it?" she asked, closing her eyes and exhaling deeply.
"No."
"Liar," she breathed, shaking her head and opening her eyes. He smiled as he ran his thumb under her eye again, her lashes wet.
"I'm not lying. It's not a mess. Although, a touch up may be in order," he said softly and she exhaled a short laugh through her nose.
"But you need to get ready," she whispered and he shook his head with a shrug.
"We can share the space again." She nodded, but neither of them moved.
With a sigh, he slid his hand down to her neck, stroking his thumb along her jaw. She stared up at him and he leaned forward, pressing a long gentle kiss to her forehead and then a short one to her temple. She hummed as she leaned into him and he smiled against her skin.
He pulled back and looked at her as she inhaled and exhaled, her fingernails lightly scratching his sides as she released her hold on him.
"You said something a few minutes ago about coffee?" she asked, changing the subject as she wiped under her eyes and licked her lips.
"Yeah. Coffee sounds great."
They shared the bathroom and as she left to get dressed, she grasped his hand, and met his eyes with a nod. He squeezed back before she shut the door behind her, affording her a few moments of privacy.
Ready aside from his shoes, he sat on the end of the bed, lacing his boots, when her phone rang and she picked it up with a frown.
"Scully. Sheriff Walker, is everything okay?" Her eyebrows shot up and her eyes widened as she looked at Mulder. "When? Where did they…? Okay. Yeah, we'll be right there. Bye."
"What?" he asked, standing to his feet.
"Trevor Jones was found this morning on the road leading out of the cemetery."
"Alive?"
"Yes."
They stared at one another and he nodded, picking up the keys and gesturing to the door.
"Let's go."
