Scully woke up alone in the wide bed. Through the open door, she could hear the strange noises and imprecations coming from the kitchen. She laughed quietly to herself. God, he was making breakfast!
She lay back and stared at the mirror over her head. No wonder Mulder slept on the couch so often.
She imagined him lying there alone, night after night, staring at his own face in the mirror and it pained her. Then the image of Mulder staring past someone's face into the reflection of that someone's back in the mirror came to her, and she quickly got up.
She was walking out of the room when she caught a glimpse of herself in another mirror and decided she should probably get dressed first. She got into her jeans and T-shirt, leaving behind both the shoes and the cardigan she had wore the previous night.
The cold kitchen floor tingled her feet. She stood there for a moment, enjoying the feeling. Mulder had his back to her, so she couldn't see what he was doing. He too was barefoot, and he was wearing an old T-shirt and shorts.
"Can I help?"
He turned around, a pot full of water in his hands. "You can slice some cheese, if you want."
She took the cheese out of the fridge, and somehow managed to find a knife atop the kitchen table. Mulder poured the water into the coffee machine, then sat down in front of her, watching her.
"Are you going to tell me what happened last night?" he asked.
"I thought you weren't going to ask." She laid down the knife. "Do you think these are enough?"
He stood up and walked around the table. "Yes, and don't change the subject." He smiled wryly as he whispered in her ear. "I'm assuming you didn't come here to play doctor."
Scully smiled back, picking up the knife again. "Why? Is there something you'd like me to excise?"
He grimaced, and pretended to put a safe distance between the two of them. So, you trust me enough to come into my bed in the middle of the night, but not to tell me what prompt you to it."
"I didn't feel like being alone last night, that's all."
"Nightmares again?"
She nodded, munching on a slice of cheese.
"More memories of your abduction?" he asked.
"I wish you wouldn't call it that. And no. I was dreaming of Emily." She opened the cupboard and took down two mugs that remarkably were just where they were supposed to be. "And you: Can I have some coffee now? Please?"
He took the mugs and set them down by the coffee machine. "Not done yet."
He held her hands. "You can't lose Emily anymore. And I'm not going anywhere."
She looked at him. "I know that. What do you think the nightmare was about?"
Out in the living room, the phone started ringing. "Remind me to get back at you for that one," Mulder said, walking out of the kitchen.
Scully poured coffee into the mugs and followed him into the living room. "Yes, I'll tell her," he was saying into the phone, and something about his tone made her feel uneasy.
He hung up and looked at her. "That was Skinner."
"We have a new case?"
"Not exactly." He took a deep breath. "A child was left in one of the Child Services centers here in Washington. It seems like she hasn't been speaking, so they couldn't get any information out of her."
She sat down. "What does that have to do with us?"
"Apparently, she looks just like Emily."
"No!" She stood up, walking into the bedroom. Sitting on the bed, she started putting on her shoes. "Emily is dead."
"Dana - "
"Don't you Dana me. My daughter is dead, Mulder, we both saw it."
He sat down next to her. "Did we? The truth is, her body disappeared. And they took all of your ova, this child could always be a twin, ... or a clone."
"And she could be ill, dying, just like Emily."
She stood up and leaned against one of the bed poles. He held her hand, rubbing it slightly. "We won't know until we see her."
Scully shook her head. "I can't bear going through it all again, Mulder, I can't."
He stood up and made her look at him. "And can you bear not knowing?"
She lay back and stared at the mirror over her head. No wonder Mulder slept on the couch so often.
She imagined him lying there alone, night after night, staring at his own face in the mirror and it pained her. Then the image of Mulder staring past someone's face into the reflection of that someone's back in the mirror came to her, and she quickly got up.
She was walking out of the room when she caught a glimpse of herself in another mirror and decided she should probably get dressed first. She got into her jeans and T-shirt, leaving behind both the shoes and the cardigan she had wore the previous night.
The cold kitchen floor tingled her feet. She stood there for a moment, enjoying the feeling. Mulder had his back to her, so she couldn't see what he was doing. He too was barefoot, and he was wearing an old T-shirt and shorts.
"Can I help?"
He turned around, a pot full of water in his hands. "You can slice some cheese, if you want."
She took the cheese out of the fridge, and somehow managed to find a knife atop the kitchen table. Mulder poured the water into the coffee machine, then sat down in front of her, watching her.
"Are you going to tell me what happened last night?" he asked.
"I thought you weren't going to ask." She laid down the knife. "Do you think these are enough?"
He stood up and walked around the table. "Yes, and don't change the subject." He smiled wryly as he whispered in her ear. "I'm assuming you didn't come here to play doctor."
Scully smiled back, picking up the knife again. "Why? Is there something you'd like me to excise?"
He grimaced, and pretended to put a safe distance between the two of them. So, you trust me enough to come into my bed in the middle of the night, but not to tell me what prompt you to it."
"I didn't feel like being alone last night, that's all."
"Nightmares again?"
She nodded, munching on a slice of cheese.
"More memories of your abduction?" he asked.
"I wish you wouldn't call it that. And no. I was dreaming of Emily." She opened the cupboard and took down two mugs that remarkably were just where they were supposed to be. "And you: Can I have some coffee now? Please?"
He took the mugs and set them down by the coffee machine. "Not done yet."
He held her hands. "You can't lose Emily anymore. And I'm not going anywhere."
She looked at him. "I know that. What do you think the nightmare was about?"
Out in the living room, the phone started ringing. "Remind me to get back at you for that one," Mulder said, walking out of the kitchen.
Scully poured coffee into the mugs and followed him into the living room. "Yes, I'll tell her," he was saying into the phone, and something about his tone made her feel uneasy.
He hung up and looked at her. "That was Skinner."
"We have a new case?"
"Not exactly." He took a deep breath. "A child was left in one of the Child Services centers here in Washington. It seems like she hasn't been speaking, so they couldn't get any information out of her."
She sat down. "What does that have to do with us?"
"Apparently, she looks just like Emily."
"No!" She stood up, walking into the bedroom. Sitting on the bed, she started putting on her shoes. "Emily is dead."
"Dana - "
"Don't you Dana me. My daughter is dead, Mulder, we both saw it."
He sat down next to her. "Did we? The truth is, her body disappeared. And they took all of your ova, this child could always be a twin, ... or a clone."
"And she could be ill, dying, just like Emily."
She stood up and leaned against one of the bed poles. He held her hand, rubbing it slightly. "We won't know until we see her."
Scully shook her head. "I can't bear going through it all again, Mulder, I can't."
He stood up and made her look at him. "And can you bear not knowing?"