41.

Washington Memorial Hospital

Cafeteria

12noon

Mulder stared down into his cup watching the milk swirl around as he stirred it with a spoon. Scully was out cold when he and the Gunmen had left her ward. Mulder hadn't been to see her since she collapsed in his arms. He couldn't take it. She didn't love him anymore. There would be no more Mulder 'n' Scully together, as one, a united front. Now it would be Mulder and Scully, separate lives, separate home and separate beds! Not that it was important where he slept just as long as she was nearby.

Mulder focused in and out of the Gunmen's conversation. He really ought to ask how they were here when their graves where in the National Cemetery. Without thinking he blurted the question out to them. He was still heartbroken but maybe this would take his mind from it.

"It was all Scully's doing." Frohike said, "Somehow she managed to get us quarantined in a Government facility." Mulder looked up at the trio.

"She ran all these tests and figured out that by using an anti-viral air supply we were ok. It was really strange. We were a hairs breadth from death and she saved our asses." Langley cut in, "I don't know what was in the air supply she got them to put down the vents but it worked. We were like dying through having the air supply cut off and then the virus broke out of the body and swamped us. We seriously thought we were dead!"

"It was a anti-biotic of nature that, after finding out the viral strain from Yves, Scully was able to create in a lab under the strictest time frame. That woman is a whiz with a microscope and chemicals… Mulder are you okay? She will be okay, you know." Byers commented.

"I know, Byers, but it's not her I'm upset for. It's me, you heard her. 'Its over' she said. We agreed that she would tell me as soon as she knew what she felt. That was instant and I had hoped she would still love me. She doesn't." Pushing his chair out from under him Mulder stood and with the shake of his head he left the hospital. He couldn't take this, he had prepared for the hurt but this was like she had cut right into his heart. It hurt more than anything in his life. People said that love could tear you apart and they were right. Jumping into the car he headed for Ocean city. He needed somewhere he could think. Someplace where all he could see were the waves and motion of the water.

*Back at the hospital*

Scully awoke to the dull throbbing from her neck. It had been awful. How could the extracting of tiny pieces of metal cause so much pain? There were bruises to her shoulders where Byers had pushed hard against her in order to extract the pieces of metal. Scully couldn't decide what hurt the most the bruises or her neck. It was a close call. She needed to see Mulder to discuss the future and what was going to happen but the nurse said he had gone. No one knew where, even the Gunmen, were in the dark about this. Something was very wrong. Everything was numb. She couldn't focus upon the last moments of the chip removal. She recalled saying something but not what. The pain was too intense for words. How could she forget the most important words she had said to Mulder? She knew, from his disappearance, that she had hurt him more than she was hurting. It was like those words had thrown away everything they both held dear in each other. The security, the friendship, the faith, everything was gone with the mutterings of a few pain fraught words.

Fighting the overwhelming emotions that were building within her, Scully glanced at the doorway. Standing there was her Mother. Seeing her after three months made her let go of the tears. Her Mom came over to her and they hugged for the longest time.

"Fox rang me."

"Where is he Mom?"

"I don't know. He just said that he needed to think. I'm sure he will be back."

* Ocean city*

Mulder stared out at the ocean from his cliff top view. It was a beautiful day. How could everything be perfect outside when on the inside he felt numb. Ok, that wasn't strictly true. He felt awful. He loved her so much and they had gambled their happiness together and lost it in the grand game of cat and mouse. Mulder knew he had promised Scully he would win her back but how could he? She never really loved him so how could he make her now?  She was this tiny, feisty, strong and independent woman who was level headed in every way whereas he was completely off the wall, some might say crazy. They were the complete polar opposites to one another.

'Opposites attract' he mused. He knew that was true for magnets but for human beings it was so much more complicated.

Standing up he walked to the cliff edge and leant upon a pay-to-view telescope. He watched the boats cut through the soft waves like a hot knife through butter. Glancing at the boats on display, his gaze was caught by one that looked just off the shore. Its sails were open to the wind, its boat number plastered across the sail DKS-1964.

Mulder did a double take, as he saw that on board was someone who looked just like Scully. Mulder rifled through his pockets for a quarter to place in the telescope. Pulling it around he squinted into the metal tube. Finding the boat he eased the telescope down a fraction to see the girl on board. Her hair was the same as Scully's but nothing else. Was it a mere coincidence that the boat should have Scully's initials, her birth year and a potential look-alike onboard when he had lost her for good? Shaking his head he focused in on the girl. Her hair didn't look natural to her skin tone. Not a natural redhead by any means. It wasn't hard to tear his eyes away from the girl. Moving the telescope a little more he caught the name of the boat in his viewfinder.

"Dana's Destiny" it spoke volumes. Not waiting any more he ran to the car and headed for where he should have been all along… he was going to fight for the woman he loved more than life itself AND make her love him back. Even if it took the rest of his life to succeed, he would win back Scully's heart.

Memorial Hospital, three hours later.

Mulder has been pacing the hall for about a half hour now. He repeated the speech to himself, over and again just to make sure it sounded perfect. This was his big moment. It terrified him. He could blow everything in a few seconds if he wasn't careful. Looking through the glass he saw Scully sleeping peacefully. She deserved that after the events of the day. He figured, right then, that she had lost just as much as him if not more. In the moment that last piece of the chip was removed, Scully had lost the love of her life and had to accept that someone she did not love had fathered her children. This ultimately meant she had never loved him. Scully had always said that having a child out of wedlock did not matter to her because she loved him. That was enough for her because love consummated their relationship. God, in essence, had allowed her that love and the child. Now it was a few nights of unprotected lust that had caused the conception.

Slowly he pushed the door open. He wasn't surprised that Scully turned her head on the pillow and looked at him. Her face looked tear stained. The emotions he had gone through that day were enough to cause a lump in his own throat.

Scully struggled to sit up. She still felt weak from the surgery but made the effort for him. She still wanted to know what she had said to make him run away from her, especially after the promise. Had he felt he was now off the hook that he could just walk out of her life because of her words? She smiled awkwardly as he stood by her bed. She stared for the longest time at her hands, neither spoke.

"D - Scully. We really need to talk about what happened, don't we?" she nodded, not looking at him. Looking at her demeanour, Mulder, figured why she couldn't look at him. The catholic girl had turned bad because of him. He had led her quite literally into temptation. "How are you feeling now?"

"The pain is easing a little. I guess the energy running through those chips usurped my own."

"I guess."

"What is it Mulder?" she had used the name… the one which meant everything had changed "you look… like you've lost a dollar and found a quarter."

He smiled at her. She had described his feelings exactly to a tee.

"What you said… Before… I mean what you made me promise… did you mean it back then?"

"I did."

"And now?"

"I don't know. The realisation has hit me hard. I don't know what to think."

"I've done some thinking of my own. I can't just throw away what we had… You mean too much to me for that!" she looked up in to his face. He took her cold, trembling hands in his, they both felt the spark between them but chose to ignore it.

"You don't have to do this."

"Yes, I do. Until I met you I had nothing, absolutely nothing. You walked through that office door and changed my world, for the better. My life had meaning, if only to prove your damn science wrong! God knows when my feelings for you changed and I was too dumb or too work-obsessed to even notice. But you did… I know you did… I fell hook, line and sinker in love with you that has not changed and it never will."

"Mulder… please… listen to me."

"No" he raised his hand to stop her speaking "For once in your life you will listen to me! You may not be in love with me right now but I cannot forget what we had. It was special, Dana. We can have it again if you just let me back into your heart. You remember what we had. It will be like that again! I swear to you on my life. I will spend my every waking breath making you happy. Right now, I don't care if you have another man in between us but you WILL come back to me. It's our destiny. Fate drew us together and I'm going to make you mine again." Pausing momentarily Mulder looked at the tears welling in her eyes.

"Please…" Scully didn't want to hear any more.

"I have to say this whilst I have the courage… You complete me! Ok, so I stole that from Jerry Maguire, but it is true. With every beat of my heart I belong to you and you alone. I couldn't love anyone with half as much passion, faith and never-ending trust as I do you. I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying here by your side until I die. Wherever you go in the world I'll be trailing behind you. Whom ever you choose to date. I'll be waiting in the wings for it to fall apart until you realise I'm who you want. Believe me, you are going to realise it. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow but someday and I'm going to be there waiting until you are ready." Scully was smiling at him. His face had been so serious that she couldn't help it. Mulder was so forceful with his words she couldn't keep the smile from spreading. "What?" he asked concerned for her smile his hands releasing hers.

"So… I can date anyone I want to?"

"Within reason, we have a daughter to consider." Scully nodded to this.

"Would Walter be acceptable or John?"

"Definitely not!"

"Why? Walter is a good man…" Mulder broke off her sentence

"He's far too old for you!"

"John… then."

"No! He's just… well he is just not acceptable!" Mulder growled feeling hurt she even thought John Doggett as remotely attractive!

"Mulder… " Scully said softly, "GOTCHA!" Mulder looked at Scully's face and seeing her smile he took her face into his hands and kissed her hard on the lips. He couldn't believe she had let him make that speech knowing full well how she really felt. Then again, it was Scully! It had made him realise exactly what she meant to him.