Bridging The Gap Part Two
By Katie Phillips
Disclaimer Info in Part One
"None of this is your fault Dana. I want you to know that." Spender took a long drag and blew the smoke out over her head.
"Forgive me for not putting much validity into your opinion." Scully refused to look at him choosing instead to stare out onto the water.
"Cobra would have died even if you hadn't taken me up on my kind invitation. His death had been carefully planned, as was yours."
Mulder comment about wondering why she was still alive popped into her head. Scully looked up at Spender. "Then why am I still here?"
Spender smiled at her and took another drag before answering. "I thought I made that clear to you Dana. You have always held a special place in my heart."
Scully snorted at this comment. "Yet, you have no problem using me to get the information you wanted and drive a wedge between me and my partner."
Spender sat down next to Scully who was surprised by the sight of his bare feet. He lowered them into the water next to hers grimacing ever-so- slightly. "The water's colder than I expected. Don't take Fox's grumbling too seriously Dana. He is like his father that way. I don't like loosing control of a situation either."
Scully glared at him. "I'm not his to control."
"No you're not, and I'm sure Fox knows that. Keep in mind Dana, that Fox has lost everyone in his family, except me. He is scared to death about loosing you too."
"And you use that fear to your advantage."
Spender simply shrugged and tossed his cigarette butt into the water. "You're his Achilles' heel Dana. He will sacrifice anything, even his love for you, to make sure you're safe." He pulled another cigarette out and lit it. "Can you handle that responsibility Dana?"
Scully wanted to throw his words back in his face but couldn't. They held too much truth. Mulder would sacrifice everything for her, including their relationship. The question was whether or not it was worth it. "Why are you here Spender?"
"I wanted to help you and to tell you the truth about the diskette."
Scully laughed at this. "I already know the truth about the diskette and I don't believe I need any more of your help."
Spender looked at her a long time before slowly standing up. "I'm sure Mulder told you that I used you to get the diskette and he was right. I did and to be honest with you Dana, I'm not sorry about that in the least." Scully said nothing but stared out onto the lake her chest heaving as she tried to contain her anger.
"I was going to use the diskette to save myself and increase my power over others. Unfortunately, for me, I couldn't go through with it. I apparently spent too much time with you Dana for I threw the diskette into the lake."
Scully looked up at him trying to read his face. It was hidden in shadows. "On your bed, you will find the tapes you went to such great lengths to record."
"How did you get them?"
"By the killing the man sent to kill Cobra, and you." He took another long drag of his cigarette. "I have also recorded tonight's conversation. That, along with the other tapes, should be enough to convince your partner that your motives were justified." Spender turned and began walking towards the shore. He stopped at the sound of Scully's voice.
"Why?"
"There may be a time when I have no choice but to destroy you Dana. Now is not one of them, you still have time to walk away."
XXX
Langley turned off the television and threw the remote across the room. Another Sunday afternoon wasted watching the Redskins get clobbered. He must be a glutton for punishment to keep watching week after week. He rose from his chair prepared to raid the kitchen when he heard a knock on the door.
He glanced at the two other Gunmen who shrugged from behind their computers. None of them were expecting company. The knock came again this time accompanied by the sound of Mulder's voice demanding entrance.
Frohike rose from his chair and systematically unlocked the door and opened it. "Hi Mulder, come on in." Mulder smiled weakly at Frohike and the other Gunmen.
"What brings you here Mulder, I thought this was your big weekend away with Scully." Byers asked looking up briefly from his computer screen.
"The trip has been postponed...indefinitely." Mulder said throwing himself into a chair.
Langley reappeared from the kitchen holding two beers. He silently handed one to Mulder before opening the other for himself. "How come, you've been talking about this weekend for two weeks?"
Mulder glared at Langley over his beer bottle as he took a long drink. "You've got to be joking Langley. You expect me to go off with her after what she did to me?"
Frohike walked over and sat down in the chair directly across from Mulder. "Are you still mad about that?" Mulder answered him with a glare. "Come on Mulder, she made a mistake. Anyone can make a mistake."
"Her 'mistake' could have killed her." He slumped lower in his chair. He had come here expecting the Gunmen to sympathize with him not take Scully's side. "Besides, she hasn't apologized yet or explained why she did it."
Frohike looked confused. "You guys talked after you checked out the Smoking Man's offices, didn't you?"
Mulder shook his head. "I left her at the office building and haven't spoken to her since."
Frohike stared at his friend and shook his head. "Are you sure you're not just mad at her because she pulled a 'Mulder' on you?"
"A Mulder? What's that supposed to mean?" Mulder looked from one Gunman to another.
"A Mulder" Langley explained "is when someone disappears without a trace leaving everyone to wonder if he will come home in one piece or in a body bag."
"You specialize in them." Byers added. "Or have you forgotten how many times you ditched Scully only to have her save your sorry-ass?"
Frohike raised an eyebrow at Mulder. "I bet she never demanded an apology from you or pouted the way you are now." Mulder began to feel quite defensive. "Even when you refused to trust her when it came to Diana."
"And we all know how that turned out." Langley added handing Mulder another beer. "She blew every cent of her savings and all her vacation time running around Africa trying to save you."
Frohike spoke quietly feeling sorry for his friend. "Mulder, I've known Scully for a long, long, time and not once during all that time did I see her look as hurt as she did the other night when you refused to acknowledge her."
"I know you were mad, and are still mad, but did it ever occur to you that perhaps Scully needed some comfort that night too." Byers had shut down his computer and now stood behind Mulder. "Mulder, for years we have heard you cry into your beer about how much you needed Scully, wanted Scully, loved Scully. Why are you bent on destroying what has taken you so long to achieve?"
"Because I'm a self-destructive, self-centered son of a bitch?" Mulder sighed.
"That you are Mulder, but we still love you." Langley joked.
"More importantly, so does Scully." Frohike picked up a phone sitting on the table next to him and handed it to Mulder. "Call her, Mulder. Now."
"I can't." Mulder muttered even as he reached for the phone. He dialed Scully's number and was almost relieved when her answering machine picked up. Leaving no message, he hung up the phone. "She must be at her mother's. I'll talk to her tomorrow at work."
All three Gunmen looked at him suspiciously. "I promise."
"None of this is your fault Dana. I want you to know that." Spender took a long drag and blew the smoke out over her head.
"Forgive me for not putting much validity into your opinion." Scully refused to look at him choosing instead to stare out onto the water.
"Cobra would have died even if you hadn't taken me up on my kind invitation. His death had been carefully planned, as was yours."
Mulder comment about wondering why she was still alive popped into her head. Scully looked up at Spender. "Then why am I still here?"
Spender smiled at her and took another drag before answering. "I thought I made that clear to you Dana. You have always held a special place in my heart."
Scully snorted at this comment. "Yet, you have no problem using me to get the information you wanted and drive a wedge between me and my partner."
Spender sat down next to Scully who was surprised by the sight of his bare feet. He lowered them into the water next to hers grimacing ever-so- slightly. "The water's colder than I expected. Don't take Fox's grumbling too seriously Dana. He is like his father that way. I don't like loosing control of a situation either."
Scully glared at him. "I'm not his to control."
"No you're not, and I'm sure Fox knows that. Keep in mind Dana, that Fox has lost everyone in his family, except me. He is scared to death about loosing you too."
"And you use that fear to your advantage."
Spender simply shrugged and tossed his cigarette butt into the water. "You're his Achilles' heel Dana. He will sacrifice anything, even his love for you, to make sure you're safe." He pulled another cigarette out and lit it. "Can you handle that responsibility Dana?"
Scully wanted to throw his words back in his face but couldn't. They held too much truth. Mulder would sacrifice everything for her, including their relationship. The question was whether or not it was worth it. "Why are you here Spender?"
"I wanted to help you and to tell you the truth about the diskette."
Scully laughed at this. "I already know the truth about the diskette and I don't believe I need any more of your help."
Spender looked at her a long time before slowly standing up. "I'm sure Mulder told you that I used you to get the diskette and he was right. I did and to be honest with you Dana, I'm not sorry about that in the least." Scully said nothing but stared out onto the lake her chest heaving as she tried to contain her anger.
"I was going to use the diskette to save myself and increase my power over others. Unfortunately, for me, I couldn't go through with it. I apparently spent too much time with you Dana for I threw the diskette into the lake."
Scully looked up at him trying to read his face. It was hidden in shadows. "On your bed, you will find the tapes you went to such great lengths to record."
"How did you get them?"
"By the killing the man sent to kill Cobra, and you." He took another long drag of his cigarette. "I have also recorded tonight's conversation. That, along with the other tapes, should be enough to convince your partner that your motives were justified." Spender turned and began walking towards the shore. He stopped at the sound of Scully's voice.
"Why?"
"There may be a time when I have no choice but to destroy you Dana. Now is not one of them, you still have time to walk away."
XXX
Langley turned off the television and threw the remote across the room. Another Sunday afternoon wasted watching the Redskins get clobbered. He must be a glutton for punishment to keep watching week after week. He rose from his chair prepared to raid the kitchen when he heard a knock on the door.
He glanced at the two other Gunmen who shrugged from behind their computers. None of them were expecting company. The knock came again this time accompanied by the sound of Mulder's voice demanding entrance.
Frohike rose from his chair and systematically unlocked the door and opened it. "Hi Mulder, come on in." Mulder smiled weakly at Frohike and the other Gunmen.
"What brings you here Mulder, I thought this was your big weekend away with Scully." Byers asked looking up briefly from his computer screen.
"The trip has been postponed...indefinitely." Mulder said throwing himself into a chair.
Langley reappeared from the kitchen holding two beers. He silently handed one to Mulder before opening the other for himself. "How come, you've been talking about this weekend for two weeks?"
Mulder glared at Langley over his beer bottle as he took a long drink. "You've got to be joking Langley. You expect me to go off with her after what she did to me?"
Frohike walked over and sat down in the chair directly across from Mulder. "Are you still mad about that?" Mulder answered him with a glare. "Come on Mulder, she made a mistake. Anyone can make a mistake."
"Her 'mistake' could have killed her." He slumped lower in his chair. He had come here expecting the Gunmen to sympathize with him not take Scully's side. "Besides, she hasn't apologized yet or explained why she did it."
Frohike looked confused. "You guys talked after you checked out the Smoking Man's offices, didn't you?"
Mulder shook his head. "I left her at the office building and haven't spoken to her since."
Frohike stared at his friend and shook his head. "Are you sure you're not just mad at her because she pulled a 'Mulder' on you?"
"A Mulder? What's that supposed to mean?" Mulder looked from one Gunman to another.
"A Mulder" Langley explained "is when someone disappears without a trace leaving everyone to wonder if he will come home in one piece or in a body bag."
"You specialize in them." Byers added. "Or have you forgotten how many times you ditched Scully only to have her save your sorry-ass?"
Frohike raised an eyebrow at Mulder. "I bet she never demanded an apology from you or pouted the way you are now." Mulder began to feel quite defensive. "Even when you refused to trust her when it came to Diana."
"And we all know how that turned out." Langley added handing Mulder another beer. "She blew every cent of her savings and all her vacation time running around Africa trying to save you."
Frohike spoke quietly feeling sorry for his friend. "Mulder, I've known Scully for a long, long, time and not once during all that time did I see her look as hurt as she did the other night when you refused to acknowledge her."
"I know you were mad, and are still mad, but did it ever occur to you that perhaps Scully needed some comfort that night too." Byers had shut down his computer and now stood behind Mulder. "Mulder, for years we have heard you cry into your beer about how much you needed Scully, wanted Scully, loved Scully. Why are you bent on destroying what has taken you so long to achieve?"
"Because I'm a self-destructive, self-centered son of a bitch?" Mulder sighed.
"That you are Mulder, but we still love you." Langley joked.
"More importantly, so does Scully." Frohike picked up a phone sitting on the table next to him and handed it to Mulder. "Call her, Mulder. Now."
"I can't." Mulder muttered even as he reached for the phone. He dialed Scully's number and was almost relieved when her answering machine picked up. Leaving no message, he hung up the phone. "She must be at her mother's. I'll talk to her tomorrow at work."
All three Gunmen looked at him suspiciously. "I promise."