Part 31
"Why are you doing this?", chokes Scully as her hair is pulled by Gina to get a better angle with the knife. "We haven't done anything to you. Please, Gina Mulder is going to *die* if you don't let me work on him."
"Thats the point of the poison, why interfere with fate?", asks Gina.
"Its not his fate to die here, now, like this", replies Scully blinking as she licks her lips. She looks over at Mulder and calculates in her mind how long he has been out.
"You're wrong Dana, or should I say Special Agent Dana Scully?", replies Gina. "Yeah, I know all about your little charade. You and Fox aren't married, you're FBI partners and you work in the field as much as he does."
"How did you......", starts Scully.
"Find out?", replies Gina with a laugh. "You shouldn't leave your badge lying around. The renewal date was for 98' and it had Scully on it, not Mulder. You obviously made it sound like you've been married for ages and when Dave told me how Fox told him how you two met, I knew it was a lie. You yourself told me a completely different story. So tell me, why did you do it? Why come here and pretend to be your partner's wife?"
"For the same reason that you're doing it", replies Scully. "To satisfy a bet."
"Yeah, the bet", laughs Gina. "You know something? Dave and I aren't even engaged."
"I don't find that surprising", replies Scully struggling.
"Don't move around there too much Dana, or I'll slit you from ear to ear. You see I've learned a lot tricks in my line of work."
"What do you want from me?", asks Scully. "Just let me call Mulder an ambulance, I'll stay with you. I'll do whatever it is you want. Just let me take care of him."
"Thats the whole point Dana, I want what you have. I want the love and devotion of a man that isn't just after my body. Someone who respects my mind and my opinions and would pluck a star from the sky if I said I wanted one. You have that and I never will."
"You could have anything you want Gina, but this isn't the way. Killing Mulder isn't the way", says Scully. Negotiating with her captor isn't doing any good and she knows that time is running out for Mulder.
"Men have always used me", says Gina. "One day I just got fed up and decided that I wanted to get even. Alan was the first, then Brett and well then I got propositioned by Dave to come on this trip. See I was paid to play the part of his fiancee. I'm always paid to do what men want me to do, but this time I wasn't required to perform in the bedroom. Surprised Dana?"
"You're a prostitute", replies Scully flatly. "Dave hired a prostitute to pretend to be his fiancee, while my best friend recruited me."
"Ah, you've got it now. I thought it would be the perfect cover. Go to a little reunion on the Vineyard and thats where I met Craig. Craig was a sweet guy, but he fell into my order and well, the rest is history. Dave should have been next, but I needed him to pay me, so I decided he could live for a while. Eric and Edmund decided not to show up for the reunion so I decided Hank Edwards would do. And then theres Fox, Fox Mulder should be dead by now. I guess I'll have to do you in too before I go rendezvous with Greg", laughs Gina.
"You're a serial killer and you're picking your victims randomly by their names. You're going to kill alphabetically aren't you."
"You are smart aren't you?", says Gina forcing Scully to her feet.
"You aren't going to get away with this", says Scully. "If he dies, so help me God I'll make you pay. Even if I have to come back from the grave myself to do it."
"You won't have to, because I will", replies a male voice from behind Gina. Gina turns still holding onto Scully.
"Dave, you're feeling better", replies Gina as she eyes Scully's gun in Dave's hand.
"Yeah, after that drug wore off and I untied myself", replies Dave eyeing the knife in her hand. His gaze shifts to Mulder on the floor behind them.
"Don't be stupid Dave", says Gina pressing the knife to Scully's neck. A thin pinpoint of blood forms.
"I was stupid, for hiring you to deceive my friend", replies Dave. "Ten grand ain't worth this. I heard what you said and I won't let you get away with this. Too many people have suffered because of me. I brought a rotten apple into the barrel and its time I threw it out in the garbage where it belongs." He starts to squeeze the trigger.
"You haven't got the guts", sneers Gina.
"Haven't I?", asks Dave as he pulls the trigger. Gina falls backwards as Scully grabs for her arm and pulls the knife out her hand. She watches as Gina slips to the ground. Not even bothering to check her injury she drops to Mulder's side. Dave rushes over.
"What can I do?", he asks as Scully starts CPR again.
"Call 911.........and pray", Scully says softly as she gives Mulder mouth to mouth for the second time that day. She only wishes he was faking it this time. She would gladly eat the whole bar of soap herself. Dave runs off to call 911.
Part 32
"How long has he been out?", asks an EMT dropping down next to Scully with his bag.
"About ten minutes", replies Scully panicked. "I've been administering CPR and mouth to mouth, but he isn't responding." She glances over her shoulder at the crowd that has formed behind her.
"Get the crashcart, now!", yells the EMT to his partner who runs off and within seconds returns with the paddles. He turns them on as he hands them to his partner who rips Mulder's shirt wide open and waits several seconds.
"Clear", yells the EMT adjusting a dial. The paddles are applied to Mulder's chest and a rush of electricity shoots through him. His body jolts, but theres no heartbeat."
"Do it again, damn it", yells Scully. The EMT's repeat the process twice more.
"Theres no use ma'am, he's too long gone", replies the EMT with the paddles.
"Give me those paddles", yells Scully shoving the EMT out of the way. She grabs the paddles. "Increase the voltage by twenty percent." The EMT's look at her questionably. "I'm a doctor, for God sakes. Now do what I told you to do, now!"
"Clear", replies the other EMT sympathetically looking at Scully. Scully administers the paddles and Mulder's body jolts again.
"Again!", replies Scully with tears running down her eyes.
"Clear", yells the EMT at the controls. He shakes his head at his partner who throws up his hands in helplessness.
It works this time and Mulder's heart starts up again. Scully throws the paddles aside and covers her face with her hands. The EMT's jump forward and cover his face with an oxygen mask. One of them gives him an injection as a the other readies the gurney. The two of them lift him onto the gurney. A second crew of EMT's run in at this time and start working on Gina. As Dave helps Scully to her feet she hears one of them say, "She's dead. Call the coroner."
"Come on Dana, I'll take you to the hospital", says Dave putting his arm around Scully.
"No, I'm going with him", replies Scully shrugging off Dave's arm. She runs to keep up with the side of the gurney holding Mulder's hand.
"Are you family ma'am?", asks one of the EMT's as they load Mulder into the ambulance.
Scully glances around at the numerous classmates of Mulder's including Dave. "Yes, I'm his wife", she replies as she is helped into the ambulance. The doors are slammed shut behind her and once everyone boards the vehicle pulls away from the curb with its siren and lights going.
Part 33
Once the ambulance arrives at the hospital Mulder is unloaded and immediately wheeled into the emergency room. Scully follows close behind, but is stopped from entering the ER door. "I have to be with him", insists Scully.
"I'm sorry ma'am, but you can't help him now", replies the attendant holding her by the arm.
"I'm his doctor! Let go of my arm before I break it", yells Scully wrenching her arm out of the man's grasp before she whisks by him. Once through the door Scully stops before she realizes what room they've taken Mulder into. Walking through the door she sees three doctors and two nurses working on him. One doctor turns around and sees Scully.
"Get her out of here!", he yells to a nurse.
"I'm a doctor", replies Scully walking up beside him. "This man has been poisoned. Whatever he ingested has killed several men and it gives the impression that the person had a heart attack."
"We'll pump his stomach and test the contents to find out what we're dealing with. The EMTs already injected him with a stimulant and I think he is out of the woods in regards to his heart. Theres only the matter of him waking up and from what the EMTs said he was out a good ten to fifteen minutes", says the lead doctor readying the equipment to pump Mulder's stomach. Scully bites her lip as she runs her hand through Mulder's hair.
"You don't know him like I do. He *will* wake up", replies Scully firmly.
******************************************************************
Scully sits staring blankly at the pages of the magazine she is holding as she sits next to Mulder's bedside in ICU. Every beep of the heart monitor causes a knot to form in her stomach. Tighter and tighter the knot becomes until she can't stand it any longer. She gets up and tosses the magazine on the chair. She starts pacing. Covering her face with her hands.
"Damn it Mulder, of all the cases we've been on I've never been this scared. You haven't found what you're looking for yet, we've got to many things to discover together for you to let it all end this way. You've got to wake up. Do you hear me Fox Mulder? I'm talking to you!" She walks up to the side of his bed and stares at her best friend's body stuck with tubes. Pulling up the chair beside the bed she holds his hand. Glancing down she plays with the gold band around his finger and wonders how Dave is going to take the news of Mulder's deception. From the news she had heard on the television Dave was now being questioned in the shooting. Hopefully he would be exonerated from any charges.
Pulling Mulder's hand to her lips she closes her eyes and thinks about all of the other times he had been in this situation before. An agent's life is complicated and these things happened, but you never expected to be poisoned. Tears stream down her face as she does the one thing that she knows she can do. Pray.
************************************************************************
Three hours later: 3 am
Scully wakes up with her face buried in the blanket of Mulder's bed as he thrashes around. She must have leaned forward and fallen asleep. Jumping up out of her chair she runs her hand along his cheek. "Mulder? Mulder, its me, its Scully."
Mulder's eyes blink a couple of times before he opens them. Squinting at her he turns his head and studies his surroundings.
"Mulder, how do you feel?", asks Scully relieved to see him awake.
"I feel awful, I think I had too much champagne Scully", replies Mulder rubbing his eyes with his hands.
"Mulder, you were drugged", says Scully. "Don't you remember? It was in the chocolate pie."
Mulder stares at her a moment before it sinking in. "Did you eat if?!"
"No, only yours was poisoned. We were right Mulder, it was Gina. She was a prostitute that was mad at the male race in general for her failures in life."
"She blamed me? What the hell did I ever do to her.............I did not have sex with that woman." He mimics the President's famous line.
"No, you didn't", says Scully trying not to laugh. "You unfortunately were a target because of your name."
"I knew my name wasn't something to be proud of, but that is a ridiculous reason for killing someone", replies Mulder weakly.
"She was a serial killer. She had killed someone with the names beginning with A, B, C, D, E, and you were F."
"I guess F can also stand for f*** you", replies Mulder.
"I'm glad you've got your sense of humor back", replies Scully. "Dave is going to need cheering up once he is done being questioned."
"Questioned? He didn't have anything to do with this or was he in on this? Man $10,000 does a lot to some people doesn't it?"
"No, he saved you Mulder. You were out and Gina had me by the neck with a knife. He shot and killed her to save us."
"I guess I really do *owe* him don't I?", says Mulder looking out into outer space.
"No, its *I* that owes him", replies Scully leaning down and kissing him on the lips.
Part 34
Two days later:
"Well, I see you're feeling much better", says Scully as she pushes open the door to Mulder's hospital room. Mulder is sitting up in bed and is taking notes on a notepad. He puts his finger to his lips and points at the tv. Scully looks up to the tv hanging from the ceiling to see a show on the Discovery Channel about UFOs. She rolls her eyes as she pulls up a chair. Ten minutes later the show has ended. Mulder flips his notebook shut and tosses it on the bedside table.
"Hey there Scully", he replies giving her a lazy smile.
"I didn't think you bothered to watch those shows Mulder. You always say that you know more than they do. That the same senseless material is used time and time again purely to gain ratings for their struggling networks", says Scully looking at him.
"I don't. I was just making a list of inconsistencies in their data", says Mulder pointing the remote at the tv and turning it off.
"And for what?", asks Scully raising an eyebrow.
"Well, so I can write them a letter and tell them they are nuts. They don't know what they're talking about. I mean I think I......we have experience with these things, don't ya think?", rambles on Mulder.
"Mulder", says Scully wearily.
"Well it is true Scully", says Mulder.
"Speaking of nuts", says Scully pulling a bag out of her suit jacket pocket. "I snuck these in. Don't get them in the sheets or your nurse will run me through." She tosses him a bag of sunflower seeds.
"Scully, you're the best", says Mulder ripping open the bag with his teeth. "And speaking of my nurse Agnes from hell, when am I getting out of here? I keep putting off her sponge bath requests and she is getting suspicious."
"I just spoke with your doctor and you can leave.......today", says Scully. Mulder stops chewing the seed he is working on and gives her an intense look.
"Today, how soon today?", asks Mulder.
"Well, as soon as you can get dressed and........... Mulder........", says Scully as Mulder jumps out of bed and runs over to his closet grabbing his tuxedo pants. He starts to untie his hospital gown and Scully reflexively turns her back. "Mulder, I brought your clothes with you. You don't have to go out wearing that wrinkled tuxedo.
Just then the door opens up and Dave walks in. He sees Mulder standing in his hospital gown and he starts to shut the door. "Oh, sorry Fox I'll come back later."
"No, no come in", says Mulder. "Dana, hell Scully was going just going down to get my clothes out of the car." He nods for Scully to leave. She reaches for the handle of the door.
"Listen, Dana you don't have to leave. What I have to say will only take a minute", says Dave scratching his head and avoiding Mulder's eye. Mulder walks back over to his bed and gets in. Scully takes her seat again. Dave exhales and finally looks at Mulder. "Fox, I owe you a huge apology. I was sure that you were still single. I mean the last time you were here with that witch, Diana and well I could see even back then that you two weren't going to make it. So, even though I wasn't technically married I still would have a leg up on you. Then I would have another five years to hopefully find Mrs. Right. I guess my plan didn't go so well and I'm just ashamed of myself. Two of my classmates are dead because of that psycho I brought into all of this and you, my best friend in high school almost died because of a lousy $10,000. "
"Listen Dave, its okay because I need to.....", begins Mulder.
"No, listen I want to make this right", says Dave opening his jacket pocket and pulling out a check. He hands it to Scully who looks at it. Its a $10,000 check made out to Fox and Dana Mulder. "You won fair and square. Its been twenty years and you've married a wonderful and caring woman. I only wish I could be as happy as you two are."
Scully looks over at Mulder and raises her eyebrow as she waits for him to rectify the situation. Mulder glances at Scully before returning his attention to Dave. "Dave, I need to tell you something too. Um, I knew I had to attend this reunion and I saw your update in the newsletter. I knew that you had gotten engaged. You know my job and lets just say it doesn't give me the opportunity to meet women, or the right kind of women very often. The invitation came at work, I practically live in the basement anyway. I actually tossed it in the garbage with the intent of thinking up some lame excuse why I couldn't go, but someone stopped me." Dave frowns at Mulder as he continues. "My partner, my FBI partner grabbed it out of my hand convinced me to go."
"Smart guy", says Dave. "You would have been out the $20,000 for not showing up."
"Yeah, well he or rather she is rather brilliant", replies Mulder looking down and picking at the sheet.
"She?", replies Dave.
"I'm his partner", says Scully speaking up. Dave glances over at her to confirm her answer.
"You're his partner? I thought you worked at Quantico, not in the field?", asks Dave. "Even I know that married couples can't be partnered together, or are you keeping this a secret?"
"We're not married Dave", says Mulder looking up again. "I deceived you as much as you deceived me. Lucky for you that Scully isn't a serial killer."
Dave's mouth drops open. "The whole weekend you've been pretending to be married and you're not. I can't believe that you'd do this to me Fox. After everything we've been through together. I ........ did the same thing. Can we forgive each other?"
"Lets forget it", says Mulder.
"Well I guess the bet is null and void", says Dave reaching his hand out and taking the check from Scully. He tears it into little pieces and tosses it up in the air. "However, I must warn you that I am still determined to get hitched before you. I'll see you in five years buddy, with the new Mrs. Anderson." He leans over and shakes Mulder's hand and after winking at Scully he leaves the room.
"I guess we lost", says Scully.
"No, Scully we won", replies Mulder with a smile.
Part 35
Friday Night - 5:30 PM
Scully sighs as she juggles her bag of groceries while she inserts the key into her apartment door. She flips on the light and after shutting the door and tossing her keys and groceries onto the counter she checks her answering machine. "No new messages", it says as she presses the button. 'Friday night and no where to go', she thinks to herself. Mulder and Scully had returned to DC on Wednesday. She had drove the trip and let him rest. Once in DC she had dropped him off at his apartment and he had only returned to work today. He had only called once to check up on a new case that Skinner had mentioned before they had left, but he hadn't really talked about what had gone on in Chillmark. Now she wondered if he had regretted it and didn't know how to tell her.
Grabbing her briefcase she walks over to her computer and sits down. Flipping on the computer and putting her glasses on she rolls her eyes at the monotonous of her life and how doing paperwork was a ritual for her on weekends. She pulls a file marked X-349393 out of her bag and flips it open. Studying an autopsy photo of a woman with severe burns on her body she absent mindfully clicks on her e-mail box which is blinking.
Scully,
I'm picking you up at 8. Wear your reunion banquet outfit. See you then!
M-
P.S. I know you'll read this. Put away the X-File, the report can wait.
Scully smiles at how well her partner really knows her.
************************************************
8:05
"You're late", says Scully as she opens the door.
"You're going to judge me on five minutes. Jeez Scully, cut me some slack", replies Mulder standing outside her door dressed in his tuxedo. "I only stopped to buy you this." He pulls a single red rose from behind his back. Scully blushes slightly as she takes it
"Mulder, that was so thoughtful of you. Let me just put it in water. It will only take a minute." She motions Mulder in and shuts the door.
"You really like it?", asks Mulder. "I wasn't sure if you would have thought that a rose would have been too ordinary. I was debating whether a cactus would have been a better choice. You know, something a little abnormal."
"Its fine", says Scully smiling. She gives a peck on the cheek. "Thank you." She walks over to the sink and fills up a vase which she puts the flower in.
"You know I returned our rings today. I finally felt up to doing it", says Mulder quietly.
"Oh thats good", says Scully not returning his gaze. "Where are we going tonight?" She turns and smiles at him.
"Benedicts", replies Mulder enthusiastically.
"Fancy dining Mulder", says Scully.
"Nothings too good for you Scully", replies Mulder. "And I must say you look twice as gorgeous as you did at the reunion." He walks over to her and takes her hands in his. "I just want to say 'thank you' for going with me to the reunion. I mean you did great in our little undercover job and I think that it was worth it to see Gina finally get what she deserved."
"Yeah Mulder, we actually found an X-File that we could solve", replies Scully with a smile.
"This weekend brought back a lot of memories. I really got a chance to get in touch with my youth again", says Mulder.
"Oh no, don't tell me you're having a midlife crisis and want a little red sports car", replies Scully with a smile.
"Actually I'd like a green one", says Mulder with a chuckle. "No, what I'm saying is that after I got home and unpacked I started to go through some of my old stuff." He reaches into his pocket. "And I found this. Scully will you go steady with me?" He holds out a class ring with a blue stone in it.
"Mulder, this is your class ring", says Scully amazed. "You want me to have it?"
"Well you are my best girl, who else would I want to wear it?", replies Mulder sheepishly.
"Of course I want to wear it, but its too big", says Scully as she holds it in her fingers as she examines it.
"I was hoping you'd say yes, so I took the liberty of buying this to go along with it", says Mulder pulling our a gold chain and feeding it through the ring in Scully's hand.
"Will you put it on for me?", she asks.
"Gladly", says Mulder as she turns around and he attaches the clasp for her. Scully turns back around and after giving each other an embarrassed, but happy smile they lean in and give each other a brief, but loving kiss."
"We better go, our reservation", says Scully picking up her pocketbook and shawl off a small table by the door. She tucks her hand in Mulder's arm as he opens the door for her.
"You know Scully, like I told you before, we won this weekend", says Mulder as they walk through the door.
"How?", asks Scully.
"I'm one up on Dave", replies Mulder with a wink. "He still has to find Ms. Right."
"Why are you doing this?", chokes Scully as her hair is pulled by Gina to get a better angle with the knife. "We haven't done anything to you. Please, Gina Mulder is going to *die* if you don't let me work on him."
"Thats the point of the poison, why interfere with fate?", asks Gina.
"Its not his fate to die here, now, like this", replies Scully blinking as she licks her lips. She looks over at Mulder and calculates in her mind how long he has been out.
"You're wrong Dana, or should I say Special Agent Dana Scully?", replies Gina. "Yeah, I know all about your little charade. You and Fox aren't married, you're FBI partners and you work in the field as much as he does."
"How did you......", starts Scully.
"Find out?", replies Gina with a laugh. "You shouldn't leave your badge lying around. The renewal date was for 98' and it had Scully on it, not Mulder. You obviously made it sound like you've been married for ages and when Dave told me how Fox told him how you two met, I knew it was a lie. You yourself told me a completely different story. So tell me, why did you do it? Why come here and pretend to be your partner's wife?"
"For the same reason that you're doing it", replies Scully. "To satisfy a bet."
"Yeah, the bet", laughs Gina. "You know something? Dave and I aren't even engaged."
"I don't find that surprising", replies Scully struggling.
"Don't move around there too much Dana, or I'll slit you from ear to ear. You see I've learned a lot tricks in my line of work."
"What do you want from me?", asks Scully. "Just let me call Mulder an ambulance, I'll stay with you. I'll do whatever it is you want. Just let me take care of him."
"Thats the whole point Dana, I want what you have. I want the love and devotion of a man that isn't just after my body. Someone who respects my mind and my opinions and would pluck a star from the sky if I said I wanted one. You have that and I never will."
"You could have anything you want Gina, but this isn't the way. Killing Mulder isn't the way", says Scully. Negotiating with her captor isn't doing any good and she knows that time is running out for Mulder.
"Men have always used me", says Gina. "One day I just got fed up and decided that I wanted to get even. Alan was the first, then Brett and well then I got propositioned by Dave to come on this trip. See I was paid to play the part of his fiancee. I'm always paid to do what men want me to do, but this time I wasn't required to perform in the bedroom. Surprised Dana?"
"You're a prostitute", replies Scully flatly. "Dave hired a prostitute to pretend to be his fiancee, while my best friend recruited me."
"Ah, you've got it now. I thought it would be the perfect cover. Go to a little reunion on the Vineyard and thats where I met Craig. Craig was a sweet guy, but he fell into my order and well, the rest is history. Dave should have been next, but I needed him to pay me, so I decided he could live for a while. Eric and Edmund decided not to show up for the reunion so I decided Hank Edwards would do. And then theres Fox, Fox Mulder should be dead by now. I guess I'll have to do you in too before I go rendezvous with Greg", laughs Gina.
"You're a serial killer and you're picking your victims randomly by their names. You're going to kill alphabetically aren't you."
"You are smart aren't you?", says Gina forcing Scully to her feet.
"You aren't going to get away with this", says Scully. "If he dies, so help me God I'll make you pay. Even if I have to come back from the grave myself to do it."
"You won't have to, because I will", replies a male voice from behind Gina. Gina turns still holding onto Scully.
"Dave, you're feeling better", replies Gina as she eyes Scully's gun in Dave's hand.
"Yeah, after that drug wore off and I untied myself", replies Dave eyeing the knife in her hand. His gaze shifts to Mulder on the floor behind them.
"Don't be stupid Dave", says Gina pressing the knife to Scully's neck. A thin pinpoint of blood forms.
"I was stupid, for hiring you to deceive my friend", replies Dave. "Ten grand ain't worth this. I heard what you said and I won't let you get away with this. Too many people have suffered because of me. I brought a rotten apple into the barrel and its time I threw it out in the garbage where it belongs." He starts to squeeze the trigger.
"You haven't got the guts", sneers Gina.
"Haven't I?", asks Dave as he pulls the trigger. Gina falls backwards as Scully grabs for her arm and pulls the knife out her hand. She watches as Gina slips to the ground. Not even bothering to check her injury she drops to Mulder's side. Dave rushes over.
"What can I do?", he asks as Scully starts CPR again.
"Call 911.........and pray", Scully says softly as she gives Mulder mouth to mouth for the second time that day. She only wishes he was faking it this time. She would gladly eat the whole bar of soap herself. Dave runs off to call 911.
Part 32
"How long has he been out?", asks an EMT dropping down next to Scully with his bag.
"About ten minutes", replies Scully panicked. "I've been administering CPR and mouth to mouth, but he isn't responding." She glances over her shoulder at the crowd that has formed behind her.
"Get the crashcart, now!", yells the EMT to his partner who runs off and within seconds returns with the paddles. He turns them on as he hands them to his partner who rips Mulder's shirt wide open and waits several seconds.
"Clear", yells the EMT adjusting a dial. The paddles are applied to Mulder's chest and a rush of electricity shoots through him. His body jolts, but theres no heartbeat."
"Do it again, damn it", yells Scully. The EMT's repeat the process twice more.
"Theres no use ma'am, he's too long gone", replies the EMT with the paddles.
"Give me those paddles", yells Scully shoving the EMT out of the way. She grabs the paddles. "Increase the voltage by twenty percent." The EMT's look at her questionably. "I'm a doctor, for God sakes. Now do what I told you to do, now!"
"Clear", replies the other EMT sympathetically looking at Scully. Scully administers the paddles and Mulder's body jolts again.
"Again!", replies Scully with tears running down her eyes.
"Clear", yells the EMT at the controls. He shakes his head at his partner who throws up his hands in helplessness.
It works this time and Mulder's heart starts up again. Scully throws the paddles aside and covers her face with her hands. The EMT's jump forward and cover his face with an oxygen mask. One of them gives him an injection as a the other readies the gurney. The two of them lift him onto the gurney. A second crew of EMT's run in at this time and start working on Gina. As Dave helps Scully to her feet she hears one of them say, "She's dead. Call the coroner."
"Come on Dana, I'll take you to the hospital", says Dave putting his arm around Scully.
"No, I'm going with him", replies Scully shrugging off Dave's arm. She runs to keep up with the side of the gurney holding Mulder's hand.
"Are you family ma'am?", asks one of the EMT's as they load Mulder into the ambulance.
Scully glances around at the numerous classmates of Mulder's including Dave. "Yes, I'm his wife", she replies as she is helped into the ambulance. The doors are slammed shut behind her and once everyone boards the vehicle pulls away from the curb with its siren and lights going.
Part 33
Once the ambulance arrives at the hospital Mulder is unloaded and immediately wheeled into the emergency room. Scully follows close behind, but is stopped from entering the ER door. "I have to be with him", insists Scully.
"I'm sorry ma'am, but you can't help him now", replies the attendant holding her by the arm.
"I'm his doctor! Let go of my arm before I break it", yells Scully wrenching her arm out of the man's grasp before she whisks by him. Once through the door Scully stops before she realizes what room they've taken Mulder into. Walking through the door she sees three doctors and two nurses working on him. One doctor turns around and sees Scully.
"Get her out of here!", he yells to a nurse.
"I'm a doctor", replies Scully walking up beside him. "This man has been poisoned. Whatever he ingested has killed several men and it gives the impression that the person had a heart attack."
"We'll pump his stomach and test the contents to find out what we're dealing with. The EMTs already injected him with a stimulant and I think he is out of the woods in regards to his heart. Theres only the matter of him waking up and from what the EMTs said he was out a good ten to fifteen minutes", says the lead doctor readying the equipment to pump Mulder's stomach. Scully bites her lip as she runs her hand through Mulder's hair.
"You don't know him like I do. He *will* wake up", replies Scully firmly.
******************************************************************
Scully sits staring blankly at the pages of the magazine she is holding as she sits next to Mulder's bedside in ICU. Every beep of the heart monitor causes a knot to form in her stomach. Tighter and tighter the knot becomes until she can't stand it any longer. She gets up and tosses the magazine on the chair. She starts pacing. Covering her face with her hands.
"Damn it Mulder, of all the cases we've been on I've never been this scared. You haven't found what you're looking for yet, we've got to many things to discover together for you to let it all end this way. You've got to wake up. Do you hear me Fox Mulder? I'm talking to you!" She walks up to the side of his bed and stares at her best friend's body stuck with tubes. Pulling up the chair beside the bed she holds his hand. Glancing down she plays with the gold band around his finger and wonders how Dave is going to take the news of Mulder's deception. From the news she had heard on the television Dave was now being questioned in the shooting. Hopefully he would be exonerated from any charges.
Pulling Mulder's hand to her lips she closes her eyes and thinks about all of the other times he had been in this situation before. An agent's life is complicated and these things happened, but you never expected to be poisoned. Tears stream down her face as she does the one thing that she knows she can do. Pray.
************************************************************************
Three hours later: 3 am
Scully wakes up with her face buried in the blanket of Mulder's bed as he thrashes around. She must have leaned forward and fallen asleep. Jumping up out of her chair she runs her hand along his cheek. "Mulder? Mulder, its me, its Scully."
Mulder's eyes blink a couple of times before he opens them. Squinting at her he turns his head and studies his surroundings.
"Mulder, how do you feel?", asks Scully relieved to see him awake.
"I feel awful, I think I had too much champagne Scully", replies Mulder rubbing his eyes with his hands.
"Mulder, you were drugged", says Scully. "Don't you remember? It was in the chocolate pie."
Mulder stares at her a moment before it sinking in. "Did you eat if?!"
"No, only yours was poisoned. We were right Mulder, it was Gina. She was a prostitute that was mad at the male race in general for her failures in life."
"She blamed me? What the hell did I ever do to her.............I did not have sex with that woman." He mimics the President's famous line.
"No, you didn't", says Scully trying not to laugh. "You unfortunately were a target because of your name."
"I knew my name wasn't something to be proud of, but that is a ridiculous reason for killing someone", replies Mulder weakly.
"She was a serial killer. She had killed someone with the names beginning with A, B, C, D, E, and you were F."
"I guess F can also stand for f*** you", replies Mulder.
"I'm glad you've got your sense of humor back", replies Scully. "Dave is going to need cheering up once he is done being questioned."
"Questioned? He didn't have anything to do with this or was he in on this? Man $10,000 does a lot to some people doesn't it?"
"No, he saved you Mulder. You were out and Gina had me by the neck with a knife. He shot and killed her to save us."
"I guess I really do *owe* him don't I?", says Mulder looking out into outer space.
"No, its *I* that owes him", replies Scully leaning down and kissing him on the lips.
Part 34
Two days later:
"Well, I see you're feeling much better", says Scully as she pushes open the door to Mulder's hospital room. Mulder is sitting up in bed and is taking notes on a notepad. He puts his finger to his lips and points at the tv. Scully looks up to the tv hanging from the ceiling to see a show on the Discovery Channel about UFOs. She rolls her eyes as she pulls up a chair. Ten minutes later the show has ended. Mulder flips his notebook shut and tosses it on the bedside table.
"Hey there Scully", he replies giving her a lazy smile.
"I didn't think you bothered to watch those shows Mulder. You always say that you know more than they do. That the same senseless material is used time and time again purely to gain ratings for their struggling networks", says Scully looking at him.
"I don't. I was just making a list of inconsistencies in their data", says Mulder pointing the remote at the tv and turning it off.
"And for what?", asks Scully raising an eyebrow.
"Well, so I can write them a letter and tell them they are nuts. They don't know what they're talking about. I mean I think I......we have experience with these things, don't ya think?", rambles on Mulder.
"Mulder", says Scully wearily.
"Well it is true Scully", says Mulder.
"Speaking of nuts", says Scully pulling a bag out of her suit jacket pocket. "I snuck these in. Don't get them in the sheets or your nurse will run me through." She tosses him a bag of sunflower seeds.
"Scully, you're the best", says Mulder ripping open the bag with his teeth. "And speaking of my nurse Agnes from hell, when am I getting out of here? I keep putting off her sponge bath requests and she is getting suspicious."
"I just spoke with your doctor and you can leave.......today", says Scully. Mulder stops chewing the seed he is working on and gives her an intense look.
"Today, how soon today?", asks Mulder.
"Well, as soon as you can get dressed and........... Mulder........", says Scully as Mulder jumps out of bed and runs over to his closet grabbing his tuxedo pants. He starts to untie his hospital gown and Scully reflexively turns her back. "Mulder, I brought your clothes with you. You don't have to go out wearing that wrinkled tuxedo.
Just then the door opens up and Dave walks in. He sees Mulder standing in his hospital gown and he starts to shut the door. "Oh, sorry Fox I'll come back later."
"No, no come in", says Mulder. "Dana, hell Scully was going just going down to get my clothes out of the car." He nods for Scully to leave. She reaches for the handle of the door.
"Listen, Dana you don't have to leave. What I have to say will only take a minute", says Dave scratching his head and avoiding Mulder's eye. Mulder walks back over to his bed and gets in. Scully takes her seat again. Dave exhales and finally looks at Mulder. "Fox, I owe you a huge apology. I was sure that you were still single. I mean the last time you were here with that witch, Diana and well I could see even back then that you two weren't going to make it. So, even though I wasn't technically married I still would have a leg up on you. Then I would have another five years to hopefully find Mrs. Right. I guess my plan didn't go so well and I'm just ashamed of myself. Two of my classmates are dead because of that psycho I brought into all of this and you, my best friend in high school almost died because of a lousy $10,000. "
"Listen Dave, its okay because I need to.....", begins Mulder.
"No, listen I want to make this right", says Dave opening his jacket pocket and pulling out a check. He hands it to Scully who looks at it. Its a $10,000 check made out to Fox and Dana Mulder. "You won fair and square. Its been twenty years and you've married a wonderful and caring woman. I only wish I could be as happy as you two are."
Scully looks over at Mulder and raises her eyebrow as she waits for him to rectify the situation. Mulder glances at Scully before returning his attention to Dave. "Dave, I need to tell you something too. Um, I knew I had to attend this reunion and I saw your update in the newsletter. I knew that you had gotten engaged. You know my job and lets just say it doesn't give me the opportunity to meet women, or the right kind of women very often. The invitation came at work, I practically live in the basement anyway. I actually tossed it in the garbage with the intent of thinking up some lame excuse why I couldn't go, but someone stopped me." Dave frowns at Mulder as he continues. "My partner, my FBI partner grabbed it out of my hand convinced me to go."
"Smart guy", says Dave. "You would have been out the $20,000 for not showing up."
"Yeah, well he or rather she is rather brilliant", replies Mulder looking down and picking at the sheet.
"She?", replies Dave.
"I'm his partner", says Scully speaking up. Dave glances over at her to confirm her answer.
"You're his partner? I thought you worked at Quantico, not in the field?", asks Dave. "Even I know that married couples can't be partnered together, or are you keeping this a secret?"
"We're not married Dave", says Mulder looking up again. "I deceived you as much as you deceived me. Lucky for you that Scully isn't a serial killer."
Dave's mouth drops open. "The whole weekend you've been pretending to be married and you're not. I can't believe that you'd do this to me Fox. After everything we've been through together. I ........ did the same thing. Can we forgive each other?"
"Lets forget it", says Mulder.
"Well I guess the bet is null and void", says Dave reaching his hand out and taking the check from Scully. He tears it into little pieces and tosses it up in the air. "However, I must warn you that I am still determined to get hitched before you. I'll see you in five years buddy, with the new Mrs. Anderson." He leans over and shakes Mulder's hand and after winking at Scully he leaves the room.
"I guess we lost", says Scully.
"No, Scully we won", replies Mulder with a smile.
Part 35
Friday Night - 5:30 PM
Scully sighs as she juggles her bag of groceries while she inserts the key into her apartment door. She flips on the light and after shutting the door and tossing her keys and groceries onto the counter she checks her answering machine. "No new messages", it says as she presses the button. 'Friday night and no where to go', she thinks to herself. Mulder and Scully had returned to DC on Wednesday. She had drove the trip and let him rest. Once in DC she had dropped him off at his apartment and he had only returned to work today. He had only called once to check up on a new case that Skinner had mentioned before they had left, but he hadn't really talked about what had gone on in Chillmark. Now she wondered if he had regretted it and didn't know how to tell her.
Grabbing her briefcase she walks over to her computer and sits down. Flipping on the computer and putting her glasses on she rolls her eyes at the monotonous of her life and how doing paperwork was a ritual for her on weekends. She pulls a file marked X-349393 out of her bag and flips it open. Studying an autopsy photo of a woman with severe burns on her body she absent mindfully clicks on her e-mail box which is blinking.
Scully,
I'm picking you up at 8. Wear your reunion banquet outfit. See you then!
M-
P.S. I know you'll read this. Put away the X-File, the report can wait.
Scully smiles at how well her partner really knows her.
************************************************
8:05
"You're late", says Scully as she opens the door.
"You're going to judge me on five minutes. Jeez Scully, cut me some slack", replies Mulder standing outside her door dressed in his tuxedo. "I only stopped to buy you this." He pulls a single red rose from behind his back. Scully blushes slightly as she takes it
"Mulder, that was so thoughtful of you. Let me just put it in water. It will only take a minute." She motions Mulder in and shuts the door.
"You really like it?", asks Mulder. "I wasn't sure if you would have thought that a rose would have been too ordinary. I was debating whether a cactus would have been a better choice. You know, something a little abnormal."
"Its fine", says Scully smiling. She gives a peck on the cheek. "Thank you." She walks over to the sink and fills up a vase which she puts the flower in.
"You know I returned our rings today. I finally felt up to doing it", says Mulder quietly.
"Oh thats good", says Scully not returning his gaze. "Where are we going tonight?" She turns and smiles at him.
"Benedicts", replies Mulder enthusiastically.
"Fancy dining Mulder", says Scully.
"Nothings too good for you Scully", replies Mulder. "And I must say you look twice as gorgeous as you did at the reunion." He walks over to her and takes her hands in his. "I just want to say 'thank you' for going with me to the reunion. I mean you did great in our little undercover job and I think that it was worth it to see Gina finally get what she deserved."
"Yeah Mulder, we actually found an X-File that we could solve", replies Scully with a smile.
"This weekend brought back a lot of memories. I really got a chance to get in touch with my youth again", says Mulder.
"Oh no, don't tell me you're having a midlife crisis and want a little red sports car", replies Scully with a smile.
"Actually I'd like a green one", says Mulder with a chuckle. "No, what I'm saying is that after I got home and unpacked I started to go through some of my old stuff." He reaches into his pocket. "And I found this. Scully will you go steady with me?" He holds out a class ring with a blue stone in it.
"Mulder, this is your class ring", says Scully amazed. "You want me to have it?"
"Well you are my best girl, who else would I want to wear it?", replies Mulder sheepishly.
"Of course I want to wear it, but its too big", says Scully as she holds it in her fingers as she examines it.
"I was hoping you'd say yes, so I took the liberty of buying this to go along with it", says Mulder pulling our a gold chain and feeding it through the ring in Scully's hand.
"Will you put it on for me?", she asks.
"Gladly", says Mulder as she turns around and he attaches the clasp for her. Scully turns back around and after giving each other an embarrassed, but happy smile they lean in and give each other a brief, but loving kiss."
"We better go, our reservation", says Scully picking up her pocketbook and shawl off a small table by the door. She tucks her hand in Mulder's arm as he opens the door for her.
"You know Scully, like I told you before, we won this weekend", says Mulder as they walk through the door.
"How?", asks Scully.
"I'm one up on Dave", replies Mulder with a wink. "He still has to find Ms. Right."