Title: Unbreak My Heart - Rejected
Author: Melpomene
Email: melpomene1013yahoo.com
Rating: R
Spoilers: Season 3
Keywords: M/O, MSR, maybe S/O, Angst
Summary: What happens when you fall in
love with someone who doesn't love you back.
Author's Notes: Unbreak My Heart is a series.
I originally thought it would only run 4 or 5 parts
but it's looking like I'll need 5 or 6 parts to
tell the story. I want to thank all the people
who've written to me in support of the story. It
means a lot to me. Sorry it took me so long to
get this out--life seems much crazier these days.
Part 3 - Rejected
Scully, please pick up. I need to talk to you.
Scully, please call me and let me explain.
Mulder had left her half a dozen similar voicemails
on both her home phone and her cell by the time she
got back to her apartment. He'd tried to follow
her as she walked away from him at Mario's but she
wouldn't turn around and talk to him.
When he'd invited her out for dinner, he'd said she
was his friend and he wanted to spend time with her.
Scully didn't think he'd been lying, only that the
friendship didn't run as deep for him as it did for
her.
Scully could smell sex on Mulder, along with Ronni's
heavy perfume when he finally made it to the restaurant
an hour late. The reason for his lateness was clear
to her: You're my friend, Scully but Ronni is my
lover.
Scully decided that even though she'd taken a shower
earlier, she needed to relax with a bath. She poured
lavender scented bubble bath under running water and
stripped off her clothes. She caught a glimpse of
herself in the full length mirror on the back of her
closet door as she hung her clothes up.
Her figure wasn't awful. She'd lost enough weight now
to fit back into some of her "skinny" clothes. Her
breasts, though nicely shaped, were too small for the
tastes of a man like Fox Mulder. Her waist was tiny,
her hips curvy. She turned around and craned her neck,
she had to admit that her butt was well toned. All in
all it was actually a great ass. If only her legs
weren't so short and her skin wasn't so pale.
Well, she thought, it really didn't matter any more.
Mulder had made his choice, and Dana Scully wasn't
even on the ballot. She should be crying, but tears
wouldn't come. Scully was simply too numb to feel
pain over Mulder's behavior.
The phone rang again as she sunk into the hot bath
water. She tried not to wince at the pleading sound
in Mulder's voice. The tears she didn't think would
come finally arrived.
Scully arrived early at the office the next morning,
feeling tired from a mostly sleepless night. She was
surprised to find Mulder at his desk, sipping coffee
and typing away.
"Good morning," he said, sheepishly. "I brought you a
coffee."
"Thanks," she muttered.
Mulder watched her remove the lid from the paper cup and
take a drink. She had shadows under her eyes like purple
bruises and he felt a pang of guilt. He'd put those
shadows there. He was responsible for the tense set of her
jaw. He hated that his weakness had caused that.
Scully needed a partner who was there for her. This time
it had just been a dinner. The next time he let Ronni
distract him with sex, it could be Scully's life at
stake--that was the kind of danger they were in all
the time.
If he thought she'd accept his apology, he'd offer it again,
but he was pretty sure Scully wasn't interested in hearing
it. Still, she'd accepted the coffee, so maybe if he
stayed on his best behavior and stopped letting Ronni
dominate him sexually, she'd come around and forgive him.
Over the next few weeks, Mulder did just that. He got
to work on time and he avoided Ronni at lunch time so
he wouldn't end up coming back late. He and Scully
got back to some of their old habits of sharing sandwiches
as they worked. One day when the weather was particularly
nice, he even talked her into going for a walk along
the mall.
His strategy of avoiding situations that might tempt him
worked well, but only as long as he managed to keep some
distance between him and Ronni. Unless he was willing
to end the relationship, he was going to have to work
hard to maintain control. And Mulder wasn't willing to
break up with Ronni. Or more likely he wasn't able to.
There was something about the jolt he got when she
touched him that wasn't easy to turn away from. Face it--
he was addicted just like any junkie who couldn't resist
his drug of choice.
So Ronni still dominated his evenings, often pulling out all
the stops as she tried every sexual trick in the book to
bring Mulder to heel. She would have his pants unzipped
and her hands on his cock before he got in the front door
and he'd feel that "the top of his head coming off" rush.
They still had massive quantities of wild sex in every
conceivable position and location, but Mulder made sure
he left her apartment at the end of the evening instead
of sleeping over which had led to his late arrivals at work.
Ronni didn't exactly like the new Mulder. She peppered
him with phone calls, but now the sound of her moaning
sexily into the phone was beginning to annoy him just a
little even though he still got hard at the sound of her
voice.
It took every ounce of self-control, but Mulder no longer
ducked out of the office at 4:30, something else
that pissed Ronni off. Mulder wasn't sure how Ronni
managed to avoid disciplinary action for the hours she
kept.
It helped a lot that Ronni's own job had gotten busier.
She worked late a lot of nights and was out of town on
cases with her boss more often, which helped Mulder
concentrate on work more.
Gradually, Scully's faith began to be restored in him.
If things weren't returned to pre-Ronni status, they
were close enough for Mulder to take a deep breath.
Scully was cautiously optimistic about the partnership.
Mulder didn't seem as distracted and though Ronni still
called the office more often than she should, Mulder
didn't get that glazed over look as much.
Scully hated answering the phone when Mulder was out
of the room. Ronni's tone to Scully was always
incredibly condescending. Poor ugly little Agent
Scully her attitude would say, Too pathetic to get
a man of her own.
Scully's feelings were still a little too tender for her
to let down her guard, though. She kept the part of herself
that still loved Mulder hidden and only let the partnership
and friend part show. She did her best not to dwell on
things. So the man she loved saw her as a buddy. Scully
tried to keep her spirits up by keeping up with family and
old friends.
"Dana, you look wonderful. You've lost so much weight,"
her friend Ellen said one day when they were out to lunch
in a trendy DC restaurant. "How did you do it?"
Scully laughed, considering the honest answer of 'misery
and heartache.'
"I've just been too busy to eat. Mulder and I are always
running these days--chasing something or other."
"So how is that partner of yours?" Ellen asked.
"He's fine."
Across the room, Scully heard Ronni's throaty laugh.
She scanned the room, finally spotting Ronni at a
table tucked into a small alcove--an alcove that was
notorious in town for being the place people went who
wanted to be secluded. It was popular for romantic
dinners.
From her vantage point, Scully could see the other table,
but Ronni was unlikely to see Scully from where she sat.
Ronni was leaning forward, talking intimately with a man--
and it wasn't Mulder.
"Dana? What is it?" Ellen asked when she saw the look
of shock on Scully's face.
"That's Mulder's girlfriend at the alcove table," Scully
said, her voice low.
"Oh my God, that woman is an FBI agent?" her friend asked.
"She dresses like a tramp. So, is that the famous Mulder?"
"Umm...no it isn't," Scully said. Ronni was leaning
forward flirtatiously, tossing back her long dark hair.
Her blouse was incredibly lowcut, and the man's eyes
were straying to Ronni's cleavage.
"Oh my God. Do you think Mulder knows?"
"I don't know--I doubt it. As far as I know, they're
still together."
As Scully and Ellen watched, the man gave Ronni a long
box. Ronni opened the box and pulled out a sparkling
diamond bracelet. Scully couldn't hear what was being
said, but there was no mistaking Ronni's squeal of
delight and how she leaned forward to plant a big kiss
on the man's mouth.
"Oh Dana, what are you going to do? Are you going to
tell him?"
Well, that was the question, wasn't it.
"I...I'm not sure what to do."
"You have to tell him. That slut can't get away with this,
Dana. He should be with a wonderful person like you and
not a tramp like that woman."
It wasn't a topic Scully was willing to delve into with her
friend, so she discretely called over the waiter for their
check.
As it turned out, Scully didn't get a chance to decide
whether to tell Mulder. As soon as she got back from lunch,
Mulder told her they were going out on a case.
"Hey Scully, did you have a good lunch?" Mulder asked,
grinning. He probably noticed that she'd taken an
hour and a half and was toying with the idea of teasing
her about her "long lunch" hour.
"Um...it was fine," she stammered and Mulder's smile
seemed to fade. God, she hated having this information
about Ronni. Did she tell him and break his heart or
keep it to herself and let him go on thinking Ronni was
faithful when she probably wasn't? And would he believe
her anyway? Maybe he'd think she was making it up out of
jealousy, or worse yet some ploy to break them up so
Mulder might turn to her.
"Good. I'm glad. Hey, don't even take off your coat,"
he said, excitedly. "We have a case in Randolph Hills."
She felt relief at Mulder's enthusiasm--she certainly
couldn't tell him about Ronni when they had work to do.
He began to fill her in as they got in the car.
"Travis Tilley, 56 years old, says aliens came and took
his wife of 35 years--Roseanne. Neighbors say there've
been bright lights around the Tilley place at night and
Roseanne hasn't been seen in two weeks."
They arrived at the Tilley home, an old farmhouse on
several acres of untended land. Travis Tilley met them
at the door. He was wizened and frail looking, obviously
distraught over the supposed alien abduction of his wife.
Mulder and Scully followed Tilley into the house and sat
with him in the farmhouse kitchen. Tilley weakly described
what to Scully sounded like textbook alien abduction.
Mulder seemed to hang on every word. It sounded a little
too textbook to Scully--like Tilley had read every book on
the subject and committed all the details to memory.
Tilley seemed to have trouble breathing by the end of his
story. He mopped sweat off his forehead with a dirty
handkerchief and complained of feeling ill. Scully
got her doctor bag from the car. Just as she'd begun to
examine Tilley, Mulder's cell phone rang.
"Mulder," he said into the phone. Tilley seemed to be
even more nervous now and had begun a wheezing sound in
his breathing. "Oh...hi Ronni...I'm kind of tied up
here...yeah...yeah."
Her partner made his apologies and stepped out onto the
porch to finish his phone call, his voice lowering to a
murmur. Scully couldn't help the look of annoyance that
crossed her features. Damn Ronni. Damn, damn Mulder
for getting caught up on the call when he should be
at work.
Scully reached into her bag for the blood pressure cuff
and felt Travis Tilley move behind her. In a flash, he
had an iron grip around her neck and a kitchen knife
against her chest. She called out in alarm before the
pressure on her neck diminished her voice to a squawk.
Mulder was listening to Ronni go on about how she wanted
to get him alone tonight when he heard Scully shout. He
hurriedly disengaged the call, but by the time he reached
the door, it was too late. He could see Scully, hanging
rather limply in Tilley's arms. Tilley's knife had
already drawn blood as it scratched Scully's skin.
Mulder felt helpless and incredibly guilty as Tilley
shut and bolted the kitchen door.
"Get out of here now," Tilley shouted behind the door.
"I don't want to kill her, but I will if you come closer."
Mulder called for backup, which arrived quickly. The
hostage team pulled up, complete with a SWAT team and FBI
negotiators. They pushed Mulder aside as they took
over.
Skinner frowned fiercely as he pulled up at the Tilley
place. He wasn't at all pleased when he found that Mulder
had left Scully alone with a subject while he took a personal
call. Mulder was too worried about Scully to consider what
the review board would have to say about that.
The hostage team managed to get a listening device on
the house, so Mulder was aware of every word spoken, and
was beside himself with fear as he heard what Travis
Tilley was saying.
Inside, Scully was doing her best to keep calm. She
didn't know who she was madder at--herself for letting
her guard down enough to get in this predicament, or
Mulder for taking a stupid call from his stupid, stupid
slutty girlfriend.
Over the course of five hours, Scully found out that
Roseanne Tilley was dead and buried in a wooded area
behind the house. Aliens had instructed Travis Tilley
that Roseanne had to go. Scully feared that Tilley
might get similar instructions from the aliens for her.
Tilley alternated between confiding in her about how
Roseanne had died and ranting wildly as he gestured
with his sharp knife. Every minute, Scully knew
her life was in the great danger as her captor's
grip on reality weakened. He'd tilt his head as
if listening to someone, sometimes nodding in
agreement. The man continued to sweat, obviously
under enormous stress.
Finally, Tilley told her that the aliens had told him
to take her down to the basement, just as they had
commanded him to do with Roseanne. Scully knew her
survival hinged on not allowing him to drag her down
there.
He sliced through her bonds with his knife, resuming his
grip around her neck. When the knife began to slip from
his sweaty fingers, she knew her opportunity had arrived.
Tilley and Scully wrestled, his strength superior but her
FBI training evening up the odds. By the time she'd
gotten the knife away from him, the door burst open and
Skinner, Mulder and the others entered. They subdued
Tilley and Scully was finally able to breath.
Mulder watched in horror as Scully tried to stand. She
was bleeding from scratches on her neck and chest and
holding onto her left arm. As he reached out to help her,
she moaned and swayed in his arms.
Mulder insisted that the paramedics check Scully out. He
was horrified when he found out that her shoulder had been
dislocated. Though Scully argued, she was overruled and
transported to the hospital for treatment. Before Mulder
left to follow the ambulance, Skinner informed him angrily
that he was to report to the AD's office at nine a.m. the
next morning.
At the hospital, Mulder paced the waiting room while Scully
was treated. He had no idea what to say to her. "I'm
sorry a phone call from my oversexed girlfriend almost got
you killed," just wasn't going to cut it.
Finally, the nurse came and called him to the examination
room where Scully was in a heated discussion with a small
Pakistani doctor. Dr. Mukerjie wanted to keep her overnight,
but Scully was adamant that she wanted to go home and sleep
in her own bed.
Mulder couldn't argue with her--she'd been through so much
and obviously needed to take a little control over her
own life. Scully took on her sternest look and reminded
Mukerjie that she was a doctor and a federal agent and
was more than capable of taking care of herself.
Reluctantly, the ER doctor agreed and sent her
home with painkillers, provided someone could be with
her. Her arm was tightly strapped to her midsection to
allow the shoulder to heel after they got it back into
position. Mulder assured the doctor that he'd stay with
Scully.
As they left the hospital, Scully told Mulder how much
Mukerjie had over-reacted. After all, she was mostly just
bruised from fighting with Tilley and had a few stitches
where the knife had done more than scratch her skin.
She slept most of the way home, both from exhaustion and
pain. Guilt poured over Mulder like a driving rain. A
few weeks ago, he'd promised himself he would no longer be
distracted by Ronni after standing Scully up for dinner.
Today had been his worst fear--that his inattention had
almost cost Scully her life. He glanced over as a
streetlight illuminated a large, angry bruise on Scully's
jaw. The alabaster skin of her neck was marred by the
thin line of a cut.
When he pulled in front of her building, he shook her gently
awake. She startled violently, obviously still suffering
the results of the terror she'd been in.
"Sorry," he said, softly. "We're here."
She moaned softly as he helped her out of the car. Her
shoulder hurt like hell when she moved at all. Mulder
took her by her other arm and helped her up the front
walk and into the building.
Her emotions swirled around like autumn leaves in the
wind. She felt relief, of course, at being alive.
There was a time back in Tilley's house when she was
sure she wasn't going to make it. She'd thought about
a lot of things during those hours, but mostly she
thought about how sad it would be to die and never kiss
Mulder--to never know what his soft lips felt like
against hers. Well, she could live for a thousand years
now, and it was still a dream that would never come true.
Mulder opened the door to her apartment.
"I want to change into something I can sleep in," she
said as she moved slowly toward the bedroom.
"Do you need any help?" Mulder asked.
"I think I can manage," she replied.
Obviously relieved, he beat a hasty retreat to the
kitchen to make her a cup of tea and something to eat.
She'd been wearing a knit top, so she decided that
would be comfortable enough. Her shoulder was far too
painful to unstrap her arm and change into a pajama top.
She'd called her mother from the hospital. Maybe with
Mom's help, she could wash up and change in the morning.
She did manage to take off her slacks and put on some
sweatpants, though that wasn't easy to do one-handed.
"Wouldn't you be more comfortable in bed?" Mulder asked,
when she came out of the bedroom. He carried a mug of
tea and a plate of toast to the sofa.
"Eventually," she replied. "I don't think I could manage
this in bed, though." She took the mug in her good hand,
gratefully sipping the hot tea. She'd craved this for
hours, not only the tea, but the feeling of safety she
could only get from her own home and from the presence
of Mulder.
A pang of sadness gripped her as she remembered yet again
that he belonged to another woman. He'd make sure she
was settled and comfortable and then he'd go off and make
love to someone else.
Scully struggled to put her mug down and take a slice of
toast. She was definitely feeling the effects of the
pain meds in her system. Her head felt light, as if
it was a helium balloon on a long string.
Mulder leaned in to help her set down her mug, his face
inches away from hers. Maybe it was the drugs circulating
through her veins. Maybe it was coming so close to death
just hours ago. Scully couldn't tell, but the urge to
kiss Mulder was overpowering.
Scully moved closer, lost in the hazel depths of his eyes
until her lips were touching his. She knew this was a
mistake, but she'd nearly died without knowing what this
felt like it. Her life had been spared, but damn it, she
might not be as lucky the next time, and she had to do
this.
Mulder leaned into the kiss for one miraculous moment,
and she was sure her heart would stop. His lips were
amazing--so soft, so warm and pliant. She could live
on the memory of such a kiss.
Suddenly, Mulder pulled away and the miraculous moment
was torn like a sheet of paper. The stunned look on
his face told her all she needed to know--he was
horrified. It was a wonder he didn't wipe him mouth
with the back of his hand.
"Scully...uh...I...uh..." he stumbled, unable to meet
her eyes.
"Its okay, Mulder. You don't have to explain," she said,
wearily. Truth was, she couldn't bear his 'its not you
its me' speech.
"It's just that...well, I never thought of you..."
"I said leave it alone. Please." Her voice was thick
with the tears she was holding back. She couldn't
keep herself together much longer. "I need you to
leave."
He looked deeply uncomfortable as only a man who's
had an unwanted come on can look. Too bad the drugs
that kept her shoulder from hurting like hell didn't
do a thing for her breaking heart.
"You shouldn't be alone, Scully. I promised the
doctor."
She laid her head against the back of the sofa and
laughed. "Too bad. I'm afraid that's exactly what
I am and will always be. Alone."
"Don't say that," he murmured. She wasn't sure, but
there might have been tears in his eyes. How
incredibly ironic--the man she loved felt nothing
but pity for her.
"Mulder, you need to leave. Now." Her voice had
become sharp, insistent, desperate.
With every ounce of strength she had, Scully forced
herself off the sofa, yelping with pain as she moved.
Clutching her strapped arm protectively with her other
hand, she shuffled over to the door. Her vision was
blurred with tears as she opened the door and waited
until her shocked partner walked through it. With
her last remaining reserve, she shut it firmly and
threw the lock.
It was only then that she allowed the tears to fall.
Continued in part 4.
Author: Melpomene
Email: melpomene1013yahoo.com
Rating: R
Spoilers: Season 3
Keywords: M/O, MSR, maybe S/O, Angst
Summary: What happens when you fall in
love with someone who doesn't love you back.
Author's Notes: Unbreak My Heart is a series.
I originally thought it would only run 4 or 5 parts
but it's looking like I'll need 5 or 6 parts to
tell the story. I want to thank all the people
who've written to me in support of the story. It
means a lot to me. Sorry it took me so long to
get this out--life seems much crazier these days.
Part 3 - Rejected
Scully, please pick up. I need to talk to you.
Scully, please call me and let me explain.
Mulder had left her half a dozen similar voicemails
on both her home phone and her cell by the time she
got back to her apartment. He'd tried to follow
her as she walked away from him at Mario's but she
wouldn't turn around and talk to him.
When he'd invited her out for dinner, he'd said she
was his friend and he wanted to spend time with her.
Scully didn't think he'd been lying, only that the
friendship didn't run as deep for him as it did for
her.
Scully could smell sex on Mulder, along with Ronni's
heavy perfume when he finally made it to the restaurant
an hour late. The reason for his lateness was clear
to her: You're my friend, Scully but Ronni is my
lover.
Scully decided that even though she'd taken a shower
earlier, she needed to relax with a bath. She poured
lavender scented bubble bath under running water and
stripped off her clothes. She caught a glimpse of
herself in the full length mirror on the back of her
closet door as she hung her clothes up.
Her figure wasn't awful. She'd lost enough weight now
to fit back into some of her "skinny" clothes. Her
breasts, though nicely shaped, were too small for the
tastes of a man like Fox Mulder. Her waist was tiny,
her hips curvy. She turned around and craned her neck,
she had to admit that her butt was well toned. All in
all it was actually a great ass. If only her legs
weren't so short and her skin wasn't so pale.
Well, she thought, it really didn't matter any more.
Mulder had made his choice, and Dana Scully wasn't
even on the ballot. She should be crying, but tears
wouldn't come. Scully was simply too numb to feel
pain over Mulder's behavior.
The phone rang again as she sunk into the hot bath
water. She tried not to wince at the pleading sound
in Mulder's voice. The tears she didn't think would
come finally arrived.
Scully arrived early at the office the next morning,
feeling tired from a mostly sleepless night. She was
surprised to find Mulder at his desk, sipping coffee
and typing away.
"Good morning," he said, sheepishly. "I brought you a
coffee."
"Thanks," she muttered.
Mulder watched her remove the lid from the paper cup and
take a drink. She had shadows under her eyes like purple
bruises and he felt a pang of guilt. He'd put those
shadows there. He was responsible for the tense set of her
jaw. He hated that his weakness had caused that.
Scully needed a partner who was there for her. This time
it had just been a dinner. The next time he let Ronni
distract him with sex, it could be Scully's life at
stake--that was the kind of danger they were in all
the time.
If he thought she'd accept his apology, he'd offer it again,
but he was pretty sure Scully wasn't interested in hearing
it. Still, she'd accepted the coffee, so maybe if he
stayed on his best behavior and stopped letting Ronni
dominate him sexually, she'd come around and forgive him.
Over the next few weeks, Mulder did just that. He got
to work on time and he avoided Ronni at lunch time so
he wouldn't end up coming back late. He and Scully
got back to some of their old habits of sharing sandwiches
as they worked. One day when the weather was particularly
nice, he even talked her into going for a walk along
the mall.
His strategy of avoiding situations that might tempt him
worked well, but only as long as he managed to keep some
distance between him and Ronni. Unless he was willing
to end the relationship, he was going to have to work
hard to maintain control. And Mulder wasn't willing to
break up with Ronni. Or more likely he wasn't able to.
There was something about the jolt he got when she
touched him that wasn't easy to turn away from. Face it--
he was addicted just like any junkie who couldn't resist
his drug of choice.
So Ronni still dominated his evenings, often pulling out all
the stops as she tried every sexual trick in the book to
bring Mulder to heel. She would have his pants unzipped
and her hands on his cock before he got in the front door
and he'd feel that "the top of his head coming off" rush.
They still had massive quantities of wild sex in every
conceivable position and location, but Mulder made sure
he left her apartment at the end of the evening instead
of sleeping over which had led to his late arrivals at work.
Ronni didn't exactly like the new Mulder. She peppered
him with phone calls, but now the sound of her moaning
sexily into the phone was beginning to annoy him just a
little even though he still got hard at the sound of her
voice.
It took every ounce of self-control, but Mulder no longer
ducked out of the office at 4:30, something else
that pissed Ronni off. Mulder wasn't sure how Ronni
managed to avoid disciplinary action for the hours she
kept.
It helped a lot that Ronni's own job had gotten busier.
She worked late a lot of nights and was out of town on
cases with her boss more often, which helped Mulder
concentrate on work more.
Gradually, Scully's faith began to be restored in him.
If things weren't returned to pre-Ronni status, they
were close enough for Mulder to take a deep breath.
Scully was cautiously optimistic about the partnership.
Mulder didn't seem as distracted and though Ronni still
called the office more often than she should, Mulder
didn't get that glazed over look as much.
Scully hated answering the phone when Mulder was out
of the room. Ronni's tone to Scully was always
incredibly condescending. Poor ugly little Agent
Scully her attitude would say, Too pathetic to get
a man of her own.
Scully's feelings were still a little too tender for her
to let down her guard, though. She kept the part of herself
that still loved Mulder hidden and only let the partnership
and friend part show. She did her best not to dwell on
things. So the man she loved saw her as a buddy. Scully
tried to keep her spirits up by keeping up with family and
old friends.
"Dana, you look wonderful. You've lost so much weight,"
her friend Ellen said one day when they were out to lunch
in a trendy DC restaurant. "How did you do it?"
Scully laughed, considering the honest answer of 'misery
and heartache.'
"I've just been too busy to eat. Mulder and I are always
running these days--chasing something or other."
"So how is that partner of yours?" Ellen asked.
"He's fine."
Across the room, Scully heard Ronni's throaty laugh.
She scanned the room, finally spotting Ronni at a
table tucked into a small alcove--an alcove that was
notorious in town for being the place people went who
wanted to be secluded. It was popular for romantic
dinners.
From her vantage point, Scully could see the other table,
but Ronni was unlikely to see Scully from where she sat.
Ronni was leaning forward, talking intimately with a man--
and it wasn't Mulder.
"Dana? What is it?" Ellen asked when she saw the look
of shock on Scully's face.
"That's Mulder's girlfriend at the alcove table," Scully
said, her voice low.
"Oh my God, that woman is an FBI agent?" her friend asked.
"She dresses like a tramp. So, is that the famous Mulder?"
"Umm...no it isn't," Scully said. Ronni was leaning
forward flirtatiously, tossing back her long dark hair.
Her blouse was incredibly lowcut, and the man's eyes
were straying to Ronni's cleavage.
"Oh my God. Do you think Mulder knows?"
"I don't know--I doubt it. As far as I know, they're
still together."
As Scully and Ellen watched, the man gave Ronni a long
box. Ronni opened the box and pulled out a sparkling
diamond bracelet. Scully couldn't hear what was being
said, but there was no mistaking Ronni's squeal of
delight and how she leaned forward to plant a big kiss
on the man's mouth.
"Oh Dana, what are you going to do? Are you going to
tell him?"
Well, that was the question, wasn't it.
"I...I'm not sure what to do."
"You have to tell him. That slut can't get away with this,
Dana. He should be with a wonderful person like you and
not a tramp like that woman."
It wasn't a topic Scully was willing to delve into with her
friend, so she discretely called over the waiter for their
check.
As it turned out, Scully didn't get a chance to decide
whether to tell Mulder. As soon as she got back from lunch,
Mulder told her they were going out on a case.
"Hey Scully, did you have a good lunch?" Mulder asked,
grinning. He probably noticed that she'd taken an
hour and a half and was toying with the idea of teasing
her about her "long lunch" hour.
"Um...it was fine," she stammered and Mulder's smile
seemed to fade. God, she hated having this information
about Ronni. Did she tell him and break his heart or
keep it to herself and let him go on thinking Ronni was
faithful when she probably wasn't? And would he believe
her anyway? Maybe he'd think she was making it up out of
jealousy, or worse yet some ploy to break them up so
Mulder might turn to her.
"Good. I'm glad. Hey, don't even take off your coat,"
he said, excitedly. "We have a case in Randolph Hills."
She felt relief at Mulder's enthusiasm--she certainly
couldn't tell him about Ronni when they had work to do.
He began to fill her in as they got in the car.
"Travis Tilley, 56 years old, says aliens came and took
his wife of 35 years--Roseanne. Neighbors say there've
been bright lights around the Tilley place at night and
Roseanne hasn't been seen in two weeks."
They arrived at the Tilley home, an old farmhouse on
several acres of untended land. Travis Tilley met them
at the door. He was wizened and frail looking, obviously
distraught over the supposed alien abduction of his wife.
Mulder and Scully followed Tilley into the house and sat
with him in the farmhouse kitchen. Tilley weakly described
what to Scully sounded like textbook alien abduction.
Mulder seemed to hang on every word. It sounded a little
too textbook to Scully--like Tilley had read every book on
the subject and committed all the details to memory.
Tilley seemed to have trouble breathing by the end of his
story. He mopped sweat off his forehead with a dirty
handkerchief and complained of feeling ill. Scully
got her doctor bag from the car. Just as she'd begun to
examine Tilley, Mulder's cell phone rang.
"Mulder," he said into the phone. Tilley seemed to be
even more nervous now and had begun a wheezing sound in
his breathing. "Oh...hi Ronni...I'm kind of tied up
here...yeah...yeah."
Her partner made his apologies and stepped out onto the
porch to finish his phone call, his voice lowering to a
murmur. Scully couldn't help the look of annoyance that
crossed her features. Damn Ronni. Damn, damn Mulder
for getting caught up on the call when he should be
at work.
Scully reached into her bag for the blood pressure cuff
and felt Travis Tilley move behind her. In a flash, he
had an iron grip around her neck and a kitchen knife
against her chest. She called out in alarm before the
pressure on her neck diminished her voice to a squawk.
Mulder was listening to Ronni go on about how she wanted
to get him alone tonight when he heard Scully shout. He
hurriedly disengaged the call, but by the time he reached
the door, it was too late. He could see Scully, hanging
rather limply in Tilley's arms. Tilley's knife had
already drawn blood as it scratched Scully's skin.
Mulder felt helpless and incredibly guilty as Tilley
shut and bolted the kitchen door.
"Get out of here now," Tilley shouted behind the door.
"I don't want to kill her, but I will if you come closer."
Mulder called for backup, which arrived quickly. The
hostage team pulled up, complete with a SWAT team and FBI
negotiators. They pushed Mulder aside as they took
over.
Skinner frowned fiercely as he pulled up at the Tilley
place. He wasn't at all pleased when he found that Mulder
had left Scully alone with a subject while he took a personal
call. Mulder was too worried about Scully to consider what
the review board would have to say about that.
The hostage team managed to get a listening device on
the house, so Mulder was aware of every word spoken, and
was beside himself with fear as he heard what Travis
Tilley was saying.
Inside, Scully was doing her best to keep calm. She
didn't know who she was madder at--herself for letting
her guard down enough to get in this predicament, or
Mulder for taking a stupid call from his stupid, stupid
slutty girlfriend.
Over the course of five hours, Scully found out that
Roseanne Tilley was dead and buried in a wooded area
behind the house. Aliens had instructed Travis Tilley
that Roseanne had to go. Scully feared that Tilley
might get similar instructions from the aliens for her.
Tilley alternated between confiding in her about how
Roseanne had died and ranting wildly as he gestured
with his sharp knife. Every minute, Scully knew
her life was in the great danger as her captor's
grip on reality weakened. He'd tilt his head as
if listening to someone, sometimes nodding in
agreement. The man continued to sweat, obviously
under enormous stress.
Finally, Tilley told her that the aliens had told him
to take her down to the basement, just as they had
commanded him to do with Roseanne. Scully knew her
survival hinged on not allowing him to drag her down
there.
He sliced through her bonds with his knife, resuming his
grip around her neck. When the knife began to slip from
his sweaty fingers, she knew her opportunity had arrived.
Tilley and Scully wrestled, his strength superior but her
FBI training evening up the odds. By the time she'd
gotten the knife away from him, the door burst open and
Skinner, Mulder and the others entered. They subdued
Tilley and Scully was finally able to breath.
Mulder watched in horror as Scully tried to stand. She
was bleeding from scratches on her neck and chest and
holding onto her left arm. As he reached out to help her,
she moaned and swayed in his arms.
Mulder insisted that the paramedics check Scully out. He
was horrified when he found out that her shoulder had been
dislocated. Though Scully argued, she was overruled and
transported to the hospital for treatment. Before Mulder
left to follow the ambulance, Skinner informed him angrily
that he was to report to the AD's office at nine a.m. the
next morning.
At the hospital, Mulder paced the waiting room while Scully
was treated. He had no idea what to say to her. "I'm
sorry a phone call from my oversexed girlfriend almost got
you killed," just wasn't going to cut it.
Finally, the nurse came and called him to the examination
room where Scully was in a heated discussion with a small
Pakistani doctor. Dr. Mukerjie wanted to keep her overnight,
but Scully was adamant that she wanted to go home and sleep
in her own bed.
Mulder couldn't argue with her--she'd been through so much
and obviously needed to take a little control over her
own life. Scully took on her sternest look and reminded
Mukerjie that she was a doctor and a federal agent and
was more than capable of taking care of herself.
Reluctantly, the ER doctor agreed and sent her
home with painkillers, provided someone could be with
her. Her arm was tightly strapped to her midsection to
allow the shoulder to heel after they got it back into
position. Mulder assured the doctor that he'd stay with
Scully.
As they left the hospital, Scully told Mulder how much
Mukerjie had over-reacted. After all, she was mostly just
bruised from fighting with Tilley and had a few stitches
where the knife had done more than scratch her skin.
She slept most of the way home, both from exhaustion and
pain. Guilt poured over Mulder like a driving rain. A
few weeks ago, he'd promised himself he would no longer be
distracted by Ronni after standing Scully up for dinner.
Today had been his worst fear--that his inattention had
almost cost Scully her life. He glanced over as a
streetlight illuminated a large, angry bruise on Scully's
jaw. The alabaster skin of her neck was marred by the
thin line of a cut.
When he pulled in front of her building, he shook her gently
awake. She startled violently, obviously still suffering
the results of the terror she'd been in.
"Sorry," he said, softly. "We're here."
She moaned softly as he helped her out of the car. Her
shoulder hurt like hell when she moved at all. Mulder
took her by her other arm and helped her up the front
walk and into the building.
Her emotions swirled around like autumn leaves in the
wind. She felt relief, of course, at being alive.
There was a time back in Tilley's house when she was
sure she wasn't going to make it. She'd thought about
a lot of things during those hours, but mostly she
thought about how sad it would be to die and never kiss
Mulder--to never know what his soft lips felt like
against hers. Well, she could live for a thousand years
now, and it was still a dream that would never come true.
Mulder opened the door to her apartment.
"I want to change into something I can sleep in," she
said as she moved slowly toward the bedroom.
"Do you need any help?" Mulder asked.
"I think I can manage," she replied.
Obviously relieved, he beat a hasty retreat to the
kitchen to make her a cup of tea and something to eat.
She'd been wearing a knit top, so she decided that
would be comfortable enough. Her shoulder was far too
painful to unstrap her arm and change into a pajama top.
She'd called her mother from the hospital. Maybe with
Mom's help, she could wash up and change in the morning.
She did manage to take off her slacks and put on some
sweatpants, though that wasn't easy to do one-handed.
"Wouldn't you be more comfortable in bed?" Mulder asked,
when she came out of the bedroom. He carried a mug of
tea and a plate of toast to the sofa.
"Eventually," she replied. "I don't think I could manage
this in bed, though." She took the mug in her good hand,
gratefully sipping the hot tea. She'd craved this for
hours, not only the tea, but the feeling of safety she
could only get from her own home and from the presence
of Mulder.
A pang of sadness gripped her as she remembered yet again
that he belonged to another woman. He'd make sure she
was settled and comfortable and then he'd go off and make
love to someone else.
Scully struggled to put her mug down and take a slice of
toast. She was definitely feeling the effects of the
pain meds in her system. Her head felt light, as if
it was a helium balloon on a long string.
Mulder leaned in to help her set down her mug, his face
inches away from hers. Maybe it was the drugs circulating
through her veins. Maybe it was coming so close to death
just hours ago. Scully couldn't tell, but the urge to
kiss Mulder was overpowering.
Scully moved closer, lost in the hazel depths of his eyes
until her lips were touching his. She knew this was a
mistake, but she'd nearly died without knowing what this
felt like it. Her life had been spared, but damn it, she
might not be as lucky the next time, and she had to do
this.
Mulder leaned into the kiss for one miraculous moment,
and she was sure her heart would stop. His lips were
amazing--so soft, so warm and pliant. She could live
on the memory of such a kiss.
Suddenly, Mulder pulled away and the miraculous moment
was torn like a sheet of paper. The stunned look on
his face told her all she needed to know--he was
horrified. It was a wonder he didn't wipe him mouth
with the back of his hand.
"Scully...uh...I...uh..." he stumbled, unable to meet
her eyes.
"Its okay, Mulder. You don't have to explain," she said,
wearily. Truth was, she couldn't bear his 'its not you
its me' speech.
"It's just that...well, I never thought of you..."
"I said leave it alone. Please." Her voice was thick
with the tears she was holding back. She couldn't
keep herself together much longer. "I need you to
leave."
He looked deeply uncomfortable as only a man who's
had an unwanted come on can look. Too bad the drugs
that kept her shoulder from hurting like hell didn't
do a thing for her breaking heart.
"You shouldn't be alone, Scully. I promised the
doctor."
She laid her head against the back of the sofa and
laughed. "Too bad. I'm afraid that's exactly what
I am and will always be. Alone."
"Don't say that," he murmured. She wasn't sure, but
there might have been tears in his eyes. How
incredibly ironic--the man she loved felt nothing
but pity for her.
"Mulder, you need to leave. Now." Her voice had
become sharp, insistent, desperate.
With every ounce of strength she had, Scully forced
herself off the sofa, yelping with pain as she moved.
Clutching her strapped arm protectively with her other
hand, she shuffled over to the door. Her vision was
blurred with tears as she opened the door and waited
until her shocked partner walked through it. With
her last remaining reserve, she shut it firmly and
threw the lock.
It was only then that she allowed the tears to fall.
Continued in part 4.