Mulder's heart fell as he realised he was being rejected and his fingers lost their grip on the ring. The nervous smile that had been plastered across his face ever since he had walked up to the stage slipped slowly away as realisation sunk in. The ring fell to the floor and both of them watched as it bounced twice and then rolled in a circle before coming to a stop. Mulder stared at it lying on the floor and Scully reached out to Mulder with one hand. Ignoring her hand on his shoulder, Mulder got up off the ground and turned away from Scully. The crowd around them turned away from the two of them, wanting to give them a little privacy and all feeling sorry for the man who so obviously had just had his heart broken.
The DJ started the countdown to midnight and everyone joined in - everyone that is except Mulder and Scully who were both silent and sad. Mulder pushed his way through the crowd away from Scully, looking for the nearest exit to escape from. Scully watched him be swallowed up by the raucous crowd before she could say anything to him. She tried to follow him but the countdown had just reached zero and everyone listened as the bells rang in the New Year. Suddenly people wishing her a happy New Year surrounded her and Mulder was lost from sight. Knowing it was useless to go after him since she would probably never find him in such a large crowd and not knowing what she could tell him to make the blow any less severe even if she did find him, Scully put on a smile and returned people's greetings. She quickly found her mother though who pulled her through the crowds to the ladies room for an explanation.
Mulder had managed to get out of the hall before the chimes rang out and he had immediately called a cab on his cell-phone. He knew that he couldn't stay at the party for any longer and he didn't particularly feel like celebrating anyway. He could hear everyone shouting out his or her 'Happy New Year' salutations and he whispered the words softly to himself. He looked back as he said them, hoping that the sentiment would find his beloved and that he might catch one last glimpse of her before he left. Turning away he laughed at his stupid behaviour, realising that she wouldn't care to hear the words if she didn't even want to be with him. He whispered his last goodbye to her, knowing that this would be the last time he would see her for a while. Walking through the foyer, he started to push open the front door but he was stopped by a shout from behind him.
"Mulder...Mulder!"
"Charlie...hey."
"Where are you going?"
"Where do you think Charlie...away."
"Don't go Mulder...Day wouldn't want you to leave."
"Charlie did you not see her in there...she doesn't want me. I'm so stupid to think that she would ever want to marry ME."
"Mulder, I'm sure it's just a misunderstanding...there has to be some mistake or some reason or..."
"Yeah, there was no mistaking the refusal in her eyes Charlie. ...Anyway, she has two to worry about now. She can't go wasting her time with me anymore, not now she's gonna have a baby to look after."
"Mulder that's YOUR baby."
"I know...I just...look, I can't stay here, not after that. Could you tell your mom thanks for having me? Tell her that it's been the best holiday I've had in a long time."
"Mulder..."
"Tell Scully I'll see her around...at work on Tuesday I guess. If we bump into each other but let her know that she doesn't need to worry about that - it shouldn't be too hard for her to avoid me for a bit if she wants to."
"Don't you guys share an office?"
"We did, yes...but after tonight, I don't think we'll be working together much longer."
"Mulder don't do this...you need to talk to her and sort things out. As you said before - it's not just the two of you anymore."
"I know and I want to have that baby with her SO badly...I love it so much already and I...but I just can't take being around her just now knowing that she'll never be mine...I'm sorry Charlie."
"Mulder come on..."
"There's my taxi...see you around."
With that, Mulder walked out of the swing doors and crossed over to the taxi, his shoulders slumped and his head down. He got into the taxi and it pulled away from the kerb, leaving behind an open-mouthed and speechless Charlie. He watched as the taxi sped off towards its unknown destination and shook his head in disbelief. Turning to go back into the hall in order to find his sister, he instead found Bill standing watching the same car drive off with a smug smirk on his face. Charlie could feel the rage build up inside of him as he watched his brother's satisfied smile stretch even wider across his face when the taxi disappeared from sight.
"You'd better hope to hell that you had nothing to do with this Bill because if you did, so help me God..."
"I didn't have to do anything Charlie...looks like our sis has more sense than I had thought."
"More sense...Bill what the hell is wrong with you? They belong together."
"Yeah...right. In what sense do they belong together Charlie - Dana's way too good for him and he doesn't even know it."
"Oh believe me Charlie, he knows it - not that I think it's true and Dana doesn't think so either. She loves him and he loves her - that's all they need. If that child is going to grow up without a father because of your selfish and petty hatred of Mulder..."
"What child...what are you talking abut Charlie?"
Realising that Bill still hadn't been told about the baby and also that it wasn't his place to tell him, Charlie closed his mouth and started to walk away. He ignored Bill's angry shouts and questions that followed him into the hall and concentrated on finding Scully. Bill gave up trying to call his brother back and instead tried to process what he had just been told. His smile was replaced by a set grimace as he realised what Charlie had meant and that his nephew or niece would also be Mulder's son or daughter.
The DJ started the countdown to midnight and everyone joined in - everyone that is except Mulder and Scully who were both silent and sad. Mulder pushed his way through the crowd away from Scully, looking for the nearest exit to escape from. Scully watched him be swallowed up by the raucous crowd before she could say anything to him. She tried to follow him but the countdown had just reached zero and everyone listened as the bells rang in the New Year. Suddenly people wishing her a happy New Year surrounded her and Mulder was lost from sight. Knowing it was useless to go after him since she would probably never find him in such a large crowd and not knowing what she could tell him to make the blow any less severe even if she did find him, Scully put on a smile and returned people's greetings. She quickly found her mother though who pulled her through the crowds to the ladies room for an explanation.
Mulder had managed to get out of the hall before the chimes rang out and he had immediately called a cab on his cell-phone. He knew that he couldn't stay at the party for any longer and he didn't particularly feel like celebrating anyway. He could hear everyone shouting out his or her 'Happy New Year' salutations and he whispered the words softly to himself. He looked back as he said them, hoping that the sentiment would find his beloved and that he might catch one last glimpse of her before he left. Turning away he laughed at his stupid behaviour, realising that she wouldn't care to hear the words if she didn't even want to be with him. He whispered his last goodbye to her, knowing that this would be the last time he would see her for a while. Walking through the foyer, he started to push open the front door but he was stopped by a shout from behind him.
"Mulder...Mulder!"
"Charlie...hey."
"Where are you going?"
"Where do you think Charlie...away."
"Don't go Mulder...Day wouldn't want you to leave."
"Charlie did you not see her in there...she doesn't want me. I'm so stupid to think that she would ever want to marry ME."
"Mulder, I'm sure it's just a misunderstanding...there has to be some mistake or some reason or..."
"Yeah, there was no mistaking the refusal in her eyes Charlie. ...Anyway, she has two to worry about now. She can't go wasting her time with me anymore, not now she's gonna have a baby to look after."
"Mulder that's YOUR baby."
"I know...I just...look, I can't stay here, not after that. Could you tell your mom thanks for having me? Tell her that it's been the best holiday I've had in a long time."
"Mulder..."
"Tell Scully I'll see her around...at work on Tuesday I guess. If we bump into each other but let her know that she doesn't need to worry about that - it shouldn't be too hard for her to avoid me for a bit if she wants to."
"Don't you guys share an office?"
"We did, yes...but after tonight, I don't think we'll be working together much longer."
"Mulder don't do this...you need to talk to her and sort things out. As you said before - it's not just the two of you anymore."
"I know and I want to have that baby with her SO badly...I love it so much already and I...but I just can't take being around her just now knowing that she'll never be mine...I'm sorry Charlie."
"Mulder come on..."
"There's my taxi...see you around."
With that, Mulder walked out of the swing doors and crossed over to the taxi, his shoulders slumped and his head down. He got into the taxi and it pulled away from the kerb, leaving behind an open-mouthed and speechless Charlie. He watched as the taxi sped off towards its unknown destination and shook his head in disbelief. Turning to go back into the hall in order to find his sister, he instead found Bill standing watching the same car drive off with a smug smirk on his face. Charlie could feel the rage build up inside of him as he watched his brother's satisfied smile stretch even wider across his face when the taxi disappeared from sight.
"You'd better hope to hell that you had nothing to do with this Bill because if you did, so help me God..."
"I didn't have to do anything Charlie...looks like our sis has more sense than I had thought."
"More sense...Bill what the hell is wrong with you? They belong together."
"Yeah...right. In what sense do they belong together Charlie - Dana's way too good for him and he doesn't even know it."
"Oh believe me Charlie, he knows it - not that I think it's true and Dana doesn't think so either. She loves him and he loves her - that's all they need. If that child is going to grow up without a father because of your selfish and petty hatred of Mulder..."
"What child...what are you talking abut Charlie?"
Realising that Bill still hadn't been told about the baby and also that it wasn't his place to tell him, Charlie closed his mouth and started to walk away. He ignored Bill's angry shouts and questions that followed him into the hall and concentrated on finding Scully. Bill gave up trying to call his brother back and instead tried to process what he had just been told. His smile was replaced by a set grimace as he realised what Charlie had meant and that his nephew or niece would also be Mulder's son or daughter.
