Chapter 6
1:08 A.M.
Scully's Bedroom
Mulder still sitting awake, watching over Scully notices, she is restless. He gets up from his chair and goes to her bed. He sits on the side of the bed, he then notices, she is dreaming, as she said she probably would. He reaches over and puts his hand on hers giving her hand a slight shake, "Scully, I am here, wake up," he says. She jumps, sitting up quickly in her bed, she looks at Mulder and looks around her room, a little more at ease, and now a little more awake. Looking at him with a little fear in her eyes still, "Mulder, will you come lie down beside me, I don't like to be in the bed by myself when I am having nightmares. After the rape, mom came and stayed with me for a while. She would lie in bed with me, it seemed to help…I mean, if you don't mind," she said. Now looking down at her hands, rubbing them together as if she is nervous. Looking at her with worry in his eyes, "Scully, I will do anything you need me to do to help you get through this, if it means sleeping in that old uncomfortable recliner for months," he says, grinning. He pulls the blankets down a little beside her and he slides into bed. It is just as warm and comfy as he had imagined, only now he is lying beside the woman that he loves, though she doesn't know that. It is still enough to make him happy. He lies there for a while, watching her as she rubs her hands together, cracking her knuckles, playing with the blanket, doing anything she can to keep from having to go to sleep and face the nightmares that she knew would return. Sleep takes over and she dozes off, looking very peaceful. After about 45 minutes, Mulder notices she is getting restless again, he watches her for a few minutes hoping that she will get comfortable and rest. She still tosses and turns, so he reaches over to her and puts his arm around her, hoping to calm her, or give her a little feeling of being safe. She jumps at the touch of his hand and sits up, wide awake again. Realizing that he was only trying to comfort her, she starts to cry, "I am sorry Mulder, I know you were only trying to help, I am sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel bad," she says to him. Looking at her with worry, "Scully, you didn't make me feel bad, really…do you want to tell me what happened that night? Do you think that will help you? Do you want to talk to your psychiatrist? Do you want me to call your mother? Just tell me what I can do and I will do it, and I don't want you to feel bad for jumping when I touched you, I am sorry, I didn't mean to scare you or upset you or make you feel threatened in any way. As long as I am with you, I promise you, nothing will ever happen to you. You don't have to apologize to me for anything, I am just trying to help you right now, so let's not focus on my feelings," he says, smiling at her. "Thanks Mulder, for everything, I know that you already know how much of a friend you are to me, but I want to remind you again, how much I really do appreciate everything you have done and are doing for me." Lying down, she reaches over and grabs his hand tightly. Looking at her with a little smile, "you don't have to thank me for anything Scully, really, I want to help you, no matter what I have to do." With that, he leans over and kisses her on the forehead, lays down beside her and they drift off to sleep.
8:15 A.M.
Wednesday
Scully's House
They are both jolted awake by Scully's telephone ringing. Jumping up, she looks over at Mulder with a little surprise at first, then remembering, she smiles a little smile. After all, he is asleep and he won't be able to catch her enjoying the fact that they are together, she then picks up the phone. "Hello," she answers sleepily. "AGENT SCULLY! ARE YOU ALRIGHT? It is 8:15 and you aren't at work, and… (pausing for a moment, then speaking with disapproval) neither is Mulder," says A.D. Skinner. A look of panic sweeping over her for a second before she thinks of what to say, "I am sorry sir, I haven't seen Mulder since yesterday, but I overslept, I am on my way," she says, hanging up the phone quickly. Looking over at Mulder with a grin at the peculiar way he is laying, shaking him softly, she whispers, "Mulder, wake up, we overslept, Skinner just called and…" He interrupts her at the mention of Skinner, "Shit, I'm up, I am on my way," he says, jumping out of bed, and then falling over her boots which just happen to be on his side. He falls to the floor with a loud thud. Looking down at him from the bed, with a grin, "sorry Mulder, I always keep them on that side of the bed," she says. Looking at her with a smirk, "sure, no problem," he replies, as he runs out of the bedroom and into the bathroom, he quickly jumps in the shower. As Scully hears the water start to run, she drags herself out of bed and walks to the closet and grabs a suit, her underwear and her shoes. She lays them on the bed and walks to the kitchen and opens the fridge, getting out a bagel and the cream cheese, she sits them on the cabinet. She then grabs the coffee and pulls the filters out of the cabinet, as she starts to put coffee into the coffee maker, she realizes, it is already done, all she has to do is turn it on, so she pushes the button, thinking to herself, when did I do that? Oh well, so she toasts her bagel and puts cream cheese on it and then she hears Mulder fumbling around in the cabinets in the bathroom, which makes her smile. Then he runs into her room and shuts the door. "SCULLY! SCULLY, COME HER A SEC," he yells from the bedroom. Walking into the laundry room, she reaches into the dryer and grabs his clothes from last night, and then she takes them to him. Opening the door when he hears her coming down the hall, he says, "I need my…oh, thanks," he says, looking down at the towel he has wrapped around his waist. He shuts the door and she hears him walking away from the door. Walking back into the kitchen, she grabs two cups and pours coffee into them both, then grabbing her bagel, she sits down for a second at the table. By the time she finishes her bagel, Mulder is ready for work, (Mental note to myself; he looks really good in my towel.) Getting up and walking towards the bathroom, "Mulder, our coffee is on the counter," she replies, while continuing down the hall and into the bath, closing the door behind her. "Oh, yeah, Scully, I prepared the coffee last night, hope it was ok with you," he yells down the hall at her, and then he walks to the counter and grabs his cup. He carries his cup over to her briefcase, where he knows she has a pen and a pad of paper. He looks until he finds them, then scratching out:
"Thanks for coffee, went to office, see you there!
Mulder
Then quickly ripping the paper off the pad and putting the pad and pen back in the briefcase, he lays them beside her coffee cup on the table and let's himself out, locking the door behind him.
Stepping out of the shower, walking into the bedroom, she closes the door behind her. After quickly dressing and turning off the light, she walks into the kitchen and over to the table, where she picks up the note Mulder had left for her. Smiling at the gesture of him actually taking a moment to tell her where he is, she drinks the last of her coffee and picks up her briefcase and heads out the door. Realizing when she gets outside that her hair is still wet, she turns around and goes back in. Walking inside, she drops her briefcase and she runs down the hall to the bathroom. Taking the blow dryer from the cabinet, she plugs it in and dries her hair quickly, she then throws the blow dryer under the cabinet and walks back out of the bathroom, down the hall and back out the door, locking it behind her. She walks outside to find that her car is no there!
"Where the hell is my car?" Turning around to go call about her stolen car, she turns quickly, glancing at what she hopes is a mistake. "Shit!" she replies. The cell phone starts to ring, "Hello," she says in an angry voice. "Hey, Scully, I took your car, you bring mine, we will switch out at work," Mulder says anxiously. "Mulder, what the hell were you thinking? Why did you take my car," she asks, sounding very pissed off. "I grabbed your keys this morning in the dark and instead of going back, I just took your car, hope you don't mind," he says. "Ok, Mulder, I am on my way to work, in your car…I will be there soon, and don't tell Skinner you were here last night," she snaps, hanging up on him. Mulder closes his phone and shoves it in his pocket. He then quickly runs past Skinner's office and into their office, hoping that he hasn't been seen. He quickly grabs a few files and throws them on the desk and begins working diligently. He hears footsteps and the doorknob turn and he mutters a few choice words under his breath, as A.D. Skinner enters the room, quietly closing the door behind him. "Nice to see you have decided to grace us with your presence Mulder," he says, glaring at him madly. "Sorry sir, I would have been here on time, but I got distracted," looking down at the files on his desk as if hoping they will give him a little help on getting out of this one. "Well, never mind that, I have a meeting to attend this afternoon and I need to get the reports from you guys, I am assuming that agent Scully has them," he asks, looking at his watch, then back at Mulder. "Yes, she has them in her briefcase, I don't know where she is, she should have been here already, I called her house and there was no answer," Mulder replies, hoping that he has gotten out of this one. "She is going to be late this morning, I called her this morning and she said she was on her way," Skinner says. Then the door flies open, almost hitting Skinner, who just happens to be standing right beside the door. In stomps Scully, throwing Mulder's keys on the desk, "the next time you decide to take my car without asking me…" Mulder shoots a look at her then at Skinner quickly, and then he looks down at his files. Realizing that Skinner is here, waiting for the reports that she has, she looks at him. Her face turning a little red now, she looks down at the briefcase in her hand. Looking nervous, "Oh, ah, good morning sir, I am sorry I was late, I overslept and uh…let me get the reports for you," she says, fumbling in her briefcase. She finds then and hands them to him clumsily, and shoves the briefcase under the desk. "Thank you Agents, I will be back to discuss this….this matter, after my meeting," Skinner says, with a look of disapproval on his face, then he turns and leaves, slamming the door shut behind him.
