"I think the most rewarding relationships, the ones that last, are born from friendship. One day you look at the person and see more than you did the night before, like a switch was flicked somewhere. And the person who was just a friend is suddenly the only person you can imagine yourself with." –Scully (From "Rain King")

Adopted Consequences
Chapter 8
May 12, 2005 9:30 am (I noticed I put the wrong date on the last chapter, woops)
St. Mark's Hospital Telluride, Co

Mulder kept quite and nodded to Skinner. "Dana, honey. Dreams are prayers that can't be made aloud. Dream!"

"I never knew you to be into dreams and prayers, sir."

"I'm usually not, but every now and then something changes your mind," he replied using the same words he used to Mulder just the day before.

"That's nice to hear, sir. But I don't think this one is feasible. That is one miracle I don't think will ever happen." She laid back down and closed her eyes retreating once again into her memory.

At this Mulder stood up and knelt next to her bed. "Always the skeptic, Scully. I knew I kept you around for a reason," he said with a small laugh while a tear came to his eye. Scully's eyes jolted open at the sounds of his voice and starred straight into his face.

"Nobody here but the FBI's most unwanted," said Mulder with a slight laugh staring straight into her eyes. "I missed you." Scully just stared straight ahead, silent and obviously in shock. "Scully?" he questioned. "Dana? Come on, say something."

"What, I mean, why… no, how?" she stumbled still too much in shock to come up with words. Turning to look at Skinner, "Is this some kind of sick joke? Why can't you just let me be? I told you my fears in confidence, and now you use it against me."

Both Mulder and Skinner looked at Scully in disbelief, not sure of how to respond. Finally after a minute, Mulder broke the silence. "That's okay, Sir, I told you that this would be too much to handle," he said downcast. "Always the skeptic, Scully. It's nice to see you haven't changed. I have to get back to my son anyways." With that Mulder kissed her on the head. "When I said trust no one, I didn't mean we shouldn't trust each other."

Mulder turned to walk out of the room, and was half way to the door before Scully spoke up. "Agent Mulder? I'm Dana Scully. I've been assigned to work with you," she said smilling, falling back into the synch from the first day they met.

Mulder turned around with a huge smile on his face. "Isn't it nice to be suddenly so highly regarded?" He sat down on the side of her bed. Scully still looked shocked and still slightly unconvinced that he was really there. "God, I've missed you," he said taking her hand that was not attached to the IV and kissing her palm. "This has been the longest three years of my life."

"Why now?" she asked looking between Mulder and Skinner. It was obvious that her superior had to have something to do with this 'resurrection.' "Where have you been for three years?"

"I think I can explain that Agent Scully," interrupted Skinner. "Half the world thinks him dead. It was easier just to let him continue to live his life as if nothing ever happened."

"But why now," she asked. "Why three years later have him pop up out of the blue as if he had always been here?"

"I have always been here," interjected Mulder. "In my own way, making sure you were okay and nothing happened to you."

"Mulder's been living in Washington for the past three years, working as a teacher in a middle school," continued Skinner. "With the X-Files still going, and the extreme sensitiviy of the most recent cases, it was safer if he stayed away. Once the ship was destroyed, however, it would be fine to resume a normal life again."

"I'm sorry sir, but I don't know if I can do this," replied Scully. "You can't pretend that three years of pain didn't happen, and all of a sudden resume a life with a man I thought was dead. And you said yourself, Mulder, you have a son to take care of." She spat the last line at Mulder in both hatred and disappointment. "Maybe it's best to continue what has been normal for the past three years."

"Do you really want that, Dana?" asked Fox still holding her hand. "Can you really just give me up that easily? Now that we can live the life we always wanted to?" He starred into her eyes hoping for a glimpse of the answer in them.

"Mulder, I don't know," she replied honestly. "This is a lot to take in. I need some to think about it, if you don't mind. I call Skinner when I figured out what I want to do."

To Be Continued

Please read and review. I'm not sure how many more chapters of this there will be. So let me know if you want me to keep it going.