Adopted Consequences
Chapter 10
Denver International Airport
May 19, 2005 5:30 pm
Scully hadn't said much to him about what had transpired when Mulder came to talk to her. And Skinner was getting worried about her. He wanted to bring up the subject, but he didn't want to hurt her. He saw the state she was in four days earlier, when Mulder had left, and knowing Scully he knew that her silence was covering over her emotions on the matter.
"The 6:16 flight to Reagan International Airport, Washington DC will begin boarding momentarily. Please have your boarding passes ready at the gate," came the announcement over the loudspeaker. Quietly, Scully stood and gathered her things before starting to the gate. Skinner did the same and had some trouble keeping up with her. She may have just gotten out of the hospital, but she still was hell in heels.
The flight back was passed in silence. Skinner tried to rest, but he felt the need to keep an eye on her, waiting for the moment that she broke down. The closer they got to Washington, the tenser and more withdrawn Scully became. He knew that she would break, and hopefully she would allow either himself or Mulder to be there when she did.
They had begun their final decent into Reagan, and Scully was now at the verge of ripping the walls off the plane. Skinner could see it in her eyes, and the way she sat their clutching the strap of her briefcase. Hopefully they would land and be clear of the airport before she lost it.
Once landed they quickly grabbed their luggage and Skinner called a cab to take them both home. Instead of going to her apartment, he headed in the other direction towards his. He didn't want to leave her alone tonight. Who knows what she would have done being back in town. Scully didn't even notice that they were heading in a different direction until they pulled up in front of the building.
"Sir, with all due respect," she started.
"Scully, you aren't staying home by yourself," he replied grabbing both their bags out of the trunk and paying the driver. "Now, you're going upstairs and getting some rest, if I have to drag you up there myself."
Scully begrudgingly walked through the lobby and into the elevators as Skinner followed. Skinner led her off the elevator and opened the door to his apartment. He led her to the spare bed room and let her crash.
Scully had learned long ago not to argue with Skinner when he went into one of his protective modes. She fell across the bed and let herself go. She sobbed, at her mistakes, and her anger, and at her stupidity.
Skinner stood outside her door, wondering how long he should wait before he went inside, or if he should go in at all. He thought about his options for awhile, and picked up his cell phone.
"Mulder," he groggily answered from the other line.
"I hate to bother you at this hour," Skinner said. "I wanted to tell you that we are back in Washington."
"Thank you, sir," replied Mulder. "But Scully made her choice the other day. I don't want to hurt her anymore than I have already."
"Mulder, don't give up hope. You always believed that everything would turn out right for you two, don't give up that faith now."
"I won't sir," he replied stifling a yawn. "But for now I have to get some sleep, I have to work tomorrow."
He hung up the phone, and Skinner put his back into his pocket. He stared at the door and decided he might as well go in there. He opened the door and walked over to sit on the bed next to Scully. He rubbed her back in attempts to calm her down. "Dana," he said softly. "Scully, what happened? What did you and Mulder say to each other?"
"It was a fight that shouldn't have happened," she explained. "I was hurt at him for not being there, and pissed that he was leaving again. I said some things that I didn't mean."
"I'm sure they weren't that bad, Dana," he said still rubbing her back. She needed to get this out, and the only way that was going to happen was if he drew it out of her.
"I told him to stop trying to protect me, that I don't need him," she went silent before finishing. "I told him to runaway again, and that I'd see him in another three years. I was a fool sir; I don't know why I had to make such a fuss out of it all." She began crying again, unable to forms words once more she gave in to sobs that were raking her body.
Skinner could not come up with the words to say that would be fitting enough to make her feel better. So he let her cry herself to sleep, trying his best to sooth her in whatever way he possibly could.
To Be Continued
Notes: Thanks to everyone who has been reading and reviewing. Keep those reviews coming and the chapters will keep coming. At this point I'm foreseeing maybe only two to three more chapters. But a sequel is always a possibility.
