Thanks a lot to all my reviewers!
Mulder's Girl, thank you so much for reviewing every chapter so far, it makes me so happy that it's your fav story right now!
Sheridan, happy you like it! This is another shorter chap, but it's the last of the bridge chapters – from the next one on they will be long and action-packed!
Lou, thanks for continuing to review though you say you don't so often. Glad you are enjoying it!
Faye! I'm glad you liked it- chapter 4 is my favorite so far, lol. This one was dun to write, though, for some inexplicable reason… Anyways, thanks for reviewing. I'll talk to you soon!
A/N: Just so you know, this fic doesn't contain any big spoilers, but it's set somewhere around the end of the sixth season.
Chapter 6 – Clash
The tension in the air threatened to suffocate the two sole occupants of the basement office. It was times like this that the partners' uncanny ability to read each other seemed more a detriment than a benefit.
Mulder sensed that Scully was not completely over the shock of learning that her friend had been brutally murdered. He knew that she wanted to prove that she was strong enough for it and that she resented him for worrying about her, but he couldn't help it. For what must have been the twentieth time, he said, "Maybe you should take off for this case, Scully. It's too close to home for you."
Scully was growing annoyed. She couldn't stand that Mulder felt like he had to protect her, she was a strong and capable woman. She gave him the same answer that she had the past twenty times. "I am fine, Mulder."
They both sighed and looked back to their individual work. As much as they were aware of how much they needed each other, sometimes they just needed a break, lest too much unspoken resentment boiled over. Mulder had hoped that Scully had found that release in her new friends. Now, for obvious reasons, that could no longer be a point of stability to her. Her only constant was him, as his was her. That was usually very comforting, except on days like today.
Shaking his head, Mulder scanned over the photos of the crime scene again and jotted his own notes. He got the feeling that he was on to something with this…
Half an hour later, Mulder finally smiled. "Scully! I think I may have figured this thing out."
She looked up, a mix of hope and cynicism on her face. "Explain, Mulder.
"Well, obviously the x-file part of this case is the fact that the killer can be in the room filled with poisonous gas and not be negatively affected. Therefore, this 'man' as some may call him doesn't require oxygen to survive. He can breathe in this poisonous Neronge gas and live."
"What!"
"Think about it, it fits the modus operandi perfectly. What he'll do is this: find a pretty girl, charm her into accepting a blind date, and take her on a tour of whatever old-fashioned house he has rented. When they get to the windowless cellar, which would have a convenient airproof door back from when it served as an air raid bunker, he'll take her inside, slam the door, and begin filling the room with Neronge."
Mulder was confused by the expression on Scully's face, but he continued on. "My profile shows that he takes a perverse pleasure in watching the girl die from breathing the same air that he is. The whole time, he'll pull her to him and…"
"Shut up! Just shut up!"
Mulder froze and looked at Scully's rage-filled face in shock. "Scully, what…?"
"Damn it, Mulder, this isn't a game! It's not some science fiction novel. This is my friend and she is dead! I refuse to let you take her murder and twist it so that it fits into some pet project of yours."
"Hey, calm down. I didn't mean to…"
"Of course not!" she interrupted, unable to stop screaming now that she had begun. "You never mean to hurt anybody, or to turn tragedy into a joke. But you somehow manage to. Hell, are we even pursuing the truth anymore at this point? Or are we just strolling along, pointing out oddities and making up stories? That way, you can fit everything into the nice little box you've created for yourself to package everything that you've decided is worth believing in!"
He opened his mouth to retort, but her glare silenced him. "Make one comment that even resembles a joke and I swear I'll…"
"Hey, hey," he began soothingly. He was hurt, but was very conscious of her state of mind at the moment and was trying to remain calm and understanding. "Come on, you've been through a lot, why don't you…"
Any other day, Scully would have let it end there. But today, she found herself so inexplicably angry that she was filled to tears. She felt it all coming to the surface now, all the resentment that she had built up and put aside was coming out now.
"You always do this. You always will, won't you? Just close it off, try to make it all better. Well, you know what? Some things don't get better. Some things you have to stand and face! The murder of my friend was real, not science fiction. That's unchangeable, and trying to talk your way around it is pointless. It's just like your sister – she is gone. Who the hell knows if you'll ever find her? Who the hell knows that the last six years of our lives haven't been wasted!"
She stopped suddenly as it hit her exactly what she had said. She had crossed a line in bringing up Samantha, and she instantly regretted it.
Mulder had gone completely silent, barely concealing the rage building up inside him.
"So that's what it has been to you?" he finally said. "A waste of time?"
"Mulder, listen…"
"No, you listen! You've been going on about how insane my quest is, how much of a fucking waste of time it's been for you, at least let me say my piece! You can think what you want, and you feel what you want, I don't care if that's what you want. But would it kill you to open your mind to some things? Or do you really still think, after all we've seen and experienced in the past six years, that I am just some crackpot rouge who is a useless drain of the bureau's time and money?
If so, then I apologize. I must have completely misunderstood your intentions and feelings. I had thought that we had between us built up trust and respect and l…"
He paused, painfully aware of what he had just nearly said. After a moment, he drew a deep breath, and continued in a quiet voice.
"Look, Scully, I know this case is important to you. I know that it is your friend. But I don't understand why you can't even listen to a word I am saying. This type of occurrence, these x-files, they are important to me. They are my life. And my sister…"
He couldn't help the bitterness that began to seep back into his voice here. "My sister is the most important of them all to me. And you can think what ever you want, but I refuse to believe that she is gone forever, that I will never find her, that all our… well, my searching has been in vain. I cannot believe that. And I don't understand how you can, either, even after Emily…"
Scully suddenly stiffened and felt all the sympathy she had begun to sense vanish. "How dare you. How dare you put my daughter's death in the same category as your sister's 'abduction'! I… You know what, forget it. I'm leaving."
"Wait, Scully…"
"Go to hell."
"Yeah, see you there," he said bitterly.
Clutching her cross, Scully whirled around and hurled the case file she had been holding at his head. To her shock and anger, he reached up and caught it in one fluid motion.
Their eyes met in a glare. Fire sparked between them as the tension grew unbearable.
Scully's head began to pound. A cacophony of emotions ran through her, and she couldn't tell whether she was more angry or drawn to him. Either way, she could not turn her gaze from his deep hazel eyes. She felt the sudden urge to forget all the unmeant bitter words and just wrap herself in his arms and apologize and kiss his lips. Maybe…
With that, the anger came back in a flash. In that moment, she hated him for making her feel like this. Scully was a woman who liked being in control. She had dealt with guys she was attracted to before, but not one had thrown her for a loop like this. She needed to get away- it was all too much.
With effort, she broke eye contact and whipped out of the room without a glance back lest her resolve weakened. I have to do something about this. I need to get back in control.
She sat down in her car and pulled out her cell phone, punching in a number unused up until this point that had been given to her weeks ago. She shuddering sighed and attempted to steady her emotions as the phone rang. When she finally heard the answering "Hello?", she steeled herself and forced a smile.
"Varrick? Hi, it's Dana. About that date you mentioned…"
Next chap: What is up with Varrick? And will the fight be resolved before it's too late? We shall see…
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