Scully unlocked the apartment door and stepped inside.
"Hi Scully" Mulder greeted her in a slightly ditsy, high pitched voice. "You're home early today" He smiled lazily.
Scully shut the door and leaned her back against it. "This isn't happening" She said under her breath.
"What?" Mulder asked her. "I can't hear you"
"That's a surprise" Scully said sarcastically.
"What's wrong?" Mulder was suddenly concerned. "Bad day at work?"
"It's always a bad day at work." Scully massaged her temples. "I'm used to that, what I'm not used to is coming home to a one man pot party" Scully started opening windows. "The whole apartment smells like weed Mulder, what were you thinking?"
"Shhh" he shushed her. "The neighbors'll hear you"
"You mean you didn't get that stuff from the neighbors?"
"Nope, a guy at work gave it to me."
Scully coughed. "Two days at work and your buying drugs there? Mulder you're an FBI Agent for Pete's sake."
Mulder shook his head. "Former FBI agent. I am presently a phantom, who does not currently exist in this time period." He laughed. "In fact I couldn't pay taxes if I wanted to. So who do we have to answer to?"
Scully didn't know how to answer that one.
"I spend my whole like chasing 'ghosts' and 'phantoms' and then I become one. I mean, what are the odds right?"
Scully closed her eyes. "You're not a ghost Mulder"
"Hey" Mulder sat up straighter on the couch. "Did you know that Sherlock Holmes smoked Opium? He said it helped him think or something" Mulder looked proud of himself remembering.
"Yes I did know that" Scully walked up to him. "and his side-kick Watson, who was a doctor, told him to stop before he ruined his health, destroyed his mind, and killed himself" Scully snatched the joint out of his hand and threw it down the garbage disposal.
"You never let me do anything" Mulder complained pitifully.
"I can't afford to let you do anything Fox. You finally go to work and now I felt better when you were here all day watching TV with the neighbor kids."
"I guess I just can't do anything right anymore huh?" Mulder smiled gloomily.
"Fox" Scully kneeled beside the chair and tried to establish eye contact. Mulder was pretty stoned. "I've always had faith in you. Look at me Mulder. Try to focus. I still have faith in you. You're a survivor. And whatever this is that you're going through, you'll get through it. I believe that. So if you just need some time that's okay. If you don't want to go to work for a while, don't go. I'll take care of things for a while all right? Just no more drugs okay?"
Mulder nodded. His eyes were bloodshot, is skin was pale, he looked like death warmed over.
"Thank you" Scully said softly as she brushed his long hair out of his face with her fingertips. She brushed it behind his ears and Mulder started crying.
Scully felt a pang in her chest. She rested her hand on his face comfortingly. His crying intensified until he was sobbing. He reached out for her and caught the hem of her shirt. He clutched it in his hands as if holding on for dear life. Scully sat down beside him on the couch and pulled him close to her. He wrapped his arms around her desperately and Scully felt the weight of him on her shoulders. But she held him like a little boy as his chest heaved with sobs and he cried into her shoulder like a child. And like a child…he cried himself to sleep.