Hopes and Fears


Angela's body disappeared. It was simply gone without reason, no trails of blood, no claw marks in the rotting floor. Only scorches on the walls around her, and the absence of anything at all.


Two weeks after the incident, Mulder is physically fine, as is everyone in the group that rescued him. He and Scully haven't spoken in a long time, not with words anyways. She's distant and pale, and he thinks that they're all dead.

He's spent a lot of time in their room, lights off, door closed, mind in a different world.

"Do you ever think…about what life was like…before?"

After a week, a part of Scully snaps to life again, and she takes Mulder by the arm and leads him away from the camp, out into the mountains.

They sit down next to a lone tree in a green valley, filled with brisk air and open ends. Suddenly he is seized with an inexorable sadness, and he bows his head under the weight of the world, and he starts to say: Once upon a time we died here, Scully, I can feel it- but he gets cut off before the words even enter his mouth.

She kisses him hard, and smothers the grief before it re-covers them both, and before he knows it he is sobbing, gasping for air and she's cradling his head against her chest, clutching him and crying too. Dry wracking sobs emanate from him and shake them both and Scully tries to speak but can't. The emptiness of everything has suffocated them both for a long time.

In between sobs, Scully starts to speak, voice quiet and powerful, reassuring in her broken way. He's always loved her and he hasn't said it in such a long time.

"…there are people to save Mulder, people alive like us…there is so much we can do yet…"

His strangulation subsides and he smiles into her shoulder, smiles because he's tired of feeling like he's dying.

"I know, Scully, I know."

"Shh, everything's going to get better now, I promise…shh."

"We'll make it better, Scully. Somehow…I think we're going to make it."

She chuckles into the top of his head, tears splattering the top of his skull.

"Do you trust me Scully?"

Her eyes brim with tears and she gasps the words, "I do."

"Do you believe me Scully?"

Mulder tackles her on the warm ground, holds her close amidst the desperate hopes and fears that have made them and remade them for so many years.

She pauses for a moment, eyes wide and glorious in their splendor, radiant in something he can't quite pinpoint and never has.

"I believe."

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fin

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Thanks to the few, faithful readers I had. I loved having your comments, and hope you liked the ending. Please leave me feedback and check out my other fic, Reality Dreamstates. Thanks again!