SAN DIEGO, CA
Scully woke the next morning still basking in the ecstasy of her surprise weekend with Mulder. As she prepped for her hectic day, she was slightly disappointed that she hadn't heard from him yet. She knew he had an early flight this morning, and thought he would at least call and leave a voicemail letting her know he landed. She shrugged her shoulders and made her way to work with the assumption that he might have just been delayed. If she hadn't heard from him by lunch, she would call him just to check in.
She arrived at headquarters just before 8, and the place was already buzzing. Just as everyone shuffled in, she heard Agent Carmichael begin the briefing. "I hope everyone is rested from the weekend, we are going full steam today. There have been reports of a kidnapping within our target area, and the young woman missing matches the suspect's MO. We are going to be working double time to hopefully catch him and bring her home safely. It's different than the original case, since now we have a live hostage. We know he stays within the target areas, so we will be canvasing every crevice on the map. We're going to catch this guy before it's too late for her, and I appreciate everyone's hard work. Dismissed."
Just as she was getting ready to escape to the morgue, Agent Carmichael stopped her. "Dr. Scully, may I have a word?"
"Yes, sir."
"We really need help nailing this perp's location. I need you to focus on anything that can help us determine where he's holding them. If you can give me an analysis of any particles on the body, and separate them by isolating what would be found from where the bodies were recovered, and what wouldn't, that would be a huge help. We need to find any links between them. I know it's a lot, since there are currently 4 victims, but we appreciate your expertise."
"Of course sir, I'll get right on it." She answered, stoically, trying to mask the tinge of exhaustion she could already feel flowing through her.
"Thank you, Dr. Scully. You're dismissed."
She made her way down to the morgue and knew she was in for a long day. She requested a lab tech to help her with the preparation of the bodies, and quickly made her way out to the quiet hall.
Hey Mulder, it's me. I haven't heard from you yet, so I thought I would just call to see if you got in okay. I'm going to be swamped today and don't know when I'm going to get another break. I'll try to call you later, I'm just not sure how much later it's going to be. Just, uh, call me when you get this, so I know you made it. I, um, I miss you already. Bye.
She whispered the last part, still slightly embarrassed for feeling so strongly for this man in such a short period of time. She shook her emotions, and slipped into the persona of Dr. Dana Scully, and walked back into the morgue.
UNKNOWN LOCATION
Mulder was already exhausted from the attack by his unexpected visitor waiting for him when he returned home. He was still fuzzy on how long he had been here, since he knew the blow to his head had caused him to lose some time. He knew that eventually Scully would begin to at least inquire about his whereabouts. He sighed at the thought that he wouldn't be able to keep her distant from this situation as he had hoped. He needed a plan that would get him out of this situation without having to involve Scully.
He looked around and didn't sense Duane Barry's presence, so now was his time to take in his surroundings and generate a plan. As he looked around he noticed the newspaper clippings of UFO sightings, abduction cases, and other paranormal phenomena that has ever occurred. He also caught a glimpse of every book that was ever written by M.F. Luder. His eyes widened and he now realized he had an upper hand. This madman didn't know just who he had strapped hostage to a dingy chair in the middle of this broken down apartment.
An hour later, Barry returned with what looked like food in his hands. He approached Mulder and began to unwrap the sandwich, silently. Mulder gaged his mood and had to begin the conversation cautiously.
"You brought me food?" Mulder asked, innocently.
"You're no good to me dead." He asked, still with an eery tone to his voice that made Mulder wince.
"So you're not planning to kill me? What is it that you want with me?"
"Her. I need the doctor and I've been watching her, with you. I know she'll come for you, but she hasn't been around. She's been gone I think."
Mulder let out a relieved sigh, finding some kind of solace in the fact that Barry didn't know where Scully currently was.
"I only met her a few days ago, I don't think I'm the right person to bring her to you."
"You are. I've seen the way she looks at you. She'll come."
"Why do you think she's the one you need?" Good job, Mulder. Keep him talking, he mentally praised himself.
"Because it's been proposed that it's her." He got up and dropped an article in Mulder's lap. "There, it says she's the one, and he knows the truth. He hides so the government doesn't come after him for what he knows. But he knows. I've read everything, and I've put the pieces together. I researched and she's the only one in this area that matches that description. It's her, it has to be her." Barry answered anxiously.
Mulder looked down at the article of the teased chapter of his newest novel, and closed his eyes in despair. He shook the feeling, he had to be on his game to outsmart the insanity flowing through Barry's mind.
"What makes you think that M.F. Luder knows the truth?"
"It's obvious. Only I seem to be the only one to see it, but it's obvious."
"What - what if I told you I know who M.F. Luder is." Mulder whispered.
"That's impossible, no one knows who he is." Barry answered, slight intrigue filling his voice.
"But what if I do. Would you listen to him, and not move forward on any plans against the doctor?"
Barry looked at him skeptically, but was more interested in what he had to say. He could see the distraught look on Mulder's face and knew that he wasn't lying. "Yes."
Mulder let out a heavy sigh, knowing what he had to do, and running every possible scenario through his head to create the best outcome for everyone. He knew this man was an avid fan, looking for what he believed to be the truth, and would stop at nothing to achieve it. He didn't want to reveal his identity to him, and risk everything he's ever worked for. He also knew that he would do what was necessary to prevent Scully from being brought into his mess. He had to make a sacrifice, and just then, the plan he had been searching for popped into his head.
"Okay, I can take you to him, but he doesn't like strangers. I would have to talk to him first, you understand."
"Yeah, yeah that makes sense. But he comes here. You'll call him here."
"Sure, I can make that work." Mulder nodded, trying to hide the mischievous gleam in his eyes.
Barry handed the phone to him, and Mulder began dialing the familiar number. "Lone Gunmen."
LONE GUNMEN'S BUILDING
"Hey it's me." Mulder's voice filled their phone.
"Mulder my man, hold on, let me turn off the recording." Langly answered.
"No, uh, no that's okay." Mulder answered with a slight edge to his voice.
"What's going on? Are you okay?" Byers chimed in. Him and Frohike picked up the other lines after seeing the confused look on Langly's face.
"I'm here, with a - a friend. He wants to meet you, well he wants to meet the man behind M.F. Luder." Mulder answered as calmly as possible. "He is more interested in meeting the doctor that is Daniela Skye, but agreed to meet with you first since she hasn't been around." He continued.
"Dr. Scully? This man is after Dr. Scully? Is she okay?" Frohike responded, piecing Mulder's hints together. He could tell he was under duress, and they were trying to grasp any information that they could.
"Perfect, that's great. I'll tell him that you will meet us tomorrow around 2? I will email you the address, thanks for doing this favor." Mulder responded before disconnecting the call.
The Gunmen knew that something was off about his phone call, especially since he was insinuating that he himself wasn't M.F. Luder. They ran through every possibility of what could have happened, but figured Mulder wouldn't need their help unless it was important. They traced the call, and pinpointed the location. He was smart enough to call from a landline, so they were able to attach the number to the name that the apartment was being rented by, Duane Barry. They ran a search on the name, and the results that stared back at them made them pale. His name appeared across UFO chatrooms, fan sites, and abduction support groups. He even had his own theories that were presented on blogs about how accurate every claim in M.F. Luder's books were.
The three tore their eyes away from the screen to exchange several sideways glances. They didn't know how to approach this, and knew that Mulder was in trouble. If this guy was holding him against his will, he wasn't going to let him go that easily. They needed to come up with a plan, but they knew they needed to contact Dr. Scully first. If she was truly who Barry was after, maybe she would have the key to getting Mulder back.
UNKNOWN LOCATION
As Mulder hung up the phone, he closed his eyes in realizing that he never told them to not contact Scully. He didn't want her involved, it wasn't her mess to be dragged into. He hoped that he would have the opportunity to send the email with the location before they contacted her.
"He agreed to meet tomorrow afternoon, so I just need to email him the location. Mind if I use your computer?" Mulder asked hopefully.
"Later." Barry answered, pacing around the room anxiously.
Mulder sighed and hoped that he would be able to keep his plan going accordingly. Then he had another thought. "Do you mind if I - I make another call then? If you plan to keep me here longer, I just need to contact someone, so nothing rises suspicion." He explained carefully.
Luckily, Barry was so inside his own head that Mulder's psychology tricks were working. "Yeah, sure. That makes sense." He said, handing the phone back to Mulder.
"Thanks. I just want everything to work out for everyone." He began dialing the number to her cell, hoping he only had to leave a voicemail. He didn't know if he would be able to mask the emotions in his voice if he talked to her in person. The beep of her answering machine brought him out of his thoughts.
Hey, Sc- It's me. I was just calling to let you know I made it back. I'm going to be out of a service area again, so I might not be reachable. I - I'll call you as soon as I can. Talk to you later.
With a distressed sigh, Mulder hung up the phone and hoped those weren't the last words that Scully would hear from him.
SAN DIEGO, CA
Scully had already spent her entire morning and part of her afternoon scraping every particle she could find from the four victims. She was dead tired on her feet, but wanted to get her part done as soon as possible. It wasn't until 3pm that she realized she hadn't eaten much for the day, and decided to take a small break to replenish. She made her way to the small, temporary office they provided for her while she was here, and retrieved her cell phone. She smiled as she has 3 voicemails, and began to play back her messages, hoping one of them was from Mulder.
Hello Dana, it's mom. I just talked to Tara and it sounds like you're having a good visit out there, even though you have to work. We have a lot to catch up on apparently, call me back. Love you.
Scully narrowed her eyes as she listened the amused tone in her mother's voice. If Tara slipped up and said anything about Mulder, she was going to kill her. She rolled her eyes and listened to the next message.
Hello, Dr. Scully. This is John Byers, from The Lone Gunmen, we met when you came to inquire about Mulder last week. We um, were wondering if you had heard from him. We think - we don't want to alarm you, but something seems wrong. We just talked to him, and he didn't seem like himself. From what he told us, it might have something to do with you, but we aren't sure. Please just call us back, when you can. We are just searching for some answers. Talk to you soon.
Scully's heart dropped, and she momentarily stopped breathing. No, nothing could be wrong. They had just spent an amazing weekend together, and he left in such a blissful mood. Her heartbeat increased and her breathing quickened as the next message began to play, and the familiar voice filled her ears.
Hey, Sc- It's me. I was just calling to let you know I made it back. I'm going to be out of a service area again, so I might not be reachable. I - I'll call you as soon as I can. Talk to you later.
Scully's world came crashing down into a state of confusion. She knew something was amiss and needed to get answers. She wanted to call Mulder back, but the number he called from was unfamiliar to her, and if he was in trouble, she didn't want to make matters worse. She picked up her cell phone with a shaky hand and called the Gunmen back.
"Lone Gunmen" Frohike answered.
"Hi, it's um, Scully, Dr. Scully." Her voice wavered despite the control she was trying to maintain.
"Dr. Scully, did you get our message? Have you heard from him?" Frohike answered anxiously.
"Yeah, he, uh, left me a voicemail shortly after yours. What's going on?"
"We received a suspicious call from him. It put us a little on edge, and we are just trying to get all the facts. We, uh, didn't want to worry you or overreact, but something seems off." Byers chimed in.
"What do you know?" She said in almost a whisper.
"We know that someone has him somewhere, maybe against his will. We've already pulled the cameras we have set up outside his apartment, and suspect who is doing this. We're running the tapes to get a time frame, but we don't really know where to start." Byers tried to explain as calmly as possible, he could hear the fear in her voice.
"He, uh, was flying back early this morning. I think he was supposed to land around 8am, east coast time. He - he came to see me this weekend." She choked back a sob.
"Okay, good. Now we have a time frame to work with. Thank you...are you okay?" Frohike asked cautiously.
The Gunmen weren't aware of the most recent developments in Mulder and Scully's relationship, they just knew that he was enchanted by this woman. Speaking with her now, they could tell that their acquaintanceship had become more, and could hear the sentiments in her voice. It was now understood that she felt the connection as strongly to him as he did her.
"I'm fine. I just want to know what's going on. Call me when you find out more." She disconnected the call and the Gunmen could hear the change in demeanor in her voice. She was retracting into herself and closing herself off to the feelings flowing through her body.
Scully slammed down the phone and closed her eyes tight to stop the tears from escaping. She needed to push away her feelings and transform back into work mode. She's never had a personal issue intervene with her professional life, and she quite frankly didn't know how to handle it. Just as she composed herself and was getting ready to finish her work, she was startled by Agent Carmichael standing at the office door.
"Agent Scully, I was just coming to see how things were coming along. I know it's a heavy workload, so I wanted to make sure it was going as smooth as possible for you." He asked as he took in the look of dismay on her face.
"Yes, sir. Everything's coming along fine. Thank you. I should actually have the analysis done by today, I only have one body to finish up." She answered, keeping her head low to avoid making eye contact with him.
Carmichael could tell that something during this young doctor's phone call caused her to be in a world of distress, but he dare not ask. This woman standing before him was not the one he ran into with a smile plastered on her face over the weekend. It wasn't even the aloof Dr. Scully he was used to dealing with. "Well, if that's the case, you'll be able to work more from home until we need anything else. Right now, the analysis is what we need, and until something else happens, we won't be needing you as hands on. That's actually what I came to talk to you about. I know you flew in from DC, and we are definitely grateful, but we also don't need to keep you here with no activity."
Scully's head flew up and her eyes grew. "Really? Once I'm done with the analysis, I - I can go home?"
"We really don't need you hanging around unless you want to. We wouldn't need you again until there's another body, but we are hoping it doesn't come to that point. I know if that is the case however, it would be a lot of flying for you, but that's your call." He nodded.
"Thank you, sir. I - I will try to finish up the analysis, either tonight or tomorrow, and probably head back to DC if nothing arises before then. I'll keep up on any developments in the case from home, as well."
"Sounds like a plan, I'll look for your report. Just let me know if there's anything else you need." He gave her a reassuring smile.
"I will. Thank you." She answered quietly.
Scully made her escape and charged back into the morgue. She was going to finish this analysis, as thoroughly as possible, and head back when it was complete. She began scraping the particles of the last young woman laying prone on her autopsy table, and found herself slipping back into her scientific Dr. Scully persona. With science, it was exact. She always had the solutions she was looking for, there was never any doubt. Science gave her straight answers, with no emotions attached. Science she could understand, and rely heavily on. Medicine was her truth, but now, she admitted to herself, so was Mulder. She needed both to feel like a whole person again, and fill the dark, empty void slowly invading her heart.
LONE GUNMEN'S BUILDING
The three were still searching for any kind of answer possible as to who this Duane Barry person was, and how dangerous he could potentially be. After talking to Scully, they were able to pinpoint when he took Mulder from his apartment building, and panicked when they saw that Mulder wasn't coherent during this conquest. It was understood then that Barry was going to extreme measures to get what he strived for, they just had to figure out what that was. The ding of a new email brought them all from their tasks at hand.
"I think it's from him, with the meeting location for tomorrow." Langly explained.
M.F.,
Tomorrow, 2pm. Back alley by the chinese place we frequent on M street. You'll see me, then we head back here. Come alone.
Don't sound off the code red alarm.
M
"Okay, so we have a location, but I'm not happy with it." Byers broke the silence.
"If he said to go alone, then he's only expecting one of us, but who?" Langly chimed in.
"Me. M.F. Melvin Frohike. It's why he didn't use the Luder last name in his address." Frohike sighed. "He's also going to kick our ass for telling Dr. Scully already." The others nodded in agreement.
Just as they were configuring a plan for tomorrow's meeting, their phone rang and they knew exactly who it was.
"Lone Gunmen." Byers answered.
"Hey, it's me. Dr. Scully. Any more news?" She answered shortly. Byers and Frohike winced at the grating tone of her voice.
"Dr. Scully, hi, yes, we have some new information." Byers paused, looking to the other two for help. They weren't supposed to involve Scully, per Mulder's request, but they knew she wouldn't back down that easily. The other two looked away and Byers rolled his eyes at the lack of help they were. "He contacted us, we are supposed to meet him tomorrow afternoon. That's all we know right now." He finished with a heavy sigh, hoping to sound convincing.
"I'm coming with you."
"No! You, uh, said you were out of town." Frohike interjected quickly.
"I'm putting in a late night so that I can finish everything up and then I'm heading back tomorrow morning. They don't need me here after I am done with this, so I'm coming with you." She answered with authority, daring them to challenge her.
"We don't know the situation at hand, and only one of us is allowed to approach him tomorrow. Frohike is going in, and Langly and I will be parked in our van with surveillance down the street. We don't want to endanger you. Mulder would kill us." Byers explained as calmly as possible.
"I'm the one who works with the FBI and is actually licensed to carry a gun, and you're worried about me being in danger? I was actually trained for this. I'm coming with you, and if you don't tell me what the plan is, I'll figure it out myself. Mulder is going to have bigger problems when we do finally get him back." She finished with an icy tone, causing the three to wince.
"Okay, okay. We will send you what we know, and meet up before we need to meet him." Frohike said before she disconnected the call. They all looked at each other and knew things weren't going as planned, but didn't have much of a choice. Both Mulder and Scully were stubborn, and without Mulder present to defend himself, Scully had the upper hand.
They made their plans and emailed her to keep her in the loop. Tomorrow was going to be one hell of a day that no one was truly prepared for.
MEETING LOCATION
Scully's flight had arrived early the next morning, and she made her way directly to the Lone Gunmen's building. She had parted ways with Tara, providing as little information about what was happening as possible, and explained that she might be back if they needed her. Her sister-in-law understood, but could tell something was amiss. Scully dodged any line of questioning, and anxiously made her way back home. She met up with the Gunmen, and they set up the surveillance around the meeting area. She was to wait in the van with Langly and Byers, while Frohike moved forward, posing as M.F. Luder. As the time approached 2pm, her heart began racing, and she could feel the accompanying nervous energy of her partners.
"It's time." Frohike said, breaking everyone from their doubtful thoughts. He made his way out of the van, and began walking towards the alley they had set to meet at.
"This is ridiculous, if this man is dangerous, I should be out there." Scully hissed.
"No, that would be worse. Mulder said-" Langly was silenced by the look that Byers shot him.
"What? What don't I know?" Scully persisted.
Byers let out a shaky sigh, he knew he was going to lose this battle. "When Mulder first called us, he implied that this man was actually after you, so we searched harder. He's a crackpot UFO feen who actually believes the findings in Mulder's books. He - he thinks you're going to save us all from the aliens, like the character, Daniela Skye. He wrote an entire thesis on his theory in an online chatroom site. He's really after you, he just thought Mulder would bring you to him. He's been - uh, watching you."
With this information, Scully's face paled as she processed everything she was just told. This madman took Mulder because he was after her. He was only after her though because of Mulder's book, and he had been following her. If she hadn't become involved with him, this wouldn't have even happened. No, that wasn't fair, to blame him like that. She just couldn't move past the thought. This is why she keeps to herself, and doesn't let anyone intrude on her personal life. Sure, it's not a way to live, but it worked for her. She should have ran like she always does, detached herself before it was too late. These musings caused her to slip inside herself again, and close off to any emotions that may be trying to surge through her. She composed herself, and with no readable expression on her face, made her exit from the van.
"Dr. Scully! What are you doing?" Byers asked, perplexed by her sudden action.
"I'm going to end this. If it's me he wants, then that's what he's going to get." She pulled out her gun that she had fastened in her waistband holster. "I know what I'm doing, and I'll be cautious. If you hear any gunshots, call the police." She left briskly and made her way to the alley, leaving the two men shock still in the van.
As she approached the meeting spot, she tried to listen to the voices and gage how the situation was going. She didn't want to make herself seen without inspecting the predicament at hand. She was able to peer around the corner, staying hidden in the shadows, and the site before her caused her eyes to widen. Duane Barry had Mulder restrained with one arm around his chest in a chokehold, and his other hand had a gun pressed to Mulder's temple. Frohike was standing several feet in front of them with his hands up, mocking a surrender. None of them had prepared for how dangerous Barry could be. As she listened to the conversation occurring, she could hear Frohike answering questions that only M.F. Luder would know. Luckily, the Gunmen actually read the books, and they were so submerged in all things paranormal, that he was able to ease Barry's doubts about the man standing before him. It was the warning shot in response to Frohike's wrong answer that made Scully jump into action and emerge from the shadows.
"FBI, FREEZE!" She yelled with authority as she aimed her gun at Barry.
He moved his gun to her direction, but before he could pull the trigger, he froze at the site of her. He had always watched her from a distance, and to see her standing just in front of him, it caused his eyes to widen in disbelief. "You. You're here. I don't need them anymore, I have you." He mumbled, just before turning his gun to point directly at Frohike.
"Scully! No..." Mulder whispered just before the shot rang out.
It all happened in a flash, and Mulder was unable to comprehend the current happenings. He focused to try to piece everything together. Frohike, Scully, Gunshot, Pain. Nothing made sense, and he feared the worst. The last thing he remembered before darkness washed over him was whispering "Scully" before everything faded to black.
HOSPITAL
Byers called the police right after he heard the first warning shot that rang from Barry's gun. He panicked when he heard the second gun shot, and the sound of a body hit the ground. They had wired Frohike so that they were able to hopefully keep a handle on the situation, and heard the event unfold. They knew something was wrong when they heard Scully repeating Mulder's name in a soft, reassuring voice, telling him that everything was going to be fine.
It was later, when everyone arrived to the hospital in a flurry, and the police began questioning Scully, that they found out what truly happened in the back alley.
"I approached the situation and attempted to take a handle on the hostage predicament. The suspect did not drop his weapon after I made my credentials clear, and aimed at the other bystander. I didn't have a clear shot to only the suspect, as he used the hostage as a shield, so I made a decision. I'm a precise shot, and a medical doctor as you know, so I used my combined expertise to take action in the only way I saw fit, sir. I - I shot the hostage in the shoulder, since the suspect was slightly taller than him, so that it would hit the suspect in the chest or throat, provided there were no sudden movements. I knew the gunshot to the hostage would be a through and through, and didn't suspect that there would be lasting damage. I know it's definitely not protocol, and I'm willing to subject myself to any consequences to my actions." She explained confidently, hiding the worry wavering in her voice.
"Dr. Scully, I will admit this wasn't exactly a routine situation, and you should have come to me for backup, but you did save two innocent people. As I'm sure you heard, the shot went straight through Mulder and was a direct hit to Duane Barry's heart." AD Davis answered in response. "As your direct supervisor, however, I do have to reprimand you for your foolish actions. I'm thinking a week of administrative leave, paid." He continued with a small smile curving at his lips.
"Sir?" Scully looked up, perplexed.
"Between you and me, Dr. Scully, Mulder is a good friend of mine. You very well may have saved his ass today, and if I know him, he won't exactly be pressing charges. Have you - did you meet him before today?" Davis asked.
Scully looked down to hide the color creeping on her cheeks. She cleared her throat to hide the smirk merging on her face. "Uh, yes, actually. I, he, we've been spending some time together recently. We've become close - friends, in the few days that we've known each other."
Davis' smile spread to consume most of his face. He hadn't put two and two together until now, but it must have been Mulder that put the grin he secretly caught on her face a few days ago in her office. He was amused by this information, considering he knew them both, and would have never imagined them to compliment each other so perfectly. "Well, then I'm guessing you know who he is, what he does." He continued, as she nodded in response. "Then you should know that he broke his number 1 rule for you, if he hasn't told you already."
"His rule?" She asked with a raise of her eyebrow.
"Yeah, he's got this entire list of rules he supplied for himself to follow to keep his writing style unique. His number 1 rule was to never meet his muse, but I can clearly tell that's been broken. It's amusing, when I approved for him to observe your class, I never would have guessed that you'd ever let him even get close enough to think about breaking his rule. Funny how things work out." He was amused to see the shocked expression on her face, and the color rise to her cheeks again. "Well, I better get this report filed and this case closed. Good work today, I'll see you next Monday. Goodbye Dr. Scully." He walked away, with a sly grin on his face, leaving her standing dumbfounded in the hallway of the hospital.
While Mulder was still recovering from surgery, she went for a walk, she needed to get lost in her thoughts. She didn't know how to process anything that had happened today, and it made her question whether or not this was the disaster that she anticipated. She knew it wasn't fair to blame Mulder for any of the events that occurred, and she didn't. She also didn't know if continuing their relationship was the wisest decision. She admitted to herself that she was falling for him, but she never wanted to fall so hard that she lost herself. In the last week, she felt like she had done just that. She didn't know who this giddy, open person was. She also had to fight to maintain the Dr. Scully facade at work, and not let any of her personal feelings be exposed, which is something she's never had to worry about before. She felt a new sense of vulnerability, and it wasn't welcomed. That's just not who Dana Katherine Scully was. Now, with the new information that Davis had told her, Mulder had acted out of character as well, which could have affected the only way he knew how to work. She knew what course of action was necessary to lead to what she believed would result in the best outcome for everyone involved, before it was too late. She made a quick phone call and walked back inside the hospital to the waiting faces of the Gunmen.
"He's awake, they moved him from recovery back to his room. He's asking for you." Byers said quietly.
Scully nodded her thanks and made the way back to Mulder's room. She walked with purpose and a straight face to keep the confidence in her decision. She approached his door, and became instantly overcome with emotions. She placed her hand on the door to steady herself, and closed her eyes to mask the tears before they could fall. She let out a shaky sigh and entered his room.
"Scully..." He smiled and whispered, still groggy from the medication they had pumping through his IV.
"Hey, I'm glad you're okay. I know that probably wasn't the homecoming you were expecting." She attempted to let out a small smile and keep the mood light so that he didn't detect the wavering of her voice. No such luck.
"I am okay, thanks to you." He answered cautiously, trying to detect her mood. He had seen many different sides of Dana Scully but this one was new to him. This Scully was scared, terrified, the fear so evidently shining in her eyes. "What's wrong, Scully?"
She closed her eyes as a lone tear escaped down her cheek. She didn't know how to do this, especially to a man who she cared so deeply for. "I'm fine. I've just been thinking. I - uh, I think we should slow down, on whatever this is. Today put a lot of things in perspective for me, and I - I just need a break, some time for myself."
Mulder panicked, and immediately sobered despite the pain medication flowing through him. He watched as she retracted into herself and pushed him away. She was so far in her own reclusive mind, he didn't know if he could pull her back. "No, Scully. Please..." He said, anxiously reaching for her hand.
"I'm so sorry, Mulder. I just need some time. I have a leave this week, so I'm going to spend my time back in San Diego. That way I can be close to the case, and just, get away from all of this. I'm glad you're okay, I - I'll call you." She leaned down and placed a soft kiss to his temple and made her exit before he could protest further.
Mulder laid helpless in his hospital bed, feeling like he was the one with the bullet in his heart.