Author: TCS 1121
Email: TCS1121@hotmail.com
Rating: G
Classification: Post FTF AU
Keywords: M/S
Disclaimer: 1013 and Fox own these characters
Archive: I'll submit To Gossamer and Ephemeral-all others, OK
Summary: Scully makes a call from Salt Lake City, Utah
Like a light flicking on, it hit and her eyes filled as the realization
dawned. She had reigned him in, slowed him down and-even if he
thought otherwise-he didn't need her.
He never had.
In the hallway outside of his apartment, Mulder came up
behind her. He was so close, her skin almost burned from his
heat. Looking deeply at her, his eyes grew smoky and he took a
deep breath to speak. She couldn't bear to hear what he had to say, so
she dropped her eyes, turned her back, and walked away.
That night, she left him.
It had been for the best. That's what she'd been trying to
believe for a little over a year now. Still, every day she wondered
how he was, if he was he well, and how his cases were going.
And, during those dark, honest nights, she wondered if he missed her.
It was hard not to worry about him, difficult not to miss him and im-
possible not to care about him, so with a trembling hand, Scully picked
up the phone and dialed his number. After four rings, she heard:
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"This is Fox Mulder. From Monday the 5th to Wednesday the 7th
I’ll be out of town and unavailable. Please leave a message after
the beep. PS, if this is Scully…. I still need you."
<beep>
She gasped as her nerveless fingers dropped the phone on the
floor. Even after a year, he leaves messages for her on his
answering machine. He mistakenly believes that he still needs
her. He is mistaken, isn’t he? It was for the best, wasn't it?
Wasn’t everything she did, done for him? All for him?
Wasn't it?
It took several days for her to summon the courage to dial the
number again.
`~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
This is Fox Mulder. From Friday the 9th through Sunday the 11th
my phone will be out of service. The Phone Company says that by
Monday the 12th, my service will be restored. I'll return
messages on Monday afternoon. PS, if this is Scully… I still miss you.
<beep>
She was speechless. Holding the mouthpiece close to her lips,
she tried to speak. All she tried to say was "Hello,"
but her tongue wouldn't cooperate. She stood staring
at the receiver long after the disembodied voice requested that she
hang up and try her call again later.
On Monday afternoon, she did.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
You've reached Fox Mulder. Leave a message after the beep…. If
this is you, Scully…..please come back.
<beep>
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
She left for Utah a little over a year ago. But 13 months, 3 weeks, and 4
days later, she was back in DC. Now Scully was in Alexandria,
Virginia on Hegel Place, standing in front of apartment 42. It
was late, and she heard the steady clicking of the remote rapidly
switching channels. She raised her hand to knock, but her fist
stopped in mid air. Turning away from the door, she pulled out
her cell phone and dialed. Inside the apartment, his phone rang.
On the second ring it stopped.
Closing her eyes, and speaking softly she said,
"Mulder, it’s me."
END
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Author's Note: If you listen to Country music, you'll notice that
I stole a plot device straight from a song. I don't know the
title and artist and had only heard it once. So I, of course,
had no permission whatsoever to use the essence of this song.
Mea Culpa.
TCS—who was inspired to write this by reading the "Email Stories" on the Enigmatic Dr.’s "Connections" site.
http://x-files.bytewright.com/Connections.html