By Anna Greenway
a_greenway1318@yahoo.com.au

CATEGORY:  UST, Orison post-ep
RATING:  PG
DISCLAIMER: They belong to CC, 1013 and Fox.
ARCHIVE:  Yep.  Let me know.
SUMMARY:  Mulder comforts Scully after the events of
'Orison'.

************

'I mean, what if it wasn't?'

He stares at her, not knowing what to say.  He could provide
an answer, any answer, but it would only be sugar coating the
reality and he knows she will see right through it.  So he
stays silent.

She looks away, retreating back in to her own world.  He
wants to comfort her, to sit next to her on the bed and take
her in his arms, but he knows it's not the right time.  So,
instead, he brings his left hand to her face and sweeps her
hair back away from her eyes.

She raises her head slightly to look at him and then brings
her hand to his which had fallen on to her shoulder.  She
takes his hand with hers and squeezes it, before pulling it
off her and standing up.

Wordlessly, she moves across the room and returns with a bag.
She opens her drawers one by one, pulling out items of
clothing.

He excuses himself before she reaches the underwear drawer.

He watches as the police walk about the apartment, talking
softly.  They make notes and take photos, all the while
ignoring the body on the floor.  Donnie Pfaster.  Covered
with a sheet.

A familiar face approaches.

'Agent Mulder.' Skinner says, stopping just in front of him.

'Sir.' He greets.

'That him?' he says, nodding towards the body.

'Yeah.  He attacked Scully.  I entered, but he ignored me and
started to move back towards her.  She shot him in defence.'

'She alright?' he asks, noticing her absence from the scene.

He didn't give an immediate answer, not knowing the answer
himself.  He gave a slight shrug and looked back down the
hall to where Scully was packing.  She walked out of the
bedroom and in to the bathroom.

'You taking her to your apartment?'

He looks back at Skinner, not at all surprised to see concern
in his eyes.  'Yeah.'

Skinner nodded.  'Take care of her.'  Then, he turned and
walked back to sort things out with the police.

Mulder slowly headed back down the hall, and stopped in the
doorway of the bathroom.  She was standing in the middle of
the room, a small bag of toiletries in her hand.  She seemed
lost in her mind, her eyes wandering over the scene.  The
candles were still there, and the bath still full.

He took a few steps forward and stood behind her.  She didn't
give any indication that she had heard him.  He reached out
and put his hand gently on her shoulder.  'You nearly ready?'

He heard her sigh and she turned around.  'In a minute.'

She went back in to her bedroom, and returned with her bag.
Together, they walked down to his car.

************

He unlocked the door and pushed it open.  Like a gentleman,
he waited for her to enter first, and then followed her in.
She walked across the room and set her bag down in front of
the sofa before sitting on it herself.

'Would you like something to drink?' he asked.

She shook her head.  No.

If he had asked that question at any other time, he would
have received a witty reply about him actually having
something drinkable, but this time, she sat in her silence.
He knew it shouldn't worry him.  After what she had just been
through, it was only natural.  But he was still concerned.

Her eyes were focussed on her hands, and she rubbed them over
and over, trying to soothe the soreness.  Her wrists too.
They were bright red.

He retrieved a pack of frozen peas out of the freezer and
went to sit down next to her.  He handed it to her, and she
took it.

'You can sleep in the bed, tonight.' He says.

'I don't think I'm going to sleep.' She says, still not
meeting his eyes.

He reaches for the remote and turns on the television.  Maybe
what she needed was a distraction.  He quickly turned it off
when he was met with a news report on the death of Pfaster.

The silence he starts to find uncomfortable and searches for
something to say.  'Are you okay?'

She removes the peas from her wrist and puts it down on the
coffee table.  She turns her head and looks at him, before
leaning back in to the couch.  'I will be.'

He was relieved that she didn't try to tell him she was fine.

'Mulder, do you mind if I have a shower?' she asks, a little
embarrassed by her request.

'No, of course not.  Go ahead.'

************

He was lying on the couch, listening to the water run when he
heard it stop.  A few minutes later, he heard the bathroom
door creak open and what sounded like her putting her bag
down on the floor, and then pulling back the blankets on his
bed.

He closed his eyes.  He would check on her later.  For now,
he would let her sleep.

Some kind of sixth sense told him there was a presence in the
room.  And when he opened his eyes, he saw he was correct.
His partner was standing there, dressed in an old black t-
shirt and blue pyjama pants.

He moved to sit up, but she stopped him.  'No, it's okay.'

Confused, he waited for some kind of description of what she
was thinking.

She moved a little closer.  'Move over.'

Did she want to sleep on the couch with him?  Shocked, he
obeyed, and moved over to allow her some room.  Not
hesitating, she joined him, lying down beside him on her
side, facing him.

'What's the occasion?' he asked.

She put her hand on his waist.  'Maybe I just like your
company.'

He knew that meant she didn't want to be alone.  Reaching up,
he pulled down the blanket from the back of the couch and
spread it over them.  She didn't protest.

He put his arm around her, so his hand was rubbing small
circles on her back.

'You did the right thing, Scully.'

She didn't look convinced, but she didn't bother to argue.

His hand stopped rubbing circles and rested on her hip.  She
looked at him.  'Scully, when my sister was little, she had
this colouring book.  She used to spend hours colouring in
the pictures.  And no matter what picture it was, she would
always use the brightest colours and never go over the
lines.'

Scully continued to look at him, wondering where his story
was heading.

'That's you, Scully.  Others, like Donnie Pfaster, don't care
about the lines and scribble over the picture in a thick
black pencil.  You... you respect the rules, Scully.  You
obey them, and keep everyone happy with your bright colours.
Donnie destroys it all with his evil black pencil.  You said
it yourself.  He was evil.  What you did was right, and
whether it was just your hand on the pencil, or God
controlling your hand, doesn't matter.  People recognise good
colouring.'

She couldn't stop a smile creeping on to her face.  Only
Mulder could comfort her like that.  'Thanks, Mulder.'

He gave a small smile in return and she closed her eyes.  The
events of the day were catching up with her, and she felt
sleep taking her over.

He leant forward a little and kissed her on the forehead.
She moved to be right up against him, her face buried in his
chest.

He closed his eyes, content.

'Mulder?' she said, her sleepiness slurring the word.

'Yeah?'

'You colour brightly, too.'

************

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a_greenway1318@yahoo.com.au
 

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