Darkness Returns

By Sara B.
sabo727@tampabay.rr.com


URL: http://sabo727.tripod.com/
Rating: Mid Teens - few bad words
Category: Angst, MSR
Spoilers: Sometime after Dead Alive but before Scully gave birth
Summary:  Diana Fowley returns to putrefy Mulder and Scully's lives.
Scully's pregnant and sees Mulder with Diana in a cozy setting.
Feedback:  Make a poor fanfic writer happy.
Disclaimer:  The recognized characters are used Without Prejudice and
are the property of C. Carter, Fox and the wonderful actors who breathed
life into written words, most notably G. Anderson and D. Duchovny who
were able to make us believe in the improbable.  No Infringements of
these copyrights are intended, and are used here without permission.
The story and before unknown characters belongs to me.
Gratitude: To Kim Knight, you are the best, thank you.  To my Dennis,
enough said.  To CC and Company, who created the X-Files.  Lastly, but
my no means least, to the readers, you make this hobby of mine have
meaning.
Dedicated: To Erin B., who feels the same way about a certain interloper
that I do.

Darkness Returns
Sara B.

Scully was driving home, it was early but because of her many health
concerns her OB/GYN forced her to start her maternity leave immediately.
She'd spent the day cleaning up the few things that were open.  She and
Doggett met with Skinner to discuss a couple cases and then both of the
men made her take her things and leave.  

Scully saw Mulder's car in the parking lot of Casey's.  He'd been back a
month and instead of growing closer the distance between them seemed to
be widening.  Mulder found every excuse he could think of not to visit
or even talk.  Unbeknownst to him she'd caught him in a few lies too.
He'd claimed he was with the Gunmen a couple times and later she found
out they hadn't seen him.  She hadn't confronted him because she figured
he needed time and space to rationalize everything that had gone on.
Scully knew that he'd been through hell and that her pregnancy was a
shock so she'd allowed him his privacy.  However her patience was
beginning to wane.

 It had been a week since they'd seen each other and they hadn't spoken
to each other much more than for him to cancel any plans they had.
Tonight he promised they would have dinner together and they would talk,
so, when she saw his car, she decided to surprise him; why wait?
Besides she didn't want to give him another opportunity to cancel like
all the other times.  

Scully couldn't understand why at a time when they needed each other so
much he kept his distance and pushed her away.  When she'd been returned
she reached out to him.  Needed him because of all the people in her
life she knew he was the only one who would understand just like she was
the only one who could understand his experience.  There was also their
baby to think of and decisions needed to be made.

~
Scully walked into Casey's and took a moment to adjust her eyes to the
dim light and then she searched for him.  She nodded and smiled towards
Jenna, the bartender, and Jim Cohen, a Casey's staple.  They responded
in kind but Jenna's face looked 'odd'. She ignored it and continued her
search.  She saw Mulder, he was seated at a table toward the back and he
wasn't alone.  Sitting in the booth with him was Diana Fowley.  The
woman who'd nearly ended their relationship before they even had one.  A
woman who was supposed to be dead!

They were sitting very close and he had his hand over hers.  Scully
watched as Mulder brushed hair from Diana's face and touched her cheek,
a gesture all too familiar.  They smiled and laughed with the ease of
people with a shared intimacy.  It was only too obvious to her that this
wasn't their first encounter.  

Scully felt her chest tighten and she knew she had to get out of there
before he saw her, she couldn't take any more.  Tears threatened to
spill as she turned to leave.  She gave Jenna a pleading look not to
tell Mulder she'd been there; Jenna responded with a sad knowing nod.

Seeing Mulder with any woman would have been hard, but the woman being
Diana Fowley, there was no description sufficient for the pain it
caused.  Not only was Diana Fowley supposed to be dead, she was the
woman Mulder really wanted.  Scully knew she was just a replacement and
she lived with that because she loved Mulder more than the pain of
knowing she would never be his choice.  

Diana Fowley had almost caused the end of their partnership.  She had
almost ended Mulder's life with her betrayals.  Once Mulder had been
rescued and the details of Diana's involvement with his hospitalization
and subsequent kidnapping were discovered, Deputy Director Cunningham,
himself, stepped in and was instrumental in building the case against
her.  Only her death kept her from going to prison.

None of that seemed to have fazed Mulder because there he was with that
woman, looking like reunited lovers for everyone to see.
~
Scully didn't know how she made it home because everything was a blur.
Her mind was running at a furious pace.  This was the last of too many
betrayals, Mulder was lying to her, cheating on her and she didn't even
know how long it had been going on.  Could Mulder have known Diana was
alive before his abduction?  Was he seeing her, involved with her when
they tried the IVF?  When they made a miracle?  He'd made Scully feel so
loved then that she almost forgot he wasn't in love with her.  That she
was only a substitute.

Scully hated to think it but she knew that he'd chosen Diana over her
and their child.  She sat back in the car seat and inhaled deeply and
let out her breath slowly.  Mulder had made his decision and it was time
for her to face the reality of it.  She placed her hand on her abdomen
and rubbed.  She smiled at the response her action elicited from the
tight quarter's occupant.  Speaking softly she said, "I suppose we need
to get busy, we have a lot to do."
~
Scully entered her apartment and headed straight to her bedroom, pulled
her suitcase out and started to pack as quickly as her swollen body
would allow.  She looked at the open case now filled with her clothes
and shook her head.  No, leaving was the coward's way.  She would not
leave but that didn't mean she would see Mulder anymore.  

No one knew for a fact that he was the father of this child and nothing
less than a DNA test could prove it.  With Diana Fowley back in the
picture she doubted Mulder would bother.  No, he would be thrilled not
to have the baggage.  It would make his and Diana's life easier not to
have a messy baby in the way.  Besides, Diana Fowley didn't impress her
as being particularly maternal.

Scully knew to hedge her bet with an escape plan if, for some reason,
Mulder did pursue paternity, she and her child would disappear.  She
picked up the phone; she had work to do and a short time to do it in.
~
Frohike, Byers and Langly busied themselves with her requests.  While
Byers and Langly were at her computer setting up a false identity
Frohike was changing her locks.  The men had hurried themselves to her
side, without question, when she called.  

She told them what she'd seen the trio was incensed and Byers, of all
people, had to be restrained from going after Mulder.  It was Frohike
who took charge, telling the others not to waste time and energy on
revenge.  They needed to focus on the issues at hand.  He left to buy a
new lock and to speak with the apartment manager.  He told the others to
start establishing Scully's new identity so it would be in place
immediately if she needed it.  He then startled them all by telling them
to create IDs for the three of them too.  "I'm not letting you out there
by yourself."  He turned to the others for conformation and they both
nodded.  Scully was ordered to go lie down.

Scully watched the ceiling, trying to calm her nerves.  Even without
Mulder she had to consider herself blessed.  She had her family and they
had been very supportive, even Bill.  She also found out what terrific
friends she had.  Besides the three misfits who adopted her as their
own, there was Skinner, Doggett and Monica.

Those two gruff men had become very protective of her and the baby.
They, along with the Gunmen, had become surrogate uncles to her unborn
child.  She wasn't supposed to know but Skinner had set up a trust fund
for the baby.  While Doggett kept buying little stuffed toys until she
had to gently put a stop to it out of pure desperation for fear that
with all the toys there wouldn't be room for her and the child.  

Monica had become her surrogate sister and they spent long hours talking
and planning.  It was Monica who took her shopping for her first
maternity outfit.  Scully had been mortified and the memory still made
her blush.  'Come on, Dana.  The days of oversized smocks and muumuus
are gone.  Today's young professional pregnant woman is 'sassy and
sexy'!  Time to show a little skin, maybe a cropped tee shirt to show
off that beautiful big belly.'  Gosh, she reminded her of Missy.

If she had to leave she would find a way to stay in touch with everyone
she left behind.  Everyone except Mulder.

The phone interrupted her musings.  Byers and Langly were at her bedroom
door before she had a chance to answer it.  She decided to use the
speakerphone. "Scully."

"Hey, Scully, it's me.  Sorry it's such short notice but I have to
cancel tonight, something's come up."

"Yeah right" she couldn't disguise the disgust in her voice. "That's
fine, Mulder, in fact it's expected."

Mulder couldn't miss the tone and harsh words.  "What's that supposed to
mean?"

"Nothing, Mulder, it's just you've cancelled every time this week."  She
sighed attempting to regain her composure before continuing.  "Listen,
I'm sorry.  I guess I'm just a little tired.  I've got to go."

"Scully, I can put off what I was going...."  She didn't let him finish.

"No, Mulder, I'm not up for anything tonight.  You just go ahead and do
whoever you planned." She didn't even notice the slip but Mulder caught
it.  "Now I really have to go."  Dana Scully said the one thing they had
never done in their history, "goodbye, Mulder."  Tears were teasing her
eyes and the duo retreated to give her some privacy.

Mulder looked at the phone; he'd heard the snide comment that sounded
like 'whoever' but let it go.  He decided he better go and see her, he
had been ignoring her all week.  He turned towards Diana and she asked,
"Fox? What is it?"

"Diana, I have to go, I'm sorry but I, well, I just need to go.  I'll
call you tomorrow."  

Diana grabbed his arm and stopped his escape.  "I may not be here
tomorrow," she said.  Mulder sat back down.  He'd call Scully in the
morning; it was time for him to come clean.  They continued their
conversation, the same one they'd had all week since Diana had shown up
at his door last Saturday.  She'd told him how she had to fake her death
just to survive; she spent the last year gathering evidence about the
consortium and the invasion.  Members, dates and places; all the time he
sat there listening something gnawed at him, something about Scully.

It wasn't until two hours later when he went to square up his tab that
it hit him, Scully said 'goodbye'.  Jim looked at him and before Jenna
could stop him he said, "Dana sure is getting big, but considering how
small she is I guess it's to be expected."

Mulder didn't think much of the comment but asked, "when'd you see
Scully?"

"Earlier, when she came in.  She didn't stay long, I guess she left when
she saw you were," the man nodded toward Diana, "busy."  Mulder looked
to Jenna for confirmation and she nodded solemnly.  

Scully had been there? She'd seen him with Diana.  His panic rose to
un-before known levels.  His mind replayed their conversation.  Her
quiet and snide 'whoever' now made sense.  Also, Scully's solemn
'goodbye, Mulder,' had the sound of finality.  Was she really saying
goodbye?  Mulder ran out leaving a very angry Diana Fowley to find her
own ride.  He only hoped he wasn't too late.
~
The elevator doors opened and Mulder was met with the sight of Frohike
changing the locks on Scully's door.  He ran down the hall, pushed the
little man out of the way and entered her apartment.  The moment he
crossed the threshold he knew he was not welcome there.  

Scully was seated on the couch, flanked by Byers and Langly.  They were
showing her a folder that Byers quickly closed as soon as he saw Mulder.


"Scully it isn't what you think!" Mulder began but his audience's
hostility remained.

Scully didn't even turn to look, "leave, Mulder, you are not needed
here; I think you prefer your earlier companion than any you will find
here."  Her voice was cold but didn't hide the emotion of her words.  

A look passed between the sitting trio.  Byers stood and took her hand
to help her stand.  Mulder was watching so intently that he failed to
see Langly move to his side and Frohike reposition himself between
Mulder and the hall leading to her bedroom.  Mulder reached out to her
as Byers led her toward her room but Langly grabbed his arm.  Mulder was
able to shake off Langly easily enough only to find Frohike in his way.
No one would believe it to see the little man but Frohike was a force to
reckon with.  

"Don't you think you've done enough damage?  Why don't you just go back
to that back stabbing bitch you find so damned fascinating and leave
Dana alone?  She can't afford any more stress."  Frohike stood his
ground.  "Just get the hell out of here.  She doesn't need you and your
lies anymore."

Mulder stared at her bedroom door.  Byers closed the door as he exited.
"I need to see her, to explain."

Frohike shook his head and Byers indicated they should sit.  "She went
to the doctor today.  She said you were supposed to go with her but you
didn't show.  She's been forced to start her leave.  Her blood pressure
and sugar levels are a problem.  The doctor is worried that she's been
under too much stress.  Your actions have been a big contributor and
finding you today with that woman didn't help."  Byers stopped and
looked at Mulder, to see if what he was saying was reaching the man.

"She's doing what she has to for her baby; for your baby.  Though
nothing exists that names you as the father, so you have no fears on
that score," Frohike added bitterly.  "Why don't you just get out of
here and go back to Diana and you two can screw each other silly until
she gets you killed?  Just leave Dana and her baby alone so she can
build a life."

A knock on the door forestalled any reply from Mulder.  It was Monica
Reyes.  "Dana called and asked me to come over."  She said as she
breezed down the hall to the bedroom with Frohike on her heels.  Doggett
and Skinner followed her in and stopped in their tracks when they saw
Mulder.  Mulder had seen Walter Skinner angry before but nothing
prepared him for the look of pure unvarnished contempt he saw in the
man's eyes.  He turned to look at Doggett and saw confusion in the man's
eyes.

"So, the reports of Diana Fowley's demise were premature," Skinner said
icily.

Mulder's emotions moved swiftly to anger.  "Scully told you..."

"Stop right there hotshot.  Frohike called us; Dana doesn't even know
we're here.  And if I were you I wouldn't be looking to blame anything
on that woman in there.  I'd be looking at the asshole in the mirror and
asking why the hell am I such a shit?'  

"Scully has always acted in your best interest even when it put you two
at odds.  How have you repaid her?"  Mulder's head hung as Skinner's
well placed arrows hit their mark.  "You've lied to her, accused her and
now you've cheated..."

"I never, it wasn't like that!  Diana had information."  Mulder fell
onto the couch, "I just wanted the information."  He looked up.  "She
risked her life to get me this information.  That has to count for
something."

Langly walked over to Mulder.  "Risked her life?  How was she risking
her life?"

"She faked her death and went underground.  She only surfaced now so
that she could give me the information.  She has names of consortium
members and locations."  Mulder saw the looks shared between Langly and
Byers.

Byers, always the calmest of the three, walked over to Mulder and placed
a hand on his arm.  "She played you, Mulder.  Langly's been doing some
searches."

Langly picked up the folder from the table.  "Diana Fowley's body was
supposed to have been found at her apartment.  The body wasn't
identified because of a mix up with the morgue.  It was sent, by
mistake, to Dunsworth Funeral Home in Fernwood Ohio where they cremated
it per the pre paid arrangements they had on file for a Marcella Denton.
Ms. Denton was in Royal Oak Michigan at the time celebrating the one
hundredth birthday of her father, Lloyd Peterson.

"I took a flyer and looked into some accounts that, during a previous
investigation, we were able to link to several of Diana Fowley's aliases
and found that there has been continuous activity on them since her
death."

"She'd need money to . . ." Mulder interrupted.

"There are both deposits and withdrawals," Byers said.  "The deposits
totaling two million since her 'death' were traced back to Roush
Pharmaceuticals."

Mulder laid his head on the back of the couch.  "I've really been a
fool."  He turned to look down the hallway, the yearning clearly written
on his features.

A commotion at the entrance grabbed all their attention and Frohike ran
out of the bedroom just as Doggett opened the door.  There were two
paramedics and Frohike yelled, "she's in here.  She's nearly nine months
pregnant, lots of stress.  She was fine then she grabbed her stomach . .
."  His voice broke off.

Mulder was up and racing toward the bedroom only to be pulled back by
Skinner.  "Don't you think you've caused enough damage?"
~
A motley group waited impatiently outside the examining room when the
nurse appeared.  "Family of Dana Scully."

Mulder rushed over.  "Can I see her?"

"Depends, who are you and what is your relationship to her?"

"I'm the baby's father."  His voice was desperate.

"Ah, no, you are not.  Not according to the paperwork."   She handed him
the chart, where it asked for the father's name was written deceased.
~
Mulder waited till after shift changed and the nurses and orderlies on
duty were busy to sneak into Scully's room; she was asleep.  He
hesitated just inside the doorway and surveyed the machines hooked up to
her.  How many times had they held vigil over each other during hospital
stays?  How many doctors and nurses did they confer with on behalf of
the other?  Too many, too damned many.

This time it wasn't just Scully but their baby too.  Mulder silently
approached the bed and placed his hand gently on her stomach.  Before
that moment Scully's pregnancy had been some sort of abstract concept,
now, touching her, it became real.  Scully, his Scully, was carrying a
child, his child, their child.  He, Fox Mulder, was going to be a Dad.

"You shouldn't be here, Mulder."  Scully's voice was tired and tinged
with pain.  

"I have to be, Scully.  I couldn't let you be alone."  Mulder's hand had
not left her.

"Why?  Just because this happened shouldn't change anything.  It has
nothing to do with you.  I," she stopped as a pain raked though her mid
section.

"Scully, oh God, Scully.  I'm sorry, so damned sorry.  I never meant to
hurt you."  Mulder pleaded with her.

She took a cleansing breath and patted his hand.  Tears threatened to
fall.  "It isn't your fault, Mulder; it's mine.  I deluded myself in
thinking that once she was gone I would be enough.  I was foolish.  Now
she's back and I won't burden you with..."  Her resolve broke and she
couldn't continue.

"Scully, you aren't being fair," his words were interrupted by her hand
throwing his off.

"I'm not being fair, me?  Get out, Mulder.  Go back to Diana.  I always
knew I was the consolation but I thought I mattered at least a little."


Suddenly the monitors started chiming and two nurses rushed in.  "Who
the hell are you?"  One yelled at Mulder.  "Oh, just get out."

Mulder found himself propelled out of the room and bumping the wall
opposite the door as he watched several other people run in to Scully.
His mind was a whirl.  Did Scully really think what she'd said?  He knew
she did, Scully never lied unless it was to protect him.  Scully
honestly thought he'd only turned to her because Diana was no longer
available.  
~
Mulder waited until the doctor told him that Scully and the baby would
be okay then he found himself back at Casey's.  This time he was alone
and he sat at the bar.  Jenna had just served his third double scotch
and told him it was his last when she turned on him.  "You know, Spooky,
you really are a shit.  How could you do that to Dana?  That's your baby
she's carrying and you show up every day with that," Jenna stopped, not
knowing how to finish the sentence.

"I didn't think Scully would find out."  

"Oh, and THAT makes it all right?  Dana's pregnant and you're out
getting your jollies.  That is just too damned terrific.  And don't
think I don't know who that woman is.  She's the one who almost made you
lose Dana the last time you acted like a complete fucking fool.  That
was that Fowley bitch you took up with a couple years ago.  Wasn't it?"
Mulder's head jumped up and looked at Jenna.  "Oh, don't be so dumb,
Dana's been known to come here too you know.  She came in a lot during
that time.  Well, not frequently, but more than she normally would.  We
got to be more than the patron - bartender friendly stranger thing I
have with most of the customers.

"It was her third or fourth visit in two weeks and the first time she
ordered something stronger than seltzer with lime.  I took my break and
went over and sat down without an invitation.  Three visits later and
she started talking.  Nothing specific but I have the benefit of
seventeen years behind a bar.  I've learned to fill in the blanks.  You
were whoring around on her and she was jealous as sin but didn't think
she had the right."

"I wasn't, I mean, Diana and I didn't, I mean. . ."  Mulder tried to
defend himself.

"Didn't matter, she thought you were and she got that idea from
somewhere.  Either it was the way you acted or that woman said or did
something; maybe both.  There was no one more surprised to see you and
Dana together than me when you two walked in here about seven months
later."

For the first time the ramifications of his actions hit him squarely in
the face.  And he wasn't only thinking of his latest activity regarding
Diana; but before.  How many times did he make Scully feel betrayed and
left out?  Why hadn't he ever just told her about his past?  Why didn't
he clarify that Diana was all in the past and she, Scully, had been the
only woman in his life for years?

"You should have seen her face when she came in here earlier and saw you
all cozy with that woman.  I think a bit of Dana died right in front of
me."  Jenna walked away to take care of a group of wannabees at a table
by the back.
~
Mulder made his way to Scully's room and silently slipped in.  Scully
was sleeping peacefully in the light of the monitors.  He moved a chair
close to the head of her bed and sat down.  

Mulder watched her sleep for awhile then moved even closer.  One hand
found its way to her abdomen again and the other caressed her downy
cheek.  

He sighed and a tear escaped his eye.  "Scully, I've been a fool, but
you should be used to that.  I need to tell you things that have gone
unexplained for too long.  Things you have a right to know and that I
should have told you so long ago.  

"The most important, maybe the only important one, is that I love you,
Scully.  You have never been a consolation.  I didn't always love you
but I did always like you.  You had every right to toss it in and leave
me and my search so many times; but you never did.  Whenever they
offered you an out you staunchly refused.  I think I first started
falling in love with you that day you stood up to Tom Colton.  He'd just
told you that he was going to find a way to get you reassigned.  You
just looked at him and thanked him for the opportunity but you already
had an assignment.  You didn't leave any room for interpretation; you
were a basement girl and you were staying one."  

Mulder leaned over and kissed her cheek.  "You crept into my soul so
quietly I didn't even notice and it took me years to realize you were no
longer just my partner or my best friend.

The changes were so subtle and happened without me knowing.  Somehow
you'd turned into the woman I loved, love, because I do love you.  I
realized that I'd never known love before because I never felt this way
before."

Mulder's head rested on her mattress facing hers.  "Tomorrow, I'm going
to tell you all of this again.  Only this time you will be awake and I
will find a way to make you believe.  I will make you believe if it
takes the rest of our lives."  Mulder's eyes closed.

Scully's hand joined his on her stomach.  "I want to believe, Mulder,"
she said quietly.

Mulder's eyes opened and he smiled.

End


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