By Jake
nejake@tds.net
 

Rating: R (Language -- that pesky f-word)
Classification: Fill-In-the-Blank between "Existence" and
"Nothing Important Happened Today."
Spoilers: Minor references to Memento Mori, Redux, The Red and
the Black, Existence, and Nothing Important Happened Today

Summary: What would it take to convince Mulder to leave Scully
and William? One good reason.

Disclaimer: Do these characters really belong to Chris Carter,
FOX and 1013 Productions? If so, no copyright infringement
intended. Fun, yes. Profit, no.

Authors Notes: I'm sure there are other authors who have
already explored this theme, but I had to satisfy myself by
working out my own answer. How did Mulder and Scully's
conversation go? Here is my take, FWIW.

This story is dedicated to Suzanne, my Texan friend, who
worries about the fate of Mulder and Scully.
 

ONE GOOD REASON (1/1)
By Jake

"If only the tragedy had been mine alone." -- Mulder in
"Redux"

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

SCULLY'S APARTMENT AFTER HER MEETING WITH KERSH
10:13 PM

"Give me one good reason, Scully, one damn good reason why I
should believe that lying son of a bitch and leave you."
Mulder paced the living room, hands on his hips, face flushed
with resentment and distrust. Pummeled by the unfairness of
life, he railed against Scully's sudden willingness to believe
the lies of their enemies.

Scully stood on the room's threshold, arms crossed, concern
knotting her brow. "Because he's telling the truth, Mulder.
He's been in on this since the beginning. He collaborated with
Rohrer and Crane. Doggett saw them together."

"Exactly! So why warn us now?"

"I think he's afraid."

"Kersh?" Mulder stopped his pacing to gape at her. "Of what?
His buddies the replicants -- human replacements, super
soldiers, whatever you want to call them -- they're
unstoppable. We've seen it ourselves. They can't be killed."

"That's my point. Kersh can't control them and that makes him
nervous. He needs other options."

"And you think I'm one of Kersh's other options?"

"Who else, Mulder?"

Mulder sidestepped around the coffee table and dropped onto
the couch. Running his fingers through his hair, he tried to
rein in his temper. "Fuck!" He slammed his fist on the table.

Scully hugged her arms more tightly to her chest and hoped
Mulder's outburst hadn't woken the baby.

"What did he say...*exactly*?" Mulder slumped into the
cushions and pinned her with a sad stare.

She remained standing, but loosened her hold on her ribs,
letting her arms drop to her sides. Her palms were damp with
sweat and creased by the press of her nails. "He recommended
you leave, go into hiding."

"Why?"

"To save your life."

"What about your life? What about William? There is *no* way I
will walk out of here and leave you two unprotected. Ever."

She crossed the room to join him on the couch. Taking his hand
in hers, she felt the weight of his fingers, the heat of his
skin. Alive, against all odds.

"William and I aren't at risk." She gently stroked the back of
his wrist. Her eyes filled with tears. "You are."

His Adam's apple rose in his throat and his vulnerability took
her breath away. She blinked and her tears overflowed her
lashes, trickling down her cheeks. He reached out, brushed them
away, then leaned in to kiss their wet trails.

"I won't leave you," he whispered against her cheek. His head
dipped. "I can't."

"Mulder...I know what happened to you...on the ship."

His eyes lifted to look into hers. "How?"

"I don't know. I saw...visions. Horrible things."

"Scully, I don't remember most of it."

"I do." More tears flooded her eyes. "Mulder, Kersh said they
want to finish what they started. They want to turn you into
one of them, like Billy Miles."

"I won't leave you."

"You can't let them do this, turn you against me, against our
son." The truth clenched her jaws and threatened to crack her
teeth...and her spirit. "Mulder, you have to hide."

"What makes you think I can hide, that they won't find me?
Jesus, Scully, they found you in East Bumfuck, Georgia."

"They won't find you."

"How can you be sure?"

"Because...because you don't have a homing device implanted in
your neck."

She watched realization drain the life from his cheeks. If he
stayed, they would find him through her and she would have to
bear the guilt of that.

Now his eyes swamped with tears. "Scully--"

"Mulder, they found me in Georgia because of the chip in my
neck." She gripped his arms to avoid touching the goddamn
thing, feeling it just below the surface of her skin. "For
whatever reason, they didn't want me or William. Maybe he
wasn't what they thought he'd be."

"Maybe he was more."

"It doesn't matter. What matters, is they've changed their
plan. They want you back and they'll find you through me. I
can't...I can't let that happen." She released her hold on
him, drew back.

"But I don't think I can go. I don't think I want--" His voice
broke, shattering her heart but bracing her resolve.

"Mulder, you once convinced me that the truth -- the truth for
which we've searched so hard -- was in this chip, was inside
me. I don't believe that anymore, not after all that's
happened, not after what we've seen, what *I've* seen. I
believe the truth, the real truth, is in you, and that's why
they want you back. This chip...this chip has controlled our
lives for years. It still does. It's the reason you have to
leave. As long as they're out there and I have this chip in my
neck, we can't be together."

Even as he shook his head, wanting to deny the truth, argue
against it, she knew he believed her. She knew he would go away
because he had to...for now...to continue his search, their
search, for the truth.

She wrapped her arms around him, kissed him, comforted him while
he cried. "You once told me the truth would save us," she
whispered against the crown of his head. "For all the times
I've trusted you, believed and followed you on blind faith
alone, you must trust me in this: we will be reunited, Mulder.
You will find a way."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"Let the truth be known though the heavens fall." -- Mulder in
"Redux"
 

THE END

Author's notes: Whew! I feel a little better now that I have
it straight in my head exactly why-the-huh Mulder
would/could/should cut out on Scully only a day or two after
their sweet little baby boy was born. Come home soon, Mulder!
We miss you!

Feedback, good or bad, is welcome on this or any of my
stories. Send comments to nejake@tds.net