Date: 20 Sep 1998 22:07:01 GMT
Subject: "Fighting for the Future" (1/3) by Verbal

                           FIGHTING FOR THE FUTURE 
                        AN X-FILES ROMANTIC ADVENTURE
                                  BY VERBAL

RATING: PG 13 for language

CATEGORY: SRA

KEYWORDS: MSR, Flickfic

DISCLAIMER: Chris Carter and FOX own "The X-Files", Mulder and Scully, Mrs.
 Mulder, and Mrs. Scully.  No copyright infringement is intended and no profit
 is being made.  

SUMMARY: Missing scenes from the Movie - After Mulder and Scully make
it off the ice and into a hospital, Mrs. Mulder appears, causing a
turning point in their relationship.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I wrote this AGES ago, right after my fourth viewing
of the Movie in fact, but it took a while to get my beautiful new
notebook safely ensconced in my dorm room, so I'm only now getting it
typed and sent out... anyway, this is dedicated to everyone who has
ever written a scene between Mrs. Mulder and her son.  It's a lot
harder than it looks. Also, the opening scenes are the longest segment
of pure prose I have ever written in fanfic.  I'm so proud of myself
for resisting the dialogue urge! 



                            Fighting for the Future

After Mulder regained his strength he realized that Scully was holding him on
 her lap, her body bent over him protectively.  He sat up, seeing now that 
Scully was unconscious, and picked her up in his arms.  He had to make it to
 shelter; he had come all this way to save his Scully and damned if he would
 give up now.  He had seen some kind of building in the distance on his trek
 across the ice.  Carrying Scully so far would be difficult, but he would find
 the strength, for her... for his Scully.

He knew that if he stopped, they would both fall victim to hypothermia and die,
 so he mustered all his strength and, running purely on adrenaline and half the
 chocolate bar he had brought for Scully, he made it to that distant building. 
 It appeared to be a research station.  Not caring if it was occupied by aliens
 or Syndicate members, he pounded on the door.

There was no response from within, so he kicked in the door and looked around. 
 It was a very small facility with communications equipment and other hardware,
 and even some food.  The place looked like it had been abandoned recently,
 perhaps by someone working on the alien ship.  Mulder laid Scully down and got
 the heating system up and running, then looked around for blankets, praying
 that he could get her body temperature back up.  She looked so pale; he was
afraid he might not be able to revive her.

He found two thick woolen blankets and a pillow, and bundled Scully up.  She
was
 breathing shallowly and her heart rate had slowed.  Please, Scully, don't
leave
 me, he prayed, stroking her damp red hair.  He remembered another time, when
 she had tried to keep him warm.  He had been flippant as always, suggesting 
that the best way to get warm was to crawl naked into a sleeping bag with
 someone who was already naked.  She had laughed, and said that if it rained
 sleeping bags he might get lucky.  That was the first time she had returned
one
 of his jokes.  

He sighed as he looked down at her pale, still face.  Visions of her in the
pod,
 her face frozen in terror, assaulted him.  How close he had come to losing
her. 
 He pushed the thoughts out of his mind and, although he was ready to drop,
went
 to search for food and test the radio.  He prayed that he could contact
someone
 who could get them out of there.  Scully couldn't survive for too long under
 these conditions.

The radio seemed to be in working order, but he couldn't contact anyone.  He
set
 it to send a general distress signal, and went to search the kitchen area for
 food.  There were a couple of cans of soup, some stale bread, an abundance of
 coffee, and a box of granola bars.  At least they wouldn't starve, he
reassured
 himself as he found a pan to heat the soup in.  While that was cooking, he
went
 to look in on Scully.  She was asleep, curled up into a little ball, murmuring
 softly.  He touched her cheek; her eyes fluttered open and she screamed.  "No!

 Stop!  Leave me alone!  Please, stop!!"  she cried, shrinking from him.  

"Scully, it's me.  It's Mulder.  It's all right, you're safe."  He took her
 hands and calmed her, and when she seemed more rational and calm, he took her
 carefully in his arms, holding her and rocking her gently.  "It's me, Scully. 
 Mulder.  I'm here; nobody's hurting you, sweetheart."  

Her eyes tried to focus more clearly, and she ran her fingers over his face,
 reading his features.  "M... Molder?" she murmured thickly.  "No, not Molder,"
 she suddenly declared.  "Fox.  Your name is Fox."

He was a little startled, but played along.  "Yes.  Fox.  I'll take care of
you,
 okay?"

"Fox, they had me in their ship and they were poking me and... and touching me
and they took all my clothes off and they took my cross, the cross Mom gave me
and you brought to me in the hospital.  I was so scared.  They hurt me; I
wanted you to come and make them stop."  She began to cry.

Mulder reached into his pocket, brought out her beloved cross, and fastened it
around her neck.  "Here, Scully.  Here it is, honey.  I saved it for you."

"Oh, Fox, thank you."  She looked momentarily perplexed.  "Don't call me 
Scully.  I'm Dana."

"We usually call each other Mulder and Scully," he said softly.

She scowled.  "I don't like that.  I like our real names, Fox."

"Okay, Dana."  His name sounded sweet in her lips, as hers did on his.  He 
wiped away her tears.  "I made us some soup.  Are you hungry?"

She nodded.  "And cold."

He would never forget her saying that one word when he freed her from the
pod...
 "Cold."  Right then and there he wanted to kill the monsters who had hurt her.

 "I'll get your soup; you rest."  Reluctantly he let go of her long enough to
 pour the soup into two mugs and bring it to her.  "It's too hot right now,
 you'll have to wait a minute," he said as she reached for one.

She curled up against him, putting her arms around his waist.  "I feel sick."

"Sick how?"

"Lightheaded, my body aches, my throat is sore."

Whoa... no medical jargon.  This was serious.  "I know, precious one."  He
 caressed her hair.  "You need to wash your hair," he said lightly.

"I know, I feel sticky all over."

"When we get home, you'll have a long bath with bubbles and scented candles and

soft music and anything else you want.  And I'll put you to bed and... and sing

to you and tell you stories, too, if you want."  He gave her his
cute-little-boy
 half-smile.

She giggled a little.  "I'd like that very much," she said.  "Can I have my
 soup?"

He gave her the fuller of the two mugs.  "Eat it all.  I have a surprise for
you
 later."  He smiled at the thought of the chocolate, and how delighted she
would
 be with even half a bar.  

After they had finished their soup, Mulder produced the half-bar of Hershey's. 
 As expected, Scully's face lit up like a candle.  "Chocolate!  Oh, Fox, where
 did you find it?"

"Brought it with me.  I had to eat half earlier to get us here; I had wanted to
 give you a whole bar," he said sheepishly.

"This is enough, I only want a little now."  She broke off a little piece of
 candy and savored it, licking every morsel from her fingertips.  She smiled
 brilliantly at Mulder and squeezed his hand.  "Thank you.  For everything."

"It's all in a day's work, Dana," he said modestly.  "I'm tired; let's get some
 sleep."

Scully held the blankets out to him and he crawled in, scooping her up in his
 arms and holding her close.  She felt so secure with Mulder nearby; after
their
 ordeal it was wonderful to feel safe again.

They both slept soundly for a long time in their warm, cozy nest.  Scully
 nuzzled into Mulder's shirt, clinging to him in her sleep.  Mulder awoke
before
 she did and sat stroking her hair.

Finally Scully woke up.  She was a bit disoriented, but once she realized where
 she was and whose arms were around her, she smiled.  "Hi."

"Hey, sweetheart," he said gently, kissing her forehead.  "Feel okay?"

"I still feel horrible, but I'm not as tired."

He kissed her again.  "You just lie here and let me take care of things.  I'm
 going to try the radio again and call for help.  I'll get us out of here, I
 promise."

His attempts to contact civilization met with more success this time.  He was
 able to get in touch with an Australian freighter, and within minutes he had
 relayed their coordinates and given other necessary information.  He was
 assured that rescue helicopters would be dispatched immediately.  Overjoyed,
he
 returned to Scully to tell her the good news, but he found her unconscious,
her
 head sagging, arms limp.  He checked her pulse.  Nothing!  She wasn't
 breathing!  "Scully?!  Scully?!"  He administered CPR and got her breathing
 again.  "Scully, please.  Please don't leave me.  Please, please don't die,"
he
 sobbed.  Carrying her with him, he got on the radio and called for help. 
 "Please hurry, my girlfriend's sick.  I've administered CPR twice in
thirty-six
 hours.  Please, I'm afraid she's dying!"  Tears ran down his face as he held
 her close.  There was nothing more he could do, though.  Help was coming as
 fast as possible.  He gathered Scully into his arms and held her, kissing her
 and stroking her hair and whispering to her, "My Scully... my Dana... my
 beautiful, beautiful Dana."  

"Girlfriend?" she whispered weakly.

"Yes, beautiful.  I promise I'll get you out of here.  I swear I'll get you
 home, and make sure you get well, and take care of you.  I'll never let this
 happen again, I swear.  Never again."  Tears rolled down his cheeks again as
he
 looked down at Scully's perfect face, so reddened from the cold and pale
 underneath from sickness.  She was so much more to him than just his
 girlfriend, or his partner, or his best friend.  She was his soul mate, his
 true lifelong love.  Their bond ran deeper than even he knew; all he really
 knew was that this little redhead was part of him and he couldn't bear to lose
 her.  When he'd thought he was losing her as a partner it had nearly killed
 him; the thought of losing her altogether was more than he could bear.  

He had cried himself to sleep, holding Scully tight, by the time the rescue
 party arrived.  He awoke to a man taking Scully from him.  "Scully?  No...
 no... don't take her!  Don't take Scully away!"

"It's all right, Agent Mulder," the man said.  "She's going to be all right.  
We're taking you to the nearest hospital."

"Be careful with her," Mulder begged as they were both loaded into the 
helicopter.

"Calm down, sir.  She'll be just fine."

Mulder sat next to Scully, holding her hand.  "We're safe, Scully.  We'll be
 home soon."


CONTINUED IN PART TWO

<DISCLAIMERS IN PART ONE>

They were flown to an Australian hospital where they were subjected to a full
battery of tests.  There was nothing to indicate that Scully had been exposed
to any virus or any foreign agent at all.  She and Mulder were diagnosed with
hypothermia and, at his insistence, put in the same room.  Scully slept most
of the time, and on the few occasions she was awake, Mulder was asleep.
Once, though, when he got up to sit by her, she opened her huge blue eyes
and looked up at him.  "Mulder," she rasped, reaching for him.

"'Mulder'? I thought I was Fox now."

"Huh?"

"You asked me to use first names."

"It must have been while we were... wherever we were.  All I can remember is
you giving me chocolate and hugging me and crying a lot."

"You remember the important parts, then."  He kissed her hand.  "You can call
me Fox if you want to," he said softly.  "I like the way you say it."

"Fox."  She managed a small smile.

"How are you feeling?"

"Bad."

"The doctor says when we're better we'll be transferred to Georgetown, but you
 aren't out of the woods yet.  Soon, though.  Won't it be nice to be where your
 mom can visit?"

"Mom."  Scully looked upset.  "I want to see my mom.  I want to go home."

"Shh.  We'll go home soon, Scully.  Don't upset yourself."  He touched her
 cheek.  "You're getting your complexion back."  He was delighted.  "You have
 such pretty skin, you know? So soft and creamy and silky, with all those
little
 freckles like gold dust.  I love your skin... it always smells so nice," he
 said softly, kissing her cheek.  "Your hair, too.  I'm glad it's all washed
and
 brushed and soft; I can stroke it and kiss it now."  He did, and held her hand

tighter.  "Go back to sleep, Scully-angel.  I'll sit here a while."

Three weeks passed.  Scully wanted to go home, but it was too risky until they
 were sure she was all right.  Mulder sat beside her when he could, which was
 when the nurse didn't drag him back to bed and tell him to lie still.  He
 talked to Scully a lot, and even though she was too weak to talk to him very
 much, her expression said more than any words could.  She gazed adoringly at
 Mulder, holding his hand tight and wishing they weren't in the hospital.  She
 loved all the attention and kisses from him, and when he was beside her she
 felt much better.  She wanted that part of it to last forever.

When the nurse showed Maggie Scully to their room, Mulder was asleep sitting in
 a chair, his head on the pillow next to Scully's.  "I don't want to wake
them,"
 Mrs. Scully said.  "They look so peaceful."  His arm was lying across her
 waist.  

"Mr. Mulder shouldn't be sleeping in that chair."   The nurse went to Mulder
and
 shook him gently.  "Mr. Mulder, you have a visitor."

"Hmmm?"  He looked up, brightening when he saw her.  "Mrs. Scully!"

"Fox."  She embraced him warmly, kissed him on the cheek, and helped him get
 into bed again.  "My dear, dear boy."

"What are you doing here?"  He smiled at her as she sat beside him.

"I called your boss to ask where you were, and he told me.  I couldn't wait to
 see if you and Dana would be all right.  I hopped the very next plane.  How do
 you feel?" She stroked his hair maternally.

He sighed contentedly.  Mrs. Scully was the mother he had always wanted - kind,
 affectionate, loving.   "I'm doing better."

"And Dana?"

"She was awake for a little while earlier, but she mostly cried and asked for
 you.  She's worse off than I am; they'd send me on to Georgetown but I
insisted
 they let me stay with her."  He looked over at her partner and smiled.  "She's
 healing, though.  And she's still beautiful."

"You love her, don't you."  He nodded.  "And she loves you.  She's told me so,
 but she's afraid to tell you.  Give her time, though."  She went over to her
 daughter and held her hand.  "Should I wake her?"

"I don't think it will hurt for a little while.  She'll be so happy to see
you."

"Will your mother be coming, do you think?"

Mulder shook his head.  "She doesn't travel much since her stroke; not that
 she'd come anyway."

"Poor darling."  This clearly referred to Mulder, and not to his mother.  Mrs.
 Scully squeezed her daughter's hand.  "Dana?  Dana, wake up."  

She stirred, and her eyes fluttered open.  When they focused, Scully's entire
 face radiated happiness.  "Mama!"

"Yes, my baby," she said, hugging her daughter tight.  "When I found out you
 were here I came right away.  I was so worried."

"I'll live, thanks to my hero."  Scully smiled brilliantly at Mulder.  "I want
 to go home, though.  Will you take me home, Mom?"

"You have to stay till you're better, DOCTOR Dana.  You know that."  

Scully looked miserable.  "I want to go home.  I want to sleep in my own bed,
 with my own pillow and my Spooky."

Mrs. Scully opened the large tote she was carrying and produced her daughter's
 toiletry kit.  "I brought your toothbrush and things from home."  Then she
 produced a life-sized plush fox.  "And Spooky, too."

"My Spooky," Scully sighed, hugging the toy.

Mulder watched, bemused.  "'Spooky'?"

"Mom gave him to me after my first abduction," Scully explained, burrowing
under
 the covers.  "He's good luck."

"I brought your things too, Fox."  Mrs. Scully set his shaving kit, clothes,
and
 underwear on the nightstand.  "Your friend Mr. Byers let me into your
 apartment," she explained.

"Byers?"

"I told Mom to contact him in case of emergency," Scully explained, a bit
 stronger this time.

"Here you are, sweetheart," Mrs. Scully said, giving Scully some clean
underwear
 and a pair of pajamas.  "For when you feel well enough to put them on."

"Thanks."

"I really should go; you need your rest, my darlings.  I'll come back
tomorrow." 
 Mrs. Scully kissed her daughter and then Mulder.  "I promise I'll stay longer
 tomorrow, but Dana should sleep.  See that she stays quiet."

"I will," Mulder promised, "Mom."

When her mother was gone, Scully said, "I feel better already."

"Because of your mom or because of Spooky?"  Mulder teased.

"Both."  She was serious.  "Having Spooky kept me from having nightmares after
 my abduction.  I pretended he was my brave, strong Mulder and that he would
 protect me."  She blushed a little.  "It sounds silly and childish now, but on
 a dark, stormy night at three a.m. it helps."

"Why didn't you ever call me to talk?  I'm always up late."

"Because I still felt I had to stay strong, and not break down in front of
you."

"You can always break down in front of me, and I'll always help you pick
 yourself up again."

Scully got comfortable with her stuffed fox and yawned as much as her painful
 chapped skin allowed.  "Thanks," she murmured as she dropped off.

The next day Scully was much more alert for her mother's visit.  She talked and

was more animated, and explained briefly what she could of their adventure. 
 Most of it she glossed over by saying it was FBI business, but her mother's
 curiosity was satisfied.

Mulder spoke little; he just watched "his Scully," as he thought of her,
 becoming more and more lively.  She was so beautiful and perfect to him.

"Fox?"

He looked up at the woman standing at the door in shock.  Teena Mulder walked
 into the room, austerely dressed in gray silk and pearls.  "Mom?"

"My poor baby boy."  She came to kiss his cheek and stroke his hair.

"What are you doing here?" he croaked, his throat suddenly dry.

"I couldn't let my son just lie in a hospital when he needs his mother.  How
are
 you, dear?"

"Fine."

"And your... partner?"

"I'm fine," Scully said softly.

Mrs. Mulder came over and mumbled something polite, and shook Mrs. Scully's
 hand.  "Teena Mulder."

"Maggie Scully."  Mrs. Scully forced a smile.  Something about Mrs. Mulder was
 wrong... she was cold, distant, almost cruel.  "Dana honey, why don't I wheel
 you down to the atrium?  Your nurse told me you need tome sun and fresh air."

"Okay."  She needed assistance to get into the wheelchair that her mother
 brought, but she sat up and looked strong as Mrs. Scully wheeled her out.

When the women were gone, Mulder confronted his mother.  "Cut the crap, Mom. 
 What are you doing here?"


CONCLUDED IN PART THREE

<DISCLAIMERS IN PART ONE>

"Fox, I don't know what you're talking about," she said, sitting down.

"You never call or write or visit me when I'm sick, and I'm sure as hell not
 your 'baby boy.'  Why are you here?"

She sighed deeply.  "Very well, Fox.  I came to see you because I don't
 understand why you do such idiotic things sometimes."

"Like what?"

"Like running all over the globe chasing after that... that... woman."

"Scully's my partner, and my friend, and, I hope, more than that someday."  His
 blood pressure was rising.

"You're not serious!"

"Why not?"

"Just look at the girl.  She's obviously Irish; descended from farmers, no
 doubt."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"My dear, just by looking at her and that dowdy mother of hers I can tell she's
 lower-middle class.  Not suitable for you."

"Since when does class have anything to do with anything?"

"Fox, you're a Mulder.  Your father worked for the State Department.  Hers is
 probably a salesman or some such thing."

"CAPTAIN Scully WAS in the Navy," Mulder said icily.

"A Navy brat!  You could do much, much better.  Find a woman of your own class.

 That lovely Phoebe Green comes to mind..."  

"Phoebe Green is a cold, lying, manipulative bitch," he said.

"From a very good family," his mother countered.  "No matter her personality,
 she would be preferable to some fat, homely, red-haired Irish girl from the
 wrong side of the tracks."  

Mulder was near the boiling point.  How dare anyone talk about his Scully like
 that?!  "Dana is a beautiful woman.  Beautiful!  An... an angel."

"'Dana.'  What sort of name is 'Dana'?" his mother scoffed.

"Who are you to judge people like Dana, and Mrs. Scully?  They are both kind,
 compassionate, loving women... something you wouldn't know about.  The Scully
 women are strong, and intelligent, and honest, and respectable, and I'm proud 
to know them.  They care about me for who I am; they accept me, and they take 
care of me.  Both of them.  They're both a hell of a lot more civilized than
you
 or Phoebe could ever hope to be.  Mrs. Scully has been a mother to me when I
 needed one; a real mother.  I love Dana, and I want to be with her for the
rest
 of my life.  I want to marry her.  I want to raise a family with her.  If
 you're so bigoted that you can't accept my Dana or her family, then I want you
 out of my life."  He sat up straighter, glaring venomously at her.  "Just for
 the record, neither Dana nor her mother is, has been, or ever will be 'homely'
 or 'dowdy.'  They are both beautiful.  They're beautiful inside, too... but
 that's something you wouldn't know about."

Mrs. Mulder stood, too shocked to even speak, and stormed out the door,
breezing
 past the Scullys, muttering something about "peasant women."

Mrs. Scully pushed Scully's wheelchair back into the room.  Mulder was sitting
 in bed with tears streaming down his face.  "Oh, Fox..."

"Mulder?  Are you okay?"  Scully took his hand.  

"She... she called you homely, Scully," he said with the air of a confused
 little boy.  He couldn't fathom how anyone could consider Dana Scully
 unattractive.  "She called my beautiful Scully homely."  He stroked her hair.

"We heard, Fox.  Dana had a horrible dizzy spell half way down the hall, and I
 was bringing her back.  Forgive us for eavesdropping, but we didn't want to
 interrupt."

"What did you hear?"

"We came in on the bit about Phoebe being better for you than Dana."  Mrs.
 Scully scowled.  "A likely story."

"You know about her?"

"Dana told me all about her."  She sat on the bed beside him and hugged him
 close.  "What you said about us was so beautiful.  Thank you, Fox... I would
be proud to call you my son."

"Mulder?"  Scully asked softly, squeezing his hand.

"Hmmm?"

"Did you mean what you said about loving me?"

"Every word."

She held his hand to her cheek.  "I love you, too."

Mrs. Scully kissed him and cuddled him and generally mothered him.  "My sweet
 little boy.  You really are like a son to me.  Charlie never visits or calls
 and Bill and I never talk anymore, since he treated Dana so abominably at
 Christmas.  I need a son and you need a mother."  She smiled a little.  "Even
 before I met you, Dana told me all about you.  I had this impression of you as
 a sweet young man who has had too many tragedies in his life and needs someone
 to love him.  I was right... when I met you, you looked so lost without my
 Dana."

Scully's cheek rested on Mulder's arm and she sighed deeply.  She wanted to
talk
 to him, but her mother had beaten her to him.

He laid his head on Mrs. Scully's shoulder.  "I love you, Mrs. Scully.  You've
 always been there for me.  Thank you for everything."

"I'm glad to do anything I can for you, dear."  She kissed him softly on the
 forehead.

Scully sighed a heavy, whimpering sigh.  Mulder looked down at her.  "Scully?"

"Mulder, I need to talk to you."

"Oh, I'm sorry, dear!" her mother cried.  "I'll go so you can talk to Fox. 
I'll
 see you tomorrow, my angels."  She kissed them both and left.

"What do you want to talk about?"  Mulder asked his partner.

"About what you said."  She looked up at him with big, sad eyes.  "Am I really
 beautiful?"

"Of course you are."  He smiled.  "You're young and lovely."

She smiled weakly.  "Mulder, I'm scared.  Everything's happening so fast.  The
X
 files are destroyed, I lost my job, I was abducted again, we nearly froze to
 death, and now I found out you're in love with me.  I don't know which way is
 up anymore."  Her lip trembled. 

Mulder got out of bed and, overcoming his momentary dizziness knelt beside
 Scully.  "It's okay.  We'll take things nice and easy.  I know you're
 overwhelmed; so am I.  Everything I've seen... everything that's happened...
 none of it would mean a thing if you weren't here.  I nearly lost you again...
 I would have killed myself if I had lost you."  He kissed her forehead.

"You rescued me again."  She smiled.

"My mother actually asked me why I chased halfway around the world after you. 
I
 couldn't make her understand."

"Oh, Mulder, I'm sorry."  She caressed his hair.  "I'm so sorry."

"Don't be.  I made the right choice... the only choice."  He held her close. 
 "I've waited so long to be able to kiss you and hold you and love you."  He
 carefully kissed her on the lips for the first time, and it was sweet and
 filled with promise.  "Won't it be beautiful to wake up in each other's arms?"

"I thought we were taking things slow."  She stared at her hands, and tears of
 exhaustion ran down her cheeks.  

"I... oh, Dana, no!  Don't cry, honey.  We will, I promise. But we can snuggle
 together, can't we? Like we did to keep warm?"

"I'd like that."

"Come on.  You've been sitting up too much."  He scooped her up and put her to
 bed.  "You sleep."

She folded the covers back and held her arms out.  "Join me?"

They curled up together, their bodies spooned, Mulder's cheek lying against
 Scully's.  "I love you," he whispered against her cheek.  "I'll always be here
 for you and I'll follow you to the ends of the earth... and beyond, if I have
 to."

"I'll never leave you," she promised.  "I could lie here like this forever; I'm
 in no hurry to go anywhere." 

He laughed a low, throaty chuckle.  "Me neither."

"I love your laugh."  She took his hand and held it to her lips.  "Fox, I love
 you."

"I love you too.  Now sleep... I need you to get well."

The couple fell asleep in each other's arms, and held each other tight.  Their
 dreams were pleasant ones, with no shadows from the past disturbing their
 bright hopes of a future together.  Even when the nurse made her rounds and
 found them squeezed into the same bed, she just smiled and turned off the
 light.  Nothing disturbed their rest, and when they woke up the next morning
it
 was with a firm resolve to get the X files and Scully's job back.  In that
 darkened hospital room, they vowed to stay together always, to keep fighting
 for their future - a future filled with love and hope.

                               THE END

Well, you know what to do.  Whether you loved it or you hated it,
polite feedback is craved.

ciao!

Verbal