Date: Sun, 02 Aug 1998

Title: Anniversary
Author: Lauren
Disclaimer: Mulder and Scully are not mine yadda yadda yadda, they are the property of Chris Carter and 1013 Productions so please don't sue me!
Rating: PG
Thank yous: To my bestest friend Katie who read this and boosted my ego enough to make me archive it.
Summary: Scully comes to the rescue and comforts Mulder during an emotional day. Lots and LOTS of Mulderangst with M/S romance thrown in at the end.
I'd love to hear feedback, but remember, this is my first attempt at writing a fanfic so please be kind! Write to Lsketch@hotmail.com

Part 1

Fox Mulder stared helplessly at the blinking cursor on his computer screen. He had been sitting there for the past half an hour trying to at least start on the four foot pile of case reports that he had, in his typical fashion, let build up.
<Great Mulder, Skinner's gonna have your ass for this one.>
He shook his head trying to clear his thoughts but only succeeded in mussing his already tousled hair. He let out an exhausted sigh and set his sights once again on the cursor which stubbornly refused to move. His gaze shifted towards the calendar haphazardly hung on his apartment wall.
<This is it... This is the day... No, come on, don't think about that. You have more important things to concentrate on. Like finishing these damn reports.>
He tried to concentrate but he could feel his mind wandering- focusing on something that was not in the manila folders sitting next to him.
<Ah, screw it.>
He flicked off the computer and headed for his couch. With a thud he plopped himself down into the folds of the well-worn black leather. Another sigh escaped him. He had to keep his mind occupied. He didn't want to think about *HER*. He closed his eyes but all he saw was her face. A whimper escaped him as he tossed and turned restlessly.
<I can't take this.>
Jumping up, he hastily jammed his feet into his running shoes and slammed the door to his apartment.
As Mulder stepped outside his building he glanced upward. The sky was fast becoming dark. Large ominous clouds were rolling in his direction.
<It's only rain. After being shot (by my own partner at that) stabbed, beaten and injected with a lethal alien virus, I really don't think a little rain'll hurt me. Rain. It was raining *THAT* night. Oh God, come on Mulder, don't start that again.>
He started off at a fast jog but he could not prevent the thoughts from flooding back to him. He ran faster and faster as if to outrun the painful memories which he had tried so hard to bury.
<It was November 27th. God he hated that day. If he could erase just one day from off the calendar it would be November 27th.>
The temperature had begun to drop as the sky opened up and it started to pour. Mulder was assaulted by large stinging drops of rain and hail, but he hardly felt them. The memories were far more painful than anything nature could throw at him.
<25 years. It had been 25 years since Samantha was taken. Hell of an anniversary, huh Mulder. You can't remember Scully's birthday but you know the precise day your baby sister was taken aboard a UFO by "little green men". And you wonder why you're called Spooky.>
It was not until he let out a huge shudder that he realized he was now sopping wet and totally freezing.
<Damn it. Great going FBI man. All that training and you can't remember to bring a stupid jacket before you decide to go running off into the freezing winter night. Glad to see that Oxford degree paid off.>
Running half-hunched over to keep the stinging pellets from out of his eyes, Mulder managed to finally make it to his apartment.
With a shaking hand, he fished the key out of his drenched jean pocket and opened the door. Another shudder surged through his body and he realized his teeth were chattering. He flicked on the bathroom light and was disgusted by his reflection in the mirror. His dark brown hair was plastered all over his forehead, which looked a very unhealthy grayish color. The sickly tinge covered his whole face. He studied himself intently in the mirror for a few seconds before the room suddenly began spinning. Bracing himself against the wall with one hand he felt his forehead with the other.
<Fuck. Nice work "Spooky." You've gone and got yourself a fever. Scully's gonna be pissed.>
A wave of nausea swept over him and he suddenly wished Scully was there looking over him, pressing a cool hand onto his heated forehead and making everything all better. His empty apartment felt even more desolate.
<This is just what I need. What else can go wrong. Actually, I probably shouldn't ask that, with my luck.>
If he had possessed enough energy at that moment, he probably would have broken into tears, but as it was, he was barely capable of crawling to the couch before he collapsed into unconsciousness.
End of Part 1

Part 2
He was awakened by the sound of someone banging on his apartment door.
<Or is that the banging in my head? Fuck, why did I throw out that bottle of pain pills Scully gave me for emergencies? She's always prepared for a Mulder emergency, why can't you be?>
The banging continued.
"I'm comin', I'm comin'" he muttered.
Somehow he managed to drag himself off the couch, and using the wall for leverage, was able to finally reach his door. His visitor was a welcome sight.
"Oh, Scully. Am I glad to see you! What are you doing here?"
"I was just...uh...in the area and decided to drop by and um...see how you were coming with those reports."
"Reports...what reports? Oh, the reports! Um...they're coming along just great."
She glanced at the still untouched piles of folders on his desk and gave him a customary Scully-look.
"Mulder, Skinner's gonna throw a fit."
"Yeah, well uh...I've kinda had a lot on my mind today. Couldn't really concentrate. Besides, I'm not really feeling too well. In fact, I pretty much feel like crap, Scully."
That was all Scully needed to hear before switching into doctor-mode. She immediately herded Mulder onto the couch to get a better look. She put a hand to his warm forehead, noticing the beads of sweat near his hairline.
"Well, Mulder, looks like you've gone and got yourself a nice infection. Here, let me get the thermometer. Why don't you lay back on the couch and relax."
<Oh Scully, what would I do without you?>
"Sure thing, Doctor Scully."
She returned from his bathroom holding a thermometer in her hand and promptly proceeded to stick it into his mouth.
"Um...you know, Mulder, I wasn't entirely honest with you...I didn't come over for those reports..."
She smiled as she saw the glint in his eye.
"Don't get any ideas there, G-man, it's just that I know today, is kinda tough for you, and I wanted to see if you were okay."
Taking the thermometer out of his mouth, he hastily avoided her blue-eyed gaze.
"I'm fine, Scully."
"Isn't that usually my line, Mulder?"
He gave her a lopsided grin as she took the thermometer from him.
"103, looks like you found a way to avoid those reports after all. I'll make you some tea."
He slowly lowered himself down onto the comfortable leather and closed his eyes.
"Mulder?"
"Yeah?"
"Chamomile or Earl Grey?
"Chamomile's fine, Scully."
He smiled to himself.
<Mulder you lucky bastard. I don't deserve this. Who am I kidding, I don't deserve *her*. She should be out having a life instead of sitting in a dusty apartment making tea for her ass-hole partner who still can't get over his sister's abduction. 25 years. You'd think I'd have moved on by now...>
He opened his eyes to glance at Scully, who was busily filling his teapot with water.
<I'd don't know what I'd do if I lost her too. Those days without her were pure hell. Forget aliens, I should have killed Duane Barry myself for taking her away from me. I don't think I could go through that again. Losing Sam was torture, I couldn't cope with losing Scully too.>
"Alright, Mulder, tea's done."
Scully carefully brought the two cups of steaming liquid over to the couch and pulled up an armchair.
"Since I'm here, might as well start the work you were *supposed* to have done before Skinner decides to fire the both of us. Why don't you try to get some sleep."
She glanced over at the couch to see her partner already out.She smiled.
"Make a note Dana, he actually listened to you."
Pulling a blanket from the closet she covered him up, then set to work on the case files.
End of Part 2

Part 3
Mulder yawned and sat up slowly. He felt considerably better than he had before.
"Scully?"
No reply. It wasn't like Scully to just leave him when he was sick.
"Scully?"
"I'm right here Mulder."
He spun around to see her standing by the window.
"Oh, there you are. You know, you should market that tea of yours. 'Doctor Scully's Miracle Cure'. You'd make a fortune."
He stopped, worried. There was something wrong, something about the way she was looking at him.
"What's wrong, what is it?"
"Mulder, they're back, they're back for me."
"Who Scully, who?"
"*THEM* Mulder, the ones who took Samantha. They've come back for me."
"What do you mean they're back for you?"
She turned slowly to the window and gazed upwards.
"I can feel it. I know they've come for me."
"Scully, no. I won't let anything happen to you. I won't let you leave me. Not again."
Panic gripped at his heart. It was happening again. Like his recurring nightmares which had plagued him as a kid. Only this time it was real; this time it was Scully.
"Scully, listen to me..."
"It's too late Mulder, you can't stop them. In fact, you brought them. It was supposed to be you. It should have been you. It was your fault Samantha was taken in the first place. And me...Mulder they took me because of you."
Her voice was trembling but she continued to stare out the window.
"You've seen the files, you saw the labels. It was supposed to be your name on that file. But if they couldn't have you, they decided to do the next best thing. They took those you cared for."
Her words cut him like daggers. Resurfacing old wounds and making fresh ones at the same time.
"Scully, please..."
"There's nothing you can do now Mulder. They're already here."
Suddenly a flash of blinding light poured through the window enveloping Scully.
"Please no! Not again!"
"Mulder! M-u-l-d-e-e-r-r-r..."
"S-C-C-U-U-L-L-L-L-L-L-Y-Y-Y! NOOOOO!"

He awoke in a cold sweat, tears streaming down his face.
"Mulder?"
Scully, sensing something was wrong, jumped up from her seat at the computer and rushed to the couch.
"Mulder what is it?"
She put a calming hand to his face and flinched at the warmth of it. His face was flushed and his shirt was soaked with sweat.
"Mulder this is serious, we've got to get you to the hospital, you could have pneumonia or-"
"Scully, no! Please! No, don't leave again!"
<Again?> she wondered <What did that mean?>
"Mulder, look, it's okay. I'm not going anywhere. Okay? I'm just going to get my car keys and I'll drive you to the hospital."
As she turned to get her purse, he grabbed her wrist. She looked at him in surprise and the sight of him almost reduced her to tears. His beautiful hazel eyes stared at her pleadingly, clouded with pain and terror.
"No Scully! Please..."
"Okay, Mulder. We'll just stay here, alright? Shhh...it's okay..."
He didn't answer her, but instead wrapped his hands around his knees and stared into space.
"Mulder please talk to me."
He turned his head but refused to look at her. He whispered something so softly she was barely able to catch it.
"It's my fault."
"What is Mulder? What? What's your fault?
"They took her...they-they took you. They took you away from me. They did it to hurt me...because they knew I cared. That if I lost her...that if I lost you, that I would be nothing."
He bit his lower lip as a tear rolled down his cheek.
And then she knew.
<He's blaming himself for what happened. My abduction...>
Scully's heart was breaking. To see her friend, her Mulder, like this broke her heart.
<Her Mulder? What was she saying? No, she knew exactly what she was saying.>
"Mulder, Mulder look at me."
He turned sad eyes toward her.
"Mulder, it is not your fault. Do you hear me? I don't want you ever to think that. I wouldn't have traded my time with you or the X-Files for anything. You are the most important part of my life and I don't want you ever to blame yourself for what happened. Mulder...I love you."
She put a hand underneath his chin and slowly brought his face up to meet hers. They just looked at each other for a few moments before Mulder finally spoke.
"I love you too Scully."
She threw her arms around him and let a tear roll down her cheek.
"Mulder, you can't blame yourself. You didn't make this happen, just the opposite. You were the only thing that saved me. The thought of you. It called me back. I wanted, no I needed, to come back because I knew you'd be right there waiting. And I'm sure, wherever Samantha is now, she's thinking the same thing too."
He kissed her and all the pain and frustration he had held back was finally released. He suddenly felt very tired. She smiled as she saw his eyelids droop.
<Oh Mulder, you romantic, a girl tells you she loves you and you fall asleep.>
She helped him lower back so he was lying down.
"Next year Scully, November 27th, we'll celebrate *our* anniversary."
With that he settled down and finally drifted into a peaceful sleep.
Scully kneeled by the couch, softly stroking his hair. She leaned toward his ear and whispered into it.
"Happy anniversary, Mulder, happy anniversary."

THE END