Sent: Friday, August 28, 1998

Title: Feeling Strangely Fine
Author: M (Starbuk42@aol.com)
Rating: PG
Category: M/S UST, DAL
Spoilers: The Movie (FTF), slight and somewhat vague. Post-Movie, Not Flickfic.

Summary: Scully attempts to discover what happened when Mulder suddenly faints
outside her apartment.
Archive: Gossamer and wherever else as long as my name and addy are attached.
And I'd like to know where it's being archived so I can visit.
Disclaimer: Mulder, Scully, and any other characters mentioned belong to CC,
1013 Productions, and Fox. They are used without permission. This is for
entertainment, not profit.
Thanks: To Meghan, my editor, for correcting all of my stupid mistakes and so
much more.
Feedback: Is more than graciously accepted. I will also accept constructive
criticism. And if you just want to tell me you read it, I'd like that too.
E-mail to Starbuk42@aol.com
Notes: Now the title, "Feeling Strangely Fine" _is_ the title of Semisonic's
latest album. _However_, that does, in no way, mean that any of their songs are
in this piece. No songs. The title just kinda fit. So, no infringement intended
on the title. Guess that should go with the disclaimer. Oh, well.
Enjoy!

Feeling Strangely Fine by M

"I'm sorry," he said wearily as soon as she opened the door. He looked down to
see her wearing her normal pajamas and robe.
"What's wrong?" she asked. He could tell he had woken her up.
"Does something have to be wrong for me to come and see you?" he asked with a
slight grin.
"Well, for you, yes."
"Ouch, Scully. That hurts."
"Well, are you going to come in or do you want to have this conversation in
the hallway?"
"I'm sorry I woke you," he said, not moving from his position outside her
door.
"Well, what did you think you were going to do, coming here in the middle of
the night?"
"Well, you were up the last time I came."
"Are you drunk, Mulder?"
"No. Not this time." He leaned his hand on her doorway and closed his eyes for
a moment. When he opened them, he saw Scully staring at him with a concerned
expression on her face.
"I'm ok," he replied, reading her thoughts.
"You sure? You look like hell, Mulder, no offense."
"None taken."
"Are you sure you haven't been drinking? Have you slept at all? Well,
obviously not," she said, answering her own question.
"I'm alright."
"You wanna come inside? The neighbors are gonna kill me, Mulder."
"No. It's ok. I'm sorry I woke you. I'll just go home," he said as he turned
and began moving slowly down the hall.
She stepped out after him, still concerned. "Mulder, why'd you come here?"
He stopped but didn't turn around to face her. "I...," he started, but began
to sway. Scully rushed to him just as he began to fall. Luckily, she caught
him, but his weight was too much for her to handle, and she lost her balance.
She fell back against the wall.
"Mulder?"
"Uhhhh," he groaned, weakly. She pulled him up to his feet and put his arm
around her shoulder.
"Mulder? You still with me?" she asked, looking down to his face, but his head
was lowered. "Mulder, talk to me," she demanded, frightened.
"Uhhh," he groaned again. Relief flooded through her. He was still conscious,
at least slightly.
"You gotta lie down, Mulder. Help me out here. Despite what you may think, I
can't carry you back into my apartment."
"And you're the strong one," he said faintly. She smiled slightly at his
comment. At least he can still make his remarks, she thought. That's a good
sign.
"Come on," she said as she started moving forward. He tried to push himself up
with his feet but he was so weak. He leaned heavily on Scully to try to get his
feet moving again. She was hunched over, practically pulling him forward. He
was afraid he was crushing her, but he didn't have the strength to ask if she
was alright. Everything was spinning. He tried to look over at Scully, but he
couldn't see her clearly. And that's when everything went black.

When he woke, he saw Scully's face hovering above him, her hair in her eyes as
she looked down. He brought his hand to his head and felt a cool, wet towel
there.
"Where am I?" he asked softly.
"My couch," she replied as she removed the towel and placed it on her coffee
table. She was sitting beside him on the edge of the couch.
"Not the hospital?"
"No. But you scared me to death, Mulder. I called 911."
"So, why am I still here?"
"Well, a bomb went off at an apartment building in DC, and they need all the
help they can get. They told me it'd be a while before an ambulance could get
here. I debated whether or not to drive you myself, but I just didn't think I
could get you down to the car. I mean, I had enough trouble hauling you into
the apartment." She looked back down at him when she was done speaking. A
slight smile played across his lips. "What?" she asked.
"Nothing," he replied as he began to stand.
"Whoah, whoah, whoah," she said as she put her hands on his chest to stop him.
He closed his eyes as the room started spinning. She helped sit down, and he
lay his head on the back of the couch.
"You need to take it easy, Mulder," she said as she knelt down in front of
him. He brought his hand to his head as he leaned it forward. "You can't just
get up like that." She reached up and pulled his hand from his face and cupped
his cheek. "Hey," she said with a smile. "Mulder, look at me." He looked up at
her beautiful face and closed his eyes once more against her delicate touch.
She brushed the hair from his eyes and cupped his face with both hands. She
sighed and pulled him into an embrace. "Oh, Mulder, what happened to you?" she
said, as if asking herself. "Come here," she said, as she sat beside him and
pulled his head into her lap. He closed his eyes and lay still.
"Y'know, Scully, normally I'd have something to say about our current
position, but I'm just too tired." She jumped slightly at his response, not
expecting him to speak.
"Well, you're talking now aren't you?" she replied as she absently stroked his
hair.
"Guess you got me there."
"So, what happened, Mulder? And you never answered my first question: why'd
you come here? If you were feeling sick you should have gone to see a doctor at
the hospital."
"You're my doctor," he said softly, his eyes still closed.
"Well, is that why you came here, because you were feeling sick?"
"I don't know. Maybe."
"Maybe? Well, what other reason is there?"
"It relaxes me." He opened his eyes and looked up at her. "Have you ever gone
out somewhere and not paid attention to where you were driving and ended up
somewhere familiar, a place you go all the time?"
"Yeah, once or twice. So, you're saying your coming here was kind of
subconscious?"
"Yeah, I guess," he said, closing his eyes again. "I just don't know how
exactly I got in the car. All I know is before I knew it I was at your door."
"Are you sure aliens or the government didn't abduct you, perform tests on
you, erase your memory, drug you, and drop you off here?"
"Nah, they can never get me."
"So, what did happen? Did you take anything? Did you hit your head?"
"No. I just don't know."
"I'm worried about you, Mulder."
"I know you are."
"Maybe I wouldn't be quite as worried if you were a woman," she thought to
herself out loud.
"Why's that?"
"Well some women experience dizziness and possibly fainting as a symptom of
PMS."
"Do they also experience memory loss and disorientation?"
"Well, not that I know of."
"Have you ever experienced dizziness and fainting as a symptom of PMS,
Scully?" he asked sleepily.
"How did I know that was coming?"
"We have that psychic connection, remember?"
"Oh, right," she answered sarcastically. "Except I don't believe in that sort
of thing."
"Oh, right," he said, mocking her. "So, you didn't answer my question."
"We are *not* discussing that."
"Alright. Cause, believe it or not, I really didn't want to hear about that
sort of thing."
"I'm sure." She paused for a moment. "I still want to know what happened. Now
did you eat out anywhere?"
"No. Haven't eaten in a while," he murmured.
"You haven't eaten in a *while*? Well, there's part of your answer. And how
long has it been since you've slept?"
"Probably the last time I ate."
"Mulder...," she started. Then she just stopped and sighed deeply, shaking her
head.
"I know what you're thinking, Scully. And I also know you're shaking your head
back and forth." She looked down to see if his eyes were open, but they
remained closed.
"Mulder, you can't keep doing this to yourself. Sooner or later your body's
not going to be able to make up for what you don't give it." She paused for a
moment. "This...this isn't healthy. Damnit Mulder, you could die! We can't
afford for that to happen. *I* can't afford for that to happen! Mulder...
Mulder?"
"Huh?" he said, opening his eyes.
"Are you listening to me?"
"Yeah, it's kinda hard not to hear you, Scully. You're yelling right into my
ear."
"I'm sorry, but-"
"No, I'm sorry, Scully."
"Just promise me you'll try to take better care of yourself."
"Ok."
"You're going to eat in the morning. But, right now, just sleep."
"I'm not making you uncomfortable, am I? I mean, I'm lying on you."
"No. I'm fine, Mulder. Really. Worry about yourself for once," she told him,
as she rested her head on her hand and closed her eyes. Content that she was
alright, Mulder closed his eyes as well, and soon sleep over took both of them.

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

"Good morning, sunshine," he said as she awoke and looked down at him.
"Good morning yourself," she answered back smiling. He lifted his head
slightly, and she helped him sit up. They stared at each other, silently
communicating. After a few moments Scully took Mulder's head in her hands and
gently kissed his forehead. She pulled her lips away slowly, her face still
close to his, and stared back at him, smiling once more.
"You look a lot better," she said softly. "How are you feeling?"
He stared back at her and was once again captured by her beautiful face. Her
smile alone was enough to give him his answer. "Strangely fine."

The End
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