Title: Drops Author: Susan Email: touchstone98@tx.rr.com Classification: post-ep vignette Episode: Elegy Archive: No archive without permission. Disclaimer: These characters belong to each other, not me. Author's notes at the end. Summary: For the first time since she was diagnosed with cancer, he'd seen real fear in her eyes, and it scared the hell out of him. ***************************************************** Drops by Susan ~~~~ He wasn't exactly sure when he decided he should go after her. He just knew that he had to, and so he left the hospital shortly after she did. She had just turned on the engine when he opened the door to leave, and for a moment, he thought she might have seen him in her rear view mirror when she looked behind her. But she didn't, her car slowly pulling away from the curb and driving into the night. He waited until she reached the stoplight, then headed to his own car. After all, it wasn't like he didn't know where she was going. If his calculations were correct, she'd get to her apartment in about ten minutes, and then he'd arrive there a few minutes after that. Of course, once she saw him, she'd be angry with him for following her and probably tell him to go home, but he didn't care. He just knew that he had to see her again. For the first time since she was diagnosed with cancer, he'd seen real fear in her eyes, and it scared the hell out of him. ~~~~ He pulled up to the curb by her apartment, turned the engine off, and checked his watch. It was a little after 9:00, and though it wasn't raining when he left the hospital, his windshield was now being peppered with several large raindrop splotches. Getting out of the car before the rain started coming down even harder, he hurried to the entrance of the building and went inside. Although he was still certain he needed to see her, now that he was actually standing here in the hallway, he wasn't sure if just showing up at her door was the right way to do things. She'd already closed herself off to him earlier after she confessed to seeing the ghost of the fourth victim and became defensive when he asked her about going to the doctor. So what made him think that she'd be open to seeing him now? The truth was he didn't know what to expect when she opened the door and saw him standing there, and it was that uncertainty that led him to pull out his phone and call her first. "Hello," she answered, a hint of irritation in her voice. "Um, hey Scully, it's me." "Mulder? Where are you?" she asked, her agitation quickly replaced with concern. "Are you okay?" "I'm okay." Shifting his feet, he looked towards her apartment, rubbed his forehead. "But I'm not sure you are," he said, immediately regretting the words the moment they came out of his mouth. She didn't say anything then, her soft breathing on the other end of the line the only thing he could hear. "You followed me home, didn't you?" she finally said. "Yes, I did," he admitted. "I'm standing outside in the hallway," he added, deciding to be completely honest with her. "You shouldn't have done that." "I had to." He walked towards her apartment, stood in front of her door. "I had to make sure you were all right." "I'm fine, Mulder," she replied from the other side of the door. 'No, you're not,' he wanted to say, but caught himself before the words could come out. "Can I come in?" he asked instead, putting his phone back in his pocket. She didn't reply, but opened the door and stepped aside, silently inviting him in. Closing the door behind him, she walked over to the couch and sat down. "Why are you here?" "I told you...I wanted to make sure you were okay." "And I told you that I was fine. The doctor checked me out," she replied, nervously rubbing her fingers back and forth over her pant leg. "I know what you told me, but I also know what I saw tonight, Scully," he said firmly as he sat down beside her. "Stop working against me...and yourself," he said, quietly reiterating what he'd told her earlier. She looked away from him then, down at her hands. "I can't do this, Mulder." "Do what?" She suddenly stood up, moved towards the window. "I can't have you hovering over me like this, watching my every move, worrying about every nosebleed I have. I can't do it." "And I can't always be left in the dark, Scully. All I want to do is help you, and you need to let me," he said matter-of-factly, no longer worried about keeping his thoughts to himself. He got up from the couch, walked over to her, stood behind her. "Just let me help you." It was raining harder outside now, the drops of water loudly tapping against the window. "I'm okay, Mulder," she said, her back to him, her head lowered as she placed her hand on the ledge. "I just want to help you," he said softly, putting his hand on her shoulder and leaning in closer. "Let me." Her body stiffened at his touch, but he wasn't going to let that deter him, instead moving even closer behind her. "I'm fine, Mulder." "No, you're not." He reached over and placed his hand on her arm. "And neither am I," he whispered in her ear. He waited for her to push him away, to acknowledge his words, to tell him to get the hell out of her apartment, to do anything. But she just stood there, still facing the window, her grip on the ledge tightening as she lifted her head. And it was then that he saw them. Three drops of blood, two beneath her nose, one on her lip, reflected in the dark glass in front of him. And it was then that he knew he wasn't going anywhere tonight regardless of what she said or did next. Taking out his handkerchief, he held it out to her from behind, and she took it, quickly wiping away the evidence underneath her nose. He took a step backward then, knowing that she'd want her space now, that she'd need a moment to compose herself before saying anything else. But that wasn't what she needed. She slowly turned around, looked up at him, her weary eyes finally meeting his as she held the red-stained handkerchief down at her side. Gently removing the proof that neither of them wanted, he shoved the dampened cloth into his coat pocket and moved closer to her again. And she moved too, wrapping her arms around him and pressing her head against his chest. "I do need you," she whispered. Drawing her even deeper into his arms, he rested his chin on top of her head, and closed his eyes. "And I need you," he softly replied. ~end~ When I wrote this, I could see it all happening so clearly in my head as if it was a part of the actual episode. I hope that as you read it, you were able to see it too. Thanks so much for reading. possibilities http://possibilities.bravehost.com/ Originally posted January 2012.