Quit Playing Games With My Heart

By Sara Lynn

 

*ASK PERMISSION BEFORE ARCHIVING* I like to know where my story goes.

SUMMARY: Mulder believes Scully has betrayed him, but has she really?

RATING: PG-13 (cause language is a bit questionable)

CONTENT WARNING/CLASSIFICATION: MSR.

DISCLAIMER: Fox Mulder & Dana Scully are soon to be mine . . . as soon as 20th Century Fox decides to sell them.

CHALLENGED ANSWERED: I would like to see a story where Mulder thinks Scully has betrayed him. What does it take to convince him? Does he go to her with the evidence and ask her to explain (and get mad when she can't) or keep it to himself? What happens when he finds out it is really just a plot by the Consortium to separate them? (Well OF COURSE it's a plot...you didn't think I meant Scully was *really* a spy, did you?) -- Ashley Flanagan

* * * * * * * * * *

"How could she do this?" The usual cool, suave man punched the bag harder with each word. "What could she have been thinking?" His fists hurt from being clenched so tight, but he had not noticed the physical pain. His brain twisted in knots and his heart felt like she had ripped it straight out of his chest. He knew no way how he could have spared having to view the scene. The message was on his computer, e-mail with an attached picture. His Dana, the woman he loved more than life itself, embracing that black lunged son of a bitch. She actually had her arms around him and was hugging his body to hers.

"I should have known. The signs were there. Little bitch of a spy." The last few words came out louder than he intended and other patrons of the gym were staring at Mulder. He ran through his last thought and could not believe himself. He looked down at his hands, which were now red with pain and anger. Abandoning his position in front of the punching bag, Mulder walked toward the showers hoping for some piece of mind.

* * *

Dana loved looking at the pictures on her mantle. Memories she had captured and made available at a moment's glance. The time she and her siblings were on her father's ship. Her graduation from medical school. Her mother and father on their twenty-fifth anniversary. Her favorite sat right in the middle. A picture of her and Mulder on vacation together. It was her favorite because of the smile on both of their faces. The first time the two of them were really relaxed and able to enjoy each other. She could not believe only a few months ago they had abandoned the lies and admitted they were wildly, passionately, madly in love with each other. She wished she had been the one to say it first but Mulder had in a fit of excitement let his feeling be known and Dana almost swooned. Seemed funny when she looked back on it.

The knock on the door announced that Mulder was there. She bounced on her toes, checking herself quickly in the mirror by the door. This was so completely out of character for Dr. Scully, but Dana had been nosy and found the diamond ring in Mulder's over coat. She was shocked and ecstatic that Fox was ready to propose. Her imagination pictured Fox's romantic proposal. Knelt down before her, his hand holding hers asking for a lifetime of commitment. This led to what a wonderful wedding they would have and no matter how many severe sexless suits she wore, Dana Scully was female and let her dream of a simple white wedding overcome her common sense.

Cracking the door open, she smiled. It was Mulder. She let him into the room and managed to close the door before attacking him with kisses. Jumping up, she managed to catch his mouth under hers. A kiss that had ended suddenly by Mulder's lack of enthusiasm.

"I been waiting for you." She whispered in his ear trying to move her hand between them and over the front of his trousers. She did not get very far before he almost pushed her away. Something was wrong. "Mulder?"

"I need to talk to you about something, Scully." Dana jumped slightly. He usually called her Dana in the privacy of home. Leading him to the sofa, she sat close to him, her hand resting on his knee. He looked angry and currently his gaze was on her offending hand. She removed it and scooted back.

"Mulder, what is it?"

"Scully, I want you to be totally honest . . . "

"I always am." She quickly touched his knee to give some assurance.

"Why have you stayed? After everything that has happened to you in the years you've . . . worked with me, why did you stay?"

"Because I love the work. I love the challenges. Because I love you."

"But, that's not the real reason is it?"

Now it was getting weird. "Why would you say that?"

"I know, Scully. Don't lie to me."

"Mulder? What?"

"I know you've been spying on me."

"What!?" Scully jumped off the sofa and started walking towards the mantle. "Mulder, I've never. . . Why would you. . ?"

"I saw you and that black lunged S.O.B. You were smiling and hugging him. As if something was between you two."

"Mulder, I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Why don't you just cut the crap?" He stood up and stomped toward her. "The last five years was a lie. You made me trust you with personal feelings. You even made me believe you loved me."

"I do love you."

"My life with you is a lie. This . . . " He reached up and took hold of the picture of the two of them. "This is a complete lie. I loved the woman in this picture. The one that lay next to me on the beach and told me nothing else ever felt more right. She kissed me and told me I was the only person that could make her scream. She let me hold her when she was ready to die. That was all a lie." His fingers released the frame waiting for the crash that came when the glass touched the hearth. Then the shutter that followed.

"No!" She dropped to her knees gathering the remains of her treasured and now shattered memory. "Get out!"

"Don't worry about that." He turned and gathered up his coat from the sofa.

"I never lied to you! You do make me feel complete. You are the only one that makes me want to scream. I've put up with a lot of your shit and never thought twice about it and you know why?" She looked at the picture and brought it to her chest. "Because I love you!" She shouted amidst the tears.

Mulder looked back at the woman who had let the picture fall back to the floor, blood from the cuts on her fingers beginning the show. She gasped and he finally saw tears, real tears splash down her cheeks.

"Scully?" No response. "Dana?" He wanted to move to her side. His arms itched to take hold of her, kiss her lips and make the tears stop.

"I thought I had convinced you long ago I wasn't a spy. I have lost three months of my life. I lost hope of ever having children and now I'm losing you!"

He could not reply. Gathering the pieces before they fell, Mulder left closing the door behind him. Dana watched the door close and her heart finally collapsed. In a mass of fitful tears and gasps, Dana made it to her bed. Collapsing on piled pillows, she purged herself of the racking pain. She turned her head and noticed the small bear positioned in the center of the pillows. The white bear with a pink belly where Mulder had 'Fox loves Dana' embroidered. Her hands reached for it, touching the soft fur that gave her such rapture on Valentine's day.

"Why? Why? Why?!" She screamed throwing the bear in a direction behind her, returning to her pounding tears

* * *

"How could let them do this?" Mulder pounded his fist against the steering wheel as he drove. He had let the thoughts and fears that Dana could betray him overcome his sense of what was right. Accusing the woman who had dug deeper into his heart than anyone ever dared of such heinous things. The one person who would give everything to him. He actually watched her heart break and walked out.

Speeding well over the limit, Mulder made his way back to Dana's apartment. He had to fix it . . . somehow. He would never recover from the image of Dana's blood on her hands and tears on her face. Reaching the door in record time, Fox knocked on the door. Softly at first, then a bit louder. "Dana?" He questioned as he pulled out the keys to her apartment.

Everything was as he had left it. Glass on her hearth surrounding the picture of their vacation. Drops of blood sat still over the glossy photo. He turned away and noticed the white thing sitting in the hallway. Stepping closer, he recognized it as his gift to Dana. 'His heart' as he put it when they were cuddling late on Valentine's.

Peeking into the bedroom, he saw her. Lying across the light turquoise comforter with her face buried in a pillow. Mulder removed his coat laying it over her vanity seat. He removed his shoes as well, never letting his eyes leave her figure. He wanted to watch her sleep. Let her listen to his words without interruption. Sitting down on the bed, his finger ached to touch her skin. Run his fingers over the silk of her cheeks.

"I found my answers, Scully." He started as he moved to sit along side her body with his feet in front of him. Turning the bear over and over in his hands, he thought about what he was going to say. "Turns out the picture was fake. I let them manipulate me and I might have just ruined the best thing in my life." He took a deep breath turning only to tuck the bear into her arms.

"I gave my fears full control and I was . . . stupid. I let the fear of losing you just absorb me. Dana, the last few months have been a godsend. Making love to you is incredible. I wait, driving myself nuts, just to come here and love you properly. I pray that I live long enough that having you in my arms becomes trite. I never thought you would be mine.

"I'm sorry. I am sorry for dropping the picture. I knew it would shock you, I guess. I wanted to hurt you and that is the worst thing I think I could have done. Remember when we bugged that poor water boy to take our picture? We got some great pictures of the trip. Almost got a few in bed." He let out a nervous laugh. "Did you know I loved you from the moment I saw you? I respected the fact you were willing to tolerate my shit. No one else would." His hand reached out; his fingers were drawing small circles on her shoulder. "Dana, I went out a few weeks ago and picked something out for you. It is not much. The only thing I can think of to say how much the idea to make you my wife feels right. I wanted to take you out to dinner. I was ready to get on my knees in front of crowd of strangers and profess my love for you. I just wish you could let me know I didn't completely fuck up that chance."

"You didn't." Fox turned to see his love looking up at him. Her baby blue eyes shining with dried tears. He watched her sit up and decided what he was ready to say. Reaching for her hands, Fox pulled her to the edge of the bed. He knelt down in between her legs reaching into his pants pocket for the blue velvet box.

"I've been putting this off for too long." He cracked open the case and let Dana look at the ring. "Marry me, Dana Scully. I need you with me from now until forever."

"I need it too. Yes. Yes. Yes!" She reached forward and hugged him about the neck. Finally, they had quit playing games.

 

END