Title: "The Search"
Author: Aster
E-mail Address: Sandlot1313@adelphia.net
Distribution: Posted with Aster's permission at "So Little Time X-Files
Fanfiction Archive
Spoilers: None.
Rating: PG
Classification: S, R, A
Keywords: Scully POV
Summary: An old flame of Scully's returns, and gets a little help from
Mulder.
Disclaimer: "The X-Files" is not mine, but rather the brilliant work of
Chris Carter and his team at Ten Thirteen Productions
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With a load of work materials with me, I unlock the door to my apartment.
Sighing tiredly,  I enter and toss my keys on the desk nearby. After kicking
the door shut, I toss my pumps off, sending them flying in different
directions. I set by work on the table and dash to my bedroom to put on some
more comfortable cloths. I emerge in a pair of worn jeans and a light blue
T-shirt. I search the fridge for something to eat, not realizing that I’ve
been away for almost a week on assignment, and the food has pretty much gone
rotten. As I reluctantly reach for the phone to call a pizza shop just down
the street, it rings. I answer it, professional as always, “Scully.” Silence
greets me at the other end. Before I hang up, I hear someone breathing on
the other end. I’m about to hang up, when I realize just who it is. “Nick? I
know it’s you. It’s been years. Why are you talking to me all of a sudden?”
More silence is all I hear, then the line goes dead. I throw on a pair of
tennis shoes; grab my dusty leather jacket, keys and head for the door.
I arrive at the pub that I used to call ours. As I stand alone on the
sidewalk, I glare up at the tacky neon sign the screams ‘Rudy’s.’ I gather
myself, thinking of what I’ll say to him after all this time and anguish,
and enter the bar. I trudge through smoke and the horrible smell of sweat to
reach the dark able in the very back left hand corner. I see him sitting
there, and for a moment, it feels as if nothing has changed. He still has
the same short blonde hair, and deep brown complexion. I cough quietly to
get his attention. Nicolas’ deep coffee eyes catch mine just as they always
had in the long years that we dated. Only, this time, my breath doesn’t
catch in my throat, and my heart rate doesn’t deter. I sit in a seat across
from him, setting my elbows and hands on the table. “So, what has prompted
you to call me all of a sudden? Has something happened with your wonderful
marriage, and decided to crawl back to me? Because, Nick, you of all people
should know that I can’t go through that again. After learning of your
engagement to…to…whatever the hell her name was, I was crushed. Not only
because we had dated so many years, but because you had started dating her
not long after you met me…”
He holds his hands up in surrender, realizing that I’m getting angrier by
each passing moment. “You’re right about my marriage. Marianne decided to
leave me, because she thought I wasn’t enough for her…in many different
ways. She was too good for me. I can’t be with someone who’s better than I.”
“So, what are you saying? I’m better for you, because I’m a lesser person?”
“Oh, god no. We’re equals Dana.”
Confused, I wasn’t sure what to say.
He broke the silence and continued, “I came back to tell you that I feel
sorry for what I put you through. I want to be friends. True friends, Dana.
The kind that can tell each other anything.”  Nick covers my hands with his,
and forces himself across the table. Before I have time to react, he kisses
me so forcefully that it hurts. I try to push him away, but he keeps coming
on strong. He finally breaks away, because of the need for oxygen, and I hit
him square across the jaw. Surprised by my reaction, it sends him falling
out of his chair. I jump up, and head in the direction of the door, but he
catches my arm, and shoves me to the floor. He holds me down with his body,
and that gives me the disadvantage. I try to scream, but he presses his hand
down on my throat. “Dana, don’t make me do this. You know you want to be
with me…” I force a hand out from under Nick and hit him again in the face.
He slaps me so hard over and over that I begin bleeding from my mouth. I
cough up blood, and spit it in his already bloody face. Through all the
turmoil, I hear the door of the bar squeak open, and Mulder enters,
searching around the place for a familiar face. I scream out his name, and
his head snaps in my direction. I know it’s awful dark, but I know he can
see my faded shadow lying on the floor. Nick presses down even harder on my
larynx and I begin to see little stars litter my vision. He begins kissing
me again, and I can feel his hand on my bare stomach. I see the fuzzy
outline of Mulder rushing toward me. Mulder knocks Nick off of me, and I
scramble to get out of the way. Because he is much larger than Nick, Mulder
easily pulls him out the back door and into the alley, out of my view. I
scramble onto my feet, and I wobble to the woman’s room to get cleaned up. I
take paper towels and clean up my cuts from the numerous slaps I received. I
shame myself for thinking that Nicolas could ever change, that I could have
the old man back that I once adored. An angry tear streams down my face, as
I hear a knock at the door. “Scully? C-can I come in?” His gentle voice
soothes my anger, as I reach over to unlock the door.
“Yeah,” I simply respond, attempting to make myself somewhat presentable.
My knight enters, knowing just what I need. He envelopes my entire petite
body with his soft arms, as I begin to spill out to him everything that
happened. I know I didn’t owe him anything, but I needed to tell someone.
And, Mulder was my someone. We stay like that for about ten minutes, until I
break away from him. “I was so lucky Mulder. If you hadn’t been…” He shakes
his head, not wanting me to finish the sentence, because we both know what
could have ensued. I look into Mulder’s hazel eyes, and ask the question I’
ve been wanting to know the answer to for a while, “Mulder? Will you dance
with me?” He smiles that sweet, sexy smile and leads me out of the bathroom
and on to the dance floor. As we begin swaying to the slow music, I take
notice of the lyrics.

“…but I can’t help falling in love with you.
Shall I stay?
Would it be a sin?
If I can’t help falling in love with you?
Like a river flows, surely to the sea.
Darling, so it goes, some things were meant to be.
Take my hand, take my whole life too
Because I can’t help falling in love with you…”

I think he does too, because he brings a hand up to my broken face, and
strokes my cheeks like I might break into a million pieces. As I intently
gaze into his beautiful all-seeing eyes truly for the first time, I know I’
ve been looking for companionship and love in all the wrong places. This
horrid experience had to arise for me to see it. My emotions overtake my
logical brain, as I find myself softly kissing him, to find that he’s
kissing me back. For the rest of the night, we dance our own dance, together
in our own world…falling in love.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FIN