Some blood loss, Some love found

Author: PhileyX 
E-Mail: phileyxback@yahoo.com 
Web-site: https://www.angelfire.com/id/phileyx 
Rating: PG-R
Category: UST
Spoilers: Demons
Disclaimer: All the characters here do not belong to me. 
Author's note: I think the title says it all. The little icon gives you an indication whose POV the story narrates in.

XXXXXXXXXXX
Some blood loss, Some love found 

I crawl warily into bed, tucking myself under the cold covers. It had been an exhausting week, filled with reports and endless meetings. And what made it worse was Mulder on sick leave. I have to admit no matter how irritating my partner could be, his presence made work somewhat easier to bear. It is then that I realize I have not checked up on him for the day. Without getting up, I pick up the receiver and dial.

Mulder's home phone rings but no one answers. I frown, worried. For the past week, I had no problems reaching him. He was always home, resting. And he still should be. I decide to dial his cell phone. This time someone picks up but clearly, it wasn't my partner. Instead I hear a woman's voice. "Hello?"

I hesitate, debating with myself if I should hang up. Then again, Mulder would know I called. So I keep my voice neutral and ask. "Who is this?"

"Tracy." The sultry voice replies. "And who is this?"

Ignoring her question, I ask again. "Could I talk to Mulder?"

"Mulder? Is that his name?"

She doesn't even know his name? Who was this slut and what the hell is Mulder doing with her? "Could you get him on the phone? I need to talk to him."

"Umm… He's kinda unavailable at the moment."

I bit my lip in irritation, trying hard not to jump to conclusions. "And what exactly do you mean by unavailable?"

Soft laughter fills the earpiece and I mentally hear an unspoken 'Meow' through the chuckle. "Hey relax, honey. Your boyfriend's just completely pissed. Why don't you come down to Eddie's and take him home? We're at the corner of Anderson Drive."

Then very abruptly, the phone went dead. I stare at the phone in my hand. Mulder's drunk?

XXXXXXXXXXX

The journey to Eddie's didn't take long. I park my car and walk briskly towards the entrance of the bar, all this while cursing Mulder to a horrid end. It was just like him to drown his sorrows instead to accepting the fact that he had made a huge mistake. Although for the life of me, I simply could not understand how an Oxford graduate figures getting smashed helps in any way.

The establishment was rather empty for a Friday night. A few patrons look up from their drinks, scrutinizing my clumsy ensemble of clothes. I ignore the curiosity and scan the place for my partner. A familiar pair of huddled shoulders soon catch my eye at the bar and I walk towards them.

"Mulder?"

A bleary pair of eyes look up at me and he mutters drowsily. "Hey Scully…."

He is drunk, I conclude and sigh.

"You're Scully?" A woman asks from behind the counter, a mug of beer in her hand. I nod, eyeing her guardedly. She grins and nods towards Mulder. "Nice to meet you. Heard a lot about you."

I smile tightly, putting two and two together. "And I suppose you're Tracy."

"Yeah." She takes away the glass that's next to my intoxicated partner's nose before asking nosily. "He's been here since nine. You two had a fight?"

I stiffen, deciding how to respond. Opting for vagueness, I shake my head slightly and concentrate on the man in front of me instead. "Mulder? Are you okay?" He blinks and nods before he drifting into his own world again. Now I'm worried, unsure if his current condition is an aftereffect of Goldstein's treatment or just alcohol.

"He's fine. He just needs to sleep it off." Tracy advises helpfully, bringing my thoughts to the present.

"You may be right." I mumble and tug his arm lightly. "Come on Mulder, I'll send you home."

"Are you gonna get his tab, honey?"

I groan, irritated. Mulder still owed me for my car's bent rear when he abducted my car to see Goldstein and now this? Tracey notices the disgust on my countenance as I dig for my wallet. "How much?"

"45."

"Keep the change."

"Thanks." The barkeep flashes me a smile while she playfully ruffles Mulder's hair. "Bye Spooky, hope to see you real soon." This time my scowl is fully intended for her and she knows it, quickly muttering. "Or maybe not."

I help Mulder off the barstool. He stumbles clumsily on his feet but my firm grip of his waist keeps him upright. Thankfully he is able to walk moderately well, just slightly shaky. And we slowly make it to the doorway of the bar before Mulder seemingly regains equilibrium in both sense and step. He pulls away from me, leaning against the wooden frame. "I'm okay."

I roll my eyes, thinking it would be useless to argue. "Fine, if you think you can walk on your own…. Go ahead."

He looks confused and was about to say something when Tracy yells from across the room. "Hey Scully, you forgot Spooky's phone!"

My jaw immediately tightens, not appreciating her use of Mulder's nick. I wish Mulder would keep his reputation to himself. Flashing him a glare, I bark at him. "Don't move, Mulder. I'll be right back." And I proceed to retrieve his government-issued cell phone.

Unfortunately upon returning, I find him gone. I blink twice and look around to check if he had taken a seat within the pub. But no one resembling Mulder catches my eye under the dim atmosphere. He must have gone outside. Cursing under my breath, I push the door open and walk out.

It is drizzling and somehow I am not surprised. It makes perfect sense for tonight of all nights to rain, the very night when I have to hunt the streets of DC for my partner. My head bobs about, screening the row of cars nearby. I spot his vehicle and head towards the direction. But on closer view, it is evident that Mulder isn't in it or anywhere nearby.

A series of loud honking suddenly grabs my attention. Then I see him in a distance. My partner's drunken ass sways precariously in the middle of the road as he awaits a break in traffic to enable him to cross. My heart plummets in fear and I am momentarily frozen. But I quickly shake away the feeling and race towards him, intending to get to him before he kills himself.

Fortunately it doesn't take me long to reach him. I grab him tightly and turn him around, telling him not to move unless I say so. He gives me a dazed look and shrugs an okay. When the stream of cars eases, I pull him across, back to the curb. It is only then that I begin breathing regularly.

"Scully, I wanna go home now." Mulder suddenly whines in my ear.

I look at him with a mixture of amazement and annoyance. But once again he puts on his little lost boy look and my anger reluctantly diminishes. I sigh and mutter. "Fine, let's go home."

I watch him carefully as he walks unsteadily all the way to my car. Reaching it, I fish for my car keys while he tries his best to remain still. But too intoxicated, he stumbles back. I lunge to grab him before he falls over a fire hydrant next to the car. Recovering his balance, he gives me a look, chiding me for parking illegally.

I return it. "Oh yeah, like you're a saint."

He laughs and staggers back again. Unfortunately I'm still holding to him when he does, causing me to stumble along. As he slams hard against the fence behind him, most of me fall against his chest. My arm however descends onto a loose wire mesh protruding just next to him. Almost immediately, I feel the sharp metal plunge into my flesh. I utter a loud cry, willing the pain to subside. But deep inside I know that the worst is yet to come. With one swift movement I pull my arm out of the metal shrapnel. The intense pain tears through me as blood gushes out of what I could only imagine to be a nasty gash. Unconsciously I snuggle deeper into my partner's embrace and take a deep breath of him. It helps, a lot.

Meanwhile Mulder has no idea what was going on. Keeping himself upright with the help of the fence, he mumbles into my ear. "What?"

I decide not to tell him, it wouldn't be of any use anyway. Thankfully his scent is like a painkiller, dulling the pain. I take a couple more shots and find myself recovered enough to pull myself up. "Mulder, let's go." I tell him, clamping my left hand over my right arm to slow the bleeding.

"Okay but I'm driving." He argues.

My patience is now completely gone, I snap back. "Like hell you are." Tugging his jacket roughly, I nearly shove him towards the vehicle. "Now move it!"

XXXXXXXXXXX

My eyes are blurry as I watch my partner fumble for his keys in front of his door. I also feel weak and dizzy. It must be the blood loss. Anxious to get home out of my wet clothes and into to my warm bed, I intervene. "Oh for God's sakes, Mulder! Let me."

Taking a step behind him, I slip my hand into his pocket, jiggle about until I find them and pull the keys out. "Now that wasn't so difficult." My scarsam rings out but he takes no notice. I unlock the door and as it opens, I order him to bed.

Surprisingly he doesn't argue and heads directly to his bedroom in the dark. I am just about to follow when hear a loud thump and a yell. Rolling her eyes, I reach out for the light switch and flick it on. But it remains dark. I flick it off and on again. Still nothing. "Mulder, did you pay your utility bill?"

I listen to the darkness for an answer but the only reply I got was a soft moan. Grimacing, I count to ten for a fresh bout of tolerance and cautiously attempt to make my way to him. "Mulder?"

"Mmm…."

My eyes begin to adjust to the darkness and the proper shadows of his furniture come in view. So does he. It looks like he fell over a pair of sport shoes. "Mulder?" I kneel down to help him up but he is reluctant to move. "Come on, get up."

"Leave me be." He mutters sleepily.

Intensely annoyed, I practically yell. "I'm not leaving you in the middle of your living room floor! Now get your ass moving so I can go home already!"

He groans. "Oh all right. Stop screaming in my ear." And he finally moves to obey me.

By the time I got him sitting on his bed, I am totally spent. The deep cut is taking its toll on me and I wonder if I am able to make it home in one piece. Maybe I should call a cab. And I don't even want to think if I should get another Tetanus shot.

I look over at my partner. He is still seated slouched at the edge of the bed in his wet clothes. Sighing, I warily make my way to his cupboard and feel my way through his folded garments. In the darkness, I pick out what I hope is a shirt and walk back to him. "Here. Put this on."

No answer and I lean closer. Oh great, the man was asleep! But my weariness does not allow my anger to dwell long and I resign myself to the job of getting Mulder changed. Getting his wet coat and shirt off is easy enough, to hell with the pants. But getting the dry shirt on is slightly trickier. I pull the shirt through one arm and tried the other. But that particular sleeve seemed to be inside out. I mechanically push my arm through, intending to pull the end out. Unfortunately just at the moment, Mulder suddenly decides to flop back onto the mattress and once again, he brings me with him.

"Fuck!" I unintentionally growl under my breath. My hurt arm is pinned under Mulder's bulk, causing horrendous waves of pain. I take a moment to repossess my senses and then struggle to push him off. But the slippery waterbed just makes it impossible for me to get enough balance to do so. I whack him hard and growl. "Mulder, get off me!"

"Mmmph…" He mutters inaudibly but surprisingly moves to free me. Almost instantly, the pain reduces to a throb.

As I let out a sigh of relief, I once again try to remove her arm from the sleeve. But it is somehow impossibly entangled. Oh no, I moan morosely and pull at it again. Still no luck. The only other option is to get the other sleeve off Mulder. Perhaps if I ask him again, he will courteously free me. And I try. I poke, smack and punch but it is a complete waste of effort. The man does not even flinch.

That's it, I give up! I concede, too tired to move a muscle. I figure I could tear apart the sleeve with my teeth, only I am not up to the task at the moment. I'll just take a minute to rest, to gather what is left of my strength….. to watch Mulder sleep for a while…… His dark damp hair in disarray against the sheet….. God he looks so sexy…. Okaaaaay did I just think all that? Oh no, this is not good. I really should start tearing the material that is keeping me hostage before I start thinking of other kinds of fabric on him I'd like to shred apart….. No Dana, don't go there. Don't go anywhere near that thought. But it hurts to even stop myself from thinking. Oh God, what I'd give for some aspirin right now. No, not good enough, maybe some Demoral. Or maybe some Mulder….. Damn, there I go again! I groan and unconsciously, thump my head against his lovely chest in frustration.

Uh oh, biggest mistake of my life. My forehead is north, his beating heart is south and I'm stuck to him like two opposite poles of magnets would be. But at least I got my wish, a dose of Mulder. Almost instantly, I am resigned to the fact that it is hopeless. He smells too good, he feels too good and he is mumbling my name in his sleep. What more could a girl wish for from a man she's been fantasizing about since the moment she met him? Well maybe all our wet clothes off but knowing my luck, that would be pushing it. This is good enough. No, this is better than good. I'm as high as the clouds. So high that I make myself comfortable and snuggle contentedly into his warmth. Then I whisper. "Okay Mulder, you win."

XXXXXXXXXXX

"Scully…" I mechanically mutter under my breath as I awaken. Then I blink and frown. Now why did I say that? I look around cautiously. No, no Scully anywhere. "Weird…." I mutter.

My head aches too much to wonder what happened last night but it does tell me that I drank a lot. Fortunately, a morning hangover is not exactly new to me. I automatically push the sheets aside and with my tired eyes unwilling to fully open, I head to the bathroom. The toothpaste is expertly squeezed onto my toothbrush still without proper vision. And I wait for the minty freshness to hit me like it always does.

My eyes open and I stare at myself in the mirror in complete shock. When I finally recover, I realize I had unconsciously swallowed most of my toothpaste within the minute of lost time that just passed. But I have more important consequences to worry about. A wave of memories hit me and I feel as if I'm in a repeating nightmare. Because just like before, there is blood everywhere. All over my white shirt. All over me!

I run to back into my bedroom. The sheets are stained too. What is going on? No, this can't be happening…… Not again!

My hearts starts to pound, my head swirls painfully. I look around frantically for my gun, wanting to check if any rounds were missing, like before. But it's not where it should be. No, of course it's not. Scully has it. She took it away as a precaution until she's sure I'm okay.

Scully….. Then it suddenly hits me, the reason why I mumbled her name when I woke. The blood drains from my face as I try not to overreact until I'm sure. Slowly I force myself towards the bed. Picking up the covers, my hands shake as I bring it up to my face. The scent is unmistakable, it is Scully's. And that means it's her blood on me!

XXXXXXXXXXX

The sun is barely up when my car pulls up along the curb of my street. I glance at my watch again. Oh no! I barely have an hour to clean up before her mom's due to appear at my door. Hurrying, I get out of the car and almost run up to my apartment.

Out of my jacket and in my bathroom, I take one look in the mirror and stare. What the …..? There are streaks of dried blood all over my good blouse. My blood? I never realized I bled this much last night. No wonder I felt so woozy. No wonder I slept till morning. No wonder I slept with Mulder, less blood meant less oxygen to my brain.

Wait a minute… how could I have not noticed the stains when I used Mulder's bathroom before leaving his place. I suddenly remember and roll my eyes. Oh yeah, no lights.

I take off my top and find more bloodstains all over my skin. I then study the gash on my arm. It doesn't seem so bad. A neat little bandage would do the trick. But first, a really hot shower. And so I lean into the cubicle to turn the water on.

The shower is invigorating. It tempts me to stay in there longer but I really shouldn't. Mom's coming and I have yet to pick out the clothes I don't use for the homeless. Reluctantly turning the water off, I step out and wrap a robe around me.

XXXXXXXXXXX

I almost kill myself, trying to get a cab to stop. The driver yells at me but his voice immediately dies when he sees the red stains on me. I ignore his shock, slip into the backseat and order him to Scully's address. He physically stiffens, still staring at me with his mouth wide open. I yell again, fiercer this time. "Damn it, drive before I hurt you too!" He does.

XXXXXXXXXXX

I haul the two boxes of clothes into the living room. It certainly is surprising the number of garments I found lying useless in my closet. A quick glance at the clock tells me that mom will be here any minute. I'd better put some clothes on. Trudging into my room, I am about to pull at my lingerie drawer when I hear a loud knocking on my door.

XXXXXXXXXXX

My fist slams loudly against her door. "Scully!" I yell and pound again. My fingers fumble for her spare key and I nervously push it into the lock. But unexpectedly, I find I could not turn it. I am completely paralyzed with fear. Fear of what I might find beyond the door.

What if….. What if Scully's dead? What if I killed her?

XXXXXXXXXXX

Mulder? I frown as I hear his voice screaming from the other side. What the hell is the matter with him? Screaming bloody murder in the wee hours of the morning? What will the neighbours think?

I get to the door as fast as I can and open it. Just as I expect, my partner is there. What I do not is his wild and panic-stricken eyes. They stare at me for what seemed to be an eternity. A little disorientated, I finally ask. "Mulder? Are you okay?"

He nods dumbly. It is only then that I notice the blood on his shirt. On his arms. On his chest. On his pants. I must have bled on him as we slept. Hmmm…. but on his pants? I don't remember touching him there. I'm sure would remember if I did…….

My inappropriate thoughts are abruptly interrupted when he suddenly pulls me into his arms, crushing me in his rough embrace. For a moment, the intensity of the action overwhelms me. My heart rate triples, my mouth dries and my stomach is doing flip-flops that are nearly nauseating. I take a couple of deep breaths to calm myself down. That's right Dana, get your mind together, I tell myself. I have to be the strong one, the rational one and especially the goody two shoes FBI agent that's not waiting for an opportunity to jump her partner.

"It's okay, Mulder." I whisper softly. He responds by burying his head in between my neck and ear, causing another attack of delectable sensations. I pray for strength in the midst of this sweet torture. I have to behave myself. The man is obviously distressed and I'm thinking of …. . No, I shan't.

"Mulder?" I distract myself by calling him again.

He breathes into my ear, his voice straining. "There was so much blood."

"It's okay." I say again softly and attempt to lift my head to look at him. He feels my gentle push and moves only slightly to accommodate my intent. His eyes are dark and fearful. Once again, I assure him. "No one is hurt, Mulder. The blood…." I choose my words carefully. "It was just an accident."

"It's yours." He mutters, almost inaudibly.

"Yes." I admit reluctantly. "But I'm fine."

He frowns and then very suddenly releases me. As I step back at the unexpected gesture, he kicks the door close behind him before facing me again. Another swift move takes me by surprise. I blink as I feel my robe loosens. Half a second later, my reflexes kick in and I grab his hands before he pushes my white fluffy robe off my shoulders. I can hardly recognize my strained croak. "Mulder…."

The low warning awakens him from his dazed intent. He glances at my hands holding his and a mortified look tells me that it's only now dawning on him what he nearly did. "I'm sorry Scully. I…. I just wanted to be sure."

I try to remain nonchalant. "Actually the cut is on my arm."

"Oh." He looks briefly at our hands again, now completely embarrassed. But it wasn't long before I hear another emotion in his voice, guilt. "Did I…?" He is unable to complete the question.

I quickly lie. "No Mulder. I cut myself. You had nothing to do with it."

He lets out a breath of air but is thoughtful. I know what he's thinking and before he voices the reasonable objection, I cut him off. "How my blood got on you? You were drunk and I helped you to bed. There we …." I trail off before adding grudgingly. "…wrestled."

His eyebrows rise comically and a familiar spark of laughter fills his eyes. I grimace, not really wanting to deal with a teasing Mulder just yet. Not when my hormones are still on red alert. Thankfully the hint of mirth vanishes as quickly as it appeared. "I thought I hurt you."

I give a half laugh and attempt a weak joke. "You try but you're completely hopeless at it. At least I shot you once."

He smirks and to my surprise, his gaze intensifies, locking mine with his. "You're right. I am hopeless when it comes to you……… I wonder why."

His words strike me dumb. I try to think of a witty comeback but my mind is a complete blank. All I can do is look at him, wide-eyed. My hands suddenly feel liberated and I glance at them momentarily, a little confused. Now where did his hands go? I thought I was holding them from…. Okay my robes are free. It's not really showing much of my nakedness but still, I should…. My train of thought evaporates when he leans closer. Oh and I eventually find his hands, one's comfortably placed at the small of my back, another's lifting my chin to his.

I swallow hard. Oh my God, this is really happening. This is it….

XXXXXXXXXXX

A knock on the door makes us both jump back. We both let out a breath of air and look at each other in awkwardness. Say something Mulder, I tell myself. My brain only complies a couple of seconds later. "Expecting someone?"

She looks away, I couldn't tell if in disappointment, relief or confusion. "Yeah, Mom." Her voice gruffly answers.

Great! If it were anyone else, at least I wouldn't have any qualms committing murder. I sigh and gently reach down to take the tail ends of her robe. "She's early."

Scully laughs softly but keeps her eyes down, watching as I slowly weave a knot around her. Then she sighs. "Actually she's just in time."

"You think so?" I say as a mixture of frustration and impulsiveness suddenly take a hold on me. Rashly I pull the knot tighter and nearer.

She gasps at our unexpected proximity and looks up at me, unsure. "Mulder….." She starts to say but is interrupted by a series of impatient knocks. As the tension between us slowly diminishes once again, she mumbles. "I really should get that."

I finally let her go, very reluctantly. But she doesn't move, looking down at a spot on her carpeted floor. I watch her for a while but still can't make out what she's thinking. "I should go."

She snaps her head up and shoots me a frown. "No, stay." My mouth dries as a million different interpretations lists in my mind. But she dashes them all with her next sentence. "You really should wash up, you can't go out looking like that."

I look down at my incriminating clothes and shrug. "I got a free cab ride here. Maybe I'll get a free ride back."

A glare, one I know very well and I am left with a tough decision. Either I brave her disapproval by leaving now or attempt the impossible task of keeping my hands off her when her mother leaves. While I'm contemplating, she suddenly utters. "Mom is staying for breakfast."

I stiffen slightly and look at her, unsure. A slight blush in her cheeks gives her away before she turns to move hastily to the door. I smile, intensely pleased that I'm not the only one worried about keeping my hands to myself.

XXXXXXXXXXX

I watch him slip into my bedroom and I quickly turn the doorknob before my worried mother goes into hysterics.

"Dana, what on earth took you so long to open the door?" My mother enters with a concerned frown that begins the usual Dana Scully guilt trip.

"Sorry Mom. I was just…." Hmmm… and what could I say? I was just about to tongue wrestle my partner who you have been secretly hoping I'd end up with for the past four years but then you then knocked and destroyed everything?

Tried of waiting, she fills in the blank with a raised eyebrow. "You were just ….. in the shower?"

"Uh yeah." I shake myself out of my reverie and thoughts of any kind of wrestling. "Anyway, I've got the clothes ready. I'll just get some tape to seal the boxes up."

"Okay." She glances around, finding the boxes on the floor nearby.

When I return with a roll of duct tape, she is holding up a sexy black evening dress with a doubtful look. "Are you sure you won't be needing this, honey?"

I contain the urge to roll my eyes. "Yes Mom, I'm sure." God knows I haven't had a night out since heaven knows when.

Putting the dress back in the box, she holds it down as I seal them. Then looking distracted, she asks. "Did you forget to turn the water off? I think I hear your shower on. You want me to get that for you?"

I struggle to tear the strip of tape off and absently mutter. "No, Mulder's in there."

"Oh?"

"Uh yeah." And I finally manage to rip the piece. "There. All done."

I look up at her and find her looking at me with this strange smile. Uh oh. It's a very familiar strange smile. I put on the most serious face I could possibly muster and tell her. "Mulder only went in **after** I came out."

"Sure, honey." She nods good-naturedly. "Whatever."

I groan internally. Why do I even bother? As expected, she swiftly plants a soft kiss on my cheek, picks the boxes up and tried to make her exit, so that she doesn't **intrude** any further. "Thanks for the clothes, Dana."

"But Mom, you were supposed to stay for breakfast." I protest, almost childishly.

"I'll have breakfast with you another day."

No, she can't do this to me. Mulder and I are just too vulnerable to be left alone at the moment. Desperate, I grab her hand and plead with my life. "Mom, please stay for breakfast."

I can see she is slightly taken aback. But wisely, she pretends not to notice my sudden anxiety attack. "Oh all right, if you insist."

Sighing in relief, I tell her. "Oh I insist. I absolutely insist." She smiles knowingly and I wonder exactly how much she does know about Mulder and me. The sexual tension between us can't be that obvious, can it?

My mother puts the boxes down and looks at me, clucking her tongue. Then she turns me around and pushes me in the direction of the bedroom. "Really Dana, walking about with just a bathrobe? Go put some clothes on." Pausing, she adds softly into my ear. "Perhaps if you **were** decently attired, you wouldn't need a chaperon now." My eyes widen but before I could turn to face her, she is already on her way to my kitchen. "Meanwhile, I'll make breakfast."

Oh yeah, it's that obvious.

XXXXXXXXXXX

End of Some blood loss, Some love found