Title: Until There's Nothing Left To Say- pt.1
Rating: PG-13- but there is coarse language used.
Category: MSR/UST- Scully angst. Challenge-fic.
Spoilers: Two Fathers/One Son
Summary: After Mulder rejects Scully's findings on Agt. Fowley's possible duplicity, Scully nurses her emotional wounds with some bourbon.
Archive: By all means, just please let me know where :)
Feedback: More than ever, I need your feedback. My home PC just died recently and I am out of practice for writing fic... I need to know your thoughts.

Disclaimer: yaddyadda... not mine.

Please excuse any mistakes you may or may not find... I've read it over and sent it through spell check twice to be sure- but you never know.

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Until There's Nothing Left To Say
By xenoprobe

Dana Scully was not impressed. She felt betrayed, left behind.

For a man who demanded the truth above all else, Mulder could be pretty damn choosy about what truths he'd accept.

From the moment Scully had set her eyes on Agent Diana Fowley she'd known the connection- it was immediately recognizable. She'd been with Mulder. Not just as a partner- like herself, but intimate- physically intimate. Scully's stomach lurched at the thought.

She couldn't put her finger on it but something was foul from the start. She'd enlisted the help of the Gunmen to dig, to provide facts over speculations- something concrete and obvious to present to her blinded partner. He'd accused her of making it personal and rejected her findings. It was nothing if not personal.

Scully glanced around, she was seated at the bar. O''Reilly's was not a regular spot for her although she'd been there with Mulder a few times.

The very thought of him made her shudder.

"Asshole." She muttered.

"Pardon Ma'am?" The bartender leaned in to listen.

"Bourbon- double- on the rocks" She snapped. He placed the glass in front of Scully and turned away briefly to fetch a napkin. When he looked back- the glass was empty.

"Another."

"You sure Ma'am?"

Scully whipped out her badge and flashed it in his face. "...I'm off duty but I am packing heat." The double bourbon was in her little grasp before she'd finished her threat. The burn on her throat was welcoming.

Damn him. Scully cursed inwardly and wiped the back of her hand across her lips. She wasn't sure if it was the bourbon she was feeling or plain and simple rage.

"You ok Ma'am?" The young bar tender peered at her through the reflection of the bar's back mirror.

"I'm fine." She sighed heavily. She wasn't fine. Six years of her life was unraveling all because her partner had chosen, had elected to remain blind to his ex's duplicity. Six years of sharing and trust, of wading through her emotions, only to have the door slammed in her face as soon as this other woman appeared. She was livid. She was cold. "Another please." Her voice was softer this time, resigned.

"This'll make it three doubles... you sure ma'am?"

Scully lifted her head and raised an eyebrow, smiling ever-so slightly. The bar tender complied with a reciprocal grin.

'Well, well, guess the eyebrow works on more than just you Mulder. Maybe you're not the only man in the universe after all...'

She downed the drink and closed her eyes for a minute- letting the alcohol seep into her, letting it take over.

"You might as well know, I'm pissed off and alone- so you'd better just keep'em coming." She laughed awkwardly and looked up at him through heavy lids. "and one other thing," the young man nodded, "please just call me Dana- ma'am sounds so... old. I'm not that old. Not yet at least.

'That Fowley's a "ma'am". She's old. Old and saggy and empty. Her eyes are hollow- she doesn't care about him- doesn't love him. Not like I do.'

Scully felt the flush of heat to her cheeks. Her thoughts and the alcohol were drowning her. She glanced once at the bar keep and was given a fresh drink to further numb her senses. Her stomach flip flopped as the liquid trickled down her throat.

"Tell me something. Why do men always opt for the bigger boobs?" Her speech was somewhat slow, but her smile lit up the dark bar. The bartender was at a serious loss for words. "Really. I really want to know."

"Well ma'am- er- I mean Dana... I don't think all men do opt for the bigger boob types."

"Well that doesn't help me."

"Sounds to me like you were dumped or something, anything I can do?"

'Dumped. Yeah. I was dumped by my FBI partner who doesn't know I even exist after the return of Miss double D cup, ex-lover and deceiver extrordinaire.'

"You could say that. Dumped, yeah sort of." She gulped back another bourbon- it tasted slightly watered this time. "Ok- tell me this... do you think I'm attractive?"

The young man cleared his throat. "Ah, yes. Quite."

"Ok. So I'm not invisible then, just to him."

"Sounds like this guy isn't worth your worrying. If he doesn't know what he had, then he's blind."

Scully smiled inwardly then glanced up at the bartender, head low, blue eyes raised to his. That's when it happened. She hiccuped. Her red face reddened even more.

"How about I put on a pot of coffee." He offered.

She swatted at the air. 'No coffee for me- it's a bourbon night. So what if I feel like shit in the morning- I feel like shit anyway.'

"Nuh-huh. Just give me a straight shot of Bourbon please, right here." She poked the bar counter with a crooked finger and hiccuped again. "Wanna know how to get rid of the hiccups?" She giggled. "It's easy... some say to eat a spoonful of sugar, some say to blow on a knife. My favourite was always drinking water from a cup- upside down... but this one always does the trick- watch..."

Scully put her hands behind her back and wrapped her lips around the shot glass. She then quickly tipped her hear back and took it in one gulp. She plucked the glass from her mouth and smacked her lips twice. She glanced from side to side, looked at her watch for a moment then grinned ear to ear.

"See... no more hiccups." The man clapped twice, smiling, albeit apprehensively.

Scully's feet dangled from her bar stool, not quite reaching the rail below. She felt like a child.

'If this is how its going to be I don't even see the point in staying with the FBI. I mean, if I'm going to be second-guessed by him every time she agrees with one of his 'theories' I'm gonna have to shoot something! Personal... you say I'm letting it get too personal- well that's all it is Mulder-baby. Personal. It's been personal since you tried to kiss me in your hallway. It's been personal since New Year's eve. It's been personal since... well since... I don't even remember anymore.'

She huffed a and slapped the counter top for another drink.

"Hey, Dana- I don't think you need any more bourbon. Let me get you some coffee."

"N'other bourbon... already had my coffee today thanks."

'I asked you for your trust- to show me a little faith- lords knows I've done that for you Mulder. I can't even count the times anymore. And what do you do- you throw it in my face. Right in front of the bloody Lone Gunmen for Christ's sake! You looked me in the eye and refuted hard evidence. You bastard.'

Scully slipped off her barstool and unsteadily made her way to the bathroom, leaving her jacket and purse at the bar.

'Personal. Ha! Jerk.'

Her suit jacket slid off the edge and fell to the floor with a thud. The bartender came around to pick it up and was startled when her cell phone rang. He gingerly removed it from her coat pocket and answered the call.

"Hello?"

"Hello? Who's this? Where's Scully?"

"Scully? You mean Dana?"

"Yes- where's Dana?"

"She's in the ladies room right now."

"Who is this?"

"Sorry, I'm the bartender- Jamie, down at O'Reilley's. Listen, your girlfriend here is pretty pissed. She's been guzzling bourbon and ranting about someone or something called Mulder."

"That's me. I'm Mulder. I'm her partner."

"Boyfriend, partner, whatever you call it these days. Look. She's in no shape to get home alone from here and she's refusing coffee- I think you should come get her."

"O'Reiley's you said? I'll b right there."

Jamie placed the cell phone back in Scully's jacket and restored everything to where she'd left it. He could see her weaving awkwardly through a small crowd of people on the other side of the room. She was still rambling and swatting at nothing.

'God-damned Fowley bitch. I could take her out. I'm small but I'm fast.' She approached the bar and balled her fist, swiping at the air. 'Fast- yeah, I'd knock her on her ass before she knew what hit her. But you'd like that Mulder, wouldn't you- a cat fight between the old girlfriend and little me. You'd love it like you love those porn tapes and the foul-one's giant breasts. You'd get a kick out of being so important... well lemme tell you- you're not worth it.'

She leaned against the bar counter for a moment as if trying to decide whether to crawl back up onto the stool. She looked around and saw the room spinning, she also thought she saw Mulder walking towards her, but there were too many Mulders for it to be real.

'Maybe he was cloned... by... aliens..."

Scully burst into laughter.

"Aliens!" She held her sides and rocked, giggling uncontrollably. She swayed back and forth, unable to stop herself. But she swayed to far back and felt herself tip off the edge of the world. She fell backwards, a dead weight, the ability to stop it was lost in the third double bourbon of the evening.

Just as she was poised to connect with the floor, Scully felt a pair of arms catch her at the waist. She was hoisted up and righted on her feet. Glancing down, the world still spinning, Scully fixated on a pair of brown hiking boots.

"Mulder." She murmured.

"Scully. I'm taking you home."

"Oh... so nice that you care." Her snide tone was accompanied by her mocking smile. He turned away.

"What do I owe you?"

"About 30 bucks."

Mulder slapped two twenties son the counter and turned back to his partner.

"C'Mon Scully. Let's get you home."

"I'll take a cab- thank you very much. Me and Mr. Bartender here were just getting acquainted... hi cutie." She waved at the man sleepily.

"Scully- I don't have the patience for this- let's go."

"Oh you don't eh." She said, quite soberly. "Don't have the patience for your little partner anymore- now that your chickadee's back in town." Mulder made to speak but she threw both hands up to stop him. "Don't pretend I don't know Mulder 'cause I do. The Lone Gunmen told me all about her- Diana Fowley. I've made it no secret to you that I don't trust her. But the first thing you do- the first- when I gave you concrete evidence as to her nature- you throw it in my face and treat me like a jealous lover."

"Scully this is not the place for this conversation."

"I'll be damned if you try to quiet me now Mulder. You've been leaving me behind, excluding me for ages now- ages. I know it hasn't been fun working under Kersh or watching someone else head up the X-files, but I am still your partner. I'm still here God dammit and you treat me like a love-sick secretary." Her face soured into a frown, a deep and obvious frown. "Well, I'm sick of it Mulder. I'm sick of fighting for your trust when you have mine without hesitation. Sick of waiting for you to leave or stay. If its Fowley's unquestioning partnership you want- then have it. I can't stand to sit by and watch you follow her around blindly anymore- I'm trough babysitting you."

"Babysitting me?!!" Mulder's voice reached a new octave. "You- babysitting me Scully? Who's the one that needs an escort home from her little drunken binge here. Who's behaving like a brat." He regretted the words as soon as they'd escaped his lips. He felt the sharp sting of her open palm against his cheek.

The effort it took to smack him landed Scully on her ass. She began to cry quietly.

"Scully." Mulder extended his hand to help her up and she shook her head like a petulant child. "C'mon Scully let's get out of here."

She looked up at him, fire still in her bleary eyes.

"Fuck off Mulder." She spat.

"Ok. That's it. You're going home if I have to carry you myself." He leaned down and grabbed her off the hardwood floor and hoisted her up. She was nearly limp in his grasp- not co-operating with his attempts to stand her on her own two feet. "Fine, have it your way... let's go." He hauled her light frame over his shoulder and carted her off through the front doors.

Her protests went ignored until Mulder placed her safely in the passenger seat of his car. He buckled her in and made his way around to the driver's side.

"We're going to my place. I have coffee." He stated flatly. Scully just grunted. "We're going to talk. I don't care how drunk you are, we're going to talk this out until there's nothing left to say."

Scully rolled down the window and let the cool night air refresh her. She could feel sobriety beckoning her, calling to her to fight- to stand up for herself and not be wavered.

"...until there's nothing left to say," she echoed then closed her eyes to the moonlight as Mulder drove them home.

End of part one...

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