Title: ONE GOOD REASON Author: aka "Jake" Rating: R (Language -- that pesky f-word) Classification: Fill-In-the-Blank between "Existence" and "Nothing Important Happened Today." Spoilers: Minor references to Memento Mori, Redux, The Red and the Black, Existence, and Nothing Important Happened Today Summary: What would it take to convince Mulder to leave Scully and William? One good reason. Disclaimer: Do these characters really belong to Chris Carter, FOX and 1013 Productions? If so, no copyright infringement intended. Fun, yes. Profit, no. Authors Notes: I'm sure there are other authors who have already explored this theme, but I had to satisfy myself by working out my own answer. How did Mulder and Scully's conversation go? Here is my take, FWIW. This story is dedicated to Suzanne, my Texan friend, who worries about the fate of Mulder and Scully. ONE GOOD REASON By aka "Jake" "If only the tragedy had been mine alone." -- Mulder in "Redux" -x-x-x-x-x-x- SCULLY'S APARTMENT AFTER HER MEETING WITH KERSH 10:13 PM "Give me one good reason, Scully, one damn good reason why I should believe that lying son of a bitch and leave you." Mulder paced the living room, hands on his hips, face flushed with resentment and distrust. Scully stood on the room's threshold, arms crossed, concern knotting her stomach. She had to make him to understand her sudden willingness to believe the lies of their enemies. "Because he's telling the truth, Mulder. He's been in on this since the beginning. He collaborated with Rohrer and Crane. Doggett saw them together." "Exactly! So why warn us now?" "I think he's afraid." "Kersh?" Mulder stopped his pacing to gape at her. "Of what? His buddies the replicants -- human replacements, super soldiers, whatever you want to call them -- they're unstoppable. We've seen it ourselves. They can't be killed." "That's my point. Kersh can't control them and that makes him nervous. He needs other options." "And you think I'm one of Kersh's other options?" "Who else, Mulder?" Mulder sidestepped around the coffee table and dropped onto the couch. Eyes flashing, nostrils flaring, she'd never seen him so angry. "Fuck!" He slammed his fist on the table. Scully hugged her arms more tightly to her chest and hoped Mulder's outburst hadn't woken the baby. "What did he say...*exactly*?" Mulder slumped into the cushions and pinned her with a sad stare. She remained standing, but loosened her hold on her ribs and let her arms drop to her sides. Her palms were damp with sweat and creased by the press of her nails. "He recommended you leave, go into hiding." "Why?" "To save your life." "What about your life? What about William? There is *no* way I will walk out of here and leave you two unprotected. Ever." She crossed the room to join him on the couch. Taking his hand in hers, she felt the weight of his fingers, the heat of his skin. Alive, against all odds. "William and I aren't at risk." She gently stroked the back of his wrist. Her eyes filled with tears. "You are." His Adam's apple rose in his throat. Did he realize how vulnerable he was? She blinked and her tears overflowed her lashes and trickled down her cheeks. He reached out, brushed them away, then leaned in to kiss their wet trails. "I won't leave you," he whispered against her cheek. His head dipped. "I can't." "Mulder...I know what happened to you...on the ship." His eyes lifted to look into hers. "How?" "I don't know. I saw...visions. Horrible things." "Scully, I don't remember most of it." "I do." More tears flooded her eyes. "Mulder, Kersh said they want to finish what they started. They want to turn you into one of them, like Billy Miles." "I won't leave you." "You can't let them do this, turn you against me, against our son." The truth clenched her jaws and threatened to crack her teeth...and her spirit. "Mulder, you have to hide." "What makes you think I can hide, that they won't find me? Jesus, Scully, they found you in East Bumfuck, Georgia." "They won't find you." "How can you be sure?" "Because...because you don't have a homing device implanted in your neck." She watched realization drain the color from his cheeks. If he stayed with her, they would find him through her chip and she would have to bear the guilt of that. Now his eyes filled with tears. "Scully--" "Mulder, they found me in Georgia because of the chip in my neck." She gripped his arms to avoid touching the goddamn thing, feeling it just below the surface of her skin. "For whatever reason, they didn't want me or William. Maybe he wasn't what they thought he'd be." "Maybe he was more." "It doesn't matter. What matters is they've changed their plan. They want you back and they'll find you through me. I can't...I can't let that happen." She released her hold on him, drew back. "But I don't think I can go. I don't think I want--" His voice broke, shattering her heart but bracing her resolve. "Mulder, you once convinced me that the truth -- the truth that we've searched so hard for -- was in this chip, was inside me. I don't believe that anymore, not after all that's happened, not after what we've seen, what *I've* seen. I believe the truth, the real truth, is in you, and that's why they want you back. This chip...this chip has controlled our lives for years. It still does. It's the reason you have to go. Alone. As long as they're out there and I have this chip in my neck, we can't be together." Even as he shook his head, wanting to deny the truth, rail against it, she knew he believed her. She knew he would go away because he had to...for now...to continue his search, their search, for the truth. She wrapped her arms around him, kissed him, comforted him while he cried. "You once told me the truth would save us," she whispered against the crown of his head. "For all the times I've trusted you, believed and followed you on blind faith alone, you must trust me on this: we will be reunited, Mulder. You will find a way." -x-x-x-x-x-x- "Let the truth be known though the heavens fall." -- Mulder in "Redux" THE END