TITLE: Setting The Record Straight AUTHOR: salliejohns CATEGORY: MSR, missing scene SPOILERS: Empedocles, implied knowledge of seasons seven and eight RATING: Suitable for anyone over 13-one bad word SUMMARY: Mulder apologizes for being a jerk FEEDBACK: I'd love any favorable feedback you might want to send. salliejohns@comcast.net Flames will only make me cry, so please don't send any. DISCLAIMER: None of the characters in this story belong to me. I can't tell you how sorry I am about that. THANKS: . . . to Shoshana for super-speedy beta, and for being a wonderful friend AUTHOR'S NOTES: This story was written for my dear friend Nancy, with love. Setting The Record Straight by salliejohns "You awake?" "Yeah." "What did the doctor say?" "That I had a partial abruption. Which means that my placenta started to tear away from the uterine wall. They're going to need to monitor me for awhile." "But you're going to be fine?" "Yeah." "Where have you been?" "I've actually been out in the field with Agent Doggett and this, um, female agent from New Orleans." "Agent Reyes." "Yeah." "I like her." "You're nothing at all alike." "Well, then neither are you and I. So this is a case you're working on?" "Yeah. Actually, one that involves Agent Doggett's son, the son who died." "Yeah, he's never talked to me about him, but I know some things. Are you able to help him at all?" "You can't help a man who can't help himself." "He's worth the effort, Mulder." "Scully, I need to tell you something." "About Doggett?" No, not about Doggett, about me. About us." "What is it, Mulder? What's wrong?" "Scully, today when I came to your apartment, and you said you were waiting for the pizza man, I got a little nuts." "I noticed that." "It was stupid--I know you don't have anything going on with the pizza man." "I'm glad." "Scully. I'm really sorry. I. . ." "Mulder, it's not a big deal. I know you didn't really suspect that the pizza man and I were an item." "It's not that, Scully. I was. . . I was being a jerk. When you said you felt like we were stuck in an episode of 'Mad About You,' and I made that comment about how on 'Mad About You' they were a married couple and we just worked together. . . " "Oh." "It wasn't very nice, and I'm sorry, Scully. I didn't mean to hurt you--or maybe I did, a little. Not hurt you, but give you a dig. I guess I was still upset--hurt--from the other night." "I know." "I mean, I've been trying to sort things out, but it was enough of a shock learning I'd literally come back from the dead, and then to discover you pregnant--I had a hard time wrapping my mind around the whole idea. When I was taken, we were in a relationship, finally, and then I come back and see you pregnant, and I didn't know what to think. I was afraid to ask you--thinking that maybe you'd found another way to become a mother, found another guy to father your child. . ." "Mulder. . ." "I was gone, Scully. Dead. Buried. I wouldn't have wanted you to be alone for the rest of your life, but the thought of you with someone else. . ." "Mulder. There was never anyone else. There could never have been anyone else. I thought you would realize that we created this baby together. I realize now that I shouldn't have assumed you would understand." "Scully, you didn't do anything wrong. I just need to explain why I was such an asshole back at your apartment. I guess I was still upset about yesterday. After we talked, really talked, and you told me that the baby was mine, I wanted to believe it so much, but then you said you didn't want to marry me, and I started questioning everything all over again." "Mulder, I never said I didn't want to marry you. I said that I didn't want to rush into something like that immediately after everything you'd just been through. Don't you remember me saying that I already felt married to you, and that I didn't need a ceremony to validate our relationship?" "I think I just heard 'No,' and went into panic mode. What if you hadn't wanted me to come back? What if you weren't sure the baby was really mine? What if. . ." "Mulder, stop. Don't do this to yourself." "That's just it Scully, I did it to you. I made that stupid comment about us just working together, when our relationship has been so much more than that for as long as I can remember. Then I made an even bigger jackass of myself by saying that the pizza man wasn't above suspicion for fathering your baby." "It's *our* baby Mulder, and I forgive you." "I hate myself for hurting you, Scully. When I saw you doubled over in pain like that, all I could think of was 'Please let her be all right. Let the baby be all right.' I've been trying to think about how I can make it up to you somehow." "It's over, Mulder. I'm all right; our baby is all right. Someday when things settle down, if it's still what you want, I will marry you, but not because society demands it. If it happens, when it happens, it'll only be because that's what we both want." "Or because the kid is embarrassed that he's the only one with parents who have two different last names." "Something like that." "Scully. . .?" "Hmmm?" "I, uh, I love you." "I know Mulder, me too." fin