Title: "Making Another Detour" by Kidette Rating: PG-13 Category: MSR Spoilers: Detour Archive: Yes, please ;-) Keywords: Mulder/Scully romance Summary: What would have happened if Scully had forgotten something in the hotel room and returned to get it by herself? Disclaimer: These characters are not mine. They belong to Chris Carter, 1013 and Fox. No copyright infringement is intended. I just borrowed them for a minute. Author's note: Please feel free to send feedback, but no flames. I would love some healthy, constructive criticism or praise. I'm not claiming to be a wonderful writer. I just had a story in my head that I wanted to share. Also, friendshippers beware! Sorry, but this does end up with Mulder and Scully together. With that said, I hope you enjoy my story. * * * * * * * * * * * * "Making Another Detour" by Kidette Shallow intakes of breath from Its lungs did not betray Its hiding place beneath the hotel bed. It watched her feet pass back and forth from the closet to her suitcase. Rage built inside It causing Its eyes to glow like red embers. She had destroyed Its counterpart. For over four hundred years, Its companion had been with It. Now It was alone. It would destroy this human who had invaded Its home and killed Its mate. Her tiny feet came to a halt at the end of the bed. It listened as she rummaged through her clothes, perhaps folding them for her trip back to her home. Ever so quietly, It crawled, not daring to breathe lest she would hear It and escape. It stopped. Cautiously, It extended Its moss-covered talons towards her ankles. Glee welled within It. Revenge would soon be achieved. Suddenly there came a pounding on the door and Its prey quickly stepped out of Its reach towards the interruption. Anger screamed throughout Its mind when It recognized the intruder. The male human had burst into the room. Its mate had failed to destroy this invader. Although It did not understand their language, It did comprehend the male's voice inflection. He *knew* It would come for her. It hurriedly retracted Its arm and concentrated intently on blending into the floor while It listened, watching both sets of human feet. Its prey stayed by the door speaking to the male in unhurried tones. The male walked to the bed where he zipped the female's luggage, quickly grabbing the bag and ushering her out of the hotel room. As the door shut, It scrambled to Its feet, exiting Its cover. It desperately sought to control Its rage. No matter how far she went, It would find her. Suddenly the doorknob turned, signaling the return of someone. It melded with the wall as the door swung open allowing the female to re-enter. She moved in mindless oblivion towards the bathroom. In her haste, she had used such force with the door that it rebounded against the wall closing in one fluid motion. She grumbled to herself as she made her way to her destination. It moved Its position until Its back braced against the door. It could feel Its glee rising as she returned to the bedchamber carrying an armload of bathing accessories. Satisfaction coursed through Its veins. She had not seen It. As she reached for the doorknob, Its red eyes gleamed freezing her in place. Its talons reached for her throat as she dropped the items in her arms, her right hand instinctively searching the small of her back for her gun. Her fingers found the cold metal as Its claws made their first rip in the flesh at her neck. Relentless in Its anger, It tore at her repetitively, her blood splattering on them both. A tortured scream tore from her lips as her legs collapsed beneath her and her gun flew from her hand. She fought wildly against Its onslaught, but to no avail. It loomed over her in blind vengeance, tearing and ripping at her skin and cloths alike. Power coursed through Its veins as It noticed her loosing the ability to fight off Its attack. It was painstakingly satisfied as it witnessed her last attempt at survival. She screamed the male's name. * * * * * * * * * * * * A cool cloth was being pressed to an open cut when Scully regained consciousness. Before she even opened her eyes, she knew her partner was the one carefully cleansing her wounds. For a moment, she lay very still, trying to assess her injuries. Her mind was a jumble of flashes. She remembered desperately trying to reach her gun, while fighting off the attacking "moth-man". It had been impossible to do. She remembered the feel of her flesh being shredded. She had felt the burning of cells as they were rent from her epidermis while sticky red plasma had escaped its confines. Scully had panicked when she had realized her consciousness was quickly fading. With her last coherent thought, she had utilized the one option left to her. "Mulder!" she had screamed, and then blackness had engulfed her. As a result of the recalled desperation, Scully was jolted into movement, scrambling away from Mulder's ministrations to find her gun. "Whoa, careful Scully," her partner soothed, as he restrained her with his arm around her waist. Pain shot through her body at his touch and an involuntary moan escaped her lips. It was then that her mind registered she was alive. Her blue eyes quickly sought out her partner's hazel ones. "Here," he coaxed, "lie back on the bed." She immediately obeyed, but never broke eye contact with him. Mulder had been there for her again, she realized. And now he was dressing her wounds as if each one was life threatening. It was that thought that caused her to survey the damage. She looked down at herself and discovered several things. The first thing she noticed was the massive amount of blood covering her skin. The second thing she saw was several deep gashes on her arms and stomach. Her throat was parched and her neck felt shredded. The last thing her mind registered was her state of undress. Even in pain, Scully was embarrassed. Mulder had removed her shirt and pants leaving her clothed only in her bra and underwear. Her medical training tried to assure her that logic dictated Mulder had to find the source of the bleeding. Still, she was grateful that he wasn't paying that much attention to her face as he probed her body, cleansing her wounds. She knew her face had to be as red as her hair. Scully watched Mulder grimace. He was so sure his actions were hurting her more, that he hadn't looked in her eyes again. *How ironic,* she thought. *Last night our roles were reversed.* During her unconscious state, Mulder, she noticed, must have gone through her suitcase, knowing he'd find the first aid kit she always carried to patch him up with. When he reached for it, Scully braced herself for the application of the ointment he was sure to administer to her cuts. "I'm sorry," he said when he saw her tense up. "You know it has to be done." A slight nod indicated both her agreement and acceptance. The stinging before the medicine was nearly unbearable. However, when the first of the ointment was applied, Scully couldn't have been happier. Blackness claimed her once again. * * * * * * * * * * * * Mulder knew the instant Scully lost consciousness again. As much as he hated to be the cause of her pain, he knew she would have demanded the wounds be properly cleansed and doctored regardless of his squeamishness. It was the least he could do for her, considering. Guilt consumed him. He had known the remaining "moth-man" would come after her. He had told her as much when they'd been walking to the rental car. *Why hadn't he trusted his own instincts?* he asked and answered himself at the same time. *Because she had arched that beautiful eyebrow at me with blue eyes sparkling and grinned while stating for the millionth time I was paranoid.* Disgusted with himself, Mulder cleared his mind and focused on the task at hand. Intently he surveyed the petite body of his partner. He tried not to notice how Scully was firm and filled out in all the right places. *Focus, damn it,* his mind scolded. With every application he made to her wounded form, Mulder kept glancing at his partner's face. He was thankful she wasn't witnessing his horrible bedside manner. Carefully, he finished applying the healing ointment to the last of her wounds. He had no idea how long she would sleep, but he did know she'd be a hellion to contain the next time she regained consciousness. She was going to hurt like hell, and he was solely responsible for her pain. He shouldn't have let her come back in this room alone. Hell, he shouldn't have pursued this case. Worse than that, he should have gone to the damn conference like she had wanted. Again Mulder looked to the foot of the bed where the source of Scully's pain lay dead. During that brief instant, Mulder allowed himself to mourn the loss of a species. They had only been fighting for survival by protecting their territory. He was sure as he speculated that their behavior had been instinctive. He looked back and forth from the still form of the creature to his badly injured partner. He knew, deep within himself, he would have made the same decision a hundred times over. Scully was everything to him. He would not lose her. With that thought in the forefront of his mind, Mulder reached for the phone. "This is Special Agent Fox Mulder with the FBI," he told the 911 dispatcher. As he recapped his badge number, the situation, and the need for medical assistance, his eyes took in his partner. While automatically speaking, his mind wandered aimlessly through the last five years of their life. They'd been through so much together. His obsession with the truth, her lack of belief in the paranormal, his desperate attempt to find Samantha, her unwavering faith in science. They were the most illogical team, the most unnatural partnership, yet time and time again they'd defied that logic. They were everything to each other. She was his anchor. He was her creativity. Together they were unstoppable. He recognized the sirens in the distance as the dispatcher's voice told him help was on the way. Returning the phone to its' cradle, Mulder then carefully arranged a sheet around his partner. His partner. Those two words spoke volumes to him. He knew he loved her. His feelings for her were not in question. Could he *love* her though? Would his obsessive-compulsive behavior and his paranoia even allow him such a luxury? He knew for certain that the demons in the darkness would never cease their vicious tortures. Would the two of them together be enough to combat any attack from such forces? He wanted to believe. What would his skeptic say? Never would he question her loyalty and commitment to him, but the little boy inside him didn't understand his worth to her. God only knew why she'd stayed with him so long. Why had she stayed? Looking at her peaceful face, Mulder knew in that instance that he had to initiate a change in their relationship. He knew in his heart he wasn't worthy of her, but without her, he would cease exist. She was the other part of the whole they made together. In that moment, Mulder's resolution for life became to make his partner his forever. Leaning over her still form, he placed a kiss of promise softly on her lips. As he moved back the door burst open and the other authoritative figures took control of the situation. Mulder never left Scully's side as they transported her to the hospital. Questions could be answered later. For now, he was going to revel in hope. * * * * * * * * * * * * A comfortable, familiar sensation was the first awareness Scully had. Her eyes burned and she couldn't bring herself to open them. Instead she allowed her other sense to find the source of her peace. Her body ached. It hurt to breathe; yet something felt wonderful. Concentrating, she willed herself to psychically decipher why and what she was feeling. Mulder would surely laugh at her if he knew she believed firmly in sheer willpower. Mulder. A bolt of realization hit her. He was it. She could hear his soft snore beside her ear. His breath was playing with her bangs causing them to fly on and off her forehead. Heat radiated from his body, warming her right side. Even in sleep, Mulder was holding her hand, yet no other part of him was touching her. His consideration and loyalty to her was unwavering. In her moment of pain, Scully smiled. Her mind's eye could picture his handsome little boy face enraptured in dreamland. No doubt his hair was rumpled and unruly. She guessed he'd even have a little unconscious drool dribbling down his lip. Slowly, she turned her head to the right while opening her eyes. Just as she had imagined and known, there he was trapped peacefully in oblivion. The innocence she saw in his expression captured her heart. Such a purity and beauty was caged within his turbulent mind, yet in sleep, he could not hide their transparency. It was only appropriate, she speculated that in his unconscious state, Mulder demanded such a powerful response from her. He had, after all, managed over the years to steal her soul without flowers, sweet nothings, or even empty promises. Time and again, he had challenged her logic, defied her scientific explanations, argued against her opinions, and never once apologized for his own arrogant, unsubstantiated theories. Mulder had the ability to both enrage and calm her. He would bring her to the point of frustration, only to relieve it for her. How this brilliant, illogical man had become her world was an X-File in itself. Continuing her examination of him, Scully allowed her mind to roam through the last five years of their partnership. They had no real happy memories together. Everything they'd gone through, as partners at the FBI had been one battle after another. How could you hope to have a relationship - a firm, lasting one - based on one disaster after another? Now for the first time, Scully the skeptic wished it were possible. Still, she couldn't say that all their times together had been bad. They were equals in wits and intelligence, which made for wonderful sparing and charged conversations. He respected her as an agent. He didn't view her womanhood as a bad thing. Yes, he had more than earned her admiration and love. Mulder was unique. There was no more like him anywhere. She had no fear of lack of emotion on his part. Every time their eyes had met regardless of the situation, Scully knew without question the way Mulder felt about her. That was the one thing that bound her to him. Their souls had connected and without him, Scully knew she wouldn't be able to function. If only such an emotion could emerge into a more physical realm, she mused. A slight chuckle escaped her as she realized how "Mulder" her thought had sounded. At her small sound, hazel eyes quickly opened and captured her blue ones. She stared entranced. Something emanated from the depths of his pupils. It was a new type of communication and Scully recognized it instantly, yet dared not believe it. She searched harder, attempting to discern a logical, scientific explanation for what she was witnessing. "Don't," she heard him say. How like the man to read her mind. He squeezed her hand as a slight smile formed on his lips. She stared fascinated at the transformation such an expression caused. She was again, for the second time that day, incapable of handling the situation she found herself in. Mulder's grip on her hand tightened while his eyes said everything to her. *Love me,* she heard from the innermost part of his soul. Shutting her eyes quickly, Scully consciously willed her heart to stop its frantic pounding. She concentrated intently on returning her breathing to normal. She knew Mulder was probably feeling rejected, but she could do nothing to waylay that at the moment. Tears had formed in her eyes and even now they were spilling down her checks, crashing against her open wounds. It was the most bittersweet pain she'd ever felt. A small smile formed on her lips as she realized her wish had come true. Perhaps she should give Mulder's paranormal activity and unexplained phenomenon more consideration in the future. She doubted she would, but it was a nice sentiment. During Scully's reaction to his honesty, Mulder went through a barrage of emotions. He felt sadness, anger, futility, and confirmation of his lack of worthiness. Now he was at the point of feeling a great loss in his heart. The step he had taken had been a risk and it had been for not. Scully was crying and he felt dead inside from the loss of what could have, what should have been. He had almost resolved to get off the bed and leave when once again her shimmering blue eyes opened to him. What Mulder saw as he looked at his partner brought tears to his own eyes. There was such love and joy within her expression. Pure happiness radiated from her. *You want to love me?* his eyes asked her. "You know I do," her shaky, gravely voice answered. It was the most beautiful noise he had ever heard. Tears continued down each face as Mulder's lips softly met Scully's. It was that instant, that finite moment that granted them both their souls' desire. Everything ceased to exist as time stood still allowing the two hearts a brief respite from the world. And they relished in it.