Title: Love Through Tears Like Whispers Fall Author: MeGgiE42 Disclaimer: Mulder and Scully aren't mine. They belong to CC and Co. If they were do you think it really would have ended the way it did? ;) Rating: PG Classification: MSR,A, Post-ep Spoilers: The Truth, but only the first line really. :P XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX "Maybe there's hope" Scully closed her eyes, allowing herself to relax for the first in a very long time. Despite everything that had happened in the past few days, she felt safe in Mulder's arms. They'd been running for so long, had so much happen at once, the reality of it all hadn't actually sunk in. Until the phone call. The whole thing seemed like a strange dream, one that had hurtled her emotions in every which way. Mulder was back, only to be taken away from her again in the worse possible way. Hadn't they been through enough? They'd risked their lives hundreds of times, given themselves so completely to their quest, only to have it end like this? Scully was angry, frustrated, and so exhausted she could barely stay awake. Even before she opened her eyes, she could feel Mulder's intense gaze. When their eyes locked, her heart nearly broke. "Mulder," her voice caught as she swallowed the lump in her throat. Slowly, Scully brought her hand to his cheek. Never before in the entire time she had known Fox Mulder had Scully seen a look that even came close the one her partner held now. He had tears in his eyes. Scully knew from experience that she was looking into a deep pool of love and loss, nine years of partnership, and a lifetime of searching. They hadn't really had much of a chance to talk since he returned. Only now did Scully realize how hard their forced time apart had been for him. Or, for that matter, how hard it had been for herself. She gently caught a tear with her thumb as is slid down Mulder's cheek. "Scully, don't cry." Mulder's voice was soft. His words caught her offguard, as she hadn't realized that she'd been crying. "I should say the same to you." She managed a small smile as he slowly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "But then you would be calling me Scully," Mulder said, a wry grin breaking through the tears and tugging at the edge of his lips. Scully couldn't help but smile, this time for real. Their gaze held for a moment. Rarely did either let the other see such open emotion. But for now it seemed perfectly natural to just hold each other and cry together. Mulder pulled Scully closer. She rested her head on his chest, listeningto his heart beat. "I couldn't do it Scully," Mulder broke the silence. She waited patiently, knowing he would continue when he was ready. After a whilehe finally said, "I couldn't bear to be away any longer." Feeling an apology coming on, Scully quickly spoke up, "Mulder, youhave no idea how much I missed you." She couldn't help the tears thatfell with her words. In her heart she knew he knew all too well justexactly how much she missed him, because had felt the same way. Instead of answering her, Mulder lifted her chin so she met his gaze.Slowly he lowered his lips to hers. It was a kiss full of love and knowing. A kiss that showed her justexactly how much he'd missed her. A kiss that clearly said, 'I'm backand I'm not going anywhere for a very long time'. When she finally pulled back, Mulder's expression had changed. He helda lopsided grin on his face. "I love you Scully," he said, cupping her face with his hand. "And I promise you I'll never leave again." Scully thought about the depth of his words, and finally did it. Three simple words, but words that had taken her nine years to say, "I love you so much Mulder." They pulled each other into a fierce hug. Scully spokesoftly next to his ear, "And I'm not going anywhere either." And in that moment, any sadness, pain, or emptiness disappeared. This timethe tears where not of sadness. Scully knew that no matter what the future brought, Mulder would always be with her. Comforting her, protecting her, loving her, and making her laugh, in all the ways only Mulder could. Mulder held her close as they settled down for some much needed sleep. Scully smiled. Indeed, there was still hope. ~*~*~The End~*~*~ XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX This is my first fic in a very long time. Please drop me a line to let me know it hasn't been in vain. :P As always, I love to hear what you think!-MeGgiE :)