Title:  Walking Across Fire

Author:  Vickie Moseley

Summary:  Fill in the blank for Firewalker.  Mulder 

has to choose, but is the choice his to make?

Posted for After the Fact challenge

Category:  V A

Ratings:  opps, naughty word ahead.  PG13

Disclaimer:  I don't own Scully or Mulder.  I don't 

make money at this.  All is square :)

Started March 24, finished March 25, 2002

Archive:  ATF, then all others yes

Dedication:  Thank you to Agent L, who inspired me 

and then allowed me to tag her efforts.  Now, go read 

'Trial By Fire' by Agent L (if you haven't already)

Comments to me:  vickiemoseley1978@yahoo.com



Walking Across Fire

By Vickie Moseley



"Is there something else, Mulder?"



I'm still sitting in my chair, staring at the file 

folder in my hand.  I know Skinner is starting to get 

concerned.  First, I spend every waking minute in his 

outer office, begging for a case, any case to get me 

out of town for a few days.  Then, after weeks of 

badgering, when I finally get a case that would 

normally cause me to salivate all over his carpet, 

I'm acting like I just got a weeks after school 

detention.  No, I really haven't lost my mind.



Well, then, maybe I have.



"Mulder?"



I still haven't answered his question because I have 

no idea what to say.  Is there something else?  Yeah, 

well there is the little matter of this case arriving 

the exact same day Scully is due back at the office.  

Talk about ironic coincidences.  I wanted a case so I 

didn't have to stare at the four walls and stop 

myself from calling her every five minutes so she 

could rest and come back to work.  So here comes a 

case to take me out of town right when she's coming 

back.  Oh, that's just rich.  I couldn't have done 

better myself.



"Sir, Scully comes back today," I say and it sounds 

so lame I'm certain I'm blushing.



He looks down at his desk blotter and nods.  "Yes, I 

see that.  Does that pose a problem?"



I start to answer, but stop.  No, no problem.  Just 

that once again I'll be somewhere that Scully is not.  

I'll be a couple thousand miles away in the mountains 

of Washington state and she'll be back here sitting 

in the office staring at the four walls.  I've been 

separated from her for just over 8 months and I'll be 

damned if I'll stand for another minute more!  But I 

can't exactly announce that to Skinner.



"Agent Scully's doctor has cleared her for field 

work, or is this paperwork mistaken?"



"Sir, she just got back today!"  I'm amazed he would 

even consider such a suggestion.  What the hell is he 

thinking?



"Mulder, she's been cleared by her doctor.  I've 

talked to her on the phone.  She was anxious to get 

back to work.  Is there some reason you're concerned 

about putting her out in the field?  Are you saying 

you don't think she's fit for field agent status?"



Oh, yeah, throw it back in my face, why don't you?  

Am I afraid?  Hell yes!  I'd be a fool not to be 

afraid.  She was abducted out of her own apartment.  

Kidnapped by a psychopath I sent her direction!  She 

called out to me for help and I wasn't fast enough to 

get there in time.  Then, she just disappeared, 

vanished in to thin air for three months.  I helped 

her mother pick out her fucking headstone, goddamn 

it!  And then she just reappears, but more dead than 

alive.  They pulled life support!  I was fully 

prepared to watch her die.  I'd seriously question my 

field agent status if I wasn't scared shitless at the 

thought of losing her again.



But knowing Scully, she'd happily castrate me for 

even holding that thought.



"Sir, I know she's fit, but . . ."



"No buts, Mulder.  She's your partner.  Unless you 

can come with a reason for her to remain behind, I 

suggest you go downstairs before Dr. Pierce gets 

there.  He's going to update you on the situation at 

Mount Avalon.  I expect a full report upon your 

return.  Now, if you don't mind?"  He waves a hand 

over the pile of papers on his desk, effectively 

giving me the bums rush.  OK, Walter.  I get the 

hint.



I want to have a chance to talk to Scully before 

Pierce gets there.  Maybe I can convince her to stay 

behind, take a little time.  My fear of leaving her 

was only slightly less than my fear of putting her in 

danger out in the field.  I know she won't be happy 

with me, hell, she'll probably start a Y incision 

before I finish making my arguments, but I have to 

try.  Unfortunately, Pierce isn't just punctual he's 

presumptuously early.



As we watch the video Pierce has brought, I keep 

glancing over at Scully.  She's concentrating on the 

screen, watching it with interest.  She still looks 

tired to me.  The circles under her eyes that were so 

pronounced in the hospital have faded, but couldn't 

she do that with a little make up and the lousy 

lighting we have down here in the basement?  My 

attention is drawn back to the television and I let 

Pierce's voice bring me back to the topic.



It sure as hell looks like an X file.  One right up 

our ally.  I think back to other times, Icy Cape, the 

forests of Washington State.  Let's see, a three-day 

quarantine for the first one, two-week hospital stay 

with quarantine procedures for the second.  Oh yeah, 

what fun.   



But that shadow on the scratchy film suddenly catches 

my eye.  Worse yet, I notice it seems to intrigue 

Scully as well.  Damn it.



After Pierce leaves, she's up and making 

arrangements.  Just like old times.  But every time I 

close my eyes I'm seeing her in the ICU.  I can't get 

rid of the images of her with her eyes taped shut, 

waiting for death . . .  I can still feel the 

coolness of her skin in my hand as I sat there and 

begged her to come back to me.



Not just come back to me.  Come back to us.  To the 

work.  



I'm doomed.  We both are.



I make one more last ditch attempt to get her to stay 

behind and she deflects it with a plea.  She needs to 

get her life back.  I can understand that, it's what 

I'm worried about to begin with.  Letting her get her 

life back.  Keeping her safe.  



If this had been something less interesting, 

something more mundane, I might have pulled it off.  

But something alive where nothing can live. That's 

what Scully loves, a good puzzle.  That's why she's 

still here with me after all the crap I've put her 

through.  Almost two years now.  More time with her 

than I've spent with any other partner.  Not counting 

the time we've been separated, of course.



I still wish she'd stay away from this one.  I have a 

terrible feeling about it.  



The end