Title: Not Enough Author: Devin Email: franny122004@gmail.com Website: http://dancing-through-life.com/ Rating: PG Category: SAR Keywords: Post-ep, MSR Spoilers: Kitsunegari, Christmas Carol Summary: They survived one Pusher, but can they survive two? Disclaimer: Not mine, never were, never will be. Dedication: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, Donna!!! Author's Note: Pretend Kitsunegari comes before Christmas Carol. Also, this isn't beta read so all mistakes are mine. Linda Bowman lay on the warehouse floor, bleeding out from a well-placed shot. "You think you can hold me?" she asked in as superior of tone as one could manage when they were clinging to life. Mulder sunk to the floor beside her as Scully called for an ambulance. Scully. This had almost been her fate... If she hadn't... Mulder just sat there, completely dazed, for he didn't know how long but he vaguely recalled Scully hanging up with the emergency operator and coming over to kneel down next to him. "They're on their way." They stayed like that. Neither of them making a move or saying a word until the ambulance arrived. He felt Scully tug on his arm and he willingly followed. "C'mon, Mulder. We need to get out of their way." She walked him to her car and he made no comment, he was in no shape to drive his anyway. They drove in silence; each throwing sidelong glances at each other but never long enough to catch the other's eye. They didn't say anything as they walked up to his apartment. They didn't say anything as they forced food into stomachs that greatly protested the nourishments invasion. They didn't say anything later that night as they reached out for comfort and knocked down their remaining walls while simultaneously building new ones. And neither said anything when she slipped out of the apartment the next morning. *** "I just wanted to say you did a good job." Mulder was sure his shock registered on his face, both from Skinner's praise and from the fact that the praise was for *this* case. "How's that?" "Nobody could have figured this out but you. You knew it was Linda Bowman and not Modell. You were way ahead of me." The little boy inside him wanted to jump for joy at acknowledgment, something which he was sure he could spend hours analyzing, but the rest of him denied Skinner's words. "I almost killed my partner," he said slowly, trying to say it with as little emotion as possible but disgust and disbelief leaked into his words. Skinner sighed, not quite ready to give in but conceding the point. "Mulder, despite that, you prevailed. You won her game." "Then how come I feel like I lost?" he asked and with a sad smile turned and left. Outside the door Scully was standing there waiting for him. They walked a little ways before she commented. "He's right, you know. You did a good job on this case." If one more person said that to him... "Scully, you of all people should know how well I did on this case," he growled out, his voice dripping with sarcasm. They reached the elevator and neither said anything again until they were in their office. "Mulder you can't-" "Scully, I held a gun to your head. Again. Fool me once-" She opened her mouth to protest but he plowed on. "And now- now I get the added benefit of being able to see you dying whenever I close my eyes from that point on!" "That's not what you saw last night when you closed your eyes," she challenged softly, so softly that he was positive that he wasn't meant to hear it. He smiled softly and agreed, "No it wasn't." She blushed but tried to balance it out by stubbornly jutting her chin out in defiance, practically daring him to make a further comment. He couldn't stop the sigh of resignation when he said, "But we both know that that is never going to happen again." Her defiant look turned questioning so he explained as if it were obvious. "You left." She glanced down at her shoes so he assumed that the blow had hit it's target and was going to let it drop at that but she wasn't done. "About that- I didn't leave because I didn't want-" she waved her hand in a vague gesture but he understood the meaning. In the same soft voice as before she said, "I got scared." Now it was his turn to look confused. "Mulder, our relationship... partnership is..." she paused, trying to find the words. "Quite possibly the most fulfilling relationship I've ever had. But I woke up in your arms this morning and realized that I wanted more." She smiled nervously. "Finding out that the most important relationship in my life isn't enough anymore was a little daunting." What could he do after that but pull her into his embrace and slowly and lovingly kiss her; silently reciprocating everything she had just told him and more. *** December 21 "You sure you don't want to go to San Diego with me?" Scully asked for the 10th time in as many minutes. "Yes," Mulder answered exasperatedly and picked up a pair of socks she had accidentally skipped in her packing and tossed them at her head. She resisted the urge to retaliate and stuffed them in her suitcase. "You need to spend Christmas with your family." "Okay, but if something comes up." "Nothing will come up." She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her forehead on his collarbone. "Don't get in any trouble." "Wouldn't dream of it." They smiled at each other and whispered at the same time, "Merry Christmas." *** A Couple Days Later "Mulder, I need you to come out here." "Scully, what happened?" There was a long pause and then she said, "I need you at a custody hearing." "A what?!" The End