TITLE: Unguarded
AUTHOR: Caroline
E-MAIL: willows626@yahoo.com
DISTRIBUTION: Gossamer, Fandomonium, anywhere else ask 
first!
RATING: PG
CATEGORY: V, R, A
KEYWORDS: MSR, Angst
SPOILERS: Redux II
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Mulder, Scully, or any other 
characters related to the X-Files. CC and 1013 are the 
creators and owners.
SUMMARY: A seemingly unguarded moment between Mulder and 
a sleeping Scully, has an audience.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: This was written for Fandomonium's 
Interim Challenge ~ observations of Mulder.


*****

The room is dark when he enters; she is lying on her side 
facing away from him... facing the window. Even in the 
darkness, I see his eyes make a slow path over her form; 
I see the sadness in those same eyes as he takes in how 
frail she's become. She was always so strong, almost 
indestructable; it pains him now to see her weakened.

He makes his way over to her bed, around the side to face 
her, to gaze down upon her. Love shines now in his eyes 
as he reaches out and brushes a piece of hair away from 
her face. He loves her. My God, how he loves her. It's 
visible to all, I'm sure, but especially to me. 
Especially now. 

I have not once been introduced to this man and yet I 
admire him. I admire the strength he displays day-in and 
day-out through all he's endured. Through all *they* have 
endured together. And though I have not yet begun to 
understand the web in which they've become inexplicably 
entangled, there is one thing I do understand: they are 
together. Partners in every sense of the word, it seems. 
They've been to hell and back, and return each time bound 
more tightly together than before.

He kneels by her bedside now and the dam within him 
breaks. He weeps silently, for her. For them, maybe. For 
that normal life they've each secretly yearned for 
together, but will not know. And for this, I admire him 
all the more. This is a man who, from what I've 
understood, in the past has sought one thing and one 
thing only: the truth. His heart beat only for that 
truth. But now? Now it beats for her -- only her. Through 
their endeavors, his truth has become *their* truth, and 
without her, I know he views the truth as meaningless.

I also know something Fox Mulder does not: it's not her 
time yet. It's not her turn to leave the planet, to leave 
him behind. A future still lies ahead for her... for 
them... and she is stubborn. No, she won't leave. I saw 
it long before the diagnosis. I saw it every time he 
would look into her eyes. A love as powerful as theirs 
will not be destroyed by a disease. The love I see 
between them is the truest love... a love that won't 
disappear even when a natural death tears them apart. 

His hand caresses hers as he cries and my heart goes out 
to the young man. It seems bleak now, Fox, but rest 
assured... she will live. My Starbuck is as stubborn as 
they come, and will not leave until you are ready to 
leave with her.


~FINIS~