his parents and cousins he hadn't seen in decades, a family barbecue.
His mother kneeling on the lawn between Fox and his sister; above them their father at the grill, smiling.
At his side a tall man with dark hair, lean-faced, smiling as well, not stooped at all and younger, oh much younger.
Alvin Kurtzweil.
A knock shattered his reverie. Mulder turned, dazed, and looked up to see Scully standing in the open door of his apartment. Her eyes met his.
"What?" He got to his feet, scattering pho-tos around him. "Scully? What's wrong?"
"Salt Lake City, Utah," she said softly. "Transfer effective immediately."
He shook his head, refusing to hear her.
"I already gave Skinner my letter of resig-nation," she added brokenly.
Mulder stared at her. "You can't quit, Scully."
"I can, Mulder. I debated whether or not to even tell you in person, because I knew—"
He took a step toward her and then stopped, gesturing at the photos at his feet. "We're close to something here," he said, his voice rising desperately. "We're on the verge—"
" You're on the verge, Mulder." She blinked and looked away. "Please—please don't do this tome."
He continued to gaze at her. Not believing she was here, not believing this could be it. "After what you saw last night," he said at last, "after all you've seen, Scully— You can't just walk away."
"I have. I did. It's done."
He shook his head, stunned. "Just like that..:"
"I'm contacting the state board Monday to file my medical reinstatement papers—"
"But I need you on this, Scully!" he said urgently.
"You don't, Mulder. You've never needed me. I've only held you back." She forced herself to look away from him, biting her lip to keep herself from crying. She turned and started for the door. "I've got to go."
He caught her before she reached the ele-vator, running to keep up with her. "You're wrong," he cried.
Scully turned on him. " Why was I assigned to you?" she asked fiercely. "To debunk your work . To rein you in. To shut you down."
He shook his head. "No. You've saved me, Scully." He put his hands lightly on her shoul-ders and gazed down into her open blue eyes. "As difficult and frustrating as it's been some-times, your goddamn strict rationalism and science have saved me—a hundred times, a thousand times. You've—you've kept me honest and made me whole. I owe you so much, Scully, and you owe me nothing."
He dipped his head, a knot in his throat as he went on in a voice barely above a whisper. "I don't want to do this without you. I don't know if I can. And if I quit now, they win…"
He gazed down at her and she stared back at him, silent, her blue eyes dark in the half light. She moved very slightly away from him, not breaking his gaze; her own registering respect and sorrow. His hands remained barely touching her arms as she lifted herself on tiptoe and kissed his forehead.
He did not move away, did not for a moment respond. Their eyes met and linked. A sudden, inexplicable tension flared. And then his hands tightened on her, his head dipped as he drew her toward him, his fingers moving upward to trace the long line of her neck, her skin warm beneath the thick mane of auburn hair, her eheek. For only an instant she hesi-tated, then reached for him. She could feel his mouth grazing hers, when—
"Ouch!" Scully pulled away from Mulder, rubbing her neck where his hand had been.
"I'm sorry." Mulder stared at her, worried he had done something wrong.
Scully's voice was thick. "I think… some-thing… stung me."
She withdrew her hand as Mulder moved around her, running his fingers quickly across her neck. He shook his head. "It must've got-ten in your shirt."
He gasped as Scully slumped forward, as he hastily caught her in his arms. Her head lolled drunkenly as Mulder whispered, frightened, "Scully…"
She stared up at him through slit eyes and opened her hand. In the palm lay a bumblebee, legs feebly twitching. "Something's wrong," she murmured, barely coherent. "I'm
His mother kneeling on the lawn between Fox and his sister; above them their father at the grill, smiling.
At his side a tall man with dark hair, lean-faced, smiling as well, not stooped at all and younger, oh much younger.
Alvin Kurtzweil.
A knock shattered his reverie. Mulder turned, dazed, and looked up to see Scully standing in the open door of his apartment. Her eyes met his.
"What?" He got to his feet, scattering pho-tos around him. "Scully? What's wrong?"
"Salt Lake City, Utah," she said softly. "Transfer effective immediately."
He shook his head, refusing to hear her.
"I already gave Skinner my letter of resig-nation," she added brokenly.
Mulder stared at her. "You can't quit, Scully."
"I can, Mulder. I debated whether or not to even tell you in person, because I knew—"
He took a step toward her and then stopped, gesturing at the photos at his feet. "We're close to something here," he said, his voice rising desperately. "We're on the verge—"
" You're on the verge, Mulder." She blinked and looked away. "Please—please don't do this tome."
He continued to gaze at her. Not believing she was here, not believing this could be it. "After what you saw last night," he said at last, "after all you've seen, Scully— You can't just walk away."
"I have. I did. It's done."
He shook his head, stunned. "Just like that..:"
"I'm contacting the state board Monday to file my medical reinstatement papers—"
"But I need you on this, Scully!" he said urgently.
"You don't, Mulder. You've never needed me. I've only held you back." She forced herself to look away from him, biting her lip to keep herself from crying. She turned and started for the door. "I've got to go."
He caught her before she reached the ele-vator, running to keep up with her. "You're wrong," he cried.
Scully turned on him. " Why was I assigned to you?" she asked fiercely. "To debunk your work . To rein you in. To shut you down."
He shook his head. "No. You've saved me, Scully." He put his hands lightly on her shoul-ders and gazed down into her open blue eyes. "As difficult and frustrating as it's been some-times, your goddamn strict rationalism and science have saved me—a hundred times, a thousand times. You've—you've kept me honest and made me whole. I owe you so much, Scully, and you owe me nothing."
He dipped his head, a knot in his throat as he went on in a voice barely above a whisper. "I don't want to do this without you. I don't know if I can. And if I quit now, they win…"
He gazed down at her and she stared back at him, silent, her blue eyes dark in the half light. She moved very slightly away from him, not breaking his gaze; her own registering respect and sorrow. His hands remained barely touching her arms as she lifted herself on tiptoe and kissed his forehead.
He did not move away, did not for a moment respond. Their eyes met and linked. A sudden, inexplicable tension flared. And then his hands tightened on her, his head dipped as he drew her toward him, his fingers moving upward to trace the long line of her neck, her skin warm beneath the thick mane of auburn hair, her eheek. For only an instant she hesi-tated, then reached for him. She could feel his mouth grazing hers, when—
"Ouch!" Scully pulled away from Mulder, rubbing her neck where his hand had been.
"I'm sorry." Mulder stared at her, worried he had done something wrong.
Scully's voice was thick. "I think… some-thing… stung me."
She withdrew her hand as Mulder moved around her, running his fingers quickly across her neck. He shook his head. "It must've got-ten in your shirt."
He gasped as Scully slumped forward, as he hastily caught her in his arms. Her head lolled drunkenly as Mulder whispered, frightened, "Scully…"
She stared up at him through slit eyes and opened her hand. In the palm lay a bumblebee, legs feebly twitching. "Something's wrong," she murmured, barely coherent. "I'm
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