'BLOOD ON THE SNOW'
By: Truthwebothknow & Waddles52

Scully watched, exhausted, as they took her partner away. Swirling dust made a whirlpool in the half-light as he was lifted free. Later, she would recall the rescue, the climb over debris and the pain she felt herself, both physically and emotionally. The feel of a hand at her back and an arm around her shoulders guided her along the ground into the frigid December night, feet crunching on snow now instead of glass and splintered wood. Not Mulder's hand, her brain screamed. Ahead of her she saw his arm slide limply from under the blanket they'd placed over him, watching as if outside her own body as blood dripped from the bandages, dotting the snow, leaving a trail to the waiting ambulance.

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HOOVER BUILDING
9AM
SEVERAL DAYS EARLIER

The meeting was dismissed and the F.B.I. agents made their way out of the conference room noiselessly. AD Skinner felt like he was probably the most hated person in the building at that particular moment. He was Ebenezer Scrooge and The Grinch Who Stole Christmas all rolled into one miserable excuse for a human being. Although he was only following orders, he had just announced to the agents under his supervision that all Christmas leave was cancelled, including Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

In the hallway the saddened agents were still in shock. Not a word was said as they made their way back to their offices.

Although Special Agent Fox Mulder really couldn't care less whether he had to work during the holidays, he was extremely upset for his partner. Christmas was a big deal to Special Agent Dana Scully and her family, and she had already made plans to spend it with her mother, brothers and all of the sister-in-laws and nieces and nephews. Now, it looked like she'd be lucky to find the time to call them on Christmas Day.

Mulder wisely refrained from saying anything to her. In this situation it would be best to let her speak first. They rode the elevator to their basement office in silence. Mulder unlocked the door and Scully plopped into her chair and sighed loudly.

"I guess I should cancel my flight," she stated, reaching for her organizer to look up the number. "Maybe I can still get a partial refund."

"I'm sorry, Scully. I know how much you look forward to Christmas with your family."

"Thanks, Mulder. It's too bad that terrorists have no respect for our holidays." She found the number of the airline and punched in the numbers angrily.

Mulder took his seat behind his desk and tried to appear busy while she cancelled her plans. He wondered what he could do to take some of the sting out of the situation; however, he was nervous about broaching the subject. He goes he thought, the worst she can do is say no.

"Scully, I know this is a pretty poor substitute, but I'd like to take you out for a nice meal on Christmas Day."

"Oh, Mulder. I think it's a wonderful idea. What did you have in mind?"

"Well, I happen to know that several of the nicer hotels have an all-day Christmas buffet with turkey, ham and all the trimmings. If you like, I can make reservations for that evening after we get off from work."

"Yes, please do. I'd love to spend Christmas evening with you," she managed to smile.

"Great! I'll take care of that now."

Mulder couldn't believe his incredible luck as he searched for the number of the fanciest hotel in the city. He usually sat in front of the TV with a Hungry Man turkey dinner and a beer, but this year would be special. He would be spending it with his best friend who also happened to be the love of his life. Maybe he would even get up the nerve to tell her how he really felt.

The next few days seemed to drag by. The mood in the Hoover Building was definitely not filled with Christmas cheer. Even though the agents brought in treats, and drank hot chocolate and eggnog, the overall feeling was one of gloom. Even the promise of snow on Christmas Eve didn't cause the normal excitement.

Although Mulder griped and complained around the other agents, he was actually walking on air. He had found the perfect present for Scully a few months back. It was a book of poetry about the sea and he planned to give it to her at dinner on Christmas Day.

At the same time he found the book of poetry in a small antique shop, he also spotted a small painting of a seascape. He couldn't decide whether to give it to her for Christmas or hold it until her birthday. Well, he had two days left to decide.

At last, Christmas Day arrived and the agents were still grumbling. Despite being on alert and chasing down hundreds of tips and false leads, not one terrorist plan had been stopped, or even found for that matter. Christmas was ruined for nothing.

Skinner had arranged for his division to be fed that day. Even though it wasn't the traditional Christmas meal, there were trays heaped with cold cuts and cheese. Several types of salads were provided along with Christmas cookies and pumpkin and pecan pie. The same agents who had griped and complained about their supervisor all week didn't seem to have a problem chowing down on the meal he provided. As a special treat, he had even managed to round up several large containers of eggnog ice cream, hand made at an upscale dairy bar in the suburbs.

Although they were tempted, Mulder and Scully just nibbled on a few of the goodies. They were both looking forward to the sumptuous buffet with all the trimmings. Their reservations were for 7PM and they intended to leave plenty of room for the more traditional Christmas fare.

Shortly after 4PM, Mulder had just finished another game of solitaire on his computer. Scully had been cleaning out some of the file cabinets and shredding some of the papers they no longer needed. When the machine stopped, Mulder heard footsteps on the stairs. That was rather unusual, as they were rarely used. He listened carefully and heard the sound of someone running up the stairs. Someone was definitely out there.

"Scully, stay here. I'm going to check that out." Mulder got up from his desk and unsnapped his holster to provide easy access to his gun.

"Mulder," Scully chuckled. "It's probably some of the guys from the bullpen horsing around. They're just as bored as we are."

"Maybe, but I'm going to check it out anyway."

"Suit yourself." She shrugged and reached for another stack of papers to run through the shredder.

The machine whirred to life once again. It was so loud that she didn't hear the sound of Mulder's hurried footsteps as he burst through the door. He pushed her under the desk and she thought she heard him shout, "Bomb!" before the building came crashing down on top of them.

The explosion was deafening and Scully was amazed that she was still alive by the time all of the debris stopped falling. She expected to find her partner squeezed in beside her under the desk, but she soon realized that he hadn't made it to the safety it had afforded her.

She experienced a moment of panic as her brain processed everything. Mulder! She had to find him. Dazed and shocked, she began to scan what was left of their office.

As the dust began to clear she found him lying a foot away from her, almost completely buried by debris. Only his left leg was visible. The smell of blood permeated the dust still swirling through the dim light. Since she wasn't hurt badly herself, that only meant one thing. Scully crawled out from under the desk wincing as the cuts and bruises on her hands and knees began to make their presence known. Truth be told, she hurt all over, but there wasn't time to dwell on her minor injuries. She needed to get to her partner and begin removing the debris that covered him. Choking back dust and tears she started pulling off rubble, one piece at a time.

After what seemed like hours, but was probably only a few minutes, she had cleared enough of the wreckage that was once their office away from his head and upper body that she was able to shakily reach out her hand to his neck to feel for a pulse. The female agent almost collapsed with relief when she felt it, a little fast but strong.

There were small cuts and bruises all over his face and the back of his head. He was lying face down so it was difficult to see all of his injuries at first. She continued to remove the debris piece by piece until she had all of the debris off of him.

Mulder was lying with his right arm tucked underneath him, his white dress shirt red in places where the debris had dug into him and broken the skin on his back. Blood running down his face mixed in with the dust and debris from the ceiling. Scully continued to evaluate the injuries she could see, taking note of his right ankle, which appeared to be dislocated. Her eyes traveled up his body once again and she was horrified to discover a growing pool of blood coming from what appeared to be his right arm. She was preparing to roll him over when he coughed, then moaned loudly.

"Mulder, don't try to move. You've been injured."

"Mmm, yeah. You okay?" He coughed again, attempting to remove more of the dust from his lungs. "Damn, that hurts."

"Can you tell me where you hurt?"

"My head, my entire right side. Something big hit me."

"I pulled your office chair and your computer monitor off of you."

"That would explain it. You didn't answer me. You okay?" he demanded, breathing heavily.

"Just some bumps and bruises. Thank you for shoving me under the desk."

"Wish I'd had time to join you."

"I need to roll you over. You're bleeding and I need to see where it's coming from."

"My right arm really hurts. Must've broke it when I fell."

"We'll see when I get you turned over. Let me do all of the work. Don't try to help. Do you understand?"

"Uh-huh."

"On three, okay? One, two, three." She log rolled him onto his back, trying to keep his head and neck steady, aware that she was still shaking herself, all the time knowing he must be in terrible pain if his cries of agony were anything to go by.

Blood was pouring from a large gash on the right side of his forehead. Scully's eyes moved down and took in his blood soaked shirt. Right below the rolled up sleeve on his right arm was a sight that made her gasp. Mulder's arm was severely broken, one of the bones protruding from his skin in a compound fracture.

"Oh, shit," he moaned when he saw it, his face turning a sickly shade of pale.

"Hang in there, partner. I'm going to look around for something to use as a splint and get you patched up. Just lie very still"

Scully turned 360 degrees in her search for material suitable for making a splint. She finally spied a couple of old magazines under a pile of near-by debris. She quickly pulled them out and folded them in half so that the back page advertisement was showing. Mulder might get a little upset at the sacrifice of two of his 'Celebrity Skin' monthlies and she certainly didn't want to stare at a scantily clad beauty until they were rescued.

She took off her jacket and began unbuttoning her blouse. Mulder watched her wide-eyed, puzzled as to why she was removing her clothing. With her blouse off, she put her jacket back on, buttoning it quickly. She removed a clean handkerchief from her right pocket and pressed it against the gash on his forehead.

The doctor, turned F.B.I. agent began tearing her blouse into strips. "Mulder, I'm going to make an effort to pull that bone back into place, then splint it. I don't think I have to tell you that it will hurt like the devil."

"Go ahead," he nodded then closed his eyes, taking a shaky breath. He knew it was going to hurt like a son-of-a-bitch and he just hoped that he wouldn't embarrass himself by screaming too loudly.

Taking a deep breath, she pulled on his arm and maneuvered the bone back into place. Mulder cried out in anguish, then thankfully lost consciousness. His partner worked quickly to get the arm splinted before he came to.

With that task accomplished, she pulled up his shirt to examine his chest and abdomen, noting the livid bruise across his entire right side. At least one rib was fractured, maybe more.

While he was still out, she turned her attention to his right ankle. It slipped back into place easily due to his relaxed state. Using one of the remaining strips of cloth from her blouse, the doctor tied it around her partner's head to hold the handkerchief in place.

When she finished, she allowed herself a moment to rest and look around their totaled office. Outside, sirens were screaming. She prayed that their rescue would be a swift one. Water poured down the side of the wall, mingling with the dust, and she found herself wondering how safe the rest of the building was. Would the rescue workers be able to reach them?

Mulder coughed again and groaned loudly from the pain it caused. He opened his eyes, immediately searching for Scully. She took hold of his hand and stroked the part of his head that seemed to be uninjured.

"I'm here, Mulder. You've been unconscious for a few minutes. I splinted your arm and put your ankle back into place. You have at least one broken rib so don't try to move. Just stay still and calm. You're going to be okay. I can hear the rescue workers trying to make their way through" Her fingers stroked through his hair, stiff and almost white from the dust.

He nodded that he understood, the pain keeping him from speaking for the time being. He heard the sirens outside and hoped that they would soon be getting out.

Clearing his throat, he finally managed to make his voice work. "What time is it?"

"A few minutes after five."

"If they hurry we may still make dinner."

Scully looked at her partner as if he'd just grown another head. "Mulder, the only place you're going is to the ER. That arm will require surgery and you're acting as if it's nothing more than a paper cut."

"Wanted tonight to be special." Tears of pain and disappointment began to form in the corner of his eyes. Scully felt like crying herself at the sight of him. Another trip to the ER at the worst time of the year, with Mulder in agony, life sucked sometimes.

"I know you did, partner." She gently wiped his tears away. "How about this? I'll fix us a Christmas dinner with all of the trimmings as soon as you've recovered enough to enjoy it. We can have our own private Christmas celebration."

"Sounds nice. Thank you." He listened to the sirens and the sounds coming from outside the building. "Rescue team should be here soon."

"Mulder, it might take them a while to get to us."

"Don't think it was much of a bomb. The stairs and the hallway probably took most of the blast."

"It did quite a number on this office too. The doorway is blocked. Did you see who was on the stairs?" Scully checked the splint on his arm, concerned that the wound was still bleeding heavily.

"Looked like Joe Melton."

"From accounting?" she asked, her surprise quite evident.

"Yeah, don't think he made it though. He ran back to check the timer, then tripped on the stairs. I didn't stick around to offer my help."

"Why would he want to bomb the Hoover Building?"

"No idea." Mulder coughed again, grimacing with the pain. His grip tightened on Scully's hand.

They were both startled by the sound of breaking glass. "Agent Mulder! Agent Scully! Can you hear me?" Skinner's concerned voice boomed through the small window in their office.

"Yes, we're here!" Scully shouted. "Please hurry! Agent Mulder is badly injured and needs medical attention now!"

"Agent Scully, listen to me. The stairway is blocked and we can't use the elevator until it's been checked out. We'll have to get you out through this window. It might take a while to get the debris out of the way. Can Agent Mulder walk?"

"No, he can't. He's losing a lot of blood from a compound fracture. Please hurry!"

Both agents waited in silence for a few minutes, wondering when the rescue effort would begin.

Skinner's voice broke the quiet. "The rescue team is going to send in a paramedic. Hang on, okay? He'll have to climb over a lot of debris to get to you."

Scully sighed and turned her attention back to her partner. "Mulder, how're you doing?"

"I'm okay." Scully raised an eyebrow.

"The truth, Mulder."

"I'm freezing my ass off since they broke the window. I've got the mother of all headaches. My arm hurts like a son-of-a-bitch and I can't take a deep breath without expecting a rib to puncture a lung. Other than that, I'm fine."

Scully chuckled at his list of complaints. "I'm glad you're not in bad shape then."

"Agent Scully!" a voice called.

"Over here!"

"I just needed to get a fix on your location. I'm on my way with blankets and medical supplies," the paramedic called.

For the next few minutes he moved objects aside and scrambled over others. Mulder held onto Scully's hand tightly, the pain from his injuries reaching an excruciating level.

Suddenly, two blankets landed beside Scully along with a backpack. She looked up and a uniformed man climbed down from a pile of debris. "Agent Scully? I'm John Winston. Agent Mulder? How are you doing?"

"I'm okay," he grunted through the pain.

"Well, since I'm here anyway, why don't you let me take a look at you?"

"Whatever. Just get us out of here. We've got somewhere to go and we're running out of time."

The paramedic looked to Scully for some clarification.

"Mulder, settle down. We're not going anywhere until you get checked out, so why don't you let Mr. Winston do that?"

All at once Mulder's defense against the pain shattered. "Okay, my arm does hurt a little."

"I'll bet it does. Let's take this from head to toe. Agent Scully, AD Skinner informed me of your medical background. Why don't you fill me in?"

Scully gave him the rundown on Mulder's injuries as the paramedic took his pulse and blood pressure. "Well Agent Mulder, it looks like your partner did a kick-ass job of first-aid with little to work with."

He opened his backpack and began pulling out bandages, IV solution, splints and other medical supplies that might be of use.

"Did you bring any pain medications?" Scully was very concerned with the amount of pain her partner was dealing with. When he admitted his arm hurt it signaled that he had just about reached his limit.

"Yes, I did and the hospital gave special permission for you to okay their use. That's slightly illegal, but due to the fact that it might take a while to get you two out of here, we're going to take a chance. Now, he has a head wound. Has he shown any signs of concussion or skull fracture?"

"No. Although he was initially stunned, he never fully lost consciousness and he's been oriented and responsive since."

"All right, then. It's your call. I have morphine, Demerol or Toradol."

"Start an IV, wide-open and we'll go with morphine."

"No drugs, Scully." Mulder had begun to shiver in earnest from shock and the cold seeping in through the broken window. Snow was blowing in onto the rescue workers who were trying to clear a path.

"Mulder, I know you're hurting and I won't allow you to suffer unnecessarily."

"Agent Mulder, I'm going to clean your wounds and put on new bandages. There's no way around it. It's going to hurt like hell."

Mulder thought it over for a few seconds. As much as he hated drugs, he realized that this would be one time to make an exception. "Okay, just don't knock me out."

"You'll be pretty woozy, but you should be able to talk to us. Hang on, now. I'm going to start that IV."

A loud crash sounded across the room. "Scully, the files, are they okay?" Mulder's panicked voice ate right to the core of her.

Scully stood up on her tiptoes to get a look at that area of their office. One of the cabinets is on its side, but the others are upright. I think everything's intact."

"Can't handle losing them again," he shivered, his teeth chattering with shock.

His partner grabbed one of the blankets and spread it over him. "Hang in there, Mulder. He's got the IV running and he's preparing the morphine."

"Scully, you need to check the files. Have to be sure everything's okay. Can't let them get wet. Make sure they don't get thrown away. Move them to a safe area." His voice disintegrated into a cough.

"Mulder, take it easy. Those files are important to me too. I'll make sure they're stored in a safe place. Just rest and let us help you."

They were startled by the sound of another loud crash followed by the tinkle of breaking glass.

Mulder jumped and tried to sit up. "Gotta save the files! Ahh . . .shit!" He cried out in pain as Scully helped him ease back down, doing her best to reassure him.

"Mulder, those sounds you hear are the rescue team. They're trying to clear a path through the debris to get us out. The files are safe."

Scully lovingly caressed her partner's face and thought back to a time several years back. He had been devastated when a fire destroyed their office. Working an untold number of hours, he was eventually able to restore some of the files which were now stored in fireproof cabinets. She would do anything in her power to insure that his life's work remained safe. She was afraid that Mulder couldn't survive that much emotional trauma again.

"Morphine's on board," Winston announced.

"Relax Mulder, everything's under control. I want you to think of that Christmas dinner I'm going to prepare. I have a present to give you and I think you'll really enjoy it."

"I've got something for you too, something very special."

"Oh, really? Do I get any hints?" Scully teased.

"No, no hints, but I may save one of your gifts for Valentine's Day instead." He grinned goofily as the morphine began to take hold.

"That sounds intriguing."

"I meant for it to."

John Winston began arranging the items he would need. He really didn't want to listen in on what was obviously a very private conversation. "Agent Mulder, is the morphine helping?"

"Not much. My arm still hurts like a mother."

"I'm sorry. Agent Scully, do you want me to give him a little more?"

"Yes, I think that might be wise."

"Okay, here goes." He injected it into the IV port then carefully began removing the bandages from Mulder's head. As he began to clean the wound, Mulder roughly grabbed for Scully's hand, worrying her fingers as he held on tight.

"I know this is really uncomfortable, but if you can just hang on I should be finished pretty soon."

"I'm trying, but it really hurts." He was gasping for breath. Scully squeezed his fingers, the contact with her the only thing holding him together.

"The morphine isn't helping?"

"Don't know. Just hurry," he groaned. Scully thought her hand would break from the pressure he was applying.

When he was finished, he took Mulder's blood pressure again and was surprised at the reading. "It's a little lower than before," he whispered to Scully. We need to do something to slow down that bleeding from his arm."

"I agree. It's going to be very painful for him though. Why don't you start another IV, wide open?"

The paramedic started the additional IV in Mulder's left arm, barely getting a response as the needle went in. Winston looked at Mulder who appeared to be sleeping. "Agent Mulder, can you hear me?"

"Mmm," was the only answer he received.

"Looks like that's the best we're going to get as far as pain relief."

"He has a very high tolerance for pain meds." Scully explained. "He's not out of it as much as you think."

"Then let's take advantage of what we have. I'm going to remove your excellent splint and clean the wound. I'll bandage it with a pressure dressing and put on another splint. I don't think that morphine will hold him so you need to keep him as calm as possible. Okay?"

"Yes, we're old hands at this. Ready when you are." Scully took a deep breath to steady herself. Mulder's pain was her pain. Even though she wouldn't feel it physically, his suffering would shake her to her very core. The realization that she and Mulder were one hit her full force. Her eyes blurred for a second at that revelation.

There had been something between them from the very moment they met, and it had grown stronger as the years passed. Today, in the rubble of their life's work, she realized that she was in love with Mulder. "What a time for an epiphany," she thought sadly. Staring into each other's eyes over Christmas dinner would have been so much nicer, but as she had found on their very first case together, they couldn't count on anything or anyone but each other.

Mulder stirred uncomfortably as the paramedic began to untie the strips of Scully's blouse. By the time the wound was exposed the agent was writhing in pain. Scully held his hand and softly stroked his jaw with the other hand over and over, speaking soothing words of comfort.

By the time the wound had been cleaned, bandaged and splinted again, Mulder was practically out of his mind with excruciating pain.

"Let's take a break before we start to work on his ankle," Scully suggested.

"Good idea. I think we all need to rest for a few minutes," Winston agreed. Despite the cold, snowy air blowing in through the broken window, all three of them were perspiring heavily.

"You finished?" Mulder gasped

"Almost," the man answered. He wiped his brow on his sleeve and began to arrange the medical supplies in the order they would be needed. "How're you holding up?"

Mulder rolled his eyes in response.

"Agent Mulder, you're doing just fine. Splinting that ankle should be a piece of cake. Your partner already did all the hard work."

"She's good." He turned his tortured eyes to Scully. Through the pain, his love and admiration shone through. "Couldn't make it without her."

"Then we have something in common." Scully's eyes showed the same love and admiration. "Because I couldn't make it without you either." His fingers tightened their grip.

Though neither agent spoke the word 'love', each knew what the other was thinking. Tears welled up in both their eyes. Mulder's left hand squeezed Scully's, hand gently. She returned the gesture. Each understood it was the equivalent of a first kiss.

Mulder's breathing and heart rate slowed considerably as Scully continued to comfort him. The rescue team seemed to be making progress, inching ever closer.

Feeling much more secure, knowing that Scully returned his love, and the fact that the rescue crew was getting closer, he allowed himself to relax. He was dozing within seconds.

The paramedic hadn't missed any of their unspoken communication. "Agent Scully, I'm glad you're here for him. You really helped him handle the pain."

"Mulder has a high pain threshold. I think he would have done just as well if I wasn't here."

"Having you with him didn't hurt though. Damn it!" He checked the bandage on Mulder's arm and found that the blood had already soaked through despite the pressure wrap. "The bone must have nicked a blood vessel."

Scully nodded in agreement, worry creasing her brow.

He stood up and peered over a mound of debris. "How much longer until we can get him out of here?

"Don't know, Win. We're having to hand a lot of this junk out through the window to make a path"

"Be safe, but hurry it up. This guy needs to get to the hospital like yesterday."

"Okay, I think there's enough room now to bring someone else down to help. We'll get there as fast as we can. Hey, Win, the captain wants to know if you need any more supplies."

"Nah, I think we're okay for the time being but we'll need a backboard and neck brace when we're ready to move him."

"All right. I'll pass that along."

Win turned back to the two F.B.I. agents. "I'm ready to splint that ankle now. Just keep on with what you've been doing, Agent Scully. You seem to be good medicine for him,"

Mulder's ankle was splinted in record time with only a few moans and groans. Scully decided to take his pulse just to satisfy her curiosity and became quite concerned when she found it weaker. "Can't you get them to hurry it up?"

"They've put another man on the detail, but remember, they have to look out for their own safety and ours," the paramedic explained patiently. "Now, how about helping me clean up all of those little scrapes and cuts?"

"Yes, of course."

After cutting his shirt off, they cleaned and disinfected every visible break in Mulder's skin, periodically stopping to take his pulse and blood pressure. Neither was improving. Scully gently spread the blanket back over him and covered him with it.

"Mmm, Scully?"

"Right here partner."

"Cold," he shivered.

"It's snowing like crazy and very cold outside," Scully explained.

"You always wanted a window that you could open." Mulder's teeth chattered as he spoke.

"Well, they say to be careful what you wish for. I guess I learned my lesson. Would you like another blanket?"

"No, you need it."

"I'm really not that cold." Scully spread the other blanket over him. "Better?"

"Yeah, thanks. What time is it?"

"Almost 7:30."

"Guess we missed our dinner. Ahhh, my arm hurts."

"I know it must really be painful, and there will be other dinners you know." Scully pasted a smile on her face, determined not to let him see her worry. It was taking too damned long to get them out and his condition was dangerous to say the least.

There was some movement behind the paramedic and a new face appeared. "Hey, Win. You ready to get out of here?”

Scully turned to her partner, ready to share the good news with him. "Mulder, did you hear? We're getting out of here!"

His eyes were closed and he gave no indication of hearing her.

"Mulder?" Her hand went to his throat and found his pulse barely there. "Win! I need some help here!"

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"One one thousand, two one thousand," chanted Scully, tears running down her cheeks as she pushed hard on Mulder's lifeless chest.

The second she'd turned her head to call for help she'd lost his heartbeat and immediately started CPR, fighting her growing panic while Win breathed his own strong breath into Mulder.

One giant fit of coughing later confirmed that miraculously, they had him back. Scully sent up a silent prayer for her Christmas miracle. Tears rolled down her dirt-smudged face as she worked on autopilot beside Win while they stabilized him.

"It's okay, Mulder. It's okay now," she whispered, holding on tight to his wrist, feeling the thrill of life affirming pulse beneath her fingers. She became aware of the paramedic putting a comforting hand on her arm and she blew out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

"You did great, Agent Scully. Now, let's get him out of here."

Getting them all out, Mulder especially, had been precarious at best. It took five other paramedics and rescue workers to get him through safely. They had strapped him up as best they could and then hastily transferred him to a backboard once they were clear of the debris field. It was freezing outside and Scully shivered from the cold and shock.

Mulder remained unconscious for the most part except for a lucid moment when an artic blast peeled back the blanket from his body a little. His eyes opened and immediately sought out Scully who was by his side, tucking the blanket back over him. He gave her a tight smile, his eyes full of love.

"My one in five billion." He trembled as they lifted him up and headed hastily toward the waiting ambulance. They moved away from the Hoover Building as if in slow motion, or at least it felt that way to Scully. The doctor in her began to shout that she must be in shock herself. If asked about that later, all she would remember was the blood, Mulder's blood, red on white and glistening in the glare of the police and ambulance lights.

The next minutes were spent in a blur. The trip through driving snow to the hospital, the cold feel of Mulder's limp hand as she held onto it like it was the only thing grounding her to the planet, the soft instructions of the paramedic crew as they fought yet another Mulder crisis made time seem as if it was standing still. Scully's mind chanted, "Hurry up, hurry up, hurry up," until the ambulance pulled into the hospital.

Countless cups of bad hospital coffee and the comforting presence of Walter Skinner got her through the next hours. He never left her side during the six plus hours of emergency vascular and orthopedic surgery that Mulder underwent.

Exhaustion finally claimed her. She was sound asleep and covered by a blanket around her shoulders when the doctor came to tell her that Mulder was out of danger and in recovery. She wept in Skinner's arms, not caring who saw her tears, finally giving way to the untold stress she had held inside while her boss whispered quiet reassurances to her. He had cheated death yet again. She could scarcely believe it.

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Mulder's investigative mind got the distinct impression that Scully was being secretive as she pushed his wheelchair up to her apartment door. He hadn't wanted to travel home in a wheelchair, but he acquiesced once she gave him a look that brooked no challenge. With a struggle, she had managed to get the contraption in the elevator.

Scully was making a big deal of looking for her keys. Mulder was just about to reach into his pocket and hand over his own when the door was opened by an overjoyed Frohike, wearing an apron, no less.

"Hey, Mulder man, good to see ya, and the lovely Agent Scully." Mulder grinned as his height challenged friend came outside to assist wheeling him in to what Mulder could only describe as the most romantic setting he had ever laid eyes on. When he looked up at Scully, she was only able to nod, her eyes full of tears at what Frohike had managed to achieve in only a few hours. It was utterly beautiful. The tree, the table set for two and the candles looked perfect. Their friends were miracle workers and certainly lived up to their promise.

"Scully, it's fantastic! You did this for us, Fro?"

"Yeah, yeah, sure. You are one lucky son-of-a-bitch, you know? You have a wonderful lady there. She told me your interrupted plans for a romantic soiree, so the guys and I decided to bring the mountain to Mohammad. Didn't think you'd want to go cruising with all that bruising, man. How ya doin'?"

"Im . . .I'm good. My bruises kind of blend in with the tree decorations, and as much as I love the holiday food in the hospital, I'm . . .what are those amazing smells coming from the kitchen . . .geez, you cooked too. Scully chuckled behind him, wiping her tears.

"Yup, the food is all ready and just needs to be put on the table, and I even took the liberty of fetching the Christmas stocking with Scully's gifts like you asked me.

Mulder looked sheepish as he turned to Scully's questioning smile.

"Mulder?"

"You're not the only one who can make clandestine phone calls, Scully. Merry Christmas, a little late. I love you." Scully squealed with delight as Frohike handed Mulder the gifts to give her. Then he blushed as she flung herself into Mulder's embrace.

"Uh, this night belongs to the two of you. I may be a jackass but I can cook. Enjoy and have a wonderful, romantic evening. You lucky dog," he whispered as an afterthought in Mulder's ear as the little man made his exit, yelling ho, ho, ho loudly down the hall.

"Night Fro and thanks." They both laughed, hugging each other.

"Scully, I love you so much." Mulder took her hands and pulled her to him.

"I love you too, more than you could ever imagine. Together we will rebuild the X-Files. We are together in every sense of the word now." She hugged him again as he blinked back tears. Somehow the wrecked office seemed less important tonight. He had all he wanted right here.

"I know, but for tonight we have this and there are a few things I've been longing to tell you. My heart can't hold them in anymore."

"That's wonderful, Mulder, because I want to hear them. I want our truth."

"The truth is in here." His hand closed over hers and brought it to rest over his heart.

Together they celebrated their Christmas miracle over a wonderful, magical meal, watching the love they had for each other reflect in each other's eyes, listening to the snow fall softly against the window.

***************************************
THE END

'

Disclaimer: These characters belong to Chris Carter and 1013 productions.

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