Disclaimer:  Fox Mulder, Dana Scully, the X-Files, and associated
characters are property of David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Chris Carter,
Ten-Thirteen Productions and Fox Broadcasting Corporation.  They are used
without permission and no copyright infringement is meant.

Any elements not recognized as being taken from the show copyright
Christina Shuy.

Comments and other things sent to cshuy@netcom.com are much appreciated.

Rating:  PG for lauguage
Spoilers:  "One Breath" and all the episodes till then.
Summary:  Scully's returned, but Mulder's still falling.  A friend tries
to help stop the fall.

Note: This is one of several for this episode, though they are all stand
alone.

Conversations Between Old Friends:  "One Breath" (I)
by Christina Shuy
cshuy@netcom.com

     "Mulder."

     "It's Victoria.  How are you doing?"

     "She's back, Victoria... but she's in a coma."

     "Mulder... you can't lose hope.  She and you will find a way to pull
through this.  You need to start by getting some rest.  You can't go on
like this for much longer or else you are going to collapse."

     "Rest, hell.  I don't need rest.  What I need to do is find the
people who did this to her!"

     "Mulder, calm down.  You aren't going to be able to help Scully any
if you have a total breakdown, and you are on your way to having that
total breakdown.  I've seen you like this before."

     "I thought you were supposed to be a friend?"

     "I am.  I'm trying to get you to rest, remember?  I know what you get
like when you get overly tired, and you are already way beyond that
range."

     "Some friend you are."

     "Mulder, you're on edge.  You need to get some rest before you have a
mental breakdown of the type when Phoebe broke things off with you and
told you what a pleasure it had been to play mindgames with you.  I
remember having to lock you in my apartment to keep you from ending your
life.  And with me still on the other side of the Atlantic, and probably
not going to Washington for the time being, I won't be there to do the
same this time.  Mulder, please listen to me and get some rest."

     "I can't... can't you see that?  I have to get those people
responsible for Scully's condition... make them pay... then myself pay.
After all, I'm about as guilty as the people who took her."

     "Mulder, no... you were not responsible.  Remember what I told you
before... that Dana did things to help you of her own free will."

     "It was still my fault.  Just like Samantha..." Victoria noted the
fact that he still was refusing to even express grief over the situation.

     "Mulder... I know I won't try to convince you otherwise, but I am of
the opinion that it is not your fault.  None of it.  You were set up.
Other people are running events now.  Just as they have for a while.  You
know this as well."

     "What if I do?  What does it matter?  Mrs. Scully and I went to see
her headstone... right before she was returned.  She isn't dead, damnit,
she *isn't* DEAD."

     "Mulder, listen to me.  She will be alright.  You need to be there
for her.  Watch out for your informant, though.  I don't trust him at
all."

     "Me either.  He's worse than Deep Throat ever was."

     "You finally realised this after he held a gun on you in the hospital
parking structure, right?"

     "VC...."

     "Well...??"

     "Yeah... I guess."

     Victoria sighed.  "Mulder, what are you going to do now?"

     "Hang on a second."

     She waited and heard muffled conversation.  Quickly enough, he was
back.

     "Sorry.  That was someone letting me know I'm needed in AD Skinner's
office.  I think I'm gonna get my ass reamed out.  Probably over that
shooting in the cafeteria.  I'll talk to you later, okay?"

     "Mulder..."

     "I really have to go, Victoria... the guy's still waiting for me to
take me up there.  I think Skinner doesn't want me running away or missing
the meeting."

     "Alright, Mulder, but take care of yourself."

     "Will try."

     With that, the connection was broken.  Victoria leaned back in her
chair and sighed.  It was still early morning in Washington, and the way
Mulder sounded, it was not good.

-The end for now.-


"The Truth is Out There.  Trust No One."- from "The X-Files"
"I was told once that the best way to regenerate body heat is to crawl
naked into a sleeping bag with someone else who's already naked."-Mulder
"Maybe if it rains sleeping bags, you'll get lucky." Scully(tXF-"Detour")
Pursuing a BS (Electrical Engineering)-Winter Quarter 1998(Phil380,EE210)
"In the moment that you think you can't, you'll discover that you can." -
Celine Dion - "Power of the Dream" "Let's get Dangerous!" - Darkwing Duck.
Looking for work and a place to live... somewhere in the SanFran Bay Area.