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.
Victoria Jensen, though, is *mine*.

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

Rating: PG, Story, Angst, MSR but only in part 2.
Spoilers: "Gethsemane" and most of season 4 up till then.
Summary: Victoria Jensen arrives to help Scully and knock some sense into
all parties involved in the mess chronicled in "Gethsemane". 

Note:  This takes place shortly after Scully tells the committee of
Mulder's suicide.  This is a sequel (sorta) to 'Committing Pseudo-cide' as 
well as "Aftermath and Consequences".  However, you don't have to have 
read those stories.  Please archive all under separate names.  They are 
meant to stand alone.

Special thanks to J. Ackerson (takakin0@slip.net) for the encouragement 
and the title suggestion.

Questioning Our Truths (Part 1)
by Christina Shuy
cshuy@netcom.com

     Victoria Jensen walked off the plane into the terminal at Dulles
Airport in Washington, D. C. and decided that it was worse to have things
as they currently stood rather than as they had been when she'd been here
just a few weeks prior.  She had just arrived on a flight in from Heathrow
and the main thing on her mind was that her friends were in trouble and
she wanted to do something to help. 

     'Damnit, Mulder, I *told* you to stay out of trouble, and that They
were out to get you and the X-Files.  Maybe I should speak to Walter about
this, though I have the feeling things are only going to get worse before
they get better since I know *he's* in over his head.' she frowned to 
herself, as she headed to the main terminal to pick up her rental car. 


     After picking up her rental car, she drove directly to the Hoover 
Building.

     "I would like to speak to the Assistant Director if at all 
possible." She walked up to the office and spoke quietly to his assistant.

     "Who may I say is here?"

     "Victoria Jensen.  It's important."

     Moments later, she was in Skinner's office.  No waiting this time.  
Skinner locked the door after she walked in.

     "Walter, thank you for seeing me on such short notice."

     "Always a pleasure, Victoria." Skinner stood, though his manner 
seemed a little stressed, more so than when she'd visited a scarce three 
weeks earlier. "What can I do for you?"

     "Well, for starters, what the *hell* is going on around here?"


     After meeting with Skinner, Victoria went directly to the committee 
meeting room where Scully was just emerging from the meeting.

     "Dana, I need to speak with you."

     "Victoria!  What are you-"

     "Can we go somewhere private to talk?" Victoria cut her off abruptly. 
"I don't trust this area, and I don't trust your office either." 


     They were at the Reflecting Pool before either said much more.  
Victoria decided to try a different tactic.  She could feel the anger and 
frustration Scully had bottled up inside and knew it wasn't healthy.

     Scully was just sitting on the bench she'd often sat on beside 
Mulder, only now she was silent.  Victoria made the first move.

     "I know Mulder faked his own death and is very much alive.  What 
I want to know is what is going on here?"

     "Victoria, I..."  Scully's voice trailed off.  The toll of the last 
few days was more than obviously written on Scully's features.

     Victoria murmured inwardly that she hoped Mulder and Scully would 
forgive her for what she was about to do.  She'd done similar things to 
Mulder before, but this wasn't Mulder seated beside her.

     "Don't give up, least of all on yourself."

     "Is that what you think I'm doing?  I'm trying to stand up for the 
*Truth* here."

     "Dana, where is he?" Victoria's voice was soft.

     "I don't know.  I gave him a few suggested locations when he called
last night and said he was considering suicide...   He said that nothing 
mattered anymore since I didn't trust him or believe him and that I 
believed what had driven him for so long was all lies.  

     "I wasn't sure what else to say to him other than telling him I
care... everything's falling apart.  I don't know whether what Kritchgau
told me was the truth or a lie, but he said-" 

     "He told you They had given you this cancer to make *Mulder* believe. 
So you testified to the committee that everything Mulder believed in was a
lie, is that it?" 

     "I didn't know what else to do!"  The tears Scully had been holding
back since the committee meeting were threatening.  One tear started down
her cheek, but she ignored it, focusing instead on her anger. 

     "Dana, Mulder trusts you.  He trusts me too, but I don't see him as
often as you do.  Since you have said you don't believe in him, he no
longer trusts himself." 

     "How the hell would you know?"

     "Dana, I could see how much he trusts you when he introduced us three
years ago.  Why do you think he called you first when he woke up in a
strange place with no memory of two days, two rounds missing in his gun,
and blood on his hands?" 

     Scully was silent for a moment, her mind on that case. It was
disconcerting exactly how accurate Victoria was, but she was right. 
She had been the only one he called.  

     "And I know you do trust him as well since he's the first one you 
called when your cancer was confirmed.  Even before your own mother."

     Scully flinched.  Victoria was getting to the heart of the matter, as
always.  The 'special gift' of Victoria's Mulder had told her about... 
sometimes it hurt, but she was right.

     It seemed both of them were hurting recently, and the *cause* of
all of this was dead.  Wasn't he?  Or did someone shoot the messenger? 

     "As for your cancer, there has to be a way to treat it.  We have to
keep looking."

     Scully's eyes shot to Victoria.  "What do you mean 'we'?  You're not
going to be around long enough to look for anyone, let alone help me
figure out a way to get rid of this damn cancer!  You're going to leave,
just like Mulder usually does!  Like he's just done!  I'm never sure if
he's trying to protect me or if he feels I'm just 'tagging along'!  Either
way, I wish he's *stop it*." Scully's voice had risen steadily and gotten 
more and more angry.  "I'm his *partner* DAMNIT!"

     "I requested to take some overdue vacation time from the Yard.  All
of my cases are solved, and I specifically requested not to be given any
more until I had a vacation." 

     "So you're going to be here a while?"

     "That is generally the point of a vacation, yes.  Now, please tell me
exactly what Mulder said to you right before he left." 

     "He said he needed to sort things out for himself.  Kritchgau said 
that everything Mulder was after was a lie, that-"

     "And you believed Kritchgau over Mulder-"

     "He had proof!  He said-"

     "Dana, can't you see?  That is *exactly* what that Cigarette smoker
*wants* you to believe.  I may not have met him face to face, but I've 
been around what has happened to both of you, as well as other things so 
that I've picked up hints of how he thinks, how his mind works.  And if I 
were to attempt to classify evil, he would certainly be one form."

     Dana Scully just looked at Victoria. "H-how would you know?"

     "Dana... who else do you think is *responsible* for your cancer?  If 
he *gave* it to you to manipulate Mulder, how can that be anything other 
*than* one face of evil?"

     "And just how do you know he's the one responsible?"

     "I can't explain that... What I do know is that this is meant to
destroy the trust between yourself and Mulder, and from what I can see
thus far, it's working.  You don't trust Mulder much anymore, and he no
longer trusts you as much either... or himself for that matter.  You have
to keep looking for the truth.  I understand that this has cost you a lot,
but this is not the way to go." 

     "What would you know about how much this has cost me?  Or about that 
black-lunged bastard?!"

     "I'm not sure how to explain this, but I know he's been attempting to
use Skinner against both of you, and it is not working.  You and Mulder
know this.  As for how I know how much this has cost you, you wouldn't be
hurting this much otherwise.  You are tired of being used as a pawn, I
know, but you are not the only pawn here.  This is also out of *Mulder's*
control.  He didn't ask to be manipulated." 

    "I know that."

    "He also didn't ask for one of his nearest and best friends to turn 
against him and try to end his work.  Dana, before he met you, the 
X-Files were his life."

     "Who's to say they still aren't?" Scully snapped.  "After all, he 
ditches me all the damn time and does nothing BUT work."

     "He told me never to tell you this and I am doing so anyway, but he
slept a little better knowing that you were all right.  

     "The three months you were missing were hell on him.  Even the tone
of his letters to me changed.  Dramatically.  There were times when he
would call and I would get him to sleep, at least for an hour here or
there.  And when he wasn't on the phone to me, he was out looking for you. 
I got so used to that, I took to calling him on his cel phone. 

     "And now, even before you told him They had given you cancer to make
him believe, he already blamed himself for your cancer.  He feels
completely responsible for your current state of health.  This is why he
felt that, with him out of your life, They would find a cure for you, one
way or the other.  He doesn't want you hurting anymore. 

     "I do know you are in pain.  But Mulder is as well, and neither one 
of you is responsible for the other's pain... at least not entirely.  
What you have together is... very special."

     Scully was silent.  She knew she had feelings for Mulder that ran
deeper than just partners.  There was something she had yet to consider in
her anger and frustration.  How much she meant to him as well. 

     Victoria looked off into the distance for a moment before shivering 
and turning to look at Scully again.

     "Dana... I believe Kritchgau is a link to the truth, and those trying
to hide it."

     "And?"

     "We need to go to Mulder's apartment before someone decides to check
into the identity of the body in his apartment and determines that one
Special Agent Fox Mulder is still in the land of the living."


    Victoria and Scully arrived at Mulder's apartment and Scully used her
key to get in the door.  Access had not been restricted.  Suicide was not
considered a crime scene.  The body had already been taken down to the
coroner's office, though Scully had instructed that no autopsy be done. 
Cause of death was obvious.  

     The moment they entered, though, Victoria paused. 

     "Dana, there's a problem here... someone is in here."

     "Victoria?" Another voice from another direction.

     "Mulder!  What happened?  And what the hell are you doing here?"

     Victoria studied Mulder.  He looked as though he had been through 
his own private hell, and she could feel that he *had*.  Especially in 
regards to whether or not he was even going to make the effort to live.  

     She'd seen him like this once before.  In England.  Just after Phoebe
told him that it had been a pleasure playing mind games on him.  He'd
barely made it that time.  It had taken locking him in her apartment with
her keeping watch to get him through.  She wasn't sure any of them had the 
strength to go through something like that again. 

     "You know, for a detective, you're awfully dense..."

     "Don't you even start with me, Fox William Mulder.  I've got plenty 
of things I can blackmail you with, you know."  Her tone of voice was 
serious, but there was a jovial expression on her face.

     "Okay, fine.  What the *HELL* did you bring her here for?" Mulder 
gestured to Scully.  "She's been trying to destroy me.  Has been since 
she first walked into my office!"

      Victoria glared at Mulder.  She'd figured they'd both be shutting
the other out... still, it frustrated her.  She could See so much more
between them than they'd even admit to.  

     "Mulder, you're being an arse.  Can't you see that Scully is hurting
just as much as you are?  She's invested her life in the X-Files just as
you have.  Whether you like it or not, she's *here*." 

     "I'm not so sure." Mulder grumbled. "She seems to be doing fine with
destroying my life." 

     "Mulder, stop it.  The X-Files are your work, *not* your life." 

     "The X-Files are the only thing I had left with which to look for
Samantha and now... even that may be a lie!" 

     "Even if what got you started in the X-files is a lie, and I'm not
saying it is, but even so, you've had other things to look into here
without involving yourself in alien abduction and government conspiracy."

     Mulder looked as though he were too busy drowning in self-pity and
self-recrimination to bother considering anything else.  Victoria
considered slapping him, though refrained.  

     "Mulder, what exactly *did* happen here?" Victoria asked.

     "I called Scully last night and told her I was either going to 
disappear or kill myself.  I called her because I wanted to know if she 
had any ideas of where I could disappear to." Mulder said.

     "Then you called me back and said that there was another dead body 
in your apartment and to have fun with the committee." Scully said.

     "That's because Kritchgau showed up and tried to kill me!  I shot him
by accident and then called you.  I don't know why you care anyway, since
your being assigned to me was due to that damned Consortium!" 

     "Speaking of which, though, have you considered the fact that this may
also be a product of said government conspiracy?  Have *either* of you
considered that this is meant to play the both of you against each other?" 

     Mulder looked sullen, but didn't say anything.  For that matter,
neither did Scully, though Scully appeared more dumb-struck.

     "I didn't think so.  Look, Mulder, you have got to stop jumping to
conclusions.  Scully, you have to stop believing anyone who claims to have
proof or sounds convincing or risk destroying what you two have together. 
In fact, it's already happening!  Even worse than those bloody cases in
Comity, or that gargoyle killer.  You came damn close to losing each other
then... do you want that to happen now?  If you do, you're damned fools. 
Both of you.  Trust no one indeed." 

     The partners looked at each other silently.  Victoria stood there,
waiting for the other shoe to drop. 

     Mulder looked crestfallen, and more than a little guilty.  "Scully, 
look, I... I'm sorry.  I know this cancer thing is difficult on you." 

     "Me too, Mulder.  Questioning your theories most times is one thing I
do gladly, since sometimes I think you get a little silly.  Calling you a
liar is something else entirely.  I never meant to hurt you."

     "Um... I hate to interrupt, but we'd better get out of here before we
get discovered.  I get the feeling your apartment is still bugged." 

     "Shit!  We should have thought of this sooner.  Let's get out of
here." Mulder said. 

-To Be Continued-

Questioning Our Truths (Part 2)
by Christina Shuy
cshuy@netcom.com

     It was too late.  There was a scratching at the door which sounded
like someone about to walk in.  Victoria turned to Mulder and shot him a
look with only one message: Hide!

     When the door opened, Victoria and Scully saw Skinner was standing
there, along with an unwelcome guest.  Cancerman.  The cigarette smoke
curling into the apartment gave it a stale, sinister odour.  Victoria
wrinkled her nose. 

     "Well, Mr. Skinner, it appears we have been beaten to the task of 
determining the facts." Cancerman said, taking a drag of his cigarette.

     "Agent Scully, what are you doing here?  Victoria I expected, but
you..." Skinner's voice trailed off.  He was giving a clear impression he
didn't *want* to be there. 

     "Skinner, what are you doing with him?" Scully acted surprised and
angry, though she'd already known because of Victoria's warning to her and
Mulder during her visit several weeks back. 

     "Are you aware this is a crime scene?"  Skinner stated in 'official'
mode. 

     "No, sir, it is not.  If it was, it would have been sealed off by 
police tape and other precautions.  As for what I'm doing here... I'm 
looking for the Truth."

     "You have a strange way of looking for it, Agent Scully." Cancerman 
spoke softly.  "The truth is what you told the committee this morning.  
Everything Agent Mulder believed in was a lie and we thank you for 
finishing up the assignment we'd given you and closing the X-files."

     "The assignment given before the X-Files was shut down was for me to
view what Agent Mulder did through the lens of science.  There are still
other things in the X-Files to be investigated other than alien abduction
claims.  I intend to stay with the X-Files to investigate those
phenomenon." Anger tinged Scully's tone of voice.

     Victoria studied the Cigarette SMoking man, very accurately dubbed by
Mulder as 'Cancer man'.  She could see that there was some great darkness
slowly consuming and destroying him... and he was allowing it. 

     "After the X-Files reopened, Agent Mulder asked me if I would return
to work with him.  I agreed, therefore my initial assignment no longer
holds." A cold, determined glitter worked its way into Scully's eyes.  "As
for closing the X-Files, I have done no such thing.  I am going to keep
working on them... by myself if absolutely necessary.  You've *lost*." 

     Scully stole a glance at Skinner, who was looking decidedly 
uncomfortable, before turning her attention back to the Smoking man.  A 
man she loathed on sight, especially lately.

     "In respect to Mulder's memory, would you both please leave?" 
Victoria spoke finally. 

     "There is nothing to find here, Mr. Skinner.  Let's go."

     With that said, the SMoking man and the Assistant Director both 
turned and left.

     "I think we should get out of here." Victoria said, moments later.


     They took a long, twisted route to get to Victoria's hotel, and once
there they checked for any sort of listening devices. 

     "Mulder, what are you doing other than making me nervous?"  Victoria
said, finally, after everything else had been taken care of as he paced
around, picking up the phone and then hanging up every few seconds. 

     "Scully, can I borrow your celphone?  I have someone I want to call." 

     "Not on my phone you don't.  Besides, you *know* how easily traceable
things like celphone conversations are." 

     Mulder sighed.  "I can't believe Skinner would do that... pick the lock 
and lead Cancerman right to my apartment."

     "Mulder, who was that body in your apartment?" Victoria asked. "And 
how did it happen?"

     "Kritchgau.  The one Scully believes over me..." Mulder's tone was
beyond bitter.  There was no doubt Mulder had heard what Scully had said
about keeping the X-Files open, but he still hurt over the one main point. 

     "I didn't say that.  WHat I said was that he had some evidence of 
your manipulation." Scully sounded tired and somewhat impatient.

     "Perhaps Cancerman sent him... It's not like Cancerman didn't know
where you lived anyway.  If he knows your first name, and other facts
about you, he would keep track of where you live." Victoria suggested. 

     Scully and Mulder looked at each other.  Victoria had let them hash
things out, since there was still deep pain between them.  Still, they
were getting nowhere. 

     "I'm going to find out what Cancerman is up to.  Both of you should
stay here.  It's safer that way.  Keep the door locked.  Mulder, you
especially should stay here.  The world believes you are deceased.  Keep
it that way before someone determines that you aren't and decides to
finish the job." Victoria got up and put on her coat. 

     "Victoria, where are you going?"

     "To see what I can find out.  I'm a relative unknown in this area 
and therefore I might be able to see something you both may have missed."

     "I'd like to go with you..."

     "Dana, perhaps you should stay here and get a little rest as well.  
I can see the strain of the last few days in your face.  And if you must, 
handcuff Mulder to the bed to keep him from going anywhere."

     Mulder only looked at his friend.  She looked back at him and
instantly read his expression.  "And don't get any ideas about ditching
Dana, Mulder, because I *will* know if you do and make you regret it." 

      With that, she was out the door.

     "Well, looks like I'm staying.  WHen she says something like that, 
she means it." Mulder mumbled, more to himself than Scully.

     After the door shut behind their friend, Mulder and Scully still 
looked at each other silently.

    "Mulder... I... I lied to Blevins this morning." Scully began.  "I
told him what you believed was all lies.  At first, I *did* think that,
especially when I was told I was given cancer just to make you believe. 
It seemed the most... straightforward explaination at the time, but..." 

      Mulder looked at her, half in disbelief, and half in amazement.

      Only glancing at him, Scully continued.  "After what happened in
your apartment, first with Kritchgau and then Skinner and Cancerman, I
can't see how that can be the case.  Victoria has pointed out a few things
to me that I hadn't quite seen before as well.  I realise you didn't ask
to be manipulated.  Perhaps you've got a hold of some truths after all." 

     Mulder smiled a little.  "Yeah.  She's always good at giving me a 
good swift boot to the head right when I need it."

      "She's a good friend, Mulder.  I'm glad you introduced me to her."  

      Mulder nodded, though he still didn't quite seem to be focused in 
the present.  THere were still wounds that ran deep.

      Taking a deep breath, Scully stood up and turned to face him. 
"However, there are still things we have to resolve, starting with how you
could be so stupid about letting Kritchgau into your apartment?  You're
always talking about 'trust no one', and yet you let someone who claimed
to have proof you were being manipulated into your apartment!"

      "I wasn't thinking too clearly.  All I wanted was to run away." 
Mulder answered, his eyes on the floor.  "Besides, I figured since you
trusted him, I might as well too.  Considering he might well be right." 

     Scully grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him.  Hard.

     "Mulder, sometimes you can be REALLY dense.  He tried to kill you,
first by going after your work, then by going after *you*.  Why do you
think he might be right?  Okay, he said I was given cancer to make *you*
believe, and I may have thrown that back in your face, but I was angry and
tired at the time...  *and* that was before he decided to come after you
in your own apartment!" 

      Mulder still held onto the 'whipped puppy' look.  He seemed to be 
on the verge of saying something several times, yet he shut up and closed 
himself off.

     Taking a deep breath, Scully reached over and slapped him as hard as
she could, since it was apparent shaking sense into him wasn't working. 

     "Ow... what was that for?" Mulder rubbed at his cheek.

     "Mulder, stop shutting yourself off.  This is *not* your fault.  We 
are partners, and this means that the only way we are going to get 
through this is *together*.  And that includes no ditching me."

    "I thought I'd already promised Victoria-"

    "Mulder, she's right.  You're being an ass.  And I'm sick to death of
being ditched all the time.  I know what Kritchgau said hurt you.  But
since when did *you* start believing the lie?  I almost did, until I had
to identify Kritchgau as *you* this morning." 

     "Funny how it takes my almost dying to make you see-"

     "Mulder, the point is, I *do* see.  A lot more than you might think."

     "What has Victoria been telling you?"

     "Nothing.  She did the same thing to me that she just did to you in
your apartment.  Knocked some sense into me before she and I went to your
apartment and found you." 

     "Scully, why now?"

     "What?"

     "Why choose now to believe?"

     "For an Oxford graduate, you aren't too bright.  I'm not giving up
science.  I'm keeping an open mind on possibilities."  Scully said, then
sighed.  "As for why I chose now to believe, well, maybe when I thought I
was going to lose you, I realised how much you mean to me, you idiot." 

     It was Mulder's turn to be surprised.  "What I mean to you?"

     "Mulder, I *have* noticed how overprotective you are of me, and have
been since the incident with Duane Barry cost me three months of my life. 
And I do know I hurt you when I threw what Kritchgau said about my 
cancer, and other things, in your face." 

     "Scully... what has Victoria been telling you?" he repeated.

     "Mulder, it doesn't matter what Victoria has told me.  When I 
thought I'd lose you last night and this morning, I realised just what 
*you* mean to me, and just how close I came to destroying what we have... 
and what we can possibly have in the future."

     Mulder did a double take.  'What we can possibly have in the 
future'?!  Had he heard her right?

    "Scully, what are you saying here?" His tone may have questioned, but 
the expression on his face spoke of other things.

     "Extreme possibilities, Agent Mulder... Remember what the poster in 
our office says..." Dana Scully spoke softly.  There was a hint of a 
smile in her eyes.

     "'I want to believe'?"

     "I want to believe.  In you.  In me.  In *us*."

     "Scully... are you saying what I *think* you're saying?"

     "What do you think I'm saying, Mulder?"

     "I love you, Scully."

     Scully smiled.  "You read my mind... I love you, too, Mulder."

    Mulder gulped a little.  "You know... I hope you don't mean the 
brother-sister type of love... because otherwise this could get a little 
incestuous..." The last words came out with a smile.

     "Mulder..." Scully tried to stifle the laugh, but laughed anyway.

     "Well?"

     "No, I do *not* love you as a brother."

     "Good.  'Cause I don't love you as a sister.  And I'm sorry about 
what happened in Apison, Tennesee.  I was wrong then."

     Scully blinked, remembering Melissa Ridell Ephesian, the woman with
Multiple Personalities who claimed to be Mulder's soul mate.  There was a
slight ache which was quickly replaced with joy.  If he was wrong then... 

     "Then what were you *right* about?"

     "The fact that you and I have been together in one way or another in
many lives... and the one way we have yet to be together... I believe
that's what we're meant to learn.  Love.  Eternal.  And *this* time...
well, this time we're meant to be life mates, I think.  Melissa Ephisian 
was just an obstacle." 

     Scully smiled.  "I'm glad you're saying you were wrong all those 
months ago, because I need to admit something too.  I am glad we got all 
of those *other* learning experiences... but I want you... like I've 
wanted no other.  *You* are the only one I trust... with my heart and my 
life."

     "Scully... Dana..." His eyes darkened as she stepped closer to him.  
His voice became throaty.  "I..."

     "Shh, Mulder... I need to do this." She sat him down on the bed and
then sat beside him.  Without another word, she pulled Mulder's head lower
and pressed his lips to her own. 

     When the kiss finally ended, both were trembling, but they still 
clung to one another.

     "Dana... did I ever tell you why I don't like anyone calling me 
'Fox'?" he murmured into her hair.

     "I always thought it had something to do with Samantha..."

     "It did, but not entirely.  I *liked* it when Samantha called me
'Fox'... but my parents... well, the only time my parents called me 'Fox'
after Samantha disappeared was to scream at me .  No one I ever loved
called me 'Fox'..." Mulder felt Scully stiffen in his arms.  "But, Scully,
I *want* you to call me 'Fox'... I didn't let you at first because it felt
too familiar, and I didn't exactly trust you then." 

     "I suppose that's a good enough reason... except that you *did* let 
someone else call you 'Fox'... or have you forgotten Bambi?"

     Mulder winced.  "Yeah, I guess I had.  Even with a photographic 
memory, I guess there are some things I want to forget... because along 
with meeting her, I also treated you really badly that time.  I'm sorry."

     Scully smiled.  "Thank you, Mulder.  I was beginning to wonder about 
that...  Anyway, it's past.  

     "What we both need to find out is what to do now.  The world thinks
you're dead.  And since I was the only one listed on your 'Next of Kin'
list, I instructed that they cremate your remains and forgo any
investigation, but that won't wash for long.  What happens when Kritchgau
turns up missing?" 

     Mulder sighed.  "I don't know... but I do know that we're going to
figure things out together.  I can't promise I won't ditch you and go off
on my own, but I'll try to let you know when and where I'm going, though
sometimes it might be safer if you didn't know..." 

     "You mean it would get me into less trouble and I wouldn't have to 
lie if I didn't know."

     "Well..." Mulder squirmed. "Since you put it that way, yes." 

     Scully smacked Mulder on the chest.  "Mulder, I understand you 
wanting to protect me, but I can handle things on my own."

     "I know that, Scully, it's just... You've suffered enough because of 
your association with me.  I don't want to continue getting you into 
trouble because of me."

     "Mulder, I knew the risks when I joined the FBI, as well as when I
agreed to return to the X-Files after my kidnapping.  I wanted to look for
the Truth and the answers, even after Missy died.  I still do.  What I
told Skinner and Cancerman in your apartment is what I meant.  I'm going
to stay with the X-Files and keep looking for the truth." 

     "Even if it kills you?"

     "Even then, but as Victoria reminded me earlier, we have to keep 
looking for a cure.  I remember saying that I wasn't going to let this 
thing beat me.  I'm not.  What I want is to find a cure *and* continue 
looking for the Truth.  Nothing has changed, except for the damned 
tumour.  It reminded me that perhaps I need to look for a cure first.  
Cancer metastisizing has to be dealt with.  Soon."

-The End- (though I must admit I have something in mind as a continuation...)

"The Truth is Out There.  Trust No One."- from "The X-Files"
Pursuing a BS degree(Electrical Engineering)-EE 332(Systems Analysis)-Su97
"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.