From: rjsabatier@shaw.ca   
      
   Title: "New Chances"   
   Pairing: Mulder and Scully   
      
   Rating: M   
      
   Disclaimer: Don't own these characters. Never have, never will   
      
      
      
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   Before Scully could respond, the doctor returned with the news that Mulder   
   could be released into Scully's care the next morning. They wanted to keep   
   him one more night to make sure everything was looking as well as they   
   thought.   
      
      
      
   "I'd high five you, Scully, but right now I'm just too damn tired." Mulder   
   grinned at her.   
      
      
      
   "Don't worry about it, Mulder." She was just happy he could talk again.   
   Well, sort of. He did it with some difficulty.   
      
      
      
   "I'll be as well-behaved as I can. I promise."  Mulder knew he could be   
   difficult and he knew she sometimes wanted to ring his jaws. However, her   
   only response was to roll her eyes.   
      
   "Payback," he groaned. "Shouldn't have done that so much."   
      
   Scully pulled up the blankets around his waist a little more snugly. "Do you   
   need anything?"   
      
   YOU!  Mulder's head screamed. "I'm good."   
      
   "Okay. I'm just gonna." Scully settled against the pillows beside him.   
   "Close my eyes for a bit."   
      
   "Sleep," Mulder said more forcefully than he intended.   
      
      
      
   "Okay, Daddy." Scully half-smiled before giving in to her exhaustion.   
      
   "Don't call me that," Mulder teased. Scully was already asleep, however, and   
   didn't hear him. He sighed against her hair.   
      
      
      
   "Scully.  Scully." He was gently shaking her shoulder a few hours later.   
      
   "Hm?" She was embarrassed because she had been dreaming about him. Her   
   cheeks were slightly pink as she sat up.   
      
   "I don't want you think of me as half a man, but could you help me go to the   
   bathroom?"   
      
   "Yeah. One sec." Scully rubbed her eyes and sat up, trying to get her   
   composure back. Then she pulled back the covers, momentarily staring at   
   Mulder's legs. Get a grip, Dana   
      
      
      
   "Don't worry about squashing me."  Scully didn't know why she said it but it   
   was already out.   
      
   "Scully, are you calling me fat?"   
      
   "Never mind." Her blush deepened.   
      
      
   He touched her cheek. "I'm teasing."   
      
   Scully smiled and concentrated on putting his feet down on the floor. They   
   were half way to the bathroom when he was sure his legs were going to give   
   out on him. "I'm gonna fall."   
      
   "I've got you. I promise." Scully tightened her arms around him and shifted   
   him a little. They barely made it to the toilet when Mulder fell rather   
   ungracefully onto it. Scully held his hand to keep him from really hurting   
   himself.   
      
   "Damn.." Mulder muttered. "I hate this. I hate feeling weak around you."   
      
   "Mulder.." was all Scully could say for a second. She made him look at her.   
   "You are one of the strongest people I have ever met."   
      
   "Not today."   
      
   "Hey.seriously, it doesn't bother me." She touched his face to make sure he   
   was seeing her eyes. "Okay?'   
      
      
      
   "Yeah." Now it was Mulder's turn to redden in the face. "Could you turn away   
   or something?" He wasn't sure he could go with her watching him.   
      
      
      
   "I'll be outside." She closed the door behind him. She was glad he couldn't   
   see the tears on her face.   
      
   He finished a few moments later. "Scully?"   
      
   "Yeah..Okay." She tried to keep her voice calm. She wiped her face.   
      
   He felt horrible and a shower sounded good to him, but could he ask her?   
      
      
      
   "I was wondering."   
      
   "Mulder you can ask me anything. You know that."   
      
   "Feeling horrible. And well, sweaty.  I was wondering if I could talk you   
   into helping me take a shower," Mulder said softly.   
      
      
   Scully's eyes widened a moment behind the closed door. She took a breath and   
   opened it slowly.   
      
   "I could get a nurse," Mulder continued.   
      
   "I'll do it." Scully sat Mulder on the toilet seat before turning on the   
   water. She flexed her hands a couple of times under the nozzle to calm   
   herself down.  It didn't mean anything.   
      
      
   "It's okay if you peek," Mulder teased.   
      
   When Scully was sure she had the water at a temperature where he wouldn't   
   scald himself, she turned her attention to helping him with his gown. She   
   had trouble with her composure when she got a good long look at his   
   physique. She managed to clam, but not before he caught the flicker of   
   admiration behind her eyes.   
      
      
      
   Mulder blushed again. "Now how can I talk you out of your clothes?" The pain   
   meds were making his tongue loose.   
      
      
      
   "Will you be okay for a minute? Maybe you can brace yourself against the   
   bar." Scully was thinking logically about holding him up.well, for about a   
   millisecond.   
      
      
   Then the nurse arrived to take over for her. Mulder was disappointed and   
   pouted as he got a bath instead of a shower. Scully on the other hand walked   
   out of the bathroom, still chiding herself. No, kicking herself. Mulder was   
   only saying the things he was saying because he was under pain medication.   
      
      
      
   A few hours later, he was released into her care.   
      
      
   "Scully, why are you so quiet?"   
      
   "Just thinking about whether my place is more practical or yours," Scully   
   said as she helped him into a wheelchair.   
      
   "Are you mad at me?"   
      
   "Why would I be mad? You didn't do anything wrong."   
      
   "You've been distant since this morning."   
      
   Scully knelt down in front of Mulder. "I didn't do it on purpose. I guess   
   I'm just worried."   
      
      
   "About me being at your place? If it makes you uncomfortable... I can hire a   
   nurse or something."   
      
   "No, that part's fine." Scully said slowly. Mulder wasn't so sure she was   
   being honest with him. The pain medication had worn off and he had refused   
   more. "I'm worried I'll disappoint you. That I won't be able to look after   
   you properly."  Finally, Scully wrapped her arms around him, whispering "I   
   was so scared I'd lose you."   
      
   "You didn't.You won't. You could never disappoint me." He kissed her   
   forehead.   
      
   "Why does it always take a mutant to make me figure this stuff out?" she   
   murmured more to herself than to Mulder. She was unaware at first that he   
   could hear her.   
      
   "That you care about me?"  Mulder needed to hear her say it. She looked him   
   in the eye, only able to nod because she was trying to keep from crying.   
      
   He squeezed her hand. "Me too."   
      
   Scully slowly straightened and gave Mulder a smile. "Ready to get out of   
   here?"   
      
   "Do you even have to ask?" Mulder teased. He took her hand in his as the   
   nurse wheeled him down to the elevator. Scully slipped back into her   
   previous thoughts as they were out of the parking lot and Mulder had been   
   loaded into the back of the taxi.   
      
   He let her remain quiet most of the way to her apartment. "I'll try not to   
   get in your way."   
      
   The statement took Scully off-guard. Before she could answer, the driver was   
   in front of her building and they were helping Mulder into his wheelchair   
   again. Scully paid the driver and knelt down in front of Mulder as the cab   
   pulled away.   
      
      
      
   She took a deep breath and a chance, saying what she needed to "Mulder,   
   you're not in the way. I need you."   
      
      
      
   Mulder caressed her cheek gently. "Not as much as I need you."   
      
      
      
      
      
   [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]   
      
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)