Disclaimer: Nope, these characters aren't mine.

Category: VA
Classification: MSR
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Trust No 1
Archive: Gossamer. Further X. Spookys.
Thanks to: MD and Sara Lynn for the suggested hanky warning.
Summary: Scully continues to struggle with Mulder's absence.


"A Room without A View"
by Lisa
haven599@msn.com


   "Dana, did I come at a bad time?"  Monica asked.

   Scully opened the door to her apartment and Monica noticed she
was dressed in an old flannel shirt way too big for her (it
probably was Mulder's) paired with old jeans that were thinning
at the knees.  Her hair was pulled up, but most had fallen out
of its enclosure and framed her face.

   "No, why?"

   Monica entered the apartment only to find it in disarray.  Not
just untidy, but furniture out of place, bookshelves without
books, piles of clutter in the middle of the floor.  "What are
you doing?"

   "I'm going to find all those surveillance bugs they have planted
all over my apartment,"  Scully said.  She was already over at
another cabinet, taking off knick knacks two at a time.  "I've
already found three, Monica."

   "Three?"

   "Yeah, they aren't as clever as they think," Scully muttered
with an air of superiority.  "What do you want?"

   "Why don't we sit down . . .somewhere."  Monica stepped over
books and end tables to find part of the couch to plant herself.

   "You sit.  I'll work.  I can listen and do this at the same time."
Scully didn't look away from her task.

   "I just came over to see how you were doing. It's been two
days since everything happened at the train station," Monica said.

   "I'm fine, now that I've begun doing this.  It will change
everything.  They won't be able to spy on William and I anymore."

   At the mention of his name, William began to cry.

   Scully went to the bedroom for a few moments.  Monica looked
around again at the disheveled apartment and wondered if Scully
had been working non-stop for the past two days in order to get it
in this state.  Taking care of William didn't seem to slow her
progress down any, either.

   Monica made her way over to the kitchen for a glass of water
and saw an outlet ripped off the wall and a tiny microchip on the
counter, smashed into many tiny pieces.

   "Sorry - what were we talking about?"  Scully resumed her
position at the cabinet.

   "Do you want something to drink? A glass of water?"

   "No, I'm fine," she replied.

   William started to cry again. Scully went about her task, ignoring
her son this time.

   "Dana -"

   "What does he *want* now?  I was just in there.  Why can't he
just go back to sleep?" Scully said loudly, startling Monica.

   "I'll go check on him, okay?"

   Scully nodded and resumed working.

   Monica went back into the bedroom and it looked like a carbon
copy of the living room. Books and furniture moved into the center
of the room except for a small area surrounding William's bassinet.

   Monica picked the baby up and cradled him close to her chest,
rocking him back and forth.  "Mommy's busy right now, William.
I hope I'll be an acceptable substitute."  She murmured words of
comfort to him for a few minutes and he settled right down.
Putting him back in bed, Monica crept back to the other room.

   "Why don't you take a break?"  Monica suggested.

   "No, I'm okay."  Scully was stacking up magazines in a
pile on the floor.

   Monica knelt down beside her on the floor.  "Dana, you just
screamed at your child."

   "I did?"  Scully asked.  "I need to finish this. Only two more
rooms left.  Then I'll be done."

   "Why don't I stay and watch him for you?" Monica offered.
"On one condition.  You get some rest."

   "Monica, I'm -" Scully got up quickly and moved to the next
piece of furniture.

   "I'll stay so you can get a good night's rest," she told Scully.

   "Okay, but I have to find the rest of those transmitters."
She continued to remove the items off the shelf of her television
cabinetry.

   "Dana, you need to take some time -" Monica grabbed her wrist
to get her attention.

   "No, I don't," she yelled.   "What *I* need is for Mulder to
come back.  Now. We've already lost too much time."  She leaned
against the wall to steady herself, but was still on the verge
of tears. "If I get these cameras out then maybe he can come home.
He can come back to us."

   Scully sank to the floor, sobbing.  "I want him to come back
to me.  I can't take this anymore.  I can't.  I can't . . ."

   Monica knelt down to comfort her co-worker and friend.  "I want
him to come home to you, too, Dana."  She put her arms around
Scully in an effort to comfort her.

   Scully continued to cry, feeling debugging her apartment was
the only thing she could do for him right now besides hope and
pray that he was safe and still alive. "What if this was his last
chance to come home?  What am I supposed to do then?"

   How could she lose the man she loved twice?

****
END