Scully sits on the couch in her dark living room. Her knees are drawn up to her chest and she hugs them with her arms. She has lost all track of time. The events of the day play over and over in her head, haunting her.
   She tried to convince herself that it was nothing this morning when she felt the warm gush of blood trickling down her left nostril and onto her lip. It was just a bloody nose. But the memories of her cancer just two years ago told her otherwise. She knew with an ominous certainty that her cancer had returned and when she went to the hospital her worst fear was confirmed.
     She was now faced with the unbearable task of telling her family that her cancer was back. And not to mention telling Mulder, that would be the hardest part of all. She hadn’t been to work all day. Hadn’t even called him to tell him she wouldn’t be in. He had left two messages on her machine, which she didn’t bother to return. She knew sooner or later that he would come knocking on her door wondering if she was okay. But she wasn’t okay. The cancer had spread more rapidly this time and there was nothing any of the doctors could do. They told her that she had six months at best.
      She starts to think about her life and realizes that she wasn’t that happy most of the time. She thinks of Mulder and how much she loves him but never once told him. There were so many things she had wanted to talk to him about but never did because she was afraid that her image of a strong capable woman would be jeopardized. Why had she always felt the need to act so strong around him, when so many times she just wanted to break down and cry and tell him all her fear and worries. Well, there is still time she thinks. Still time. She lies down on the couch and drifts off into a troubled sleep.
    She is abruptly torn from her sleep by a loud pounding noise on the door. She sits up quickly; she starts to get up and then hesitates, unsure what to do. Suddenly she hears the sound of a key turning in the lock and the door opens.
  Mulder, not being able to see a thing in the dark turns on the light. He sees Scully sitting on the couch with a blanket wrapped around her.
“Oh, I’m sorry Scully. It’s just you didn’t come to work today and you weren’t answering your phone so I got worried. Are you okay?”
She is silent for a moment and then says in a whisper, “No Mulder I’m not okay.” She turns away from him and draws her knees back up into her chest.
 Mulder walks over to the couch concerned and kneels down in front of Scully so he can look into her eyes. Her beautiful big blues eyes start to well up with water. He gets a sickening feeling in his stomach and knows that something is seriously wrong. He nervously swallows and then places his hands on hers.
“Dana, what happen? Talk to me.”  At the utterance of his words she breaks down in tears, unable to hold in her anguish any longer. She slides of the couch and into his arms.
  He holds her on the floor for several minuets until finally she able to talk to him.
“Mulder, the reason I didn’t come to work today was because I was at the hospital all day being tested.”
“Tested for what?” Mulder asks, although he already knows the answer.
“Mulder, my cancer has come back.”
    These words echo back and forth in Mulder’s mind and his stomach knots up with fear. He suddenly feels like crying but he stays strong for Scully’s sake.
“Well, you beat it before, You can do it again. I know you Scully. You’re strong you can fight this.” He tries to hold back the tremor in his voice.
“No, Mulder.”
  He opens his mouth to contest her words but she places her fingers on his lips before he can speak.
“There is nothing anyone can do for me Mulder. The cancer has spread more rapidly through my body. It’s just a matter of time.”
Mulder stops trying to be strong and a tear runs down his face.
“How long?” He asks.
“Six months at the most.”
His stomach knots up and his heart sinks when he thinks of having Scully for only six more months. He suddenly feels like he has already lost her. To reassure himself that she is still with him he pulls her into his arms and hugs her tightly, not wanting to let go.
   Scully knew this was going to be the hardest part of all. Of course she feared dying but what she feared the most was leaving behind her loved ones, especially Mulder. She felt as if he depended on her more then ever now. Next to his mother, she was the closest thing to family he had left. He had already lost his sister and his father. She feared that when he lost her, he wouldn’t be able to handle it. She starts to cry when she thinks of what this might do to him.
“Dana, come on please don’t cry. We can hope for a miracle.” He strokes her hair with his hand to try and calm her.
“Mulder, there isn’t going to be any miracle. We have to be realistic. I won’t be around for much longer and you need to accept that. If you don’t then….” She starts to cry harder unable to finish her sentence.”
“If I don’t, what?” Mulder asks trying to get her to finish her sentence. She pulls away from his embrace and wipes the tears from her face.
“I need to know that you will be okay after I’m gone.”
“Scully, I don’t want to talk about that now.” He says getting upset.
“But Mulder we need to.” She can see the pain in his eyes.
“Mulder please don’t be sad.” She places the palm of her hand on his cheek.
“You have to accept this so when I’m gone you can go on with your life.”
“Scully, I’m not talking about this now!” He gets up angry and starts to pace around the room.  “I’ll do anything you ask of me, but I don’t want to talk about his now! Okay? Please Scully.” He looks at her with pleading eyes. She can tell he is hurting badly and just needs to be with her right now. She walks up behind him and places her hand gently on his shoulder.
“Mulder, would you stay with me tonight?” He turns to face her. Scully can see the tears in his eyes ready to fall at any moment.
“Of course I’ll stay,” He says as a single tear falls from his eye and rolls down his cheek.
“You want me to sleep on the couch?” He asks her.
“No, with me in my room.” He gives her a surprised look.
“Mulder, I’m not insinuating that we do any thing. I just want to be near you that’s all.”
He smiles a little embarrassed that his mind immediately rushed to other things.
“Oh yeah of course.”
 Scully smiles and places her hand in his. She leads him to the bedroom and they both lay down on the bed. He puts his arm around her and starts to stroke her hair.
“Don’t worry about any thing else right now Scully. Just rest, I’m hear and I’m not going anywhere.”
  At peace for the first time all day, Scully falls into a deep sleep.
       She awakens in the middle of the night coughing violently. She feels something wet on her pillow and quickly sits up.
   Suddenly Mulder comes running from the bathroom with a wash cloth in his hand.
“Scully, lay down. You’re bleeding a lot.” He says in a panic.
She turns on her light on the night stand and sees a gush of blood on her pillow and more is dripping down her nose.
Mulder rushes over to her.
“We need to get you to a hospital.”
She takes the wash cloth from his hand and holds it up to her nose.
“No, Mulder I’m not going back there tonight. And this isn’t that bad. I just need to lay back and I’ll be fine.”
“You don’t normally bleed this much do you?” He asks concerned.
“Mulder, this is a normal symptom of Nasopharyngeal cancer. And it’s one of the more mild symptoms. I have yet to experience, trouble breathing, speaking, headaches, or ringing in my ear or trouble hearing.”
“Those are all symptoms?” He asks alarmed.
“Yeah and I’ll probably experience them when my cancer progresses, but right now I’m okay. It’s just a little blood. I’ll know when I need to check into the hospital. But now is not the time. Tonight I want to be with you.”
“Okay, if your sure Scully.” He takes the damp wash cloth from her hands and wipes the blood off her nose and chin.
“Just lie down Scully and rest.”
   She lies back down and he covers her with a blanket. She closes her eyes and within moments she is asleep.
   Mulder sits on the edge of the bed and watches her as she sleeps. He can’t believe this is happening again. He prayed that he’d never be faced with losing Scully again. But here it was happening again and this time he knew there was no hope.
    She’s gone through so much hardship and pain. She doesn’t deserve this. It’s because of me and my quest that she got this disease in the first place. I’ve got to make it up to her. I have to make up to her all the years that she stood by me and sacrificed her life and her happiness. He lies down beside her and starts to think of what he can do to make her happy during the last months of her life.
     Mulder awakes to see that Scully isn’t lying beside him. He gets up to go find her and sees her sitting at the table drinking a cup of tea. She smiles when he enters the kitchen.
“Hey sunshine,” Mulder says. “You look good.”
“Yeah I feel pretty good today.”
“I’m  glad,” Mulder replies and sits down beside her.
“Mulder, I need to ask you something. Feel free to say no, but I was wondering if you’d come with me today to my mother’s house. I need to tell her the news and I’d really appreciate your support.”
“Don’t you want to be alone with her when you tell her Scully?”
“No, Mulder I’d really like you to be there.”
“Okay if you want me there then I will be there.”
“Oh wait what about work?”
“I’ll call Skinner and tell him we won’t be in today.” He heart suddenly sinks when he realizes that things will never be the same again.
       Scully notices the distressed look on his face and grabs onto his hand concerned.
“Mulder, what is it?”
“Nothing, it’s nothing Scully.”
“I know what you’re thinking. You’re wondering if I’m going to come back to work. Well, I’ve given it a lot of thought but I’m not sure what I want to do yet. But I’ll know soon.”
“Take your time,” Mulder replies. He quickly gets up so she won’t see the anguish he feels at this moment.
“I guess I’ll go home and get dressed and then meet you back here and we can go together to your mother’s house.”
“Okay, thanks a lot Mulder.”
“Okay, I’ll see you soon.” Before his emotions can betray him he walks quickly out of the kitchen and out the front door.

   A few hours later they arrive at Mrs. Scully’s house. Scully gets out of the car and Mulder follows close behind. She rings the doorbell and Bill answers the door. As soon as she sees him Scully throws her arms around him. He steps back a little caught off guard.
“I’m so glad you’re here Bill.”
“Dana, what’s going on? And why is your partner with you.” He asks not even bothering to say hi to Mulder.
“Bill, I need to talk to you and mom about something.”
“Okay.”
 Scully grabs onto Mulder’s hand and pulls him into the foyer.
“Mom! Are you home?”
  Margaret Scully hears her daughter’s voice and comes walking down the stairs.
“Dana, what a wonderful surprise.” She looks over at Mulder and smiles.
“Hi Fox. Are you two on a case or something?”
“No, mom I need to talk to you about something.”
“What is it?” She can tell by the serious look on Scully’s face that something is wrong.
“Can we go sit down?” Scully asks.
“Sure, Dana.”
They all walk into the living room. Scully sits down on the couch next to her mother and Mulder sits down next to Scully. Bill remains standing in the corner of the living room.
Scully takes a deep breath before she begins to talk. “Well, I guess there is no easy way to tell you this but..well..” She pauses looking for the right words. Mulder starts to rub her back.
   Bill notices this show of affection and cringes. He never liked that man. He didn’t care about his sister. All he cared about was his work and he could care less who got hurt in the process. Now he was rubbing her back like he cared. It made him sick to watch.
    “Dana, go on.” Her mom says tenderly.
“Mom, yesterday I was at the hospital all day being tested.”
“Tested for what?”
Scully grabs onto her mom’s hand. “Mom, I have cancer.”
 Bill walks over upset. “I thought it was in remission.”
“It was but, Bill things like this happen.”
“Oh Dana I…” Her mom starts to cry.
“What did the doctors say they could do?” Bill asks with a slight tremor in his voice.
“There is nothing they can do. The cancer has spread to my liver and bones. It’s only a matter of time.”
“Oh Dana, I’m so sorry baby.” Her mom wraps her arms around her and starts to cry.
“Mom please don’t cry,” Scully says starting to get teary eyed her self.
“There is always prayer Dana. It can get you through this. There is still hope.”
      Mulder glances over at Bill and then quickly looks away when he sees the contempt in his eyes. God he hates me, Mulder thinks. He blames this all on me.
   Scully gets up from the couch to hug her brother. Mulder walks over to Mrs. Scully.
“Can I talk to you in private for a few moments?” He asks.
“Sure, Fox.” She leads him into the kitchen.
“Okay we are alone what is that you need to talk about?”
“I know that Bill blames me for what has happen to Scully and I’m sure in some way you feel it is my fault too. I even blame my self. If she weren’t so loyal to me and my quest none of this would ever have happened.”
“Fox, you can’t blame yourself.”
“But, I do and I want to make it up to her. I want to make up all the times that she sacrificed her personal life to go on one of my wild goose chases. I want to make up for all the fun in her life that she could have had but missed because she was working with me.”
“What are you saying Fox?”
“I want to take her away some where. I want her to live her last months having the time of her life. But I guess what I’m asking is for your permission. I know that you probably want to spend as much time with Dana as you can. So if you don’t want me to take her I won’t.”
Margaret walks up to Mulder and grabs onto his hand. “You’re a good man Fox, and I know you love my daughter and she loves you. She has for a very long time. I can’t think of any place where she would be happier then with you. So take my baby away some place beautiful and I’ll see her when she gets back.” Tears glimmer in Margaret’s eyes.
“Thank you Mrs. Scully.” He leans in and gives her a warm hug.

      SEVERAL DAYS LATER……
Scully sits in her seat eagerly awaiting the planes destination.
“Come on Mulder why won’t you tell me where we are going?”
“Because, I want it to be a surprise.”
“Mulder, come on. Please.” She looks up at him with pleading eyes. He can’t resist the adorable look on her face and pulls out a brochure.
“Okay fine, if you must know Scully we are flying to California to board the Crystal Symphony.”
 He shows her the picture of the boat. Scully’s face brightens.
“You mean we are going on a cruise! Mulder how did you know I’ve always want to do that!” Her eyes suddenly start to water and she grabs onto his hand.
“Thank you Mulder.” He kisses her on the cheek.
“Scully, there is no need to thank me okay? I don’t want to see you sad. ” Scully wipes away her tears.
“Okay I promise no more tears. All right now read me the brochure,” She says eagerly.
“That’s much better.” Mulder opens the brochure and starts to read its contents.
“The Classic Voyage I begins where Thor Heyerdahl once began his epic voyage across the Pacific in Kon-Tiki, a balsa-wood raft.
Ahead lie two memorable maiden calls: Easter Island, guarded by its awe-inspiring stone heads, and diminutive Pitcairn Island, where the descendants of the Bounty Mutiny still reside.
Our course leads past a series of South Seas jewels, a wonderland of the coral reefs and yacht-strewn lagoons, volcanic peaks and pristine jungles.
Ahead lies scenic New Zealand, and stately Sydney, heart and soul of Australia.
Scully stops him before he can read any more.
“My god Mulder how much is this costing you? You know I can pay for half of it.”
“Scully, you’re not paying for any of it. I just want to see you happy. And I want to make it up to you.”
Scully gives him a quizzical look. “Make it up to me?”
“Never mind Scully.”
“No, Mulder I want to know what you meant by that.”
Mulder exhales. “I can’t help feeling that every thing that has happened to you over the years is my fault. You’ve endured a lot of pain because of my selfish quest. If it weren’t for me you…” She stops him in mid- sentence.
“Mulder, stop. None of this is your fault. It is my life. At any time I could have walked away but I didn’t. And you know if I had to change one day of it I wouldn’t. I loved every minute I spent with you. So don’t you blame your self for my cancer or for anything else that happen to me during those seven years that we worked together. You’ve brought more joy into my life then I can express.” She leans her head on his shoulder.
“Now I’m just going to rest and not worry about any thing. I know I don’t have much time left and I want to spend the last months of my life having fun with no worries. I think I deserve that.” He starts to stroke her hair.
“Yes, you do Scully, yes you do.”
   She falls asleep as the plane flies off into to the sunset.

  Scully is still asleep when the plane lands. Mulder watches her as she sleeps and tries to resist the temptation he feels to kiss her. She looks so beautiful right now and he can’t bring himself to wake her up, but passengers start to shuffle by him so he reaches over and lightly brushes a strand of hair behind her ear. She doesn’t stir so he taps her on the face.
“Hey Scully wake up. We’re here.”
She opens her eyes slowly and yawns.
“We are already there?”
“Yeah you slept the whole way.”
“Wow, I guess I was tired.”
“Guess so,” Mulder replies as he stands up. “Come on I’ll help you up.” He extends his hand to her. She grabs on and he pulls her up. Suddenly she feels dizzy and sits back down.
“Woah,” She says and bends her head down in an attempt to ward off the dizziness. Mulder kneels down next to her concerned.
“Hey are you okay? Maybe this wasn’t such a good Idea.”
“No, Mulder I’m fine I think it’s because I just woke up and I haven’t eaten any thing in a while. I’ll be fine in just a minute.” She takes a couple of deep breaths and then stands up slowly.
“You okay now?”
“Yeah I’m okay now.” He looks at her dubiously.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes come on lets go.” She grabs her carry on bag from the overhead bin above and starts to walk out of the plane. Mulder follows protectively behind.
    As they walk through the airport a small photo booth catches Mulder’s eyes.
He grabs onto Scully’s hand.
“Come on lets go get our picture taken.”
“Huh?” Scully looks at him confused.
“Look over there.” Scully looks over to where he is pointing.
“In that cheesy little booth?” She laughs. “Mulder, that’s something you do with your date or best friend in the 7th grade.”
“Come on party pooper. It will be fun.” He grabs her arms and pulls her over to the booth.
   Mulder steps inside the booth first and sits down. He grins up at her.
“Come on Scully.”
“Mulder there is no room for me.”
“Yeah there is, come on sit on my lap.” Scully hesitates for a moment and then sits down a little uncomfortable at first. Then suddenly a sense of security washes over her and she feels very safe and serene sitting in his lamp. She feels like turning around and kissing him but she resists the temptation and smiles as the flash goes off.
As the next flash goes off Mulder kisses her on the cheek.
“Okay next picture you have to make a face Scully.”
“A face? Mulder, no.”
“Come on.” He makes a hideous face and she laughs as the last flash goes off.
   “Hey Scully you didn’t make a face.” She turns and kisses him lightly on the lips and then pulls away quickly.
“Woah what was that for?” Mulder asks a little surprised.
“Just for being so great. You’re really a great friend to me.” She steps out of the booth quickly because she feels as if she is going to start crying and she doesn’t want him to see her sad. It will make this whole thing harder for him to handle.
   As Mulder steps out of the booth Scully grabs the pictures out of the slot. She hands them to Mulder. “Here you keep them.” He smiles at her.
“Thank you.” He stares down at the pictures with reverie. This will be a great memory he thinks to him self.
Scully notices the saddened look on his face as he looks at the pictures. She places her hand on his arm.
“Hey, are you okay?” He looks up from the pictures and smiles.
“Yeah I’m fine. Come on lets get going so we can board that ship.”
      Mulder and Scully are led into their suite aboard the Crystal Symphony. It is a huge room with two queen-sized beds.
“Scully, I would have gotten us separate rooms but I’m just worried about you being alone by yourself.”
“Mulder, that’s sweet but my cancer isn’t that advanced yet. I’ll be okay by myself.”
“I know I just want to be there just in case you need me. But I can ask them to get you another room if you want.”
“No this is fine Mulder.” She walks over to the window and looks out at the ocean suddenly remembering her days of sailing with her father. At least I’ll get to see him again soon she thinks. Mulder sees the saddened look on her face and walks up to the window where she is standing. He places his hand on her back.
“Hey, are you okay?” She turns to him with her eyes full of water.
“Yeah, I’m okay I was just thinking about my father and how I’ll get to see him soon.”
“Scully don’t say that!”
“Mulder, I can’t do this!” She says getting upset.
“You can’t do what?”
“I can’t hide from reality like this! I need to accept that I’m going to die and you need to accept it too!” Mulder stares at her not knowing what to say. Scully walks away from the window and sits back down on the bed.
  After few minuets Mulder walks over to her.
“You think I’m trying to hide from reality by taking you on this trip?”
“Yes, I do Mulder and it worries me. If I of all people can accept that I’m going to die why can’t you?” Mulder’s eyes start to tear up and he doesn’t even bother to hold them back. “Because I love you so much Scully. I guess it’s as simple as that. I don’t know why I never told you when I’ve loved you for such a long time. There are so many things I wish I would of told you or talked to you about. There are so many things that we could have done together but didn’t. I guess in a way this trip is to make up for those seven years.” Scully stares at him speechless for a few minuets And  then throws  her arms around him.
“I love you too. And I’m so sorry I never told you. I’m sorry for all the times you wanted me to open up to you and I wouldn’t. And now it’s too late. God, Mulder I’m sorry, I’m sorry. ” Tears start flowing down her face. He strokes her hair to comfort her.
“It’s not too late Scully we still have time……..”

       One week later
Scully awakens in her room and turns over to look at the clock. It reads 10:30AM. Wow I slept in late she thinks. She looks over at Mulder’s bed and sees it’s already made. He must have gone down to the dining hall to have breakfast she thinks. She gets dressed and walks down to join him.
When she reaches the dining hall she sees Mulder siting at a table talking to a couple. When he sees her, his face brightens.
“Good morning sunshine. Why don’t you have a seat and I’ll get you something to eat from the buffet. What do you want?” Scully sits down next to the couple.
”Just some fruit will be fine. Thanks Mulder.” He gets up and walks over to the buffet.
The lady sitting next to her turns to face her. “When we stopped in Acapulco Mexico didn’t you think it was just so much fun!” The lady says in a bubbly voice.
“Yeah it was very beautiful,” Scully replies.
“Can you believe we will be in Ecuador tomorrow? Oh and my name is Tammy buy the way, and this is my husband Frank.”
“Oh well it’s nice to meet you. I’m Dana.” Tammy starts to ramble on about what her and Frank did in Mexico when Mulder comes back with Scully’s fruit.
Thank god Scully thinks to her self. He takes his seat next to Scully.
“So, how are you feeling?” He asks her concerned. Tammy over hears him say this and cuts in.
“Oh are you not feeling good? Seasickness is it dear? You poor thing.”
“No actually I’ve been on boats all my life. My father was a navy captain.”
“Oh!” Tammy says caught off guard. “Then it’s not sea sickness.” She starts to laugh obnoxiously.
God help me Scully thinks.
“So, how long have you two been married?” Frank asks them.
“I bet you’re on your honey moon.” Tammy says.
“Weren’t not married,” Mulder replies.
“We just work together,” Scully adds.
“Oh well you could have fouled me,” Tammy says and starts to laugh again.
“What line of work are you two in?” Frank asks ignoring his wife’s obnoxious laughter.
“FBI” Scully replies.
Frank and Tammy are silent for a moment and then they both turn to each other and laugh thinking it’s a joke.
“No I’m serious,” Scully says annoyed but her voice isn’t heard over the couple’s laughter. Mulder notices her distress and helps her out.
“No she isn’t kidding,” Mulder says in a loud voice.
“Sure Frank says.” “What are you special agents on a classified government case?”
They start laughing again.
That’s it Scully thinks and pulls out her badge and holds it in front of their faces so they can see it.
Mulder smiles at the look of embarrassment that appears on the couple’s faces.
“See, she wasn’t kidding,” Mulder says and pulls out his badge and shows it to them.
“Now if you’ll excuse us we have a fugitive to catch. Come on Scully.”
Tammy looks at both of them alarmed. “What?! You mean there is a fugitive on this ship?”
“I’m sorry that’s classified,” Scully says and her Mulder walk away from the table.
When they are at a safe distance away from the couple they both start to laugh.
Mulder looks over at Scully laughing. Scully notices the way he is looking at her and stops laughing.
“What?”
“Nothing I’m just glad to see you happy and laughing. I haven’t seen too much of that on this trip so far. I hope to see more of it though.”
Scully smiles and giggles a little more.
“Well, that was fun back there. They were annoying the hell at me. I swear if that lady laughed one more time I was going to take my gun out and shoot her.”
Mulder laughs.

  The next day…. Guayaquil Ecuador

  Scully and Mulder step out of the boat and walk into the busy town of Guayaquil
Ecuador.

“Well, we have a whole day to spend here Scully what do you want to do?” Before she can answer a little boy comes running up to her. “Braid your hair for money?” The boy asks in a thick accent.
Scully looks over at Mulder.
“Go for it Scully.”
Scully bends down so she can talk to the kid.
“How much?” she asks him.
“A dollar a braid and I have beads too for end of braid.” The kid gives her a big smile.
“Ahh I don’t know.” Scully replies.
“Come on Scully I’m sure you’ll look very fashionable in braids.”
“Okay, I’ll do it for you Mulder.” The boy smiles and leads them both to a tree.
“Sit.”
“Okay,” Scully says and sits down.
The boy starts to braid her hair in tiny little braids. Mulder watches in amazement at how fast the boy braids.
“Wow, you’re pretty good at that,” Mulder says. The boy looks up and smiles at him.
     Forty-five minutes later the boy finishes and Scully has fifty little braids all over her head. She pays him the money she owes and the kid runs off happy.
Mulder looks at her braid covered head and laughs.
“What?! Why are you laughing?”
“Because you look soo, soo cute!”
“Yeah I’m sure I do,” Scully says sarcastically and touches her head.
“No, I’m serious it’s a good look for you. We have to get a picture.” Mulder pulls out his camera and tries to find someone to take a picture of them together.
“Mulder what’s with you and the picture taking. Every where we go you’ve been snapping pictures of me.”
“I just want to remember everything Scully.” Her stomach knots up when she suddenly realizes why he is so adamant about the picture taking. He wants pictures to remember me by, Scully thinks.
“Hey Scully over here! I found someone to take our picture.” Scully walks over to Mulder and a man that is holding their camera. Come stand next to me Scully. She walks over to Mulder and he puts his arm around her.
“Okay say cheese,” the man says and then snaps the picture.
“One more Mulder says.” The man starts to take the picture.
“No! Wait one sec.” Mulder bends down and picks Scully up.
“Now you can take it.”
Scully starts to laugh. “Mulder, what are you doing?”
The man with the camera laughs. “You two are a cute couple.” He says and then takes the picture.
Scully is about to tell the man that they aren’t a couple but then keeps her mouth closed realizing that she likes the idea of her and Mulder being a couple.
   Mulder puts Scully down and takes the camera from the man.
“Thanks.”
 “No problem,” the man says and walks off.
“Okay one more Scully of just you.”
“No, Mulder no more pictures.”
“Come on, just humor me.” He looks at her with pleading eyes.
“Okay Mulder take the picture.”
   She smiles and he takes a close up of her face.
“I just love you in those braids.” He kisses her on the cheek.  She blushes and then changes the subject.
“So I was thinking that we could see Machu Picchu when we stop in Peru. That is our next stop.”
“Sure, Scully that will be fun.”

TEN DAYS LATER….BACK ON THE BOAT
Mulder and Scully sit in the dinning hall eating dinner.
“So, Scully which place have you enjoyed the most?”
“Well, lets see there was Auccapoco, Ecuador, Peru, Easter Island which was just amazing. Then there was Pitcairn Island. That’s it right?”
“Yeah so far.”
“I guess I’d have to say Easter Island. It was so enigmatic. I’m sure you think that aliens are responsible for the stone carved monoliths.”
“Of course Scully. How else do you explain them?” Scully smiles at him.
“I don’t. It’s a mystery. No one will ever know.”
Mulder smiles at her. “So, anyways our next stop is Papeete, Tahiti. I say we spend some time on the beach while we are there.”
Suddenly Frank and Tammy come walking up to the table.
“Hey, agents.” Tammy says.
“Oh god,” Scully says under her breath.
“So you two aren’t really hunting down a fugitive are you?” Frank asks.
“Yeah you’re just on vacation aren’t ya?” Tammy asks.
Mulder smiles sarcastically and nods his head yes.
“That’s what we thought,” Tammy replies.
Tammy looks over at Scully. “Honey you look quite pale. You need to get some sun when we stop in Tahiti tomorrow.” Mulder looks quickly over at Scully when hearing Tammy’s observation.
“You do look pale. Are you feeling okay?” He asks her concerned.
“Yeah I’m okay,” She says although she is feeling very faint.
Suddenly the music starts up. Mulder turns to Scully.
“Do you feel up for a slow dance?” He asks her.
“Sure,”she says and stands up slowly. He leads her out to the dance floor and pulls her close to him. She leans her head against his chest and closes her eyes.
She feels so safe in his arms; she doesn’t want this moment to end.
  As Mulder holds her in his arms he tries not to think about her illness and that he probably won’t be able to hold her for much longer. He holds her and tries to pretend that everything is as it was before and she is fine. It works for awhile until he feels something wet on his shirt. Suddenly Scully lifts her head up from his chest realizing that her nose is bleeding. A look of embarrassment appears on her face. “Oh, god Mulder I’m sorry I got blood on your shirt.” Mulder ignores her apology. “Come on Scully lets go sit down.” He sits her down at the table and looks around for a napkin.
  Tammy and Frank are still sitting at the table and look up from their conversation when Mulder and Scully come to the table.
“Oh dear your nose is bleeding.” Tammy says concerned.
“Do you have a Kleenex or something? Mulder asks in a frantic tone.
Scully lays her head down on the table feeling very faint.
Tammy quickly digs though her purse and then hands Mulder a Kleenex.
“Here you go, she doesn’t look too good. Is she okay?”
“I hope so,” Mulder replies. Scully lifts her head up from the table and grabs the Kleenex from Mulder.
“Dana, are you okay?” He asks her.
“I just need to lay down. Can you help me up to the room?” She looks at him with fear in her eyes and Mulder suddenly gets very frightened.
“Yeah, of course,” He says with a tremor in his voice. Scully stands up and then starts to sway like she is going to pass out. Mulder quickly stands up and grabs onto her.
Frank stands up as well. “Hey you need some help getting her up to the room?”
“No, it’s okay. Thanks anyway.” Frank sits back down.
“Okay if you’re sure. She looks like she going to pass out.”
The room starts to spin and Scully grabs Mulder’s arm and leans into his chest. She closes her eyes and takes some deep breaths to keep from passing out. She can hear Mulder saying her name but it sounds like he is very far away and she can barley hear him. Suddenly she feels herself being lifted from her feet. She opens her eyes but all she sees is spinning and she closes her eyes again losing consciousness for a minute. She regains consciousness a few minutes later and realizes she is in an elevator. She looks up at Mulder. He breathes a sigh of relief when he sees that she has regained consciousness.
“Hey you had me scared there for a minute.” She smiles at him.
“Sorry, I scared you.”
  The elevator doors open and he carries her out and to her room. He lays her down on the bed.
“Stay there I’m going to get you some water.”
  He walks off and comes back a minute later with a glass of water in his hands. He sets it down on the nightstand and helps her sit up and hands her the glass.
“Thanks,” She says and starts to sip on the water.
“Scully, you are worrying me. I’m wondering if I shouldn’t just take you home.” Scully puts down the glass of water.
“No Mulder. I don’t want to go home yet. Promise me you won’t take me home.”
“Scully….”
“Mulder please. I’m not ready go home yet.”
“Okay Scully just lay down and rest okay?” She lies down and he covers her with a blanket. He lies down beside her and falls asleep.
     Scully awakens the next morning to see Mulder lying next to her. The feeling to kiss him suddenly overwhelms her. Instead she slides closer to him and lays her head on his chest. She hears the steady beat of his heart and she is lulled back to sleep.
    Mulder wakes up an hour later to find Scully laying on his chest. He smiles at the Idea that she intentionally wanted to be close to him by laying her head on his chest. Ever since they went on this trip he’s had overwhelming feelings to kiss her but he didn’t know if she felt the same way, so he kept pushing the feeling away. But he now thinks that maybe she does feel the same way. He smiles at the thought. He starts to stroke her hair and a few minuets later she wakes up and looks into his eyes.
“Hey, good morning. How do you feel?”
   Scully moves off his chest and sits up. “Better.”
“Good. You really had me scared yesterday. We can stay on the boat today if you don’t feel up to stepping out on the island.”
“No way Mulder, this is Tahiti we are talking about. There is no way I’m staying on this boat.”
“Okay, ” says and smiles.
“I guess I’ll go take a shower and then we can go out on the beach.” She  says and walks into the bathroom and closes the door.

      Mulder and Scully walk hand in hand on the beach.
“This sun feels so good,” Scully says. “It makes me feel alive, and look at that water! It’s so clear!” Mulder smiles at her amusement.
“Come on Mulder lets take a swim!” Scully says excited.
“Scully, I don’t have my swim suit on and neither did you.”
“Yes, I do,” She replies and takes off her overalls to reveal a black bikini.
Mulder stares at her surprised to see her in a bikini. This is the first time he’s ever seen her in anything provocative. He opens his mouth but stumbles over his words.”Uhh, umm you look good Scully.” She laughs and grabs his hand. “Come on Mulder just take off your shirt and you can swim in your shorts.”
  He quickly takes off his shirt and throws it under a tree.
Scully smiles. “Okay come on.” She starts to pull him into the water and then his foot slips on a seashell causing him to lean backwards. He grabs onto Scully’s hand and then falls on his back pulling her with him. She lands on top of him. They both let out a grunt of pain. A wave washes over them and she starts to laugh.
     Mulder stares into her eyes and smiles he loves seeing her happy. And she looks so beautiful right now with her wet hair clinging to the sides of her face.
Scully suddenly stops laughing and stares into his eyes. Another wave washes over them and she plants her lips on his mouth and starts to kiss his salty lips. Mulder kisses her back and then they both roll over so he lying on top of her. They kiss passionately as the waves wash over them.
   After a few minutes Mulder gets off of her and they both sit up. They  stare at each other not knowing what to say.  Suddenly Mulder breaks the silence. “I’ve been wanting to do that for awhile now, but I wasn’t sure if you felt the same way.”
“No, Mulder I’ve been feeling the same. Especially when I found out about my cancer.” Mulder looks at her surprised. “You mean you’ve felt this way for a long time?”
“I always knew I loved you, but I knew you were so dedicated to your work and I didn’t want anything to come between that. If I had told you it might have really complicated things, so I just pushed the thoughts away and eventually I didn’t even think about it any more. Until we went on this trip that is.” Mulder smiles and brushes the wet strands of hair away from her face.
“I just regret waiting this long because now…” She pauses.
“What Scully?”
“Well, know it’s almost too late.”
Mulder stands up. “Damn it Scully why did you have to go and bring that up!” She looks at him unsure of what he means. “Excuse me?”
“Every time we start to have fun you have to bring up that your not going to be around for much longer. Don’t you think I know that?!” He starts to walk away from her. She gets up and runs after him.
“MULDER! Don’t walk away! We have to talk about this! You have to face this! Would you just stop!” He turns around and she can see the tears in his eyes ready to fall.
“Scully, I don’t want to face it. That’s the thing. Can’t you see that? I love you so much. Every time I think of not having you in my life a piece of me dies. You don’t know how scared I was last night when you passed out. I was shaking all over.”
He sits down in the sand and puts his head in his hands. She sits down beside him and places her hand on his back not knowing what to say.
“Dana, so many people have left me. I can’t handle any one else leaving me. Especially you, and what makes it worse is that I feel to blame for your cancer.”
“Mulder, look at me.” She makes him lift his head from his hands. He looks into her eyes. “Mulder, believe me when I tell you that none of this is your fault. It was my decision to keep working with you. I knew the risks when I stepped on the field. This is no ones fault, especially not yours. You’ve saved me more times then I can count. Not to mention that you were a great source of strength that I have drawn on through out the years.” She moves so she is sitting directly in front of him. “Now, I know you’re afraid to let me go. I’m afraid too. But when I’m gone you’ll still have me in here.” She places her hand on his heart.” He puts his hand over hers and holds it there.
“But that’s not good enough Scully.”
“I know, I know.” She starts to cry at seeing the great pain in his eyes.  He pulls her into his arms and she cries softly against his chest.
“Scully, I’m sorry I’m being selfish here. You must be so frightened right now and I’m just making it worse. I don’t want you to have to worry about me. I’ll be fine. Just don’t cry okay?
Dana, please that is the last thing I want. We came on this trip to have fun and I keep making you cry.”
“Mulder, all I want is to know you’ll be okay after I’m gone.”
“I will. Please don’t worry about me.” He says trying to reassure her even though he knows he won’t be fine.
“Now, I say we go have some fun. There is man over there renting boogie boards. Have you ever been boogie boarding before Scully?” She looks up at him and wipes the tears from her eyes.
“No, I haven’t.” Mulder gets up from the ground and pulls her up. “Well, come on it’s a lot of fun! You want to do it?”
“Sure, why not.” She wipes the last of her tears from her face and they walk over to the man renting the boogie boards.
  Mulder rents two and hands one to Scully. “Here you go.”
“Mulder, you’re going to have to teach me how to do this. I’ve never done this before.”
“Okay, well lets swim out a little first.” Mulder lies on his board and starts to paddle out a ways. Scully does the same and follows close behind.
“Okay stop.” Mulder says and gets off his board. The water is about waist high for him and chest high for Scully. “Okay now stand with your back to the wave.” Mulder says. When I tell you jump on your board and start paddling.
“Okay,” Scully replies and positions her board out in front of her.
“Okay get ready. Here it comes. You read Scully?”
“Yeah,” She replies excitedly.
“Now!” Mulder exclaims.
They both jump on their boards and are carried off by the wave.
“WOOO HOOOO!” Mulder yells.
Scully starts to laugh. “This is great!”
 The wave carries them to the shore and then they paddle out to do it again.
They ride the waves for hours laughing and forgetting all their troubles.
 

Three weeks later…. Back in DC
Mulder carries Scully’s suite case up to her apartment. She opens the door and he places the suitcase inside. “Well, your home.” Mulder says. “I bet it feels good to get back.”
“Yeah,” Scully replies although she feels differently. She is suddenly immersed back into reality and a sickening feeling settles in her stomach.
“Well, I guess I’ll call you tomorrow Scully. Have a good nights sleep.” He walks over and kisses her on the cheek and then turns to walk out the door.
“Mulder, wait!”
“What?” He turns around anxious for her reply.
Scully starts to talk very fast. “We haven’t been apart for more then a few minutes the past month and I got so used to hearing your steady breathing in the bed next to me and well..well…I guess what I’m trying to say is that I’m going to be lonely tonight If your not here.” She takes a deep breath in after she finishes. Mulder smiles.
“Are you asking me to stay the night Scully?”
“Umm well, I guess I am. But you don’t have to. I’m sure you want to get home.”
He walks up to her and grabs onto her hands. “Dana, of course I’ll stay the night. I was actually hoping you would ask me.”
Scully lets out a sigh of relief. “Whew, okay.” She shifts nervously from one leg to the other.
Mulder puts his hand on her shoulder. “Relax Scully.”
She stops shifting and stands still. “Sorry, but you don’t know how hard that was for me to ask you.”
“Oh I think I do,” Mulder says as he thinks of how strong and independent Scully has always tried to be.
  Suddenly she leans in and plants her lips on his. Pleasantly surprised he starts to kiss her back.
    This was the first kiss they had shared since that day on the beach. As he kisses her supple lips he thinks of how bad he wants her right now. But he knows it’s not the right time. She is feeling very vulnerable and it wouldn’t be right to take advantage of her like that. Scully starts to unbutton his shirt and he steps away from her.
“Scully, I don’t think we should do this. The time isn’t right.” She walks up to him and resumes unbuttoning his shirt.
“Mulder, I love you and I want to be with you.” She finishes unbuttoning his shirt and throws it on the couch. “I know you think I’m vulnerable right now and you don’t want to hurt or take advantage of me. But I’m telling you I want this. I love you so much and this is right. After seven years it’s finally right.”
“Okay,” He says and picks her up. He carries her into the bedroom and shuts the door behind them.

    3AM in the morning……..
Scully, wakes up gasping for breath. Frightened, she tries to say Mulder’s name but has trouble and only gets out the first syllable “Mul..” She takes a deep breath in gasping for air. She tries again to say his name and gets out his whole name this time.”Mulder!”
Mulder sits up alarmed forgetting where he is for a moment and then he looks over at Scully who is lying next to him. She is wheezing and grasping for breath.
“Oh god Scully.” He pulls her up from her laying position and moves closer to her so she can lean against his chest for support. Her breathing gets a little easier and she starts to talk.
“Mulder, I’m scared. I feel like something is pressing on my chest and I can’t…I can’t..” She starts to wheeze again.” He bends her over and starts to rub her back. “Calm down, just take deep breaths, your going to be okay just relax.” He feels her chest stop heaving and then she stops breathing.
“Scully breath! Come on I know you can do it.” Suddenly she takes a deep breath in and then starts sobbing with fear. “Mulder, help me. I’m not ready to die yet.”
“You’re not going to die. I won’t let you die yet. There are too many things that haven’t been said yet. Just concentrate on your breathing. You’ll be fine. Just breaths come on Scully in and out. In and out.”
Scully closes her eyes and visualizes that they are back on the beach having fun riding the waves. She keeps thinking of this over and over again until her breathing gets easier and she doesn’t have to lean against Mulder for support any more.
“Okay I think I’m okay now.” She lays back down exhausted and then a blinding pain shoots through her head. She cries out in pain and grabs her head. The pain subsides and then a gush of blood comes running out of her nose.
“Oh god, Scully we have to get you to a hospital.” He quickly grabs a Kleenex and then helps her sit up. She holds the Kleenex to her nose trying to stop the bleeding.
Mulder grabs for the phone frantically. “I’m calling an ambulance Scully.” She grabs onto his hand. “No, Mulder I don’t want to ride in an ambulance. I hate them. Please can you take me to the hospital in your car?” She looks at him with watery eyes.
“Okay, just give me one sec.” He jumps out of bed and grabs his jeans from off the floor. He puts those on and then runs out into the living room to get his shirt and shoes.
He returns fully clothed. “Come on Scully.”
“Mulder, I’m feeling very….fa--.” Before she can finish her sentence she passes out and falls on the bed.
“Oh god baby hold on!” In sheer terror he rushes over to the bed. He checks her pulse first and exhales a sigh of relief when he finds one. He wraps her up in a blanket and then picks her up. He walks quickly to the door and then halts, remembering he doesn’t have his keys.
“Damn it! Where did I put them!” He puts Scully down on the couch and searches frantically around the house for his keys. Just as he is about to give up he finds them on the floor by Scully’s nightstand. He grabs the keys and stuffs them into his coat pocket. He runs back over to Scully and gently picks her up. Mulder runs out her apartment not even bothering to lock the door. He reaches his car, opens the front seat and places her in. He then uses the lever on the seat to move it all the back so she can lie down. Mulder quickly  runs over to his side of the car, jumps in and tares off towards the hospital.

    One hour later…
Mulder sits in a dark hospital room holding Scully’s hand. She is unconscious and she has an IV inserted into her arm.
Suddenly Bill and Mrs. Scully burst though Scully’s hospital room door. Mrs. Scully rushes to her daughter’s side and then looks fearfully up at Mulder.
“Fox, how is she?”
Mulder’s eyes start to tear up. “I don’t know, I don’t know.”
“Well, what did the doctor tell you?” Bill asks upset. “You know Mulder you shouldn’t have taken her off on that trip. That is why she is here. You wore her out! I knew this was a bad Idea!”
Mulder gets up and walks over to Bill. “I didn’t ware her out! She had the time of her life. And I thought she deserved to have fun before she died.”
“Yeah but not with you,” Bill replies.
“ I know you need someone to blame, hell I need someone to blame and maybe you’re right maybe I am the one to blame. I’ll let you be alone with your sister.” Mulder walks out of the room in tears.
He sits in the hallway and is suddenly wrecked with uncontrollable sobs. Never has he cried this hard before.
A concerned nurse comes up to him. “Sir are you okay? What can I do?”
“Can you save her? Please can someone save her?” He says as he continues to sob.
Mrs. Scully can hears his sobs from her daughter’s room and walks quickly out of the room and into the hallway. She sees a nurse trying to comfort an inconsolable Mulder. She walks hurriedly up to the nurse. “I can handle this. It’s okay.” The nurse nods her head and walks away.
“Fox, despite what Bill said, this isn’t your fault. I don’t believe that for a moment. He’s just angry and needs someone to blame. So please don’t blame yourself. I am so glad you took my baby away and showed her some fun. She needed that and I’ll always be grateful to you for doing that for her.”
Mulder takes his head out of his hands and looks up at Mrs. Scully. His eyes are bloodshot and red and a few tears drops fall from his eyes. “ I just love her so much.” He reaches out and hugs Mrs. Scully. “I know Fox. I know. But we will all get through this. We will.” She holds him in her arms until he stops crying.

The next morning….
Mulder awakens with a stiff neck and realizes that he has fallen asleep on a chair and his head is resting on Scully’s hospital bed. He lifts his head up and smiles when he sees that Scully is awake and smiling at him.
“I love you,” are the first words that come out of her mouth.
“I love you too.” He squeezes her hand.
She notices the distressed look on his face. “Mulder what is it?”
“Scully, I just can’t help thinking that I’m the reason you are here right now.”
She looks at him confused. “What do you mean?”
“Scully, I can’t help thinking that if we hadn’t slept together last night you wouldn’t be here right now. I guess I’m worried that I weakened you or something.”
Scully starts to laugh.
“Scully it’s not funny. I’m serious.”
“Mulder, last night was wonderful. I wouldn’t have changed it for the world and it has nothing to do with why I’m hear. Believe me when I tell you this.”
Mulder breathes out a sigh of relief and smiles. “Whew.”
Mrs. Scully and Bill walk into the room.
“Good morning sweety,” Scully’s mom says as she walks over to Scully’s bedside.
Bill walks over and kisses her on the face. “How are you feeling,” he asks.
“Better, Bill, thanks.”
The doctor walks into the room. “And how is the patient doing?” Scully sits up in bed.
“I actually feel a lot better.”
“Good, because I’m discharging you, but only if you have someone to look after you at home.”
“How, much longer do I have?” Scully asks with a tremble in her voice.
The doctor pauses, searching for the right words. “I’m afraid that the cancer has progressed quicker then we had thought and it’s only a matter of months. I’d say you have two months at the most.”
Mulder’s heart sinks and he feels faint. Scully grabs onto his hand.
“You, have to understand that you’re going to need constant care at home. Many days you will be too weak to walk and will experience shortness of breath and nosebleeds. I’m only allowing you to go home because I don’t think it’s right for you to spend your last months in a hospital. But we can arrange for a nurse to stop by everyday and check up on you.” The doctor turns to Scully’s mom. “Mrs. Scully I assume you’ll be the one taking your daughter home?” Scully over hears this and interrupts. “Mom, I appreciate you wanting to take care of me but….well.” She looks Mulder in the eyes and he knows what she is going to say.
“Mom, I’d really like Mulder to take care of me.”
“Dana! That’s absurd!” Bill exclaims.
Scully ignores Bills words and looks into Mulder’s eyes.
“Will, you take care of me?”
“Of course Dana. But…”
“What?” Scully asks afraid he is going to say no.
“I just don’t want to cause your family any more pain by doing this.”
“Fox, it’s okay. My baby wants to be with you and so I think you should take her home.”
“Thank you Mrs. Scully.”
He looks back over at Scully. “Okay lets go home Dana.”

One month later….
Mulder sits on Scully’s couch holding her in his arms. She is starting to drift off to sleep exhausted from visiting with her mom and Bill. Her breathing is shallow and raspy and he knows it’s just a matter of time now. He starts to stroke her hair. “Scully you look tired why don’t you try and sleep for awhile.”
“No, Mulder I want to stay with you.”
“You can sleep Scully, I’ll stay with you hear on the couch.” She looks up at him and manages a weak smile.
“Okay, I’ll see you when I wake up.” She closes her eyes and immediately drifts off to sleep.
As Mulder hold her in his arms he closes his eyes and tries to imagine that they are back on the beach in Tahiti. He remembers the passionate kiss on the beach and then their heart to heart talk.
A smile suddenly appears on his face when he remembers the boogie boarding they did all day.
God I wish we could go back to that day, Mulder thinks and a tear rolls down his face. At least I have the pictures.
   He had taken over six rolls of film and they were mostly of Scully. He also had the goofy photo booth pictures they took in the airport. I will never forget how good I felt when Scully pecked me on the lips and thanked me for being such a good friend, he thinks.
   Scully suddenly shifts in her sleep, turning on her side. Her shirt gets pulled up a little bit and Mulder can make out half of a tattoo. She never would show me this he thinks as he looks at her back. He remembers when she got it but she wouldn’t tell him what it was or show it to him. I guess she was embarrassed he thinks.
He stares at the partially visible tattoo but can’t tell what it is. Curiously he lifts her shirt just enough off her back so he can see it. It’s an elaborately colored snake coiled into a single circle. He places his finger on the tattoo and starts to delicately trace it with his finger.
I wonder why she got this he thinks as he continues to trace his finger over her tattoo. Then it finally comes to him. The snake is in the shape of a circle and he remembers when Scully said she felt like her life was going around in an endless circle. If only he would have paid more attention to this when she said that. In her own way she was opening up to me and asking for help but I didn’t listen. She’s been unhappy for awhile he thinks.
   Scully suddenly wakes up and turns on her back so she can look into Mulder’s eyes. She can tell he’s been crying. She touches his face with her hand. “Mulder, I hate seeing you sad. I don’t want you to worry about me. You know, lately I’ve been having these wonderful dreams of this wonderful place. This being comes to me and shows me the way through this light tunnel and then I’m on a beautiful beach. They are so wonderful, sometimes I don’t want to wake up.”
“Dana don’t….”
“Don’t what? Mulder, I’m not scared any more to die. I think these dreams are a preview of what heaven will be like.”
Mulder sighs.
“Mulder, I know you don’t share my faith and that is one thing that has always surprised me about you. How is that you can believe in aliens and the paranormal and pretty much anything and everything but yet you don’t believe in god.”
“Scully, I don’t want to talk about this.”
“No, come on Mulder we don’t have many of these talks left and I want it to be a good one.”
Mulder smiles. “Okay sure Scully.”
“Thank you.”
“I guess I stopped believing in god when my sister was taken from me. I guess I thought that if there were a god he wouldn’t have let them take her. He would have saved her.”
“But god doesn’t work that way Mulder.”
“I know, I know he works in mysterious ways!” Mulder says sarcastically.
“Mulder…”
“Scully, I just can’t believe in someone that takes all my loved ones away. Now he is taking you.”
Scully’s eyes start to water and she doesn’t know what to say.
They are silent for a long while and then Scully starts to take of her cross necklace. The one she has worn since she was a kid.
“Scully, what are you doing?”
“I want you to have this.”
“No Scully I can’t take that.”
“Yes, you can. It will be something to remember me by, and whenever you feel like you are alone in the world and that you have lost your faith you can hold this cross and remember me and know that I’m in a better place and that we will meet again.”
Mulder eyes fill with tears.
“Don’t cry baby,” Scully says as she places the necklace around his neck. She finished clasping it and then places her hand over the cross. “This is yours now. It’s brought me a lot of strength and now It will bring you the strength I know you are going to need.”
“Scully, I don’t want to say good bye.”
“ I know, I know but Mulder, you have to promise me something.”
“Anything Scully.”
“Promise me that you will continue with your work after I’m gone, that you won’t quit because I’m not there to help you find the truth. You just keep looking for the truth and I know you will find it.”
Mulder finally comes to terms that he is going to loose Scully and is overwhelmed by a myriad of emotions. He pulls Scully into his arms and sobs.
“I love you, I love you, I love you Dana,” He says over and over again.
“I love you too Fox, more then you’ll ever know.”
They fall asleep in each other’s arms and don’t awake until morning.
  Mulder opens his eyes and realizes that Scully is lying on his chest. She is very still and looks very pale. He is suddenly overwhelmed with the fear that she has died. For several minuets he is unable to get up the courage to check for her pulse. Finally he raises his shaky hand and places his index and middle finger on her neck. At first he feels nothing and his heart sinks with terror. Then suddenly he feels a faint beat. He is so overwhelmed with happiness that she hasn’t died that he starts to cry. He starts to stroke her hair and suddenly his finger brushes over a scar on her neck.
He feels it closer and suddenly comes to the shocking realization that the chip that was implanted subcutaneously in her neck, the chip that had made her cancer go into remission two years ago was now gone from under neck.  That’s it he thinks! That is the reason her cancer came back.
His mind races as he thinks what this could mean. Excited he nudges Scully to wake up.
“Scully wake up, I need to talk to you about something…Scully this is important, come on wake up.” She groans and then opens her eyes slowly and looks up at him.
“Mulder? What is it.”
He helps her sit up and wraps her in a blanket.
“Scully I need you to think back to before your cancer came back. Did you ever awake with a sore neck or anything like that?”
“Mulder, I don’t know what your getting at.”
“Scully , just think.” Scully closes her eyes trying to remember.
“Well I don’t ever remember having a sore neck but I do remember one morning sleeping through my alarm and through half the day. I was out cold. I thought I was just really tired. But why do I think now that there was something more to that?”
“Scully, the chip that was placed subcutaneously in your neck two years ago is now gone.”
“What?” Scully says shocked and moves her hand back to feel her neck in the place where the tiny chip should be.  She looks up at him shocked.
“Oh my god Mulder, it’s not there! Who do you think could have taken it out?” But she knows the answer to the question even before she asks it.
“It was the Cancer man,” Mulder replies “I can think of no one else. Why he did, I don’t know.”
Scully just sits there in shock.
“Scully do you know what this means? If I can get another one of those chips, you’ll be okay.”
Mulder is overjoyed with happiness until Scully passes out and falls into his lap.

Georgetown Memorial Hospital.
Scully is lying in a hospital bed hooked up to a respirator. Mulder is arguing with Bill and Mrs. Scully about Scully’s living will.
“Fox, I know you don’t want to let her go, but Dana is under the criteria established  in her will. She doesn’t want to live in this condition.”
“But I told you about the chip! I may be able to save her if you just give me some time.”
Bill, shakes his head. “You’re in some serious denial Mulder. Can’t you just let my sister go in peace. Instead you’re letting this machine keep her alive. Something I know and you know she doesn’t want.”
Mulder looks at Mrs. Scully with pleading eyes. “Please Mrs. Scully, just give me one day. That’s all I’m asking.”
Mrs. Scully exhales, “Okay Fox you have one day.”
“Thank You! You won’t regret this! I’m going to save your daughter.”
  The doctor walks into the room. “So have we made a decision?”
“Yes,” Mulder replies. “Just keep her alive until I get back.”
He runs out of the hospital determined to find Scully.

  Mulder pounds down the apartment door of the Cancer Man.
Before the Cancer Man can even get off his couch Mulder shoves a gun in his face.
“I’ve come here for one simple reason! I know you are the one behind Scully’s cancer and I want the chip to save her life! Now you gave it to me before and you’re going to give it to me again.”
“Well, Agent Mulder I was wondering how long it would take you to figure out I was behind this. I’m surprised it took you this long actually.”
“I’m lucky I even made the connection at all you sick bastard! Now tell me why you are doing this to her again. What the hell do you want?”
The Cancer man takes a puff on his cigarette and then blows it in Mulder’s face.
“I want what I’ve always wanted, for you to quit the FBI and come work for me. And I knew threatening Agents Scully’s life was the only way to get to you. I know you love her more then anything and you’d do what ever it takes to save her life. Am I correct Agent Mulder?”
“So, you’re saying that you had someone deliberately take that chip out of her neck so she would contract cancer again?!”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“You sick bastard!”
“You can call me all the names you want Agent Mulder but that isn’t going to help save your partners life. Just give me your word that you will come to work for me and I will give you the chip.”
“Okay, fine I’ll do anything you want as long as you give me the chip, and I have to have it as soon as possible.”
“I have it right here Agent Mulder, I knew you’d come knocking sooner or later so I ‘ve been keeping it handy.”
The cancer man gets up from his chair and walks over to a desk and opens a drawer.
“Here you go Agent Mulder.” Mulder walks over to grab the small tiny cylinder containing the computer chip.
“Not so fast Agent Mulder. Give me your word.”
“I will work for you, now give it to me.” The cancer man hands the cylinder to Mulder.
“Now don’t forget your promise Agent Mulder.”
Mulder grabs the cylinder and starts to walk out of the apartment.
“Remember if you break your promise to me you will be sorry.” The cancer man says.
Mulder ignores him and walks out the door.

    Mulder walks out to the parking garage where he meets the lone gunmen in there van.
“Did you get the chip?” Frohike asks him.
“Yeah, did you get it all on tape?”
“It’s all right here Mulder,” Langley says and starts to replay Mulder and the cancer man’s conversation.
“We have it all on tape. The cancer man confessing that he deliberately tried to kill Scully.” Byers says. “Now all you have to do is threaten him with this tape when he reminds you of your promise and you are off the hook.”
“Beautiful guys!” Mulder says. He unbuttons his shirt and takes off the wire he had taped to his chest. “Ouch,” He groans as he rips off the tape holding the wire to his chest.
“You did it Mulder,” Frohike says. “Now, lets get you to the hospital!”

     Georgetown Memorial Hosptial--- one week later

Mulder sits down on the edge of Scully’s hospital bed.
She had gone into a coma  by the time he had arrived with the chip, but he was very adamant that the doctor still implant the chip in her neck and two days ago Scully had awakened from her coma. The cancerous cells had once again gone into remission, but she was still very weak and could barley sit up or talk.
  Mulder traces his finger around her face trying to gently wake her. “Scully, I need to ask you a question. This is very important, baby can you open your eyes for me.”
Scully opens her eyes and manages to grab onto his hand.
“Okay are you awake Scully? You need to be fully awake for this.”
Scully smiles. “I’m awake,” she says in a whisper.
“Okay here we go,” Mulder says. He grabs onto her hand and kisses it. “Scully, when I thought I was going to loose you, the only true friend I ever had in my life, I didn’t want to go on living. I wanted to die with you when the time came because I couldn’t think of a world with out you in it.”
“Mulder…please don’t” Scully whispers,
“No, Scully let me finish. Now that I know you are going to be okay I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Now this leads me to my question.” He reaches in his pocket and pulls out a small box.
Scully knows what it is and tears of happiness start to roll down her face and she is unable to utter a single word.
Mulder opens the box and takes out a 2Kt-diamond ring.
Scully continues to cry softly.
“Dana, will you marry me.” She is so overwhelmed with emotions that she cannot answer him. Mulder leans in and kisses her tear-stained face.
“Just take your time.” Mulder says and places the ring on her finger.
Finally she is able to talk. “Mulder you don’t know how happy I am right now. I…I….”
“Say yes Scully.”
“Of course, yes, yes, I will marry you.”
“Oh yeah and I thought I’d give this back to you.” He takes the cross necklace off his neck and places it around hers. “Since you won’t be leaving me anytime soon I won’t need this to remember you by.”
“No, Mulder I won’t be leaving you for a very long time.”

The End….