Title: Building Fury Author: Jade (CmdrJade@aol.com) Rating: PG-13 Spoilers: none, although I'd recommend reading the first four chapters. They can be found at www.jadesfic.homestead.com Category: Angst in this one. Archive: Anywhere, please let me know where so I can visit. Disclaimer: Almost all the characters mentioned don't belong to me, with the exception of a few. I'm not making money off this, don't sue me. Summary: Scully makes a surprise decision. Feedback: Please! It will help determine if I'll continue posting each chapter! Any type of feedback is read, appreciated, and responded to!! :) ********************************** weeks later Maggie answered the door to a disheveled Fox Mulder. He gave a weak smile and Maggie smiled back. "C'mon in, David's playing in his room," she said, stepping back from the door. Mulder followed her in and turned to go up the stairs. Maggie stopped him with a brief touch. "Fox, he's not alone," she said gently. Mulder held eye contact briefly then looked down. "So I guess I should leave then?" he asked. Maggie shook her head. "She needs to talk to you," she replied. Mulder nodded and started up the stairs. He turned into David's room and saw his son and Dana on the floor playing with a mixture of cars and dinosaurs. David looked up at his father's entrance and came over to give him a hug. Mulder returned it with a smile and joined them on the floor. David handed him a dinosaur and a car. "Here, you be these ones," he said. Mulder took them and began driving the car along David's arm. He giggled and used his dinosaur to eat Mulder's car. Mulder glanced over at Dana, who was smiling at them. "You need to talk to me?" Mulder said. Dana looked over at him, then to David. "David, Mommy and Daddy are going to be down the hall for a few minutes if you need us. Grandma's downstairs, too," she said. Both adults stood up and walked into Dana's old room. She sat on the bed and he stood near the doorway. She took a deep breath. "This isn't going to be good, is it?" Mulder asked, attempting a small smile. Scully didn't smile back. "Mulder, I don't know how to say this, so I'm just going to say it," she started. She took another breath. "I've met someone else. We've been seeing each other for awhile and we're looking to be engaged. I want to have David in New York with me," she said, looking at the bedsheet. A loose thread had suddenly become the most interesting thing in the room. She glanced up at Mulder, fearing this, despite the claims of his almost two year recovery, would trigger a violent outburst. "In New York?" he said. Scully nodded. "You'll be able to visit whenever you want. And he'll take trips down here frequently," she said. Mulder looked at his shoes. "Who's this guy?" he asked. "His name is Josh Crompton. He's a doctor. He's a good guy, Mulder, you don't have to worry," she said. Mulder nodded and turned for the door. "I have to go," he said, his breath catching in his throat. He hurried down the stairs. Maggie was standing at the bottom. "Fox, please stay for the night. I don't think you should drive or--" she began. He brushed past her. "No, thanks," he said, coming to the door. "Mulder!" Scully's voice stopped him. She quickly came down the stairs. She handed him a sheet of paper. "That's where we're staying. I'll be leaving with David after this weekend." Mulder pocketed the paper and stood, towering over Scully, without a word, holding her gaze. She uncomfortably broke it by looking downwards. "I'm sorry, Mulder," she said quietly. Mulder smiled sadly, resisting the strong urge to touch her. "No," he said. "I'm sorry." With that, he walked out the door. ****************************** weeks later "C'mon, David, don't you wanna play catch?" Josh Crompton rolled a baseball to him. David glanced at it and went back to making explosion noises with his toy airplanes. Josh sighed and picked the ball back up. He heard the front door open and close with a jingle of keys. He walked into the front of the apartment to find Dana looking through the day's mail. "Hey," he said, grabbing a seat. Dana looked up and smiled. "How was your day?" "Oh," she said, putting the mail down, "it was all right. Slower than usual." Josh smiled. "You say that almost every day. What's an interesting day actually like?" Dana thought for a moment then shrugged. She walked into the kitchen and began to get pots out. Josh followed. "David still won't talk to me," he informed her. "Maybe we should see someone about that." "I think it's normal. Give him some time," she answered. "I have given him time!" he said. There was a long pause before Josh ventured the next sentence out. "Maybe we should just give him back to his dad." Dana stopped moving around and turned to face Josh. "He's staying here. His father's job wouldn't allow him to bring David up as well as a more family setting could." Josh shrugged. "Yeah, his father's a real low-life anyway." Dana's eyebrow shot up and she felt defensive in spite of herself. "That's a pretty quick judgement of someone you've never even met." Josh shrugged it off. "I thought the reason you left him was because he was violent." "He had some outbursts, yes, but he never physically hurt anyone. He had just been through a trauma," she corrected. "I left because I was scared he would eventually become physically violent." "That's pretty rough, leaving a guy after he's been through a trauma," Josh commented. Dana turned back around, resuming her cooking. "What, has he been talking to you, too?" she asked, only half-teasing. Josh smiled. "No, just making a comment," he said, walking out of the kitchen to find David. *************************** about 1 week later "Hey, Josh, it's Dana. Something came up and I have to stay late again. Love ya," the answering machine clicked off. Josh sighed. He picked up the phone and dialed Dana's cell. She answered after a ring. "C'mon, Dana, this is the third time in two weeks you've had to stay. Get someone else to do it," Josh insisted. Dana sighed. "I'm sorry, but I can't. I've got a ton of paperwork to catch up on and I told a friend I'd cover her tonight. This'll be the last time, I promise," she said. Josh gave his own angry sigh and hung up. He glanced at David who gave a small smile. Josh picked him up and put him in a chair. "I'll make you dinner now. Mommy won't be here tonight," he said, silently fuming. He banged some plates and a pot around to vent his anger. Anything to keep him from lashing out at David. ********** Dana opened and shut the door as quietly as she could. David was watching his morning cartoons and waved tiredly at his mother. Dana smiled and waved back. She walked towards the back of the apartment into her room. Josh was sitting on the bed, lacing up his tennis shoes. "So you finally decide to come home, huh?" Josh said, finishing a shoe and moving to the next. Dana glanced at the clock. 7:00 AM. Josh stood up and walked closer until her was towering over her. Fear rose in Dana's throat, the scene all too familiar. "I didn't expect to have to stay that long. A friend asked me to cover her and I had--" she began explaining hurriedly. "Paperwork," Josh finished, a menacing edge to his voice. He took a step closer and Dana couldn't move back. She was paralyzed by her fear. "Was it really paperwork, Dana? You been bailing out on me for late night parties?" Dana forced a laugh. "Josh, no, I've really had work to do. Trust me." "Working until seven in the morning? What're you trying to do, screw up our life here? I don't believe *anyone* could work for twenty-four hours," he said. "Josh, please, you're scaring me," she said, finally able to take a step back. "I bet it's some young intern you're doing all this 'work' for," he went on, taking two steps towards her. "You screwing him, Dana? Is that why you take twenty-four hour days? To screw some younger guy?" Dana stopped in her tracks and her face burned with fury. "How dare you accuse me of that?! Do you have no respect for me?" she hissed out. Josh raised a hand and slapped her across the face. Dana stumbled and a hand went to her injured face. After a shocked moment she stood up and numbly went for the door. Josh followed. "Oh, God, Dana, I'm so sorry," he began, stumbling over his words. "I can't believe-- I didn't mean-- Oh, God-- Please, Dana," he continued to trail after her. She picked up David from the couch along with the clothes beside him. "Forgive me, Dana, please. I don't know what got into me...I've never done that before and I swear it'll *never* happen again," he pleaded. Dana opened the door. "I'll be at a friend's house, catching up on sleep. Then I'm taking David out. I'll be home in a few days or so," she said, closing the door. Josh stood watching the door for a moment, before turning and making his breakfast. ********** Dana sat on her friend Rachel's bed, debating who to call. She needed to talk to someone she could trust. She debated a moment longer then dialed a familiar number. "John Doggett," he answered quickly. "Hey, it's me," she said. "I need to talk to you now, but you have to promise not to tell a soul." ********************************* End Chapter 5 Thanks for reading! Please tell me what you thought!