TITLE:  Family Dinner
AUTHOR: Henle Girl
E-MAIL:  Henle_Girl@hotmail.com
DISTRIBUTION:  Just ask first, I'll probably say yes.

RATING:  PG
CATEGORIES: Story/Romance/Angst
KEYWORDS: Mulder/Scully Romance
SPOILERS:  Emily

SUMMARY: Mulder and Bill have to work on burying the hatchet when 
Scully's life is in danger.

Disclaimer:  The characters don't belong to me.  I'm just 
borrowing them for my own therapeutic purposes.  They will be 
returned relatively unharmed to Chris Carter, or whoever wants to 
borrow them next, when I'm done.

Author Notes:  Visit me!  http://www.geocities.com/nm122974


Family Dinner
Chapter 1

The holidays are generally a happy time for Dana Scully.  She 
loves the decorations, the music, and everything else that brings 
out the holiday cheer.  This year, however, things are different.  
It's not that she isn't happy, she's just too busy and stressed 
to realize it right now.  She's definitely far too busy to be 
having this conversation.

"Mulder, I'm trying to finish this.  What do you want?" she 
snaps, holding the phone between her ear and her shoulder while 
adding the layers of vegetables to her casserole.

"I'm sorry, Scully.  I didn't mean to bother you.  I just wanted 
to tell you I love you."

She can practically see him pouting over the phone and instantly 
feels contrite for being short with him.  

"Thank you, Mulder," she says, her voice becoming calmer than 
before.  "I love you, too."  

Mulder is another source of stress for her this holiday season.  
This is the first Scully family dinner he's attending with her - 
really with her - as more than a friend or partner.  This dinner 
will be their 'coming out' for lack of a better description.  
Nobody in her family knows that they've gotten together as a 
couple and will soon be getting married. So she's a little 
nervous at how this evening will turn out.  

Not only that, but this year her mother decided to share the 
cooking duties.  She assigned all the women attending, Scully 
included, one of the dishes to prepare.  Which is what Scully is 
hastily trying to complete before the dinner.  A task Mulder 
isn't making easy.  But she also knows he wouldn't be calling 
just to bother her.  There has to be a reason.  It's just that 
sometimes, he needs a little coaxing before he gets to the point.  
However, she doesn't have that kind of time today, so she tries 
to get to the point for him.

"Seriously, Mulder.  Why did you call?" she asks, not trying to 
sound impatient, just trying to move the conversation along.  
"You're supposed to be here any minute to pick me up."

"Scully, are you sure this is a good idea?  I mean, your brother 
Bill will be there. And he hates me," he whines.

Ah.  So he's scared and trying to back out, she figures.  She 
doesn't blame him.  She's nervous too.  He just needs some 
encouragement.  And if that doesn't work, she'll try bribery.

"He doesn't hate you, Mulder," Scully assures him.  "He's just 
kind of protective of me.  Besides, you two have hardly had the 
time to get to know each other.  How could he possibly hate you?"

"Let's just say that we've had a few run ins, and leave it at 
that.  Trust me.  Your brother hates me."

"I don't understand . . . "

"Forget it, Scully.  I shouldn't have said anything.  I'll be 
there in about half hour."  He tries to hang up the phone, but 
she doesn't let him.

"Just a minute."  She has to know what he means by 'run ins' with 
her brother Bill.  Why doesn't she know anything about them?  She 
knows that Bill doesn't approve of the her choice in career, but 
she had no idea that the animosity extended to her partner.

"Mulder, why don't you get along with my brother?"

"It's nothing, Scully.  I guess I'm just projecting or something.  
I don't think I would have liked any guy dating Samantha either," 
he says, trying to put her off.  But she isn't falling for it.

"No, Mulder. You mentioned some run ins with him.  What did you 
mean by that?  Has Bill said anything to you?  I know he didn't 
agree with using the chip when I was dying from the cancer.  But 
I recovered.  I survived.  He can't still be mad about that, can 
he?"

"Bill has made it very clear to me that he doesn't appreciate my 
presence in your life.  He blames me for the bad things that have 
happened to your family."

"That's ridiculous, Mulder.  How could you be responsible for my 
cancer?"

"Not just your cancer.  Melissa, too.  And all the times I've 
dragged you into danger on the job."

"None of that was your fault, Mulder.  He can't think that you . 
. . "

"He's outright said it, Scully," he says, interrupting her.  
"Along with calling me a few choice names."

"He what?  Oh, Mulder, I'm so sorry.  Why didn't you ever tell 
me?"

"It wasn't the right time.  You were so sick.  He thought you 
were dying.  I can understand him being so upset.  I thought 
that's all it was.  But then that time with Emily . . . let's 
just say he wasn't exactly happy to see me then either."

"I had no idea," she says quietly.  "I can understand why you 
wouldn't want to come to this dinner.  I'll make an excuse for 
Mom."

"No, don't do that.  I shouldn't have even brought it up.  I was 
just nervous.  They have to find out about us sooner or later, 
right?  Tonight is the perfect time."

"Are you sure?  Mulder, I'd hate to put you in the position of 
being verbally abused by my brother again.  There really is no 
excuse for that kind of behavior."

"I'm positive.  And don't worry about it.  I'll handle Bill.  You 
just finish up with your dish and I'll be there soon to pick you 
up."  He tells her he loves again her before hanging up the 
phone.

Scully realizes, much to her dismay, that while talking to 
Mulder, she neglected her delicate casserole and burned the top 
layer that was simmering on the stove.  She starts to make more 
when she discovers she's out of the main ingredient.  Thinking 
quickly, she finds herself across the hall, knocking on the door.

"Hi, Mrs. Levitz," she says almost shyly to the old woman across 
the hall. 

"Dana.  It's good to see you.  How are you, my dear?"

"Good, Mrs. Levitz.  But I'm afraid I need to borrow some cream 
cheese, if you have it."

"I'm sorry.  I was baking some cakes and used the last of it just 
this morning.  You can try that little store up the block.  Mr. 
Herman usually keeps things like that in stock."

"That's okay.  I might see if I can do without it," Scully 
shrugs.  "Thanks anyway."

"You know, he also stocks that special dog snack my little Otis 
loves to eat.  He's been out for a few days and I haven't been 
able to get out in this cold to get him more," the woman hints.

"Mrs. Levitz, would you like me to pick up the dog snacks for 
Otis?" Scully asks her, a knowing grin on her face.

"Oh, I don't want to put you out, my dear.  I just thought that 
if you decided to get the cream cheese, and if it wouldn't be any 
trouble . . . "

"What kind of dog snack is it?"

"Those little ones shaped like sausages," the woman tells her, 
pulling out a five dollar bill from her bra.  "He loves those."

"I'm sure he does," Scully says, trying hard not to laugh at the 
old woman's actions.  "I'll be right back."

Scully grabs a jacket and her keys, locking her door behind her.  
The store is just a few blocks away, so she decides to walk.  
This shopping trip hopefully won't take very long.  Five minutes 
to get there, five to get back and a few minutes in the store.  
She should be home before Mulder gets there.  No need to leave a 
note for him.  Besides, what could happen in fifteen minutes?


Family Dinner
Chapter 2

Mulder checks the clock and realizes he's running later than he 
anticipated.  Scully's going to be so mad with him.  He's 
surprised she hasn't tried calling him yet.

He turns on the radio to see if there are any traffic problems.  
The last thing he needs is to be even later because of some 
accident. 

" . . . store.  There are unsubstantiated reports of shots being 
fired at the hostages.  DC Metro Police are on the scene.  More 
after these words from our sponsor."

He wonders what's going on.  Robberies this time of year are 
hardly uncommon, though.  People tend to get desperate around the 
holidays.  He wants to keep listening to hear what's happening, 
but he finally arrives at Scully's.  Maybe he can listen inside.

He takes the stairs two at a time, not even bothering to wait for 
the elevator.  He doesn't want to be even later than he already 
is.  He emerges from the stairwell and walks towards her door, 
surprised to see someone standing in front of it knocking.  He's 
also surprised at *who's* knocking.

"Bill?  What are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here?  What are *you* doing here?  Let me guess.  
You're here to drag Dana off on some ridiculous case, aren't 
you?"

"No, I'm here to take your sister to your mother's house for 
dinner," Mulder explains, trying hard to ignore the other man's 
hostility towards him.

"I'm here to do the same," Bill says, squinting his eyes at 
Mulder.  "My mother said she had a lot of stuff to bring, so I 
thought I'd come and help her carry everything.  I didn't know 
you were coming, too.  Outsiders aren't usually invited."

"Whatever," Mulder mutters under his breath.  Scully would be 
very upset if he hit her brother, but that may happen pretty soon 
if she doesn't open the door.  Why hasn't she opened the door by 
now, he starts to wonder.

"Scully," he calls out, concern starting to build.  "Are you in 
there?"

"Looks like she's standing you up," Bill snorts, amused by his 
joke.  "She tells you to come by and she isn't even home."

"She was here an hour ago, Bill.  I wonder where she is now?"  
Mulder pulls his keys out of his pocket and quickly finds hers to 
unlock the door.  That shuts Bill up.  Mulder looks up at him to 
see his mouth hanging wide open in shock.

"What are you doing with a key to my sister's place?" Bill 
angrily demands to know.

Mulder continues to ignore him, his attention focused on the 
inside of Scully's apartment.  She doesn't appear to be inside, 
but he can't see any reason for her to have left.  

"Her car is still here," he mutters, more to himself than to 
Bill.  "And so is her purse.  But her jacket and keys are gone."

Just then, there's a knock at the door.  Bill answers it, since 
he's closer.

"Can I help you?" he asks the person standing there.

"Oh, excuse me.  I didn't mean to interrupt.  But I live across 
the hall.  I thought you were Dana returning from the store," 
Mrs. Levitz says, a bit shaken at seeing Bill at the door instead 
of Scully.

"Hello, Mrs. Levitz," Mulder calls to the woman.  She visibly 
relaxes at seeing his familiar face.  "You said that Dana went to 
the store?"

"She needed cream cheese," the woman nods.  "And she was going to 
pick up something for me.  But she's been gone for almost an 
hour.  I wonder what's taking her so long."

"That was about the time I last spoke with her," Mulder says, his 
radar starting to madly go off.  He has a bad feeling about this.  
"Mrs. Levitz, I'll send Dana over as soon as she returns."

He walks the woman across the hall, back to her own apartment to 
make sure she gets there safely.  

"By the way, which store did she go to?"

"The one not too far from here that nice Mr. Herman owns.  Pops 
Family Corner Grocery Store."

He closes his eyes as the warning bells in his head start 
blaring.  Looking around the room, he grabs the remote control 
from the table and turns on the television, all the while 
ignoring the stare of Mrs. Levitz.

"Is that the store?" he says, pointing to the TV.  He knows what 
she's going to say before she even says it and his rubbery legs 
suddenly cannot support him anymore.

"Why yes, it is?  Oh my.  What's going on down there?"

The screen shows vividly what's going on.  The flashing lights.  
The yellow police lines.  The news crews fighting for purchase 
outside of the corner grocery store where several people are 
being held hostage.  And he has a very bad feeling that one of 
those hostages is the love of his life and partner.

"You don't think Dana's there, do you?" the woman gasps.  

That's exactly what Mulder thinks.  But he doesn't tell the woman 
this.  He doesn't want to worry her.  Instead, he thanks her for 
her time and tells her he'll get in touch.  Going back across the 
hall, he realizes he'll be faced with someone he won't be able to 
lie to.  Bill's going to have to be told what's going on.  And 
something tells Mulder this is just something else for Bill to 
blame him for.  So much for trying to bury the hatchet.


Family Dinner
Chapter 3

The more sirens that arrive, the more afraid Dana Scully becomes.  
She knows that, theoretically, the police need to be involved in 
this situation in order to help resolve it.  But she doesn't 
trust the police to handle this.  She only trusts Mulder.  She 
has a bad feeling someone's going to get hurt.

"Why are you doing this?" one hysterical woman screams.  "This is 
supposed to be a time to be spending with our families.  Not 
holed up in a store with some lunatic!"

"Well maybe not all of us have families," the thief retorts, 
sending a sneer in the woman's direction.  "Not all of us have a 
reason to celebrate."

The man is tall, Scully notes.  Almost as tall as Mulder, but 
with a bit more mass to him.  Mulder is lean.  Muscular, but 
lean.  She loves running her hands up and down his sculpted 
chest.  With a sad sigh, she realizes that she might not ever get 
to do that again.  Mr. Unhappy with the gun may make sure of 
that.

"You shouldn't punish those of us who do," the woman spits back, 
making Scully want shoot the woman herself.  You don't really 
have to be in law enforcement to know that you shouldn't 
antagonize the nut with the gun.

"You got a lot to say, Girlie," he growls.  He stalks across the 
room, sticking the gun under her chin.  "I might just have to 
shut you up."

Up until then, the situation was relatively calm.  Scully, along 
with about six other customers, were here in Pops Family Corner 
Grocery Store getting some last minute items before the holidays.  
Out of nowhere, this man bursts in, machine gun in hand, 
threatening to kill them all unless he got all the money from the 
cash register.  Mr. Herman, the owner, quickly obeyed, 
instructing his employee to empty both registers and then open 
the safe in the back storage room.  Smart thinking on Mr. 
Herman's part, because it gave Scully a chance to reach for her 
gun while out of the man's sight.  

She was just about to take out the robber, when two of the other 
customers decided to jump him, ruining her shot.  Their bravado 
didn't last long, however, once the gun was pointed back at them.  
Which is how they got in the situation they're in now - everyone 
tied off in pairs, unable to move.  And with the arrival of the 
cops surrounding the store and preventing a hasty getaway of the 
burglar, they are locked in as well, forcing them to become 
hostages of a madman.

Unfortunately in this little scenario, Hysterical Woman has been 
tethered to Scully, and her incessant rambling is about to get 
them both killed.  Scully has to do something to distract the 
perp until the hostage negotiator can get set up.  She at least 
needs to shut the woman up before anything tragic happens.

"She's just scared," Scully says to the man, trying to somehow 
earn his trust.  "We all are.  Nobody wants anyone to get hurt.  
Isn't that right, Mr . . ."

"Boon.  The name is Alan Boon."

"I'm Dana, Alan," she smiles, trying desperately to hide how 
scared she really is.  "Why don't you tell us what this is all 
about, Alan.  Why are you keeping us here?"

"You wouldn't understand.  Nobody understands.  People only 
understand money."

"So you're here for money?  You already took that.  You don't 
need to hurt anybody.  Why don't you let us go," Scully suggests 
to the man.

"Let you go?  Are you serious, Red?  Do you see all them cops out 
there?  I let you go, what's to stop them from rushing in here 
and killing me?" he yells, obviously agitated.  Scully has to 
find a way to calm him down again.

"You're right.  That's exactly what they would do," she admits, 
drawing the shocked gasps from her fellow hostages.  "In fact, 
that's probably what they're thinking of doing right now.  And 
when they kill some of us trying to get to you, who do you think 
they're going to blame?  You, Alan.  They're going to blame you.  
You don't want any murder charges, do you Alan?"

"I never meant for any of this to happen," he whimpers, pacing 
back and forth across the front of the store.  "I just wanted the 
money.  I just needed the money."

"I know you did, Alan," she sympathizes. She can see that he's 
actually listening to her.  She just might be able to pull this 
off.  She might get him to release at least some of the hostages.  
"It was just about the money.  You never wanted anyone to get 
hurt.  I understand that."

"You really do, don't you, Red?"  He sounds amazed.  "No one has 
really understood me.  Not the banks.  Not the doctors.  No one."

"But I do," she nods.  "You don't want anyone hurt, do you?"

"I swear.  It was just about the money."

"Then prove that to those cops out there, Alan.  Let everyone go.  
That'll show them you're not trying to hurt us."

"Okay, Red," he sighs quietly.  He puts down his gun, looking up 
at her for what to do next.

She's about to tell him to untie her, when out of the corner of 
her eyes, something distracts her, making her stomach drop.  The 
testosterone twins, the morons who tried to take him down 
earlier, have managed to get themselves free and are poised for 
another attack.  Before Scully can utter a word, one of them 
leaps at the perp, knocking him to the ground.  The other one 
dives for the gun, but is stopped short by a scream.

"Don't make another move," the perp growls, allowing the madness 
to overtake him again.  Everyone looks up and sees him holding 
onto his attacker, a sharp blade pressed to the man's throat.  
"Take one more step and blondie here is dead before he hits the 
ground."

"Alan, you said you didn't want . . . "

"Shut up, Red!" he screams.  "I've heard enough from you.  This 
is my show now."


Family Dinner
Chapter 4

The trip to the store was a quiet one, only the sounds of Bill 
Scully's angry sighs to break up the silence.  Much to Mulder's 
surprise, the man didn't say anything after being told about the 
hostage situation.  However, he now seems to be ready to get it 
all off his chest.

"What's with the huffing, Bill?" Mulder finally asks him, his 
nerves too rattled to try and be diplomatic.  "If you have 
something to say, then go ahead and say it."

"You're right, *Fox*.  There is something on my mind."

Mulder has to work hard at not cringing at the sound of his first 
name said in such a taunting manner.  It's bullies like Bill that 
made his grade school days a living nightmare.

"I'm thinking that you're like a poison, killing everything that 
you touch.  My sister can't even enjoy a holiday with her family 
without you being around and something terrible happening."

"Unbelievable," Mulder chuckles, although his mood is far from 
amused.  "You've figured out a way to blame *this* on me.  Tell 
me something, Bill.  What's it like in that warped mind of yours?  
How in the world can you blame me for your sister getting taken 
hostage?  What kind of part could I have possibly played in this 
scenario?"

"You, Mr. Mulder, are a curse hanging over her head.  And as long 
as you're in her life, she'll continue to fall victim.  Why don't 
you do us all a favor and just get out of her life while she 
still has a life she can live."

"Listen, your sister has chosen me to be in her life because she 
wants me to be in her life.  She loves me, Bill.  And I love 
her."

Mulder parks as close to the store as he can and stops the car, 
pulling his badge out of his pocket for easier access.

"I don't care what you think about me.  I don't care how much you 
want me out of your sister's life.  Just know that I would do 
anything for her, Bill.  That includes going in there right now 
and doing whatever it takes to get her out.  *Whatever* it takes, 
even if it means giving up my life.  Because without her, my life 
wouldn't be worth much anyway.  That's how much I love her.  And 
if you don't think she deserves someone who loves her at least 
that much, then that's just too bad."

Mulder stomps off, leaving a stunned Bill sitting in the car.  He 
marches over to the man barking out the orders, figuring him to 
be in charge.

"Agent Mulder, FBI," he says, holding out his badge for the man.  
"Are you in charge here?"

"Simmons, DC Metro Police," the man returns the greeting.  "I 
didn't realize the FBI had been called in."

"Not officially.  But we believe one of ours is in there," Mulder 
explains quickly, hoping the man doesn't notice the quivering in 
his voice.  "Can you tell me what's going on inside?"

"The guy's name is Alan Boon.  He's a nobody.  As far as we can 
tell, this is the first he's ever done anything like this.  
Definitely out of his league.  Here's the information we were 
able to print out."

The man gives Mulder that stack of papers and continues, taking 
him to the surveillance van filled with video equipment.

"We also know what's going on inside by tapping into the store's 
security cameras.  We can see and hear everything that's 
happening in there.  That must be your agent."

He points to Scully on the screen and Mulder flinches, seeing her 
tied up and helpless.  He closes his eyes and nods briefly, 
taking a deep breath to get his wits about him.

"She's good.  She's holding everything together in there.  She 
almost managed to talk him into letting them go, but those two 
bozos keep on trying to play hero.  Our perp's pretty upset now.  
We may have to gas the place and go in."

"Is that the only way to get them out of there?" Bill asks, 
startling both Mulder and Simmons.  

They turn around to the new voice asking the question.  Mulder's 
about to ask him what he's doing there when the policeman voices 
the question first.

"Sir, this is a restricted area.  Are you with the press?"

"He's with me," Mulder says between clenched teeth, wondering how 
Bill got past the other officers.  But he can't think too much on 
that.  He has concerns with the police's plan of attack.  "Sir, 
like my colleague just said, are you sure that's the best way to 
get them out?  He seems pretty unpredictable.  How do you know he 
won't start shooting blindly once the gas hits?  How can you 
assure the safety of those hostages?"

"Well, if we don't get them out of there quickly, there's no 
telling what he'll do," Simmons argues.  "A fast strike is our 
best chance of getting in there with the chance of only minor 
casualties."

"That's unacceptable!  I will not have you putting my partner's 
life in jeopardy.  There has to be another way," Mulder 
practically begs.  "How about the negotiator?  You said before 
the suspect was almost convinced to let them go.  Why not send in 
someone to talk to him."

"The negotiator's en route.  Even still, I won't put an officer 
at unnecessary risk like that.  It would be like giving the guy 
another hostage."

"Then I'll do it.  I'll go in and talk to him," Mulder offers.

"Agent Mulder, you can't . . . "

"Just watch me," he growls, grabbing a vest from the back of the 
van.  He takes off his shirt to fit the vest underneath and then 
relinquishes his weapon.  "Let him know I'm coming in."

He cautiously makes his way to the store, listening as the 
officer calls out with the megaphone that someone's coming in to 
talk to him about his demands.  Mulder can't help but shiver with 
nervous fright, afraid for the lives now in his hands.  Without 
thought, he sends up a quick prayer to a God he's not sure he 
believes in that everything will turn out all right.


Family Dinner
Chapter 5

"Go unlock the door, Red," the thief nervously commands, keeping 
a careful eye on his renegade hostages.  He unties her to allow 
her to do his bidding.  "Then step back over here to me.  I don't 
want no funny movements, is that clear?"

"Perfectly," she says, doing just as he asked.  She's able to 
make brief eye contact with Mulder through the shop door, sending 
him a mental message that she's okay.  She's not happy to see 
that he's putting himself on the line like this, but she's 
relieved not to have to endure the situation alone anymore.

She steps behind her captor, out of Mulder's way in case he needs 
a clear shot.  She hopes it doesn't come down to that, though.  
While Mr. Alan Boon might be a little desperate and unbalanced, 
he doesn't necessarily deserve to die.  He just needs help.

Mulder opens the door, being careful to make slow, non-
threatening moves to avoid spooking the perp.  Once he's inside 
all the way, he's instructed to lock the door and step away from 
it.

"What do you want?" Alan warily asks, casting a suspicious glare 
in Mulder's direction.  "They said you were some sort of 
negotiatior.  You here to tell me how much money I'm getting?"

"Something like that," Mulder says with a gentle smile.  "I'm 
just here to make sure nobody gets hurt and that this situation 
is ended peacefully."

"I was working on that.  But some people in here think they're 
some kind of hero or something.  They keep on attacking me and 
making me get angry."  He turns his heated stare on the 
troublemakers, both now knocked unconscious.

"Well they don't look like much trouble anymore," Mulder observes 
with a little amusement.  He saw on the video display how the two 
of them almost got everyone killed with their foolish actions.

"No.  I guess they ain't."  Alan lets out a hearty chuckle, 
surprising all of his hostages.

"The rest of them haven't given you any trouble, have they?  Why 
don't you let them go.  Then the two of us can talk," Mulder 
suggests.  He steadily ignores the looks of panic coming from 
Scully.

"You'd do that?  For people you don't even know?" Alan wonders in 
amazement.  

"I don't have to know them to know that somewhere in this world, 
there are people who love them and care for them.  People who are 
very worried about them right about now.  They're worried you're 
going to harm them.  Like this red-haired lady.  I met her big 
brother outside.  He's terrified that something bad is going to 
happen to her."

"You got a brother, Red?" he asks, concern evident in his voice, 
remorse visible in his eyes.  "He take good care of you?"

"He's a little bossy, but he does his best.  We don't always get 
along, though," she says with a sad smile.  "He apparently hates 
the guy I'm going to marry."

"He's probably just looking out for you."

"Like you're trying to look out for your sister?" Mulder asks, 
surprising them all with the question that seemingly came from 
nowhere.  But Mulder knows what he's talking about.  This guy is 
like a lot of other people in this very same situation.  
Understand their motive, then you understand them.  This guy's 
motivation just happen to be a very sick sister.

"How do you know about my sister?"

"It doesn't matter.  Just know that what you're doing here won't 
help her at all.  It's only going to make her sad that she can't 
spend whatever time she has left with you."

"She has cancer," Alan says, tears starting to run down his face.  
"The doctor said we caught it too late.  I just figured with the 
money, I could buy whatever it is they won't give her to cure 
her."

"So who's taking care of her now?  You're her big brother, Alan," 
Mulder reminds the man.  "What are you doing in here away from 
her?  She's probably scared and lonely waiting for you.  And if 
you kill somebody in here and go to jail, then you'll probably 
never see her again."

"I can't believe I left her all by herself," Alan gasps, his hand 
lifting to his mouth.  "I . . . I need to get to her."

"We know you do, Alan.  But you can't walk out of here with those 
weapons.  Why don't you put down the gun and knife," Scully says, 
nodding towards a spot the floor away from the others.  He 
eagerly complies, pulling out a few knives she didn't realize he 
was carrying.

"Okay, that's good.  Now why don't you let all of these people 
go, just so the police know you aren't a danger to them anymore," 
Mulder suggests.

Again Alan agrees, instructing Scully to cut away everyone's 
bindings.  She quickly sets everyone loose and guides them to 
safety, leaving him alone with Mulder.

The wait outside seemed much longer than it actually was.  Scully 
nervously watched the door, waiting and praying for Mulder to 
make it out safely.  She briefly looked for her brother earlier, 
but didn't see him and assumed Mulder made that part of his story 
up.

She makes a few more restless paces across the parking lot before 
the sound of loud cheers startles her, making her jump.  She 
looks towards the door and sees the man she loves escorting his 
prisoner to the waiting authorities.

After handing the man over, she watches him scan the crowd, 
looking for her.  Her heart starts to beat faster, and she knows 
how foolish a move it is, but she can't stop her feet from 
carrying her into his arms.

"Scully, I was so scare for you," he whispers into her ear, 
holding her close.  "When I found out you were in there . . . "

"Shhh.  It's okay.  I'm safe," she assures him.  "Thanks to you.  
You're my hero."

She pulls away slightly and gives him a proud smile, unable to 
resist placing a kiss on his lips.  They're interrupted by the 
police officer in charge and the press.

"Here he is.  The man of the hour.  Agent Mulder, a few words for 
the reporters?" Officer Simmons asks.

"I'm no hero," he demures.  "This lady here, Agent Dana Scully, 
is the hero.  She's the one who first established a rapport with 
our suspect.  She made my job easy."  He smiles at her, then 
steps back to allow her a moment in the spotlight.

"That was real nice what you did," Bill says, having finally made 
his way back to the scene after being banished earlier by the 
officers.  

"She doesn't get this enough.  Working with me doesn't always get 
her the good kind of attention.  She deserves the accolades 
whenever she can get them," Mulder smiles, watching with awe as 
his woman works the press.

"I may have been wrong about you, Mr. Mulder.  Perhaps you care 
for my sister after all.  You risked your life for hers.  I at 
least have to thank you for that," Bill offers.

"I told you before, Bill.  Without her, my life means nothing.  
Either we both walked out of there or we both died trying.  I 
wouldn't have accepted anything less."

"I believe that now.  That doesn't mean I like the idea of my 
baby sister walking so willingly into danger, but I understand 
now that it's her choice to do it."

"Oh my goodness," Scully gasps in mock surprise.  Neither of the 
men noticed her approach.  "I may have to get this on video.  My 
brother actually admitting that I have the ability to make my own 
decisions?"

"Come on, Danes, you know I was trying to look out for you," Bill 
whines.

"Yeah, Danes.  He's your big brother.  He just wants what's best 
for you,"  Mulder agrees with a big, teasing grin.

"Great," she huffs, rolling her eyes.  "And I thought it was bad 
when you two hated each other.  What am I going to do now that 
you two are best buddies all of a sudden?"

"Well, I wouldn't say we're best buds, Sis.  Mulder and I have 
just come to an understanding."

"Yeah, he knows that I would die before I let anything happen to 
you."

"Mulder!"

"And he knows that if he doesn't, then I'll kill him."

"Bill!"

She stares at them both, eyes wide in shock at their statements.  
It's not until they start laughing that she realizes they're 
teasing her.

"You two are incorrigible," she sighs, stomping off towards her 
house, deciding to walk the few blocks back.

"She's really mad," Bill observes after their laughter dies down.  
"I think we're in trouble."

"Yeah, a little bit," Mulder nods.

"Should we go after her?  Give her a ride home?"

"If we value our lives," he laughs, nodding again.  "That last 
time she shot me was a little too close for comfort."

He laughs even harder at the look on Bill's face.  Although they 
both know up close and personal the wrath of Scully's anger, 
Mulder gets the feeling that Bill has never felt the full brunt 
of said rage.

"She shot you?" Bill asks in disbelief.

"Just in the shoulder," Mulder explains.  "And only because she 
cared about me."

"She shot you, and you're still in with her for the long haul?"

Mulder just grins and says, "It's what I've been doing for the 
past 6 years.  It's what I want to do for the rest of my life."

"More power to you, my friend," Bill says with a chuckle, 
slapping him on the shoulder, suddenly feeling a new respect for 
the man.  "She's a force to be reckoned with when she's like 
this."

"Yeah," Mulder sighs, another grin gracing his face, the one 
reserved for when he thinks about how much he loves Scully. "But 
I wouldn't have it any other way." 

Mulder realizes it's as close to a blessing as he's probably 
going to get from the man.  They may not have exactly buried the 
hatchet today, but they made a start.  Perhaps dinner with the 
family won't be so bad after all.

The end.