Title: Darkness Lifted Author: Nissa (nissa@hotmail.com) Rating: PG for some minor violence.. Spoilers: Let's say 5th season, just to be safe Classification: S, R Keywords: Mulder/Other UST Summary : Mulder helps a very familiar face come back from the dead Disclaimer: *Sigh* The X-Files and all related characters belong to Chris Carter, 1013, and 20th Century Fox. No infringement is intended Authors Notes: I freely admit this isn't the best piece of fanfic I've ever written...The inspiration for this came to me during a class and I wrote it in one sitting...It's a short little piece, but there could be room for a sequel. Here we go... XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX J Edgar Hoover Building Washington, D.C. March 24, 1998 12:14 a.m. Three years wasn't such a long time. Fox Mulder had been mulling over this fact ever since Byers had called him with the news over an hour ago. Granted, he'd seen some very strange things since he began working on the X-Files, and this wouldn't qualify as the strangest by far. He just hoped that, unlike some X-Files, this would prove to be true. Guess I'm going to find out, he thought, unlocking the door to his office. Byers, Langly, and Frohicke thought it would be best if she met him in his office alone. For once, Mulder thought their extreme paranoia might be justified. As he entered the office, he could see her sitting in his desk chair. The moonlight cast a silvery light around her tall willowy frame as she hesitatingly stood up. "Why is it so dark in here?" Mulder asked, already knowing the response. "Because the lights aren't on," Melissa Scully replied. The next thing he knew, she was stepping forward and hugging him. To his surprise, he felt himself hugging her back for a few seconds. Then, he moved towards the wall and flicked on a light switch. "Let's see if this improves things," he said. At this point, he was able to get his first good look at her. She had the same long red hair, and the same fair skin. However, she seemed a little thinner and there was a guarded expression in her bright green eyes. She was also seemed to have abandoned her long skirts and velvet tops in favor of jeans and an oversized sweater "Where do I start?" Melissa murmured, half to herself, half to Mulder. "The beginning is usually good," Mulder said, giving her one of his near-grins... XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Sobolewski's Diner Washington D.C. 1:47 a.m. She'd missed him. The thought hit Melissa Scully with unexpected force. She'd never even known Fox Mulder that well; to her, he was just a man that worked with her sister. The only prolonged contact she had with him was over four years ago when Dana was in the hospital. They had helped each other out then, but she heard very little from him after that. Now she had to rely on him to help her get her life back, she realized. After they met in his office, they decided to move some place more public. She was now sitting across from him at a diner not from FBI Headquarters. Melissa had just spent the past hour and a half filling Fox in on what she could remember of the past three years. She told him about going to Dana's apartment and seeing the men in the shadows, then nothing. The next thing she remembered was being in a white, sterile looking room with strange men dressed head to toe in medical scrubs. She eventually learned that the white place was some sort of medical facility; she was even able to move about the place somewhat. However, she never learned why she was there or how she got there in the first place. The men simply told her that her name was "Kara" and she was going to serve a very important purpose. However, most of her time there was still a blank in her memory. She didn't remember who she was until she was released from the facility. She woke up in a motel room in Las Vegas, Nevada dressed in sweats with a driver's license with Melissa Scully's name on it. In a matter of weeks, she began recalling bits and pieces of her life and family. She knew she had to get back to Washington and find her sister. Through a strange twist of fate, the Lone Gunmen found her first and they directed her to Mulder. "And that's when I found you," she said, finishing her story. "That's probably a good thing," Fox said thoughtfully. "Scully, I mean Dana, is out of town at a forensics conference this weekend. "She won't be back until tomorrow morning. "So what do we do until then, Fox?" she asked, then remembered he didn't like anyone using his first name. He didn't correct her, though. "The most we can do is wait and be careful...And get some sleep," he said, looking at the clock on the wall. "Right," she agreed. "Never know who's watching." She meant it half seriously and half teasingly. She had seen how suspicious Fox's three friends were, and she had a pretty good feeling he was the same way. Fox nodded. "You learn fast." He got up from the table and motioned towards the door. "Where are we going now? Some out of the way motel?" "A woman after my own heart," he replied, giving her another one of his grins. On the way to the motel, Melissa began getting a headache. It wasn't too uncommon, so she didn't say anything. However, it got worse and worse. By the time they reached their destination, it was almost unbearable. It felt like a white-hot spear had been jabbed through her forehead. "Melissa?" The pain was so bad, she didn't hear Fox calling her name until he'd said it several times. She opened her eyes and saw him looking at her with a concerned expression. "I...fine," she mumbled. "Just tired...have...headache." She tried to get out of the car, but her legs refused to support her. A wave of nausea washed over her, and she saw the ground rushing towards her. Before she hit the ground, a pair of arms grabbed her. She dimly realized that Fox had a hold of her. "What is it with Scully women saying they're fine when they're not?" she heard him say, but it sounded like it was coming down a very long tunnel. She blacked out for a time, and the next thing she knew she was lying on a motel bed. Fox was in a chair across the room, watching her. "Feeling better?" he asked. She nodded, realizing that her headache was gone. She looked at the window and saw that it was almost dawn. "You were here the whole night?" she asked him. "I hope you don't say that to every man you wake up with," Mulder quipped. She caught herself smiling and tried to change the subject. "When can I see my sister?" "I think her flight gets in at 7:14," Fox replied. "By the time we get to Annapolis, she should be back. "Then let's get going," Melissa said anxiously. The two showered and dressed quickly, and in no time they were on their way to Annapolis. Neither said much on the ride to Dana's apartment, but the time went surprisingly quick. Before she knew it, she was standing outside Dana's apartment door. "Go ahead," Fox said, motioning for her to knock on the door. She knocked and several seconds later, the door flew open. "Missy?" Dana said, a look of shock on her face. "Hey, Dana," Melissa said with a huge smile. "Long time, no see XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX The end? Please send all feedback to nissa@hotmail.com