Title~ One Step Too Far (1/1)
Author~ name removed by request
Status~ Fluff, UST
Spoilers~ Any eps that involve Bill Scully and Scully's cancer
Disclaimer~ I don't own X-Files! It's Chris Carter, not me! Don't sue me!
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The tension was building between them from the moment they met.

It was obvious to anyone who saw them.

Fox Mulder and Bill Scully were enemies right from the start. All
it took was a handshake, and they knew that they'd never get along. Bill
had blamed Mulder for everything that happened to his sister. Her
abduction. Her cancer. Anything that went wrong was Mulder's fault
because he was open minded. Mulder hated it. He didn't WANT to hate Bill,
it was instinct. Self-defense. 
So, when Scully had invited Mulder for dinner at her mother's
house, he needed a lot of persuasion. Mulder never told his partner about
the words that Bill had cold-heatedly spat out at him in the intensive
care unit. Even after Bill had walked by, his icy words still echoed in
the empty hallway. He never felt so guilty in all his life. But, this was
an occasion that Scully obviously wanted him at. Her mother thought of
him as her own son, and often made him promise he'd call her. She was,
perhaps, the only individual who heard both sides of the story about he
and Scully's relationship. And now, here he was, sitting at the table at
Margaret Scully's house, eating dinner. 
Mrs.Scully had greeted Mulder with a hug at the door. Her
motherly kindness quickly lifted his spirits, and it felt good to smile.
He always told Scully she was lucky to have the mother she did, and she'd
constantly had the same reaction. A smile and she'd say, "Well... I think
that I can share her, if you ever need a Mom." He never forgot the offer,
but he never used it, either.
Mulder ate quietly, listening to the family chatter. Bill had
said virtually nothing since Mulder came in the door. Scully had Mulder
sit next to her, across the table from Bill and his wife. He was glad he
was seated where he was; it was all that was keeping him from kicking in
the bony face of Scully's older brother. But he knew that if he ever
crossed that line, his partner would never forgive him. Or understand.
Scully offered to help clear the table, and stood up, taking her
plate with her. Mulder rose and picked up his own plate and silverware,
disappearing into the kitchen behind Scully.
"You're awfully quiet, Mulder, is there something wrong?" Scully
asked, setting her dishes in the sink.
"No.... I just think I better go soon. I'm getting bad vibes," he
replied.
" 'Bad vibes'? What exactly are 'bad vibes'? And from who are the
immolating from?" she asked, leaning against the countertop. He didn't
answer, only unbuttoned his sleeves are started rolling them. " Is it
Bill?" she finally asked.
"He HATES me, Scully. I can't help it! He's under the impression
that I enjoy sitting around, being hated him. I don't. I'm sorry, I just
can't stick around," he said, still averting his eyes. She touched his
arm.
"I'll talk to him. He knows if he messes with me, I'll kick his
ass."
He looked up at her, a grin forming on his face.
"Sound like something from 'The Jerry Springer Show', Scully," he
said, his throat suddenly feeling closed off. "No... Scully. You don't
have to."
"Just sit tight, I'll talk to him," she said. "Don't go now,
Mom'll probably tackle you at the door if you try to leave before
dessert." She smiled. "C'mon, we've got more stuff to clear off."
She walked past him, into the dining room. Everyone was still
sitting, talking. Mulder went and picked up more plates.
"Billy, can I speak to you for a moment in the living room?"
Scully whispered. Bill looked up at his sister, seeing an unidentifiable
emotion in her eyes.  
"Sure, Dana. Be right back, everyone," he said, wiping his mouth
with a napkin while he stood up. Scully went to the living room, and
watched as Bill came in.
"What's up, Dana? Is something wrong?" he asked.
"Yeah, there is," she replied quickly. "Look, Bill, it's NO
secret that you don't like Mulder. But making him feel unwelcome in Mom's
house is wrong. That's downright LOW. He has NO family, Bill. His sister
has disappeared, his father has died, and his mother isn't exactly
supportive. He NEEDS to be around an atmosphere. He didn't want me to say
anything to you, but I told him I was going to anyways. Can you just keep
your cool, for ONCE in your life?"
"Dana-" Bill started.
"Bill. Yes or no?" she said crisply. He sighed.
"Fine."
"Good, thank you. That's all I needed to hear," and with that,
turned and left. Scully went to the dining room, Mulder had cleared the
last of the dishes off, and her mother was serving dessert. Scully sat
down, assuming Mulder would be coming out shortly. But, then she watched
as her older brother slipped into the kitchen. She cocked an eyebrow.
'Bill wouldn't completely ignore everything I said,' she thought, 'He
knows better.'
Mulder looked up to see Scully's older brother come into the
kitchen, his eyes dark. Mulder turned and started to wash dishes again.
Bill stood there, arms crossed, staring at his sister's partner.
" Can't defend yourself now, Mr.Mulder?" he asked, his voice
gruff. "Gotta send my baby sister in to say what you're too chicken to
say yourself?"
Mulder's jaw clenched, and he continued to look busy.
"Who invited you, Mulder? Mom? Dana? Wasn't me, that's for damn
sure," Bill continued. "I know why they invited you. Because you're
pathetic. No family. No life. A failure. Just one more fruitcake out
alone in the world and they feel sorry for you." He smirked. "Dana said
it herself."
Mulder's head shot up.
"You're lying."
" Why would I lie about that? I'm a honest man, Agent Mulder, I
don't lie about things like that."
Mulder's head dropped to his chest. His throat became
constricted.
"So, why don't you be a good loser and get the hell out of my
Mother's house? Why don't you go off and chase UFOs somewhere? You've
already ruined my sister's life, at least don't ruin my family's life,"
Bill said, his voice cold. Tears filled Mulder's eyes.
"Go away, Bill. I don't want to start anything here," he said
softly, trying to keep his emotions hidden.
"Like hell you don't," Bill growled. The testosterone level was
growing dangerously high. "Get out of here! You're not welcome! You think
that you can give my sister cancer and make her unable to have kids, and
then just stroll into my mother's house? You're wrong!" Bill hissed.
Mulder turned silently and stormed out the back door.
"BILL SCULLY!" Dana suddenly yelled. Bill whirled around.
"Dana, I-"
" How dare you! How could you SAY that?! I heard everything! The
whole thing! Do you have ANY idea what you've just done?" Scully
screamed.
"Dana! What's wrong?!" Margaret suddenly said.
"Mom! Bill just yelled at Mulder, and he left!"
"William Mulder!" Margaret was suddenly equally as angry. "What
did you say to him?"
"Nothing, Mom!" Bill said defensively.
"NOTHING, MY ASS!" Scully spat. " You just blamed him for my
cancer, Bill! As if he didn't already feel bad about it, now you told him
that he caused it!"
"It's not the first time I've said that! And it IS his fault,
Dana! He's a bastard!" Bill said.
"YOU'RE a bastard!" she cried furiously. She stormed up to him
and pointed a finger at his face. "You've done a lot of stupid things in
your life, Bill Scully, but this is it. You just went one step too far.
If it weren't for Mulder, I'd be dead! I owe him EVERYTHING," she said,
her voice getting softer and softer and she spoke. Finally, she
whispered, "You just did one thing that I'll never be able to forgive you
for."
Scully turned and went out the door. Bill looked at Margaret. She
shook her head.
"That was cruel, Bill. And stupid," she said, and left the room.


Scully went outside, shivering in the cold. She looked over to
see Mulder sitting a chair. His face was buried in his hands, his elbows
resting on his knees. Scully walked over silently and slowly sunk into a
squat.
"I yelled at him for you," she said softly. He nodded, his face
still covered with his hands. "Mulder, look at me."
Slowly, he moved his hands from his face and dropped them between
his knees,  revealing tears, but his eyes were closed. After a moment, he
opened them.
"It's not your fault. You know that, don't you?" she asked. He
averted his eyes. "Mulder? Don't you?" Still no answer. "Oh, God....
Mulder, it's NOT your fault! I don't blame you for what happened to me! I
never have!" Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Don't you UNDERSTAND that
by now? Please, don't do this to yourself. Don't do this to ME. Bill is
an asshole, Mulder. He always has been. And if anything goes wrong, he's
always been the one who feels the need to assign the blame."
Mulder's eyes found hers. She tilted her head, and reached out,
smoothing his hair back. She moved closer to him, and dropped from her
squat to her knees, wrapping her arms around him. His head rested on her
shoulder, his tears moistening her blouse. He wasn't crying now, but was
just grateful for her comfort.
"I'm sorry," he said, his voice cracking. "I should have left. I
messed everything up for your mother-"
"No, Bill screwed it up," she replied, one of her hands coming up
to run through his hair. "You did exactly what you should have done. You
stayed, and when Bill approached you, you walked away. That's something
he never would have done. So, instead, he took your weakpoints in your
life, everything that happened to me, and used it against you."
Mulder shifted in her embrace. Scully closed her eyes, feeling
the warmth coming from them. "And another thing, Mulder. You're not a
loser or a failure. You're not a fruitcake. And I hope you know that,"
she said, she pulled back and pressed her lips to his forehead. "Is it
true he's talked to you like this before?"
He nodded. "Yeah."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
" You weren't feeling well, Scully. You were in the hospital with
your cancer, and I didn't want to make you worry or feel obligated to fix
things."
"I would have fixed him, all right, that son of a-"
"Scully," he interrupted. "He's your brother. He's flawed and
he's blunt, but he's your brother. Don't hate him because of me."
"I don't hate him. I just don't forgive him for that, I told him
so," she said. He looked up at her. 
"So does this mean you won't star in 'The Jerry Springer Show'
after all?" he said, a slight smile on his lips. She smiled and kissed
his cheek.
"I'm freezing my ass off. Let's go inside."
" I'm not sure-"
"Mulder, Bill isn't going to say a word. The entire family was
disappointed in him, Mom was furious. He's hiding somewhere with his tail
between his legs in embarrassment."
Scully stood up, taking Mulder's hand. He got to his feet and
went inside, Scully reassuringly leading him to a new beginning to the
night.
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I felt the need for fluffy UST!