Title: Taken
Author: Girlie_girl7
Email: Girlie_girl74@yahoo.com
Date: 02-04-04
Category: MSR
Spoilers: VS 11 timeline
Rating: PG
Archive: Anywhere
Disclaimer: Fox owns 'em
Summary: It's St. Patrick's Day and Mulder and Scully
have had a fight.


                           ~ Taken ~

It's a cold and rainy end to St. Patrick's Day.  The
once a year revelers have pretty much left the bar,
leaving only the hardened drinkers behind and one very
depressed FBI Agent.  Fox Mulder sits at the end of
the bar nursing his second drink of the evening.  He's
been here almost an hour, so that makes it two hours
since he and Scully had their fight.  His trench coat
lies on the bar next to him while his tie hangs
loosely around his neck.  He downs a gulp of green
beer, and lets out a long, deep, sigh.  

A burly, rugged faced, old barkeep wearing a nametag
proclaiming him to be 'Gus' slowly walks over to the
agent.  He mops up the bar and carefully eyes Mulder. 
"You're not a regular and you don't seen impressed
with it being St. Patrick's Day so you must have woman
troubles."

Mulder doesn't raise his head; he simply nods to the
older man.
Gus grabs a shot glass from the small sink under the
counter and begins to dry and polish it.  "She yer
wife?" Gus questions.

"Nope," Mulder stubbornly says.

"She yer girlfriend then?"

Mulder takes a long drink of his draft.  "She used to
be."

"So you two broke up?"

"Not exactly, but I doubt that I will be seeing her
naked anytime soon."  Mulder pushes his empty glass
toward Gus and points down at it.

Gus fills the mug and pushes it back to Mulder.  "Ah
woman, can't live with 'em and can't live without
'em," Gus philosophizes as he polishes another glass.

Mulder takes a sip of his beer; "You married?" He asks
Gus.

Gus puts down the glass and tosses the bar towel over
his shoulder.  A long, wistful, look covers the old
mans face.  "I was married for twenty years.  Her name
was Elle; she had the prettiest head of hair I ever
laid eyes on, shiny like a new copper penny."

This gets Mulder's attention.  He finally looks up at
the old man behind the bar.

Gus continues to stand in a trance like state.  "She
had the biggest, soulful, blue eyes, like the color of
Windex," he grins.
"I fell for her hard, she was just a tiny little
thing, but my world revolved around that woman."

Mulder swallows hard and gets a guilty look on his
face.  "You two still together?"

Gus sadly shakes his head.  "In spirit only, son.  She
got cancer and passed away.  To this day she has been
the only woman I have ever loved."

Mulder takes a sip of his green beer but he doesn't
really taste it.

Gus wipes down the bar and pockets a tip. "I sure do
miss her, at times I don't know why I continue.  We
never had kids so this job is all I have."  He glances
up at Mulder.  "I love this job but not as much as I
loved my Elle."  Gus turns away and digs out his
handkerchief to blow his nose on.

Mulder quickly downs his beer and hops off the stool. 
He slaps down a twenty and races for the door.  He
runs across the street and down the next block as the
rain pelts his face and plasters his clothing to his
body.  He sprints up the next street, running in and
out of the heavy traffic with his tie blowing back
over his shoulder and his clothes heavy with rain.

He finally makes it to Scully's apartment building and
flings the lobby door open.  He doesn't wait for the
elevator instead choosing to race up the stairs,
taking the steps two at a time.  He runs down the
hallway, his shoes sloshing and his dress pants
plastered to his legs.  "Scully!"  He pounds on the
door.  "Open up, please.  I'm so sorry; it was all my
fault."  There is no answer.  He begins to plead,
"Please Scully, please let me in."  He rests his head
against the door as water drips off his soaked hair
and trickles down his nose.  "Sculleee," he softly
pleads.

Suddenly the door is throw open.  "Mulder, what do you
think…"
Scully stops short when she sees what condition her
partner is in.  "Mulder, what happened?" She softly
says. 

He flings himself at her, wrapping his arms around her
satin pajama clad body.  He pulls her close, nearly
suffocating her in the process.  "Scully, Scully,
Scully," Mulder softly repeats.

Scully finally pushes away from him.  "It's okay
Mulder, it's okay," she soothingly says to him.

Mulder looks down at her, "Oh Scully, I've gotten you
wet.  I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Scully smiles up at him as she leads him
into the living room.  "Here, sit down while I get you
a towel."

"No," Mulder yells as she leaves the room.  "I don't
want to get your couch wet."

Scully comes back in.  "It's all right, its just
water," she says as she hands him a towel and smiles. 
"It is just water, isn't it?"

Mulder finally grins at her, "Yeah."

Pulling him into the kitchen, she sets him down on a
wooden chair and removes his jacket then places a
towel around his shoulders.  She takes another towel
and rubs his hair.  "You wanna tell me what happened?"

"No," Mulder pouts, as he looks down enjoying the view
Scully is affording him while she briskly rubs his
head with a towel.

She finishes drying his hair and tosses the towel
aside.  She takes his chin in her hand and as if
talking to a petulant child says, "Mulder, tell me
what's going on."

He looks up into her big, blue eyes and pitifully
says, "Scully, I don't want to fight anymore.  We
never know how much time we have left."

Scully smiles and bends down to bring her lips to his.
 "I know.  I don't like to fight either."

Suddenly the phone rings. "You get that while I make
us some tea."

Mulder toes off his shoes as he walks into the living
room to answer the phone.  "Hello."

"Hello Agent Mulder, it's Gus.  You left your overcoat
here at the bar."

Mulder rubs his forehead.  "Oh right, I'll be over in
the morning to get it.

"Good enough," Gus says as he begins to hang up.

Suddenly it hits Mulder.  "Wait!  How did you know my
name and where to reach…" but its too late, Gus has
already hung up.

Mulder taps the phone against his chin thinking, and
then he hangs up.  "Hey Scully."

"Yes," Scully answers as she brings in two hot mugs of
tea.

He turns to face her.  "Do you know a bartender named
'Gus'?"

Scully sits down and hands Mulder a mug of tea as he
settles in next to her.

"Yes, I do."

"Do you go there often?"

"Occasionally, why?"

"Has Gus ever mentioned his late wife Elle?"

Scully takes a sip of her tea.  "No, I didn't know he
ever had another wife."

Mulder frowns.  "Another wife?"

"That's right.  I know his wife Mary; she bakes the
best baklava I've ever eaten.  Remember, I brought
some into the office a time or two."

"So Gus never had a wife named Elle?"

Scully thinks for a moment.  "I don't think so, Mary
told me they have been married for over forty years."

"Hum, is she a tiny, blue eyed, red head?"

Scully laughs.  "Hardly!  She's as big as Gus with
salt and pepper hair and brown eyes.  Why do you ask?"

Mulder looks off into space then looks at Scully. 
"Because I think I have just been hood-winked."

Scully frowns, unsure of what he means.  "I don't
understand?"

"Did Mary ever have cancer?"

Scully furrows her brow, "I don't think so."

"Are she and Gus happy together, I mean does he
worship her?"

Scully laughs.  "Gus and Mary?  He calls her 'the old
ball and chain' and she calls him… well, I won't tell
you what she calls him."

"And they never had any children?"

Scully sits back on the couch.  "Mulder, the bar Gus
works at is called 'The Four Bother's', those are
Gus's sons'.  They employ him to give him something to
do."

"Hum.  Do you talk to Gus much?"

"No, not really, but I do chat with Mary while she is
getting my order ready."

"Have you ever mentioned me to her?"

Scully blushes and tucks a strand of hair behind her
ear.  "I might have a time or two.  Mary is a good
listener.  Why?"

"Because I think I have just been taken my your pal
Gus."

"Taken in.  What happened?"

"After our fight, I took a walk."

"Yes, I remember hearing the door slam."  Scully
comments.

Mulder chooses to ignore that remark.  "I took a walk
and ended up in front of this little bar so I went in.
 Everyone was drinking and toasting the day so I sat
down at the counter."

"I take it you were at The Four Brother's."

Mulder turns to face her.  "Right, and this old
bartender started to tell me a story about his late
wife, and Scully I swear she could have been your
twin."  Mulder frowns and softly says to himself, "I
should have suspected something was up."  He gets off
the couch and stalks around the room as he runs his
fingers through his hair.  "How could I have fallen
for that?  My deductive reasoning sure let me down
tonight.  Maybe it was the booze," He mumbles.

Scully rises and walks over to her partner.  She
gently pulls on his shirtfront, drawing him down. 
"Mulder, is it possible that Gus merely brought you to
your senses?  I know I am sorry for what I said to you
earlier."

Mulder looks down at Scully and smiles.  "You know
that Gus is a pretty smart guy."  He envelops her in a
hug and doesn't release her.

Scully lays her head on his chest.  "Mulder, you're
chilled, let's get you warmed up."

"Any suggestions, Agent Scully?" Mulder leers at her.

Scully looks up with a feral grin on her face.  "Well,
I do have a big, deep, bathtub."

"And you know how I hate to bathe alone," Mulder
smiles down at her.  He releases her and lets her pull
him toward the bathroom.  "Scully, I'd like to go to
The Four Brother's again."

"You would?"

"Yeah, and I would like to take you with me this
time."

Scully wraps her arm around his waist as Mulder drapes
his arm across her shoulder.  "I'd like that."

"And Scully you think you could bring in some more of
that Baklava?"

"I think that could be arranged," Scully smiles as
they walk into the bathroom, shutting the door behind
them.



                       ~ The End ~