Title: Nova

Author: Angel

Feedback: Please! I love every but of it!

Classification: MSR, Colonization fic.

Spoilers: All the way up to 7^th season finale but NOT including.

Rating: NC-17 (for some parts-very mild consensual sex- but to be safe!) Others are probably PG-13 or so for naughty words and implied naughty stuff =).

Summery: The inevitable happens. Mulder has planned ahead and now does everything in his power to keep Scully safe.

You MUST read all parts to understand! Available at Ephemeral and my home page.

Disclaimer: You know the drill. Characters are property of Fox, 1013, ect. No money is being made. No infringement is intended. A few poems and songs are used without permission, names of authors are given. Prayers which I did not write, and I don’t know who wrote are included in some areas.

Homepage: (to find missing parts and sooner or later the completed version, also posted at Ephemeral)

A HUGE thanks to Evie my beta reader! Nova would never be doing this well, or going as fast, without her help! Thank you thank you thank you thank you! Umm… one more! Thank you!

Note: Want Nova updates in the mail? Just let me know!

"Baby don’t look up, the sky is falling." Tori Amos

(27/?)

Day 163

"Scully." Mulder rubbed Scully’s thigh lightly to rouse her.

"I’m awake." She said sleepily, rolling on to her back to look up at him.

Mulder tenderly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I’ve got to go. We’re going to try clearing a doorway."

Scully sat up with a yawn. "Ok, I’ll come give you guys a hand."

Mulder laughed and pushed her shoulders until she was lying down again. "That’s pretty funny Scully."

"I’m feeling much better, Mulder." She said sternly, sitting up again.

"Then go to the Medical Room." He replied as he tied his shoes.

Scully just glared at him. She knew she shouldn’t be doing anything else, but it didn’t mean she was happy about it.

"Don’t give me that look." He leaned over and kissed her cheek. "I’ll talk to you later."

"Bye." She grumbled.

Mulder wiped the sweat off his forehead with the back of his arm.

"Hey! I see light." Mike called from his spot, crouched on the ground.

Mulder kneeled down beside him and peered out the small opening. "Looks hazy but clear enough to breathe." Squinting he looked around in the low light. "Let’s start up there." He pointed to the high right corner of the opening.

"We can’t reach that high." Mark pointed out.

"You noticed that too." Skinner mumbled. "Well we really don’t have a choice. If we start any lower the whole thing might tumble in on us." He glanced over his shoulder, pausing to smile as Scully and Amanda walked up perfectly aware of their situation.

Scully touched Mulder’s arm lightly. "Boost me up on your shoulder, Mulder. I’ll do it."

"No." Mulder said plainly, shaking his head.

"I can do it." Amanda said before Scully continued. "Walter, you can hold me up there."

Skinner nodded, avoiding Scully’s bitter gaze. "Ok, Mandy." He said lifting her up to sit on his right shoulder, his hands securing her legs.

Mulder leaned close to Scully’s ear, trying not to laugh. "Mandy?"

"Shh." She said swatting at his arm.

Mulder stood up right with a soft chuckle.

Benjamin walked up wordlessly, no one acknowledged him either. They all stood in silence as they watched rock by rock tumble away to expose dusty dry air.

Still without a word they all walked out into the open.

Swallowing thickly, Scully placed a hand over her mouth as she looked around. "Oh God… Mulder."

He just nodded absently.

The Earth was turned upside down in front of them. Trees lay half buried, the once organized fields were no longer visible, the barns in the distance were only partially standing, the destruction was endless.

"Ok." Mulder said softly after some time, breaking the silence. "Let’s…start looking around. There should be twelve people." He used the word people carefully, they were looking for bodies. It was that dreadfully simple.

"Hopefully some livestock made it through this. We should check the water too. See how that is looking." Skinner added.

Benjamin had looked on in an angry silence. "Now wait a moment." He said through clenched teeth.

Everyone turned to him expectantly.

Benjamin struggled to find something to tell them all. But the truth was; he had no idea what to do. "Everyone stay in groups of two." He said quickly.

People nodded and paired off.

"Dana, you come with me." Benjamin stepped forward to take her arm.

Mulder immediately stepped in front of him. "No. She’s not going anywhere with you." Scully touched Mulder’s arm lightly, trying to bring his focus back to her. It didn’t work. "This has gone far enough."

"Mulder." Skinner said in a warning voice.

"You just leave her alone. Is that clear?" Mulder took a step forward, anger blazing in his eyes.

"Mulder." Scully said sternly.

"I think you are the one that should leave her alone, Mulder." Benjamin said as he took a step to close more the space between him and Mulder. "She belongs with me."

"You are fucking insane!" Mulder yelled. Everyone had left but Skinner, Amanda, and Scully. Their pleas for the men to calm down went unheard.

"You are dangerous! You hurt her. I’ve seen you. I can see the bruises on her wrists. Do you beat her at night? When you are angry? When you want sex with her? You force her into it, don’t you? You don’t even want that baby."

"Bastard." Mulder lurched forward at him.

"Mulder, stop!" Scully stepped between the two men and took a hold of Mulder’s wrists.

He froze. "Scully, let go." He pulled his hands away but she held fast.

Benjamin moved forward, seeing Mulder fight against her hold. But Skinner stepped in front of him. His solid weight effectively making Benjamin reconsider his thoughts of pulling Scully away from Mulder. But he didn’t want to stand there and watch him brainwash her into thinking she was good for him any longer. It made him sick, to watch the way Mulder controlled her every thought. How an intelligent woman could fall under the spell of such a man was unimaginable to Benjamin.

"No." She said shaking her head. The only way Mulder was going to get to Benjamin was to push her out of the way. "I want you to walk away from this Mulder. You have nothing to prove. Mulder, look at me."

He tore his furious gaze away from Benjamin and looked down at Scully’s pleaded eyes. "Scully, let go." He said softly even as he fought to control his breathing. He shifted slightly under her hold, hoping she would let up.

"No, dad." Amanda said as Benjamin went to move out of Skinner’s hold. "You leave them alone. This has nothing to do with you." Angry tears ran silently down her cheeks. "Why can’t you leave them alone?"

Benjamin glared at his daughter. "So you are with them now?" He gestured to Skinner with a nod of his head. "This one has your mind messed up. You don’t know who you are anymore."

"No." She said shaking her head. "I finally do know who I am, dad. For the first time."

Scully ignored everyone else, just focusing on getting Mulder to listen to her. "Please Mulder. Listen to me." When she had his eyes locked with hers she continued. "You don’t have anything to prove. Everyone here knows you would never hurt me." She spoke softly, just to him. But the three on lookers heard her. "You’ve saved my life more times then I even want to count. You take care of me, you don’t hurt me. You would never hurt me."

Mulder looked away, his emotions were too high. His mind was torn between forcing Scully away so he could end the problem with Benjamin. But if he did that he would have to do just that; force. It was a word he just didn’t know when it came to Scully. He couldn’t do it. Scully was right. It was impossible for him to hurt her.

"Look at me, love." She said softly.

Mulder looked back, swallowing back emotions as tears swam in his eyes.

Scully slid her hands from his wrists to his face, cupping his stubbled cheeks in her warm palms. "Walk away from this. He isn’t worth it. Ok?"

Mulder nodded in her grasp.

Scully smiled a soft gratified smile. "Ok. Let’s go back to our room for a little while. I think I need to lie down and rest."

Mulder nodded again.

She tipped his head down, pressing his forehead to hers. "Thank you." After a moment, they walked, in silence back down to their room.

Notes: You know you guys have me wrapped around your finger? It’s almost midnight, and what am I doing? Hurrying to post Nova before I pass out on my keyboard. But you what… I love you guys! I love Nova! I love everyone! Yes I am insane… did you think otherwise? =)