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 even though nothing much is really mentioned.

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

(38/?)

Day 234 (continued)

Mulder threw himself to ground as Skinner crumpled with a cry of pain beside him. He looked up to watch Scully mechanically turn to the aim the gun at him. At that moment Mulder forgot it was Scully who was holding the gun, she was a threat. A threat to his life and to others. Pushing himself from the ground he tackled Scully around the legs, pulling her to the floor beneath him. The gun skittered across the floor, bouncing off the walls until it was safely on the other side of the room.

"Oh my God. Walter!" Amanda shrieked as she pushed her way through the growing crowd in the hallway. She crouched by his groaning form, his hand instinctively pressed to his bleeding shoulder. "What the hell is going on?" She asked looking over her shoulder at Mulder who was wrestling with Scully on the ground, trying to pin her hands above her head.

The Gunmen shoved aside the onlookers and stepped into the room with shocked expressions.

"Someone, I need some help here." Mulder called over his shoulder as Scully twisted under him.

Byers quickly made his way across the room, holding Scully’s ankles with a look of bewilderment.

"She’s being called again." Mulder muttered under his breath, moving forward to straddle Scully’s body trying not to put any weight on her as he battled with her hands.

Amanda pushed Skinner’s hands away and pressed hers the entry and exit wounds. "I have to get him to the Medical Room."

"We’ll help." Langly slapped Frohike’s arm to get his attention as he watched Scully struggle on the floor. Quickly, but gently, they helped Skinner to stand and walk out into the hallway, shutting the door firmly behind them.

"Let’s get her on the bed." Mulder said in the strangely quite room, Scully’s mutterings now a faint whisper. Byers picked Scully’s legs up by under her knees while Mulder hoisted her upper body up. Stepping through the wreckage of the room the men quickly deposited Scully on the bed. Wordlessly, Byers found pieces of fabric to tie her hands with.

Scully kicked and shifted against the bindings restlessly. Mulder tied her legs down. Still she fought, bucking up of the mattress and twisting.

Mulder stepped back from the bed, tripping over a drawer, and placed his face in his hands. His body ached with fresh bruises, his muscles burned from holding Scully down, his head pounded and throbbed, and his heart was broken.

"Are you ok, Mulder?" Byers prodded gently.

With a nod he ran his hands down his face.

Byers looked uncertainly between Scully and Mulder for a moment. "Now what?"

"Now we wait for the calling to end." Mulder answered matter of factly. "Can you go see how Skinner is doing?"

Nodding quickly Byers left Mulder alone.

For a few long minutes Mulder did nothing but stare at Scully. Her voice had become hoarse and dry sounding with the nonstop murmuring. Streaks of blood stood out starkly all over her pale skin. Cuts and bruised marred her flesh. Her distant eyes watched him back calmly as the rest of her thrashed around continuously.

***

"Don’t move." Amanda told Skinner, for the third time, as she carefully looked at his wound.

"Well if you would stop poking me I would stop moving." He grumbled.

Amanda rolled her eyes as she examined the back of his shoulder. She knew his attitude was only because he was in pain. He never could admit when he was hurt. "Ok, I’m going to put you out so I can stitch this up. I don’t think you are going to have any problems. All the books," She motioned to the pile on the table she had just finished looking through, "say this type of wound will heal just fine. Lay back." She helped him recline. Amanda smiled softly down at his worried and pained expression. "Don’t worry, Walter. I’ll talk to you soon." With that she placed the towel with chloroform over his mouth, slowly his eyes closed and his breathing relaxed.

Day 235

Skinner groaned deeply as he tried to shift on his bed.

"Lay still." Amanda said sitting next to him and placing a hand on his chest.

He gave a weak nod and relaxed back into the sheets.

"How do you feel?" She asked placing her hand on his forehead.

"I’m experiencing deja vu."

For the first time in a long time Amanda shared a laugh with Skinner, it was a soft short lived laugh, but it was something.

"Thank you, Amanda." Skinner said as she pulled away the bandages to look at his wound.

She smiled shyly. "’I’m just doing my job Walter, nothing special."

"I’ve missed you, Mandy."

She looked away quickly.

Skinner continued, encouraged that she hadn’t brushed him off. "I think you have missed me too. We are good for each other."

"Walter… I…" Amanda shook her head, not sure of what to say.

He began to sit up, even as Amanda tried to push him back down, after a moment she ended up helping him upright to stop his struggle. "Give me one reason we shouldn’t be together Amanda. One good reason and I’ll leave it alone, I’ll forget about it and move on." He watched her in silence for a moment, waiting for a response. "One reason, just one."

Slowly Amanda shook her head. "I don’t have any reasons."

Skinner smiled at her as he nodded.

***

Mulder’s head lolled back in his chair, jerking him awake. Immediately he looked over at Scully. She had quieted hours ago, Amanda had come to clean and dress both of their wounds, the Gunmen had left him alone for the night, since then he had sat in silence with his eyes on Scully. Mulder dreaded the time when he would have to face everyone. People were talking and questioning, but no one was answering. The Gunmen had told everyone, at Mulder’s request, that Mulder would explain everything soon.

He stretched his sore arms over his head with a groan. Even sitting at a distance Mulder could see the bruises on Scully’s body, a slight trail of blood flowed from the bindings, various areas were covered with bandages. But she was quiet and breathing evenly. Approaching slowly, Mulder sat by her hip, placing his hand on her belly.

He waited, holding his breath.

Mulder waited until he had to take a breath or pass out.

Notes: My life is going to be getting a little busy the rest of the week… like really busy I’m afraid. But I am going to do my best to keep up with the writing like I am now.

Thanks for all the threatening emails! I hope you realize it only encourages my naughty behavior =). But it does make me write faster…