TITLE: Good Bye
AUTHOR: Gabi Fisher
SPOILER WARNING: I don't think there are any.
CLASSIFICATION: VA
SUMMARY: Scully had finally had enough and decided to do something about it.
DISCLAIMER: They're all mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! I'll let you play with them until I get back from the nice room with the padded walls though, OK?

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I must have been sitting, staring blankly at my computer for a while because Mulder asked, "Scully?" with the weirdest, concerned and yet cautious expression I've seen in a while.

I gave him an equally cautious gaze and replied, "What?"

"Is something wrong?" he asked me. I almost scoffed, but carefully refrained from doing so.

"Why should anything be wrong?" I asked, bordering on coldly. It hadn't been a good week. First he ditched me to go work on some case he had found out about through "private channels." Then I get a call to come haul him out of jail. After that, he just ditches me again. I flew back here, covering for him with Skinner for some strange reason ever since. He finally got back this morning and has offered nothing in explanation for his actions. He hasn't even bothered to apologize.

"Well, you just seem angry about something and you've been staring at the same blank computer screen for an hour. Does this have anything to do with my leaving? I'm sorry. I just wasn't sure if my lead would pan out or not, so I figured I wouldn't drag you out with me…"

"You know, you *could* always have just told me where you were going. I didn't have to go with you, but it would have been nice to know beforehand where you were going. But who says this is about you anyway?" I asked. I *was* angry, and it did have to do with him this time, but that's not the point. The point is that Mulder always figures everything is about himself. Even my life revolves around him in his mind. I have tried repeatedly to get him to understand that not everything is about him, and he pretends to understand, but he just does it again the next time. I doubt that he will ever learn…

"Well, what else do you have to be worrying about?" he asked. He might have meant it innocently enough, but it certainly did not come out that way.

"You know, Mulder, some of us *do* have lives that take place out of this basement! Not everything in my life has to do with what goes on down here or what goes on between you and me! It's my life and it's filled with more than enough problems even before you add your burden. What do I have to do to get you to understand that my world does not revolve around you and your god damned X-Files!?" I yelled.

For a moment he was silenced. He was unsure of what to do. I don't remember ever having stood up to him like this, and he had no idea how to deal with it. I don't think he wanted to believe I wasn't his little puppet he could just pull the strings on and cause to act. Instead of trying to defend his position, he attempted to go for sentimental. "It's only that my life revolves around you, I felt that in some way you must feel the same way. Especially after all that we have experienced in the time we've worked together."

He was digging himself a deeper hole… "Mulder-" I attempted to warn him, but I was cut off.

"Our lives are intertwined, and the choice we make effect each other. Which is why sometimes I make choices for you," he attempted to explain himself.

"Mulder?"

"What?"

"Just shut the hell up. I don't need to listen to any more of this. I would like to say 'It's been nice working with you' or 'I'll miss you,' but I'm no longer sure if either of those are true. The truth is I was worrying over how to tell you that I requested a transfer. It went through today, and I start the day after tomorrow in my new office. Which, I can assure you, will not be on the bottom floor."

I placed the last few items from the top of my area-not desk, mind you-into the box that had been sitting on the ground next to it. I put on my trench coat, took one glance around the small office, then picked up the box. It was actually pretty light. Somehow, neither Mulder nor I had ever let the office really become mine, so I had kept very few belongings of mine there. I stopped for a moment in front of Mulder's desk.

"But, Scully… You can't just leave!" he began to protest. I knew he would. He always did. He would act sorry and appreciative for a few days after I tried to quit, but it was only a façade, and he quickly sank back into his true, former self.

"I can, and I am. Good bye, Mulder," I announced before walking out of the door for the last time, noting before the elevator doors easily slid shut that Mulder had made no attempt to follow me. "Good bye, Mulder," I whispered to myself one last time.

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