Partner 2 - Part 2 (R)

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"Scully asked me to pick her up here. Your mother picked her up at work this afternoon to do something, so she hasn’t got her car."

"I could have given her a ride."

"I’m sure you could have. Maybe she didn’t know your schedule. Anyway I’m here and I don’t mind."

"I just bet you don’t." Bill sneered at him.

They both jumped violently at the sound of a gunshot from inside the house. Mulder had his gun out and was racing for the front door before Bill processed the sound. Bill was only a couple of steps behind him as they reached the door.

"Bill!" Mulder whispered frantically. "Stay back. Let me handle this."

"Go to hell Mulder. This is my home."

"At least stay behind me. You’re not armed." Bill nodded at that. Mulder tested the knob. "It’s unlocked." He mouthed at Bill. "Stay behind me."

Mulder eased the door open and saw Scully bending over her mother who was lying on the floor. Standing over her, armed, was Steve. He needed to get closer, before Steve realized what was happening.

"Steve!" Bill blurted out and Mulder’s heart sank as Steve grabbed Scully, yanking her to her feet, pressing the gun to her side.

"Everyone just stay calm." Mulder said, "Steve, put the gun down and let us call an ambulance for Mrs. Scully. Okay? Let’s not make anything worse."

"Oh, easy for you to say Agent Mulder. Your career’s not in the toilet, your reputation’s not destroyed."

I could argue with that point, Mulder thought, his eyes scanning the room for options.

"Hey Bill, you know what they’ve been doing? Contacting my old girlfriends, trying to get one of them to admit I’d gotten a little rough. Hell!" He pressed the gun tighter into Scully’s flesh. Mulder took a deep breath, this could go bad fast.

"Steve, what. . . how could you shoot my mother?"

"I didn’t shoot her. She was trying to keep me away from Dana. Your sister has a hell of a lot of protectors. I knocked her down, I didn’t mean to hurt her."

"Let us call 911, just to make sure you didn’t Steve. I know you wouldn’t hurt her on purpose." Mulder had to get him to calm down.

"Shut up Mulder! You come bursting in again like Superman, only this time you didn’t have to break down the door, did you? Not nearly as dramatic. And no opportunity to beat me to a pulp again, huh?" His agitation was growing. This was getting more and more ugly.

Mulder held his gun out to the side. "Look, your beef is with me. Let Scully and Bill get their mother out of here. Then we can talk, get this straightened out. What do you say?"

"I say go to hell!" He pivoted, pulling the gun away from Scully and firing at Mulder. The impact of the bullet turned him toward Bill and he went down, his gun skidding across the floor.

"Mulder!" Scully started to take a step toward him, but Steve tightened his grip, the gun again pressing into her.

"Steve, what are you doing?" Bill stared at his friend in horror.

"Can you believe all this, Bill? All this shit over a piece of ass? I mean, I know she’s your sister, but you were okay with it. You knew it was no big deal, that’s why you got me out, right?"

"You did try to rape Dana." Bill finally had to accept it, it had happened, just like Dana and Mulder had told him.

"Not rape. She changed her mind too late. You going to tell me that’s never happened to you? That you haven’t forced the issue once or twice?"

"No. And I’ve never struck a woman, even when she said no. Let her go Steve."

"You turning on me too, Bill? I thought you believed me. You did get me out."

Scully tore her eyes from Mulder. "He’s not turning on you, Steve. He’s worried about Mom. Let me check on her, please."

"Shut up! There’s too much talk, too many people here. This isn’t the way I planned it." Suddenly he shoved Scully away from him, sending her to the floor. "You think I’m some sort of pervert now. You’ve taken his side!" He raised the gun at Bill and fired.

"No!" Scully screamed. Bill threw himself to the floor and grabbed Mulder’s gun from where he had watched it land. He rolled and fired at Steve. Steve crashed back against the wall and slumped to the floor.

"Bill! Are you okay?" Scully was already bending over Mulder, checking his pulse.

"I’m fine, Mom?"

"She’s got a concussion I’m sure, but she’s breathing regularly. I’ve been watching her. Call 911, Mulder’s losing blood."

Bill didn’t question her but had the phone in his hand. "They’re on the way Dana. What can I do?"

"Get me towels, I’ve got to slow down this bleeding. Mulder, hang on. You’ll be okay. You have to be. I’m right here, can you hear me?" Bill was back with the towels and handed them to her. Her face, she was in love with him. And she was scared. This man that he hated above all others, that he had used to free Steve, had risked his life for him and his mother as well as Dana. Damn.

"Dana, I can hear the sirens. They’ll be okay, won’t they?"

"I don’t know. Mulder, please, hold on. Please!"

Bill had to look away. He scrambled to his feet as he heard the vehicles pull up in front of the house. "A gunshot wound, he’s in bad shape. A head trauma and probably a dead body. I haven’t had time to check." Scully spoke clinically but didn’t look up from Mulder.

"Okay, get back. We need vitals on this guy and get some fluids in him. We need to transport asap. The woman?"

"She’s stable, but needs to be examined. I’ll call for a second unit."

The paramedics had taken over and Scully stepped back reaching for the couch to steady herself. Bill put his arm around her and she leaned heavily against him.

When they had him ready to transport she pulled away from Bill and headed for the door. "Ma’am, there’s not room."

"She’s going with you." Bill spoke, "Go on, Dana. I’ll stay with Mom and handle the police. Don’t worry."

She nodded unable to speak. The paramedic in charge kept quiet, he wasn’t going up against this man.

*****

Bill looked through the window of the hospital room door. Dana was beside him as he’d expected, holding his hand and talking softly. He tapped on the door and opened it.

"Bill? Is anything wrong?" Scully looked up and started to remove her hand from Mulder’s but his grip tightened.

"No. Mom’s being released and she’s getting dressed. I wanted to speak to Mulder for a minute."

"Oh." She looked over at Mulder and he nodded. "I’ll go see if she needs anything." She let herself out the door, glancing back once as though afraid to leave them together.

Bill approached the bed and cleared his throat. "I guess you know you’re not my favorite person in the world."

"I’d managed to figure that out."

"But I’d never seen you work before. You put your life in danger for Dana and Mom, and hell, for me. Shit, you know we’re going to have to replace the carpet in Mom’s living room because of you."

"Sorry about that. It is my job."

"It didn’t look like you were just doing your job. You cared, about the two of them anyway. I appreciate that." Mulder was silent, not sure where this was going.

"I felt like I needed to say that, if you really are going to be part of the family."

Mulder looked up startled and Bill caught it. "You are planning to marry her aren’t you?"

"We, uh, I’ve never, uh. . . "

"You’re sleeping with my sister and it’s never crossed your mind to marry her!"

"It’s, it’s crossed my mind, but. . . but I don’t know about. . . I don’t know how Scully feels."

"Well don’t you think that’s something you ought to find out?" Bill had his hands on his hips, looming over him.

"Yeah."

"And there are some rules, Mulder. There will be no discussing little green aliens around the Thanksgiving table. Understand?"