"BUT YOU SAVED ME"

During their professional review, Scully takes the fall, insisting she'd hindered her partner, led Mulder astray-- a belief that has been haunting her since his loss of faith (post here.)

Their office is burned, their lives have become passionless grunt work.

But on her way out, she leaves the door metaphorically open for Mulder:

"Maybe you should ask yourself if your heart's still in it, too."

An invitation to join her, come with her, if he chooses.

When Mulder doesn't respond, she lingers in the hall, alone.

That night, Scully lies in a two-person bed, the camera panning slowly over to the empty side where a pillow remains.

Alone. Perhaps ready.

When Mulder knocks, she lets him in; when he slurs over his words, she asks,

"Are you drunk, Mulder?"

Perhaps ready.

When he deflects with a joke (a half joke, but she doesn't know), as always--

"What exactly are you implying?"

--Scully drops her head: another gentle rebuff, she believes. Mulder wants her for the work... and nothing more.

"Go home, Mulder. it's late," she says, weary.

Still, she comes along. She stays.

Until they fail.

She failed him (Scully believes.)

If she could have helped, at least it would justify staying. Instead, it's yet another sign she holds him back. Now, his one devotion might never be returned to him.

Now, she believes, he'll have lost it all.

Perhaps if she leaves-- takes full blame-- at least he will be no worse off. Mulder might even be able to crawl back to the basement someday.

When Scully announces her departure and begs him not to make this hard-- don't fall apart, don't give him fuel to talk you down, help him let you go or else he won't--she suspects he will follow.

When he does, she prepares for a fight. Mulder has never let go easily.

What she doesn't expect, what she hadn't hoped for, is his all-consuming devotion--

"But you saved me! You've kept me honest ... you've made me a whole person. I owe you everything ... Scully, and you owe me nothing."

She is what he needs. She is his salvation.

So, she believes.

And he proves her beliefs by going to the ends of the earth for her.

And she proves his by saving him.

And they go on proving them to each other.

CONCLUSION

Bonus: Fight the Future Hallway: In-Depth.

Companion piece to this post.

Thanks for reading~