"Dance with me" He held out his hand to her sitting form.
Her eyebrow raised as she looked at his out stretched hand.
"Come on dance with me." He wiggled his hand in front of her face. "I promise I won't step on your toes."
"Its not my toes I'm worried about." She gave in and took his hand. He pulled her up and into his arms. Slowly swaying to a melody he seemed to only hear. His head bent down resting his cheek on her hair. Expertly swaying and stepping to a beat of nature. Her eyes closed as she listened to his heart beat though his light sweater.
The cool breeze beginning to pick up in strength as the night progressed on. Having witnessed the death of a day in its glorious blaze as the sun sank into the sea. The light of a thousand other stars shone down on them. For no matter how alone they felt, the light always found them.
He stepped slightly away and twirled her in time to his song. She smiled as he pulled her back in. Looking into each other's eyes, the sound of the world spinning in the vast reaches of space sounded like a symphony. His hand holding her smaller one in his while his other covered her hip. She moved her hand from the side of his shoulder to his neck. Eyes meeting she gave in a small smile, and rested her head once more to his chest.
Swaying for what seemed like hours he twisted her out and then back into him as he dipped her a smirk on his face as they stopped dancing.
"If I had known you could actually dance I'd have made you dance with me more often."
He smiled at her and let her stand up completely. His fingers laced with her's as his eyes drifted back to the stars. "You just looked so beautiful in the starlight." He murmured. "Look a shooting star" He pointed up.
Her eyes followed his finger as he pointed to the large streak across the sky. She squeezed his hand and closed her eyes. Taking a deep breath in she smiled, opening her eyes she saw his quizzical stare.
"Haven't you ever heard of wishing on a shooting star?" She asked.
"Yes, I just didn't think you ever would." He shook his head. "Everytime I think I've got you figured out you come out of left field with something new."
"Speaking of which. Why are we in left field?" She said looking around the baseball diamond they had decided to visit while they were walking around. "And why are we here in the middle of the night?"
"Because its the farthest thing out from the town. Just look up." He said as he moved to sit back down pulling her with him. She got off balance and ended up in his lap. She moved to get out of it but his arms had wrapped around her holding her close. She leaned into him as her eyes traveled up.
Suddenly another meteor shot across the sky, quickly followed by another. Soon it had turned into a meteor shower.
"Much like the meteor entering this scared world, we burn until there is nothing left and then we return to the fastness of space, if we are lucky. Occasionally we crash violently to the surface and become buried in our impact site. Left and forgotten, maybe we are remembered for the destruction left in our wake. Or maybe we break into a million little pieces that burn with equal intensity. Touching the planet's surface, leaving a mark. Our cold compositions burning as we enter the atmosphere of the planet, announcing our arrival. And just as quickly we are gone. If we are lucky, we might once again return to the stars to continue our journeys. To share with someone else our passions."
"How romantic of you." She nuzzled into him further, his arms tightening their grip on her small waist.
"There aren't even nearly enough shooting stars for all the wishes I have." He kissed the top of her head.
"What would you wish for?" She asked as the last of the meteors shot across the sky.
"Your happiness." He whispered.
She turned her face betraying her shock. "Why mine?"
"Well if you're happy, then I am." He gave her a shy smile.
"Ever the romantic." She cupped his face brushing her thumbs on his cheeks. She kissed him, passion flowing freely. "Its a good thing you fulfill your own wish."
"I do?" He looked at her.
"I'm happy when you're around." She smiled.
"Scully?"
"Yes Mulder?"
He kissed her. "I love you."
"I know." She smiled.
"Alright Hans Solo." He smirked looking back up to the sky. She laughed at him but also looked back up at the stars. They sat in silence for a while. Enjoying the quiet of the night, the faint hum of crickets and cicadas in the distance. The smell of dirt and grass mixing together as they sat in left field.
"You weren't just a star to me." His voice softly broke the silence. "You're my whole sky." He buried his head into her neck.
Her eyes began to sting. She bit her lip trying to fight the tears that filled her eyes. She wrapped her arms around his head turning to face him, lifting his head up so their eyes met.
"My touchstone." She whispered her eyes locking with his. "I love you."
His own tears spilling over. His hands cupped her face as he kissed her forehead. On her third eye as he liked to call it. Slowly the warmth of his hands disappeared and the closeness of his body faded. She didn't want to open her eyes. She lifted her head up as tears streamed down her face opening her eyes she looked back at the vastness of space. Her heart breaking into a million little pieces. As if the universe sensed her pain a last meteor shot across the sky, more brilliant than the whole of the shower moments ago. She smiled brokenly as it lit the night sky.
It had been over two centuries since Mulder had died peacefully in his sleep. His old body having finally told him enough. He didn't die of auto-erotic asphyxiation as the psychic had told him. Their son had become apart of their life twenty years prior to that fateful night. He was able to teach him how to play baseball, and the constellations. Many a late night was spent with midnight picnics out in left field laying out watching the stars flicker. William had died forty years later, much older than his father. He had children who often visited their still living grandmother bringing their children, and eventually their children's children. Two centuries later and the Mulder-Scully line had grown, some had lost contact with others thinking that she was just an old family legend, while others she conversed with regularly. They all had his smile, and enthusiasm for life. The youngest in the current generation just became an FBI Agent. A small smile graced her lips. The child had come to visit her in the small town she had decided to live in. She had the biggest grin on her face. She was the first in a long time to have red hair. She was interested in all things supernatural. When the youngest Mulder had come to visit she was so excited she could hardly sit still. Showing her 'Gram' her badge and then she burst out with excitement.
"Gram! Gram. I'm sorry, I know I'm yelling. But I just can't contain my excitement anymore. Mom told me not to take it or even tell you. She said it would just make you cry. But I had to." the young girl reached into her purse and pulled out a tattered piece of paper. Very carefully unfolding it she beamed as she turned the large piece of paper around.
Scully's eyes filled with tears.
I WANT TO BELIEVE
"Gram, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry. You've just told us so many stories about Grampa that I thought you'd like to have this back." She said handing the old poster to her.
Her hands reached out but hesitated, afraid that if she touched the delicate paper it would dissolve into dust. She caressed the paper, satisfied that it wasn't going to disintegrate she took it into her hands. The image was faded, the red marker he had used when he hung it back in that office after they were reinstated to the FBI after years on the run. Her tears spilled over.
"Gram please don't cry." the young woman crouched next to her.
"Dana, you've brought me the best present I could ever ask for. And while my heart breaks thinking of him, I can look at this poster and remember all the joy and love I still have in my heart for him." She pulled the young girl close to her and kissed her forehead. "He would have liked you. I bet, if he were still here he'd want to take you to all of our old haunts, He'd even try to break into the X-Files just to get a look at those case files." Scully smiled. "The FBI may not have wanted him, but I'd give anything to see his face one more time."
"Gram, he's never far." The young woman whispered. Her hazel eyes looking past her
into the kitchen. "He's whining about the lack of sunflower seeds in your kitchen."
Scully's eyes widened. She turned to look into the kitchen, all she saw was the steam from her kettle rising up. "How did you know he liked sunflower seeds? I haven't told anyone that in a long time."
"He always asks me to tell you to get some when you go to the store. Says they don't have any where he is." She smiled at her Gram. "Mom always told me not to say such things around you. That it wasn't nice to remind you that he wasn't here anymore."
"You can see him?" Scully's voice was soft.
"I've always been able to see him. And hear him. He is kinda perverted." She shook her head.
Scully laughed, her tears falling once more. "You should have heard him before we even started to date. The things I let him get away with." Scully smiled wiping the tears from her face. "Is he here now?"
"Yeah," Young Dana nodded and smiled sweetly. "He says to not give up on a miracle, and to stop crying."
"Can you tell me where he is?" Scully looked at her grandchild, she had given up keeping track of all the greats that went in front of that.
"Right here." She pointed to the spot next to Scully on the couch. "He says damn non-corporeal form won't let him touch you." Dana laughed. "Sorry his hands keeps going through you arm."
Scully turned and looked at the empty seat next to her. She closed her eyes and remembered his eyes and smile. "My one in five billion." She whispered.
"He stopped moving, he seems sad. He said you are his touchstone, his constant."
"Oh Mulder." She smiled at the empty spot. She placed her hand on the cushion.
"He says whoa, take a guy to dinner first." Dana raised her eyebrow. "I'm not repeating that second bit."
"Why hasn't he crossed over?" Scully found herself asking.
"He is shaking his head, he called you silly. He says he'll never leave you. As long as you're still here he'll always be with you."
"Not going to ditch me to chase a UFO?" She snickered. "Ask him if he's seen Samantha."
"He says yes. He talks with her on clear nights, she isn't dead, but isn't alive, its stuck in the in between place." She parroted. "Who is Samantha Gram?"
"His sister. She is the reason I even met him in the first place. If she hadn't disappeared, I'm not sure I would have ever even met him. But from what I understand, she was the most amazing little girl. Few could hold a candle to her."
"He says she likes you. Apparently he's brought her around a couple times." Dana's face twisted into a confused look. "He says that she likes your red hair. Grams I thought you had brown hair like the rest of the family."
"Oh no." Scully shook her head. "My hair is red and curly like yours. In fact its been so long since anyone in the family has had red hair. I knew you'd be special once I saw you. And now I know why." Scully pulled her granddaughter into a hug. "But If we keep you here any longer you won't make your flight back home. I'll have to come visit you soon, and I'll have to come see what DC has transformed into since I was last there."
"Oh that would be so amazing Gram! I can show you this little chinese place is that I found the other day!" She started to get excited again. "I love you Gram."
"I love you too sweetie."
"He says he loves you more."
"Well between you and me, I think we've got him wrapped around our pinkies. He's always had a thing for red heads."
"He says don't I know it. And he's got this sly look on his face." Dana said standing up. Waving a finger at the empty seat "You Mister, I might not know nearly as well as my Gram but you take good care of her while I'm away. I've got my eye on you." She pointed at the empty couch seat. "I'll talk to you soon Gram"
"Goodbye Dana."
The young girl walked out of the house. Scully looked back to the poster. Tears forming in her eyes again. She felt something brush against her cheek, but when she looked up nothing was there.
Sitting back in the baseball field Scully sat with her knees to her chest looking into the night sky. She looked around her, she had brought a bag of sunflower seeds and an ice tea with her. Mulder had wanted his ashes spread on the field, and while she knew the ashes were no longer there she felt his energy still stayed rooted to the spot. She opened the ice tea and bag of sunflower seeds. Sipping the tea she cracked a few seeds between her teeth. A bitter smile gracing her lips at the familiar sound. She looked down at her watch and sighed. She'd been sitting in left field for over two and half hours. She sighed and sealed the ice tea and sunflowers back up, dusting off her legs and pants she walked back to her house.
After changing into her PJs she crawled into bed. She closed her eyes and was instantly asleep. in her dreams she saw herself laying in bed.
"Dana" a familiar voice called.
She turned around, and there he was smiling at her.
"Come on, it's time to go." He said holding out a hand to her.
"Time to go?" She asked looking at him.
"Its time to let go. The light's shining." He said holding his hand out still.
She took his hand and felt its warmth for the first time in years she was happy. "Time to cross over?"
"You've done enough, its time to rest now." He said smiling at her. "Come with me."
"Where are we going?" She asked as they started to walk off.
"I found Elvis." He smirked. "And the stooges want to see you. You're Mom keeps asking questions about you. Missy also. Bill and I have had some time to get to know one another, and I think he might like me now." He joked. "I'd say its time to go home, but now that you're here. I am home."
"Fox." She whimpered. Tears streaming down her face. "I missed you so much."
"Hey now, shh" He enveloped her into his arms. "We've got all of eternity now. Maybe I can finally make an honest woman out of you."
"Two and a half centuries later." Scully hiccupped. "Bout damn time."
"I love you."
"And I love you." She said into his chest. They stood like that for a moment. Scully turned and looked at her body laying motionless in the bed, wearing his old Knick's t-shirt. The fish tank in the corner of the room humming slightly. The little alien space ship aquarium toy shooting up and down. The alien poster above the bed framed. She smiled. A small creek could be heard, both she and Mulder turned to see the door opening.
In walked Dana Mulder, the youngest in the long family line of theirs. She teared up and looked at the lifeless body of her beloved Gram. She looked around the room and her eyes stopped on their non-corporeal bodies.
"Time to go Gram?" Her tears streaming down her face.
"It is." Scully smiled. "I have been only half of a whole for a long enough time now. Dana, I want you to have the poster." Scully waved to the framed poster above the bed. "Its in the will. And I want you to remember. Remember to believe." Scully said as she looked up at Mulder. "If you believe, you'll find the truth."
"I promise Gram. Oh Gram, before you go. I wanted to let you know. I re-opened the X-Files. Thats how I got the poster in the first place." The young woman smiled slightly. "I wanted you to know that I'm following in your foot steps. As long as I'm around, there will always be a Mulder in that basement office, and Gramps?"
"Yes?" Mulder turned to the young woman.
"Fox? Really?"
"Don't you even start with me." He wiggled a finger toward the young girl. "Word of advice, don't forget to stop and smell the roses. The truth is important, but only so long as you are alive and well to tell the world."
"Of course. I'll see you on the other side." Dana said waving to them as they walked into the light.
Hand in hand they walked into the light, fingers locked between one another neither one willing to let go. Smiles on both their faces. Together again, and not even death could stop them.