Title: At Dawn, the End Begins.
Characters: Mulder and Scully
Summary: Mulder and Scully muse over their time together and the events that have brought them to this point.
Spoilers: Endgame a bit, I guess.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but a pair of socks and a twisted mind!
-One-
The sky is black, an aching void pierced only be the light of the stars, bright winking pinpricks of white amidst the dark. A long desert road cuts through the darkness, clouds of dust being stirred up as the occasional truck goes by. A run-down motel is the only building for miles. A few vehicles, mostly trucks, are parked in the dusty parking lot. A neon motel sign provides the only substantial light, electric hum filling the silence, pulsing in time as the 'o' flickers.
There is a woman standing by a dirty window in a darkened room. Her ruffled auburn hair bears the effects of running her hands through it too many times in frustration. Her eyes are weary and she has the look of someone who has been running and hiding too long. She glances over her shoulder at a lone figure sprawled on the flimsy bed and smiles, not a wide grin, but rather the strange, upturned corner of a mouth that is all too used to frowning. Her gaze is drawn back to the bed, almost magnetically and she turns and moves towards it. Her hand reaches out, almost wistfully, pausing above the figure's head.
We can see it is a man, also disheveled and weary with a few days growth spread across his haggard face. She yields to temptation and runs her hand through his hair, two long fingers gently tracing the contours of his face.
We have followed these two through trials and sufferings and now they have finally reached the end. She knows this and recognizes its significance, but her brow furrows in confusion. She doesn't understand it. The war with the aliens is still imminent. Earth will still have to fight to save itself. Lives will be lost, possibly their own, lovers torn apart as the world's core is split open like the breaking of a thousand hearts.
But she is at peace as she sits and watches him sleep, in another motel room in another rural town. They have both seen and suffered much, but are stronger now as a result. They cling desperately to hope by their teeth, caged birds of a doomed world singing for the dawn. Together, they complete each other; without him, she is nothing.
She remembers their first meeting, built on distrust and paranoia, but gradually growing into friendship and, eventually, love. She loves him with all her heart and with every piece of her existence. Her feelings for him consume her and, though unspoken, she knows he burns for her as well.
With a small sigh, she lays down beside him, enveloping him in her arms as he adjusts in sleep to make her more comfortable. She wraps his scent around her and sinks into the blissful depths of sleep, curled in the strong arms of her lover.
Time passes and neither stirs for many hours. It is still dark when the man at last awakens. Careful not to disturb his partner, he rises and moves towards the window, instinctively taking the same stance and place as the woman. He stares up at the heavens, his shadowed green eyes pouring over the pregnant depths of the sky as if searching for something.
He catches himself, gives a weary grin and turns away from the window and balances precariously on the edge of the bed. He eyes the red-headed woman who shares his bed with the same fond look a parent would give a child.
As we have come to know him, we understand that he is wracked with guilt. His sister's abduction has haunted him his whole life, only recently overshadowed by the demons his partner has faced as a result of his quest. The death of her sister, her own abduction, discovering she may never have children, finally conceiving only to be forced to give the child up…he feels the weight of each of these trials.
He paces now, lips moving as he speaks silently to himself. He is no doubt asking himself why he has put her through so much, why she has carried his burden for so long. He thinks, as he has so many times before, that maybe she would be better off if he just left…let her lead an ordinary life, away from him, away from the x-files. What would she do, he wonders.
"I would die."
He hasn't realized he'd voiced his thoughts aloud, but there she is. He can feel her pulse pounding in his head as her hands caress his face.
"Without you, Mulder, I can't fight. I wouldn't have the strength to go on."
He flinches at her words, but she continues nonetheless.
"You are my touchstone," she says soberly.
"And you are mine," he replies, lost in the memory of the first time they have uttered those words. The utter solemnity of them, laced with tenderness and youth.
So much, we notice, has changed between them, but one thing remains constant; their love for each other.
Together, they lean down and fall back onto the bed to finish their night of rest. She falls asleep before him and he encircles her sleeping form with his arms, pulling her closer to him. Their bond is no longer the feverish glances and shaking palms of new lovers. It is something more. It is a relationship built on years of trust and memories.
It moves them still.
He watches her sleep, content to hold her for one last night together while they wait out the end of the world. He smiles, knowing that the days pass quickly, but these nights…these nights will last forever.
Locked in each other's arms, the two find a small peace as they wait for the sun to rise, for when it does, the world will end and the peace they know now will be shattered forever.
Please let me know if I should follow this up with a storyline. I have an idea, but I don't know if it's worth mentioning…review if you liked!
-T