Title: A Life Lost and Found
Author: Jen Zoromski
Spoilers: Some season 8 & 9, mainly takes place in the future
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters except Cam & Ren, because if I did I wouldn't be writing fan fiction, I'd be a very rich person...lol.
Author's Note: I wrote this after seeing the movie "Family Man" and wondered what would happen if Scully and Mulder didn't age.
Summary: What if our souls bound us to one another and won't let us age?
Enjoy!
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"WHEN THE WORLD WAS FALLING APART YOU TOLD ME THE TRUTH" (PART 1 OF 6)
Time passes like the grains of an hourglass. Slowly at first and then quicker and quicker. In a way one can compare it to one's life. We are born, grow into adults, give life of our own and then quickly reach the end of our lives. But what if the hourglass was tipped on its side? What if time stopped, not moving for years? Where would that put us? Where would it put them? A couple that was meant to be twined for all eternity.
Place Unknown
January 19, 2101
*Mulder*
They once said that living this life would be the easiest thing that I'd ever have to do, just lay low for a little while. Don't get in anyone's way and everything would be just fine. I'd get a very early retirement, but the one and only catch was that I had to leave and never, ever return. I'd become an unknown face in the crowd again, but I wouldn't have Scully and I wouldn't have our son, the child that wasn't meant to be.
I have always been the paranoid type, never wanting to believe a word anyone said. Sometimes I wouldn't even believe Scully. We had such a strange relationship, one of those that the best pop-psychologist wouldn't even be able to figure out. One minute I'd be rolling my eyes at Scully's scientific monologues and the next I'd be staring intently at her, studying every move she made.
The way she stared at the computer screen, thinking long and hard as half of her field report is reflected off her oval shaped glasses.
At those moments I'd feel something that no other woman made me feel. I knew I loved her very early on and I'm pretty sure she had some crazy notion that she was in love with me too. But with her god damn emotions she'd never tell me. Those were the days when we had a kind of sexual tension that was unheard of. She had a way about her all those years ago. It makes me wonder just what exactly did I miss when I left her one hundred years ago.
I haven't aged a day since I left her. They told me that something went horribly wrong. I was supposed to have died 40 years ago and they can't figure out why I'm still here...untouched by age. My captors died years ago and I have watched as their children have aged and died and their grandchildren come of old age.
I laugh to myself as I look at my surroundings. A comforting home in the country that I never even knew existed before I left. It was always about being on the move chasing little green men or swamp monsters, but once I was forced to settle down after they told me that if I continued the search for the truth...they would kill Scully and our son.
Her brilliant eyes stare intently back at mine as I pick up the only picture of her that I have. I took it not long after I came back from the dead. She was swollen with child, our child, and a miracle among miracles. William was born a few days after I took that. I can almost feel her fiery red hair on the tips of my fingers. Her voice has started to fade way in my memory and I fear that if I didn't have her photograph I wouldn't remember her face.
It too would become fuzzy along with the others, my parents, Samantha, my past colleagues, superiors, and even the Lone Gun Men. It all passed in a blur. A blur that I wish I could remember for one more time. "DING DONG," the doorbell screams.
*Scully*
Georgetown
Same Time
He is long dead. His body decimated among the many trials that befell him and the place he called home. I often wonder what our life could have been like if he wouldn't have left. We would have lived in fear the entire time. But knowing that I'd have him by my side would have eased all the fears we had. For some reason time began to pass and I didn't age a day past 36. I look as I looked almost 100 years ago. William, my little angle, grew and aged until he reached 30 and then he followed in my genetic footsteps and quit aging.
I would wear wigs, die my hair gray to make it look as though I was aging, but people would catch on and William and would have to pack up and leave.
One time when I was looking at myself in the mirror and examine my face the exact same lines are around my eyes. They have been there the very year that Will was born.
I heard the voice of Clyde Bruckman in my head. Heck, I heard the whole conversation.
"So, how do I die?" I had asked him. He gave me a strange look and then finally.
"You don't," he had told me. I laughed it off, but I haven't aged a day since the last time I saw Mulder.
Maybe it is a curse, something went horribly wrong in my genetics of my family, but I feel that it is a gift. And for some reason deep down I don't think Mulder is dead.
Everyday when my son comes home from the FBI he is a reminder of Mulder. Will inherited the same lanky arms and legs and stands almost 6'1" over me. He has the same hazel eyes and pouty lips, but he didn't inherit Mulder's nose, thank God. When I look at my son it is like looking into the eyes of a ghost.
William even sounds like Mulder. I have taken on so many identities in these 100 years: Katherine, Katie, and Emily, even Samantha. The years passed and I watched as my colleagues died. Skinner died almost 60 years ago clutching his chest, trying to tell me something, but he was gone. Agent Doggett was transferred out of the X-Files office not long after Mulder left and went on to become the Assistant Director, supervising the X-Files and Agent Reyes's work. They both died 50 years ago, old in their age.
Will and I stayed in the DC area against my better judgment, but with some hope that Mulder might return, looking for us I couldn't go far from the place he last saw us.
I watched as my son began to show an interest in pathology and criminology. He went to school at Princeton, getting a degree in medicine, but for some reason he liked the paranormal much better. He went on to Quantico. Many would ask if he had any relation to Mulder, my Mulder, with the same last name. Will would always claim that he was my great-grandson.
He stumbled upon the old X-Files office, dusty and closed for almost 75 years. Will wanted to investigate the X-Files and it didn't surprise me that he wanted to chase after the paranormal and things that went 'bump' in the night. It was in his blood and that I know he inherited from his long dead father.
"Mom, I'm home!"
*William*
I watch as my mother greets me at the door. Her smile is one that is fake. I can tell that she has been thinking about something depressing, something very depressing. I can't help but wonder what would make her beautiful face turn down so her eyes lose their fire.
"Will," she starts, "How was your day?"
I contemplate just exactly what I'm going to say, but I don't want to bring her any false hopes. She is looking at me strangely. I must be taking too long to answer.
"Cam and I started a new case," I start to tell her, thinking of my very beautiful partner Camille Furoro. She is 29 and has been my partner for almost two years. She like myself has a love for investigating, but she doesn't see the paranormal as an option. Cam loves science, always has always will. I told Cam everything about our aging problem, but she in her skeptical mind laughed it off until I showed her my birth certificate.
"That can't be real," she protested staring at the date of my birth: 2001, one hundred years ago. She nervously swept the dangling piece of her chin length brunette hair out of her deep blue eyes.
"And what was that case about dear?" my mother's voice breaks me out of my flashback.
I stare at her again not wanting to tell her just what exactly it is about.
"I leave for California in half an hour and Cam and I need your expertise."
"William Mulder, I need to know what this case is about before I go completely across the country with my son and his partner," she nags, grinning as she does so.
I stare at her with a grim look on my face and that wipes the look off of hers.
"What?" mom asks.
"You mom and dad," I say. Good I finally got it out in the open. She stares back at me with the same grim look and then finally breaks into a smile.
"Half an hour you say?" She asks already running around the apartment looking for her things to pack.
I watch as she continues to gather her suitcase and listen as her shoes echo on the wooden floor. A dark green car pulls up outside and I watch as Cam gets out of her car. Straightening her black jacket and her brown hair. My heart pounds as she gets closer...I've known her two years and from the moment she walked into my office I felt something different for her. After working on tons of cases I began to respect her and finally trust her.
I back away from the window, not wanting her to see me staring at her. I watch, as she gets closer to the door. Something deep inside makes me catch my breath...fear. Deep down I feel that something is going to happen...something that will change all of our lives.
"DING DONG" the doorbell screams.
*Camille*
I watch, as Will anxiously opens the door. Greeting me as he does so I stare at him. I've often wondered what kind of life that Will Mulder, my partner for almost two years has lead. Most likely it has been one of great promise. Him being the ancestor of the 'God of the X-Files,' Will claims that Fox Mulder is his father, but that is impossible. He'd be over 100 years old and Will doesn't look a day over 30. Will even tried to prove that he is Fox Mulder's son by showing me a phony birth certificate.
"Cam, it's authentic, the real thing. My parents are Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, the ones that signed all of those files that we have found. I am an X-file as is each of my parents," he told me with a passion in his eyes that looked almost truthful.
"Cam? Are you there?" Will waves his hand in front of my face waking me out of my daydream.
"What?" I ask looking at him and seeing himself in his small home.
"I was telling you that my mom is getting packed," he walks into his kitchen, most likely wanting me to follow.
"Great we get to investigate with a 136 year old woman," I mumble under my breath. I am a scientist, a doctor, the best that any forensics scientist has ever seen and yet I was put down in that ancient office investigating the paranormal and things that don't exist.
I've read up in the Bureau's files about the same thing that happened to Dana Scully. She went down into the X-files' office and didn't get out with out believing all of the hogwash that Fox Mulder shoved in front of her. Talk about history repeating itself here I am going off to investigate a bunch of crap that I don't believe.
A few days ago Will brought into our office a new case file. The unsolved (Does that surprise anyone?) case of Fox Mulder. He had disappeared not long after he was supposedly returned from the dead. It must have been misdiagnosed or something because people don't just return from the dead like Dracula and even he doesn't 'return' he's already dead.
"Sit down," Will said flicking off the lights off and turning on the slide projector. My eyes found themselves looking at the bloated picture of a man; his body appeared to have been under water for months.
"This is Billy Miles," Will starts, "His body was pulled in just off the shore of Virginia and this man was not dead."
"That can't be," I protested looking at the obviously dead man. That man had to have been dead for months floating in the water.
Will continued to flip more slides. His face held a smug smile. Oil rigs, a metal man, a fertility clinic set ablaze and finally a picture of a corpse lying on a hospital bed hooked up to machines. A very pregnant red haired lady wept over the dead man.
"Will," I nearly growled, "Explanation please."
"All of these slides are documented pictures of the happenings in Virginia and Maryland area during February of 2001. That man up there is Fox Mulder, the woman next to him is Dana Scully."
"What does this have to do with Fox Mulder's unsolved case? Bloated men and fertility clinics? Come on Will make the connection," I irritated.
"There was only one bloated man, but anyways, all of this happened during the same time that Fox Mulder was dead, buried six feet under. In looking at these slides it would be possible to understand the task that is a head of us."
"Cam?" Will questions as I stare back at him over a warm cup of coffee and his kitchen table.
I've got to quit blanking out.
"So where is this Dana Scully?"
"I'm right here." Dana Scully walks through the kitchen door in a light blue button up shirt, black pants, and her classic trademark black high heels.
"Hi, I'm Will's mother," she says reaching out her hand to shake with my own.
I grip her hand not truly believing that I'm standing here in her presence. It can't be. It can't be the woman that was in the X-files office 100 years ago. It sure looks like her, but she has to be a granddaughter or a great-granddaughter.
"You look shocked," she says trying not to burst out laughing.
I swallow hard and stare at Will, questioning. I can't take this. I need some kind of proof, something that would prove that they are who they say they are, but I just stare.
"Cam, are you okay?" Will asks concerned.
"Fine, just fine."
*Mulder*
Place Unknown
January 21, 2101
I anxiously open the door looking at a young man with dark brown hair and deep blue eyes. I stare at him trying to place him as to where I've seen him before. His eyes are so familiar like I've seen them before in a different lifetime.
"Are you Fox Mulder," the young man asks me. His eyes lighting up as he continues to study me over and over.
"And you are?" I ask suspiciously of the man that stands before me. In all my years of working for the FBI I became even more paranoid than I was before I started working there. I often miss those days.
When I was thirteen I made up my mind to succeed in school so that I could go onto Oxford and eventually at the FBI digging deep into the minds of killers that should never ever have their thoughts exposed to the general public.
"Sir?" he asks again.
"What?" I look at him shocked...breaking away from my memories of the FBI.
"I said my name is William Mulder and I'm with the FBI," he says holding up his badge.
I stare at him and then at the badge. They sure have changed them since the last time I saw one. I can't think about that now. This man standing before me is an FBI agent with the same last name that looks remotely familiar.
"The FBI...I didn't know they still existed. It's been so long," I tell him half joking as I look the kid over. Those eyes I've seen on an infant, one hundred years ago.
"Still running strong. They celebrated the 150th anniversary a few years back," he started trying to explain himself, getting nervous in the process.
"Why'd you say you were here?" I try to contain myself from not getting too giddy over this man that stands before me. While working on the X-Files I would come to conclusions in seconds after looking over evidence and here before me stands a man that could possibly be a relative of mine, but for some reason I know deep down that he is my son. I can't even begin to question it. Why him? Why is he still young?
"Mr. Mulder?" Will asks again, breaking my train of thought again.
"I'm sorry I seem to keep daydreaming or something," I tell him giving him an impish grin, the one that I used to give Scully all the time when I'd suggest the most irrational theories that were mostly right.
"It seems to be happening to a lot of the people I talk with," he says with a sarcastic tone. "I'm here on a case that involves a man by the name of Fox William Mulder that was born on October 13, 1961. You are the only Fox Mulder that I have been able to locate."
"You said your name was William Mulder?" I inquire becoming curious myself.
"Yes, William Mulder from Maryland. I've been with the FBI for almost five years," he tells me becoming somewhat annoyed.
"And you have a problem," I state the obvious.
"Don't we all," he says mimicking my sarcastic tone.
"You've come here to investigate a man that appears to be the same man that the FBI has files on dating back to the turn of last century. You appear to be alone, but I doubt it unless the FBI has completely lost their marbles and has started to assign agents dangerous assignments without partners," I tell him using my profiling skills from my time at the FBI.
"My partner is not here right now. Her flight was held up in Denver along with an associate of mine," he tells me hiding something very obvious.
"And who would this associate be?" I ask him prying into his denseness.
He smiles and then looks at me like any son would look at his father. "Dana Scully."
"Dana Scully?" I ask not sure that I'm hearing this right.
"The one and only," Will says.
"Then that would make you...my son."
Will just stares at me with his deep blue eyes locking such a gaze on my own. Those are Scully's eyes. My God! I miss her so much. Of all the luck in the world she could be with William right this minute, but her damn flight was delayed in Denver.
"Are you sure?" he asks Turing into the skeptic that I know his mother imbedded somewhat in him. From the way he just came here out of the blue I can tell right off that he has a knack for detective work, for finding people when they don't want to be found, and he has the paranoia, the belief that there are other things out there.
"Let me see. Your name is William James Fox Mulder and if your mother hasn't told you how you got two middle names then I will. We had decided that your middle name would be James because it just flowed with William Mulder, but for some reason when Scully was in Democrat Hot Springs, Georgia giving birth to you she felt me by her side and knew that you needed the Fox in there too. Even though I despise my parents for giving it to me. I think it has a nice ring to it in your name. You were born February 27, 2001, just four days after your mother's birthday. You were a birthday present for her and a very early or late one for me...take your pick," I stop catching my breath.
He just stands there amazed at how much I know about his early life, but I couldn't tell you the day that he started school or what his grades were throughout those years. I couldn't tell you what his class rank was or what sports he participated in or even the girl that he took to prom. All of those things that a father should know where stripped away from me when they threatened the life of Scully and of William.
"You made it into the X-Files," he tells me.
"I've made it in there a few times," I respond laughing to myself. Just how many times did my name appear on a file? It kind of makes me wonder.
"The reason I'm here is to..."
"Bring rest to the case," I tell him.
Will continues to process the thoughts in his head. Finally he looks at me, his face telling a whole different story.
"Don't you wonder why you haven't aged?" he inquires.
"Why question a good thing?" I fire back at him.
"Dana Scully has information that in respect would floor you about your condition, about all of our conditions."
*Scully*
Denver, Colorado
January 21, 2102
I watch as the planes continue in and out of Denver airport. Of course there had to be a snowstorm that just happened to sweep the region in the mere half hour that we are here on a lay over. It's been almost five hours now.
Will must already be in California by now. I sure hope that he got there safely. The snow continues to blow in off the planes. It's a wonder still being able to watch snow after all of these years. I remember when I was five and we were living on a naval base near Wisconsin. That was the first time that I had actually seen tons of snow. I can't help but think that that was years ago.
"Ms. Scully, here's your coffee," Cam says breaking my train of concentration.
"Thanks," I respond giving her a tight smile, sipping the coffee. Too black for my taste, but I just give her another tight smile.
"Will, claims that you are his mother. But that can't be true. You couldn't be a day over 35," Cam starts the conversation.
"I know that it is hard to believe," I turn to look at her.
She is so young and innocent, but also very stubborn. Whenever she finds a man to spend the rest of her life with that guy had better be one that can handle a woman that is stuck in her ways. "I was in your shoes once. I remember so clearly walking into the X-Files office when I was 27 years old and coming face to face with a man with the nickname of 'Spooky Mulder.' I saw so many things that I began to question science myself and eventually I started to believe. I'm living proof. William is living proof," I finish staring into the disbelieving eyes of Camille Furoro, a true Italian.
"I can't believe that I'm listening to this. What the hell is Will trying to pull anyways? He thinks that a man who has been missing for 100 years will just turn up out of the blue, un-aged?" She asks disbelieving.
"Sometimes it is better to not question things," I advise.
"Attention Passengers, Flight number 524, headed for Los Angeles, will be boarding in five minutes," a voice on the loud speaker echoes through the nearly empty airport.
"That's us," Cam gladly says, breaking out little conversation.
"It's a miracle," I tell her not truly believing it. We grab our carry on's and head for the door. The plane waits as does our future, a future that is more uncertain than the one that I had faced years before when I was pregnant and alone.
