The Stars On Your Way
Rating: It's fine.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything!
Summary: "Don't you ever just want to stop? Get out of the damn car? Settle down and live something approaching a normal life?"
A/N: Right... so. This is a one-shot that I came up with today. I was watching Dreamland pt.1 and 2 when I got the idea... PLUS. There's this HOT picture on Tumblr of what it would look like if Mulder and Scully ever had a dressy wedding. I liked it a lot, so I wrote this little number. Sorry for any grammar mistakes. Listen to Stars on Your Way by Brock Tyler and 500 Miles by Sleeping at Last while you read this! They inspired it!
Review and let me know how you liked it! I love you guys!
"Mulder, it's the dim hope of finding that proof that's kept us in this car, or one very much like it for more nights than I care to remember." He remembered looking up at her so fondly. She was no stranger to nights like these, yet she was always by his side. "Driving hundreds if not thousands of miles through neighborhoods and cities and towns where people are raising families and buying homes and playing with their kids and their dogs, and… in short, living their lives. While we- we… we just keep driving."
"What's your point?" She had nearly rolled her eyes but her tongue had come out to sweep over her bottom lip.
"Don't you ever just want to stop? Get out of the damn car? Settle down and live something approaching a normal life?"
He remembered the night like it was yesterday, when in fact, it had been close to thirteen years. It was ultimately what had lead him to walk into the flashy department store. He could hear her voice clear in the back of his head, asking him what in the hell he thought he was doing.
It doesn't take him long to spot the ring he'll buy. He knows she's never liked anything over the top or extravagant, so he can't help but think that this is the one she'll love, if anything. It's a two carat white gold ring with three princess-cut diamonds. He figures one for himself, one for Scully, and one for William.
So when the man behind the counter approaches Mulder with a second-rate sales pitch, Mulder points to the ring. His finger presses into the glass case that houses Scully's ring.
"I need that one."
"Sir, this piece is around-"
"Price isn't an issue." He points to it once more, his finger hovering over the piece of jewelry. "That one."
—
He makes it back to their home, almost in the middle of no where, and makes himself comfortable in the kitchen. The sky is a dull gray outside, the Fall season nearing it's end, so he has one kitchen light on as he examines the engagement ring. He's holding it up in front of his inquiring eyes, trying to ascertain if this tiny piece of expensive metal holds the answer to her happiness, something he had tried so desperately to give her the day they left that motel behind in hopes of starting a new life together.
'It's only right… and fair,' he assures himself. It's an absurd idea, when he truly thinks about it. But when have they been anything less? First William, then living together, and finally marriage? In truth, he couldn't envision a life without her. He had expressed this many times to her and even though she may have played it off as some attempt to flirt with her, there was a small part of him that liked to believe she reciprocated the same feelings.
And if that one specific conversation mysteriously finding it's way back into his conscious mind wasn't a sign to take things in this direction, then damned if he knew what else to do.
"Commonplace isn't our strong suite," he says aloud to an empty house.
After spending a lengthy amount of time staring at the ring, he carefully places it back into the black velvet box and snaps it shut, shoving it into his pocket. He spans across the kitchen and reaches the island countertop that houses his smartphone. It takes a little more courage than walking into the jewelry store to scroll through his contacts and find Bill Scully's number.
A week later…
He sits outside a small cafe in the downtown area. He can feel the weight of the ring inside his pocket as he shifts in his seat. His hazel eyes scan the crowd of business suits from behind his sunglasses. When he see's Scully's eldest brother, he stands from the table and cuts through the crowd to approach him.
"Bill," Mulder calls out, reaching up with one hand to remove his sunglasses out of respect for the retired Naval officer. He tucks the Aviators into his jacket pocket and holds out the opposite hand for the Scully man to shake. The years have not been as kind to Bill as they have been to his younger sister, Mulder notices.
"Mulder." His voice is just as rigid as it had been the day he had attacked him in Scully's hospital room years ago, accusing him of being the reason Melissa was gone and why Dana was soon to follow.
There's no denying the two have an understood respect for each other. The hatred between the two had seemed to dissipate through the years, and Mulder had even been invited to a few of the family holidays. Still, there was no lost love.
"Thanks for meeting me. I know you're a busy man." Mulder attends to seeing they both make it back to the table he had been saving. The two men sit across from one another. There's a young girl coming up to their table to ask if they'd like to order anything, but he sends her away with the order of two glasses of water.
"Does Dana know you're here," he inquires about his sister, the man reclining back into the black wire chair. His blue eyes are nearly the perfect replica of that of his sisters and Mulder can't help but notice how they both share such a scrutinizing curiosity.
"Ugh… no. No, she doesn't." There's a hesitation in his voice that lets Bill know that this is something secretive. "Look… I'll cut to the chase." The younger girl comes back with their glasses of water and Mulder patiently waits until she walks away to begin again. "Despite what you may think, and I know you have very good reason for it, I love Dana." The man sitting across from him remains stagnant, no expression gracing his stern face. "And I know that you probably envisioned more for her." It feels as if his proclamation isn't impressing Bill. It's generic. So Mulder sighs, lets his head fall to his chest and takes a deep breath. 'From the heart, asshole,' he reminds himself. "She's astonishing, Bill. She's the reason I wake up in the morning and she's been the reason I haven't miraculously fallen head first into some shit-hole of an annihilative storm."
The embarrassing confession seems to be having some kind of effect on Bill, so Mulder continues.
"I know… you want nothing but the best for her. So it's why I've asked you here today; for permission to marry your sister." Finally. It's finally out and it feels as if a weight has been lifted from Mulder's chest. The silence that follows is insufferable and it takes all of his will to remain seated.
"I've come to terms with Dana's life," he begins slowly, his blue eyes fixated on the beads of water running down the surface of his glass. "You know, I never understood what it was that she saw in you. Honestly… It took me years to figure it out." Bill drags his eyes up from the glass to meet Mulder's. "But I see it now. You're a righteous man." He tilts his head back, as if examining Mulder. "If my father were here right now… sitting in this chair instead of me… I'd like to think he'd be quite impressed with the man Dana's chosen to live her life with."
Another pause, and Mulder's almost sure his heart might fail on him any minute.
"Of course." He answers. Mulder's ecstatic smile is contagious enough and it slowly spreads to Bill's face. 'Maybe he doesn't hate me after all,' he thinks as the two men get up from the table simultaneously, reaching out to shake the others hand.
"Bill, I… I don't know what to say, man. I won't disappoint you." It's a promise he fully intends to keep and Bill just nods his head in agreement.
"Any ideas on how yet," he asks his future brother-in-law, but Mulder shakes his head.
"I haven't really thought about it yet… the ring is going to be reason enough for her to roll her eyes and laugh at me."
"Well tell you what," the two men start to walk away from the cafe together and before they head their separate ways, Bill shares his idea. "You and Dana stop by for Thanksgiving next week. There's a little tradition we do after the dinner that you can probably take advantage of."
—
Thanksgiving comes all too fast and as he stands in front of the full body length mirror that hangs behind their bedroom door, he checks his pockets to ensure the ring is right where he put it. He hopes the bulge isn't too obvious, because before he knows it, she's coming out from their bathroom dressed in a pair of jeans that hug her every curve and a light brown, long sleeve sweatshirt with a cowl neck that has three buttons. Her outfit is complete with high brown boots that stop below her knee and he marvels at how much her style has come to change within the past decade or so.
She's messing with a watch that she's been trying to snap around her wrist for the past few minutes and she grows too frustrated to attempt any more. She wordlessly walks up to Mulder and presents him with her wrist. He laughs and takes her tiny wrist into his hands, turning it over and clasping the piece of jewelry with ease.
"You look beautiful," he comments and she stops her musings, her hand halfway through her long red hair. She blushes at his words and moves away from the mirror, leaning up to kiss him on the cheek.
"You don't look too bad yourself."
After they lock up their house, they make the drive to her mother's. It's a three hour trip down the cold highway, but neither one of them mind. They've done this countless times before, she reminds herself. The comfortable silence in the car is all too familiar as well, but an hour or so into their trip, he reaches for the controls on the radio.
The music fills the car in a low volume and Scully finds herself trying to make out the words.
I couldn't say where you're going to. I couldn't say what you're gonna do. Just look at the stars on your way.
I don't even know your middle name. Your easiest secret but it's all the same. Just look at the stars on your way.
It's been so long since you stared at the night. When you gonna stop and make it right?
(Stars on your way)
She's so captivated by the song, that she doesn't even notice reach over the center console with his hand. She feels his warm fingers pry open her's until their hands are joined and their fingers are laced together.
She looks down at their conjoined hands, smiles, and then up at the man next to her. It's funny, she thinks, how they find themselves driving hundreds of miles… but now living their life.
My father in heaven watches over me. He's got a basket full of light and curious mercies. Just like the stars on my way.
When everything's wrong and nothing feels right. Just lay in the grass and get washed by the light. Leave the streetlights behind and drive in my car.
I'll find my way, it's not too late to start. Yeah, I'll find my way it's not too late to start again
—
They pull up to her old childhood house and she itches to fling the door open, run up the walkway, and into her mother's arms. She settles for slowly getting out of the car alongside Mulder, who joins her in walking up the damp walkway that leads to her mother's wooden porch. He lets her take the first few steps and follows carefully behind her, his hand poised on her lower back until she's safely at the front door, knocking.
They're greeted by her mother, who's eyes light up to see the two of them standing on the other side of the screen door. Hugs and kisses are passed around and before long, she's leading them further into the house. Mulder follows slowly, no stranger to the family any longer, and smiles when the young kids run out from the kitchen to greet him and Scully.
Tara, their mother, is next to give her hugs followed by her husband who hugs his sister and shakes Mulder's hand. Charlie is there with his wife and children also, who join in the greeting of the newly arrived Mulder and Scully.
The kids are swept away a few moments later by Charlie, who had retreated into the attic only to come down with a box full of Christmas lights. They move outside to start decorating the front of their grandmother's house as the rest stay in and catch up with conversation.
Hours pass, dinner is had, and through it all, he can't help but watch as she smiles with her mother, laughs with Tara, how she sweeps her youngest niece into her lap to help her eat her sliced turkey bits.
He can't imagine being anywhere but here, alongside the love of his life as she laughs and lives her life with her family. It had taken him some time, but he finally knows that he's apart of this family as the same little girl who was just in Scully's lap crawls over to his and begins to mindlessly play with his tie.
—
When the sun finally goes down and after the kitchen has been cleaned, the leftovers put away, and the youngest put down to sleep, the rest of the kids beg to plug in the lights they've worked so hard to put up.
With her glass of red wine in hand, she leads Mulder out into the cold November night with his hand in hers. They're joined by the rest of the family and the kids scatter about, their heads all tilted back as they stand in front of the house.
They start a countdown from 'five' and Mulder's heart beats harder with every descending number. When they scream out 'one', Charlie plugs in the string of white Christmas lights.
Scully's mouth drops open in awe as her eyes take in what the question is asking.
'Will you marry me?' is illuminated by hundreds of tiny white lights that cast a perfect, beautiful glow onto her face. Her mother, who is on one side of her, wraps an arm around her daughter's shoulders to pull her in for a hug. She takes the glass of wine from her daughter's hand and spins her around to face Mulder, who's already down on one knee… holding up her engagement ring.
"Mulder…" There's no other word that she can possible articulate at the moment.
"That can be your last name too if you say 'yes'," he teases. "Dana Katherine Scully." He says her full name out loud for everyone to hear. Bill stands besides his wife with his arms crossed over his chest, a content smile on his face. Maggie has wasted no time and the tears are already spilling down her cheeks. "We've stopped. We've gotten out of the damn car. Can we settle down and live something approaching a normal life?" She's smiling at his repetition of her speech she had given him nearly thirteen years ago. "Will you marry me?"
"Yes," is her breathy reply and she's offering up her small, shaking hand as he slips the white gold ring onto her finger. The diamonds sparkle against the white Christmas lights and he wastes no time pushing himself from the ground, threading his hand into her hair, and pulling her against him for a sweet kiss.
A/N: AHH I FEEL LIKE THIS IS THE SWEETEST THING I'VE EVER WRITTEN! :) Review and LOVE ME! :)