Author's Notes:
This was my very first fic, written when I was maybe 14/15 years old. I was bored at a party one day because I didn't know many people so, as you do, I let my mind wander to my obsession at that time, The X-Files.
'-'Enjoy!
- - - - -
"I now pronounce you husband and wife," the priest states, "you may kiss the bride." I sigh happily as the newlyweds, Mr and Mrs Mulder, kiss. I love weddings; however, I'm not entirely sure that this particular blessed union will last.
Later, at the reception, I'm not sure if there's somewhere specific that I'm supposed to sit, but I spy an available seat near a group of other girls around my age. I ask if I may sit there, and they kindly nod. I introduce myself, and learn the names Katherine, Samantha, Tina and Emily.
"What do you think of the new couple?" I ask, curious if anyone else shares my opinion.
"They'll divorce the moment there's a wrinkle on his face." Tina says.
"Or if she looses her money" adds Katherine.
I breathe a sigh of relief. "I thought I was the only one that noticed! I wonder why he's so greedy. I mean, the Van De Kamps are wonderful parents, I can't imagine they would have encouraged that."
"I think he may be bitter towards them," suggests Samantha, "You know, he only recently learnt that he was adopted."
"Besides," adds Emily, "growing up on a farm, having to feed the chickens before you can eat their eggs, I'd have been so sick of that if I were him!"
"I was wondering why he has a different last name to his parents" I say "Did he change it when he found out?" Samantha nods.
"So how do you know the couple?" Katherine asks.
"Oh, my father works for Ms… ah… Mrs Mulder. You?"
"We all know the grooms parents" Tina says.
"His biological parents" Katherine adds.
Emily laughs. "They're the ones slow dancing to 'Jeremiah was a Bullfrog'"
I look at the dance floor. Sure enough, while everyone else is dancing wildly to this hardly romantic song, one old couple, a tall man with a distinguished profile and a petite redhead (with more than a few greys) have their arms around each other and are dancing as though a song from 'Greatest Love Hits' was on.
"Now that marriage will last forever" Tina says wistfully, with a touch of envy, and I agree. They are looking into each other's eyes as though there was nothing else they would rather be looking at.
"They certainly are steeling the spotlight." I say. "I wonder why they're slow dancing to a song like this."
They all smile "That's their song!" Samantha tells me excitedly.
"Jeremiah was a Bullfrog?" I ask. "Why?"
They all begin to look as excited as Samantha, as though this was their favorite topic of discussion. They all begin talking at once, but Emily ends up the one telling the story.
"Ok, before they were married, they used to work together for the FBI" she points to the man "agent Mulder" and then points to the woman "and agent Scully. In most of their cases together, Mulder would come up with a paranormal theory, and Scully would have a scientific, skeptical explanation"
"Because they investigated paranormal phenomena." Katherine interrupts.
"Yeah." Emily continues. "Anyway, while investigating some deaths that took place in western Florida, they got lost in a forest. Mulder was attacked by what he called a moth man, and he was in shock, so Scully had to stay up that night and keep watch. To make sure that she stayed awake, Mulder suggested that she sing and that's the song she chose."
"And that's what makes it their song?" I ask.
"Well, yeah," Samantha says "and she sang it to William when he was a baby"
"Awwww, when he had the little bunny ears in his little hat!" squeals Tina.
"So, she has a good voice?" I ask and they all burst out laughing.
"Hell no!" Katherine says. "She can't carry a tune. But it was very cute"
"You know what's really cute?" Emily smiles "that they still call each other by their last names!"
At that moment, I hear my name being called. "Crystal?" its Ms Willow… Mrs Mulder. "Crystal, what are you doing here, you silly thing? Your table is over there."
"Oh" I say "I didn't realize that"
"Who are you?" she asks, turning towards my new friends "I know everyone that William invited, but I don't believe I've met you."
"Uh…" Samantha says. They look like they're trying to think of something.
Mrs Mulder sighs "You weren't invited, were you?"
"Um, well just be on our way." says Katherine, as Mrs Mulder directs me to my seat.
As luck would have it, I'm seated with the old couple who were the topic of conversation only a few moments ago. I extend my hand. "Hi" I say "I'm Crystal"
The man shakes my hand first "I'm Mulder" he says.
Then the woman shakes my hand "Scully, nice to meet you"
"You too" I say. "Hey, do you know…" I look for the girls I was talking to before, but I can't find them. Suddenly, I hear a strange noise. I turn just in time to see what looks like Katherine walking through a television set. I turn to Mulder and Scully wide eyed. "Did you guys see that? I ask.
"I saw someone going through a TV" Mulder says, and Scully looks at him strangely.
"Going through a TV? The screen of a standard television set is, id imagine, made of glass, certainly a solid substance…"
"Well, maybe the girl who went through want solid." Mulder interrupts. "Besides, I'm not the only witness." he turns to me "You saw it too, didn't you Crystal?"
I nod. "So you don't now them?"
"No" he says.
"If you're trying to tell me" Scully says "that they're characters from a TV show, then that begs so many questions. I mean, how would they get into reality? Why would they come here? How would they even know us...?" her speech starts me thinking. Those girls did seem to know an awful lot about Mulder and Scully, and they knew about what happened in the forest in such detail, especially since Mulder said that he and Scully didn't know them.
"What if," I interrupt, "they're not the TV characters? What if they're the viewers?"
Scully laughs "That's ridiculous!"
"Actually, what she's saying may have some validity" Mulder says "I mean, how do we know were not in a TV show? This all seems real to us, but we have no basis for comparison."
Scully sighs. "Isn't it just as likely, Mulder, that the light was at such an angle so as to look like what you both saw? I mean, what makes you think that any of our lives are interesting enough to make a TV show about anyway?"
"What about before you were married? I suggest. "I heard that you used to work for the FBI investigating paranormal cases."
"You think Mulder and I are TV characters?"
"Those girls seemed to know a lot about you. Is it true that you once sang 'Jeremiah was a Bullfrog' to Mulder when he was in shock after being attacked by a moth man in a forest in western Florida? And that you sang it to the groom when he was a baby and, at the time, wearing a hat with bunny ears?"
They both stare at me wide eyed.
- - - - -
Later, I wander by the TV set and I see all four of my new friends inside it.
"Hey you guys!" I say, hoping that no one sees me and thinks I'm crazy. "What's going on? Is this just a television show?"
"Of course not!" Emily assures me.
"Yeah" Katherine adds. "You live in a world just as real as ours. Mulder and Scully are real."