Spoilers: all things, Brand X, Requiem
Disclaimer: Not in this lifetime, I'll tell you that.
Notes: This was an idea I had a long time ago, and I was lucky enough to find it again. Good thing for backups.
ENJOY!
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Scully opened the door and was greeted by the quiet and darkness of her apartment. Unfortunately, her legs refused to go any further, so she swayed until she felt the firm wood of the door beneath her back. A small smirk played on her lips as she let her mind wonder back over the last few hours and what transpired.
She slept with Mulder.
And while the earth didn't spin out of control and no doves flew overhead, it was the perfect joining for the people they were.
Her legs were slow to come back to her, and she listened to the rain gain its intensity outside the window, thinking fondly of how an innocent act of saying 'goodnight' turned into a night of love making while the storm broke around them.
She didn't want to leave like she did, sneaking out while he slept. But she knew that with the sun, reality would begin to seep in, and she wasn't ready to face it. Not yet, anyway.
Finally feeling her legs again, Scully pulled herself away from the door and walked down the hall to the bedroom. She shed her jacket and looked down, noticing the crack of the door to her spare room. It wouldn't have been cause for alarm, if a small amount of light had not been peeking through.
She stalked towards the door, noticing upon further examination that it was slightly ajar. Instinct and training taught her to pull her weapon and be ready to cover whatever was hidden behind the door. As she reached for her gun, though, something told her there was no need for caution. Instead, she placed the gun down on the hall table as she pushed open the door.
It creaked under the sudden pressure, and Scully winced at the deafening sound in a quiet apartment. She dismissed the distraction quickly and turned to see what was behind the door once she was fully in the room.
"Hi, mommy," a tiny voice called from the bed. Scully just stared in awe and confusion. It was a small child, a boy, no more than six or seven years old, laying in bed and grinning from ear to ear.
Questions raced through Scully's mind, but all that came from her lips was one.
"What are you doing up so late, young man? It's way past your bedtime."
He smiled innocently at her. "I was afraid of the storm?"
Scully imitated her best angry look. "Is that the truth?"
He frowned slightly, shaking his head. "No, I wanted to say 'goodnight' to you, mommy. That's the truth."
Scully changed into a full blown smile as she walked over and sat next to him on the bed, tucking the sheets in tight around his small frame.
"Well, I'm so glad you did. I hate it when I don't get to say 'goodnight' to you."
"Me neither," he pouted. She tickled him until he wiggled and squealed in delight, causing her own mirth to bubble up at the sight of her son laughing. She kissed him lightly on the cheek, and he latched on to her neck, squeezing tightly before letting go.
"Was work hard today," he asked.
Scully nodded. "One of the hardest days I've ever had."
His expression went solemn and Scully became worried. "What is it, sweetie?"
He sighed heavily. "I was thinking about dad today."
Scully brushed his soft, dark hair away from his forehead. "What made you think of him?"
He got up out of bed and walked over to the bookshelf. He hesitated slightly, then pulled the book off the shelf and handed it back to Scully as he climbed into bed. She turned over the book and read the title, "My Father and Me."
"Where did you get this book?" she asked.
He sighed, "I saw it in a bookstore when grandma took me shopping today." Scully looked at it, noticing that it was a short story about the hedgehog family. The little hedgehog son was fishing with his dad on the cover. While the story was an playful piece of fiction, the title spoke volumes to her son.
Scully slowly laid the book on the nightstand and tucked him back into bed.
"Mom?"
Scully tried to hide the tears in her voice. "Yes, sweetie."
"When's dad coming home?"
Her eyes shined with the tears she wouldn't let fall until she was out of his sight. "Soon, sweetie," she responded. "I promise." She almost regretted making it as the words came out of her mouth, but she knew that one day it would be the truth.
He seemed content with her answer and relaxed. She got up, expecting to leave but was stopped.
"Mom?" She turned and saw him holding the book in his hand once more. "Can you read this to me?" The sentiment was too much, so she allowed a few tears to fall at his small request.
She dutifully returned to his side and tucked him under her arm as she turned the cover to the first page and began to read aloud the adventures of father and son. Somewhere in the middle, though, he had fallen asleep, and although Scully knew she should return to her own bed she decided to stay, compelled to hold him and pray that one day he would see his father.
The sound of her alarm was not as piercing to her senses as it was after short periods of sleep. That was the first thing Scully noticed upon arising. The second realization that seeped into her brain, after opening her eyes, was the strange sight of the sunlight streaming in on the wrong side of the bed. She sat upright, gauging her surroundings and realizing that she had fallen asleep in the guest room. Confusion came but quickly subsided as the visions from the night before slowly seeped into her brain.
She remembered being at Mulder's place, a small smile forming as she remembered the events that transpired. She remembered coming home, going to bed and having the most vivid dream about a small boy in her apartment. In the exact same room she was in right now.
Scully tried to make logic out of how she ended up in this particular room, in the particular bed, and curled up tightly on one side as if she was pressed next to another body. But making sense out of a dream proved to be difficult, and the beeping of the alarm clock in the next room was now piercing the walls, beckoning to be shut off.
Scully scrambled out of the bed and down the hall, slamming her hand on the snooze button as she reached her clock. In almost perfect timing the beeping was replaced by the shrill ring of the telephone in the living room.
In a mad dash, Scully picked up the phone on the last ring. "Hello," she said, hastily.
"Scully?" It was Mulder. A small smile began to form at the sound of his voice. "Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, Mulder, everything is fine," she stated. "I just overslept is all."
"I can imagine." She could hear a playful tone in his voice. "Um, Skinner says we have a meeting in a couple of hours, so I would suggest getting here as soon as possible."
"I'll be there in a few minutes," she replied. She didn't wait for any retort or comment from him about the previous night, and she didn't expect one. They both knew, after all, that it wasn't something they wanted to discuss over an office line. But Scully knew they needed to talk about it and what was going to happen now, and if she hurried they could have it before the meeting with Skinner.
She rushed to get ready, thinking about Mulder and where they were headed. As she headed out the door, though, she glanced back and caught sight of the bedroom door, and her thoughts once again went to the mysterious child she had dreamed about.
And yet, it had been so real.
TBC
