Breaking the News
By: Olivia
"The nature of bad news infects the teller."-William Shakespeare-"Antony and Cleopatra"
"I am dead; thou livest; report me and my cause aright."-William Shakespeare-"Hamlet"
"The first bringer of unwelcome news hath but a losing office, and his tongue sounds ever like a sullen bell, remembered tolling a departed friend."-William Shakespeare-"Henry IV Part II"
Georgetown
Washington, D.C.
Scully walked into her apartment carrying her luggage. She looked around her living room and realized everything was different even though not an item had been moved since she had gone to Montana. It was not the place that had changed, but herself that had. Before she left she had hope that Mulder would be found alive. Now she had none.
Mulder's body had been transported to D.C. and tomorrow she would accompany it to North Carolina where preparations would be made for Mulder's funeral. But first she had to see some people.
Takoma Park
Maryland
Scully was just about to ring the doorbell, if one could call that annoying sound a bell, when the door was opened by a tall, blond haired man. He grinned at her.
"Hi! Can I help you?" he asked.
Scully was confused.
"Umm...I was hoping to speak to the Lone Gunmen."
"You're looking at one. My name's Jimmy, Jimmy Bond," he said as he extended his hand.
Scully ignored his hand. She was in no mood for this. "No, I'm afraid there must be some kind of mistake. I'm looking for...."
"Hey, Scully," said Frohike coming up behind Jimmy.
"Come on in," he said leading Scully in. "Jimmy was just leaving. Weren't you Jimmy?"
"Well, I..." Jimmy got out before Frohike gently pushed him out the door and closed it.
"Who was that?" Scully asked.
"Don't ask. Times have been hard."
Upon hearing Scully's voice, Langly and Byers emerged from inside their headquarters to greet her.
"How ya doing, Scully?" asked Langley. "We haven't seen you in awhile."
Scully looked at all of them and then turned her gaze to the floor. This was hard.
"I...um," Scully's voice started to break. She licked her lips and tried again. These were the first people she was breaking the news to. "I've got some bad news."
And then a blanket of silence fell over the room. No one moved or spoke for a few moments. Grief and shock had left them speechless. They instinctively knew what was wrong.
Frohike broke the silence by whispering, "Are you sure?"
A tearful, harsh laugh escaped Scully throat. She instantly regretted it, but it was done. "Yes, I'm sure. After all the times I thought he was dead, this time I'm certain. Even though I still can't believe it."
The Lone Gunmen exchanged glances. They wondered what they should do next.
"We are very sorry, Scully. Please sit down," said Byers, his voice full of compassion.
Scully shook her head, but Frohike and Langley had already pulled up a chair and guided her into it. They joined her sitting down in a circle.
"Can you tell us what happened, Scully?" asked Byers gently.
Scully nodded her head and explained how they had gotten a tip that abductees who had been taken the same time as Mulder were being returned in Montana. She told them how they had found Jeremiah Smith, the miraculous healer she and Mulder had previous dealings with, and who was healing the returned abductees. The abductees were being returned tortured, experimented on, and near death. She then explained how they had found Mulder dead in a field and before she could get Smith to bring Mulder back to life, Smith was abducted by aliens.
As Scully finished her story, strong tears were coursing down her face. She was reliving it all over again. She hadn't even realized she had been crying. When she did realize it, she brushed the tears away.
Again there was silence. Frohike, Langly, and Byers didn't have a clue what to do. They wanted to comfort Scully, but how could they possibly comfort her? They couldn't bring Mulder back from the dead anymore than she could.
Scully looked at them. "I wanted, I needed, to tell you three. I didn't want you to hear it any other way. You were the ones who told me he was missing. You were his best and closet friends. He knew the three of you even before he knew me. You believed in him and supported him in his quest for the truth. You helped him on cases, never asking anything in return. I know I've never said this before, but I wanted to thank you on behalf of Mulder and myself."
The Lone Gunmen felt their eyes starting to water. They quickly tried to hide it and stop any tears.
Frohike said, "I just want to say, and I'm speaking on behalf of all of us, when I say that we've always been your friend too, Scully. And if you ever need anything from us, and I mean anything, even if it's just to talk, you know where we are and that you are always welcome."
Scully smiled her thanks.
"I still can't believe he's gone," said Scully in disbelief. "Maybe he never will be," she said absently as she stood up.
Off their confused looks she said, "Mulder changed all of us just by us knowing him. And in that way, he'll never really be gone."
"I have some other news that I also want to tell you all about. And I'm not quite certain how to say this. I should have told you all sooner and for that I'm very sorry. I'm pregnant."
The Gunmen didn't know what to say. A million and one questions coursed through their mind. Was Mulder the father? Scully was always a very private person and they respected that. If she didn't offer any further information, they would not be rude and pry into her affairs.
"Congratulations, Scully," said Byers and the others nodded their agreement, still processing the news. This was information overload. "If there is anything we can do for you or your baby...."
"Thank you," Scully said. "I also wanted to let you know that Mulder will be buried in North Carolina with his Mother. After seeing that tombstone, I think it's what he would have wanted. I'm leaving tomorrow to go down there."
Scully pulled some plane tickets out of her coat pocket and placed them on a nearby table.
"I know times have been hard and I wasn't certain your vehicle would be able to make the trip, so I took the liberty of getting you three plane tickets and a motel room. My Mother will be accompanying me."
The Gunmen stared to protest but Scully cut them off.
"Please. I don't want you to feel like you have to go."
Langley spoke for them all. "It's not that."
Scully smiled gratefully at them.
"Then if it's about the money, I don't want you to worry about it. It would mean a lot to have you all there. And I know it would have meant a lot to Mulder as well."
Scully moved toward the door. But just before she could leave, Frohike stopped her. He wasn't thinking straight else he would have doubted himself and never done it. He hugged Scully. It caught Scully by surprise, but then she hugged him back. And then she hugged Byers and Langly. She smiled sadly at them and then was gone.
But they would see her tomorrow in order to make the sad journey to North Carolina. There they would bury Mulder. The world would never know that Mulder had made the ultimate sacrifice in trying to protect them. And so they promised themselves that his sacrifice would not be in vain. They would continue their pursuit to uncover the truth to the world, no matter what the personal cost.
By: Olivia
"The nature of bad news infects the teller."-William Shakespeare-"Antony and Cleopatra"
"I am dead; thou livest; report me and my cause aright."-William Shakespeare-"Hamlet"
"The first bringer of unwelcome news hath but a losing office, and his tongue sounds ever like a sullen bell, remembered tolling a departed friend."-William Shakespeare-"Henry IV Part II"
Georgetown
Washington, D.C.
Scully walked into her apartment carrying her luggage. She looked around her living room and realized everything was different even though not an item had been moved since she had gone to Montana. It was not the place that had changed, but herself that had. Before she left she had hope that Mulder would be found alive. Now she had none.
Mulder's body had been transported to D.C. and tomorrow she would accompany it to North Carolina where preparations would be made for Mulder's funeral. But first she had to see some people.
Takoma Park
Maryland
Scully was just about to ring the doorbell, if one could call that annoying sound a bell, when the door was opened by a tall, blond haired man. He grinned at her.
"Hi! Can I help you?" he asked.
Scully was confused.
"Umm...I was hoping to speak to the Lone Gunmen."
"You're looking at one. My name's Jimmy, Jimmy Bond," he said as he extended his hand.
Scully ignored his hand. She was in no mood for this. "No, I'm afraid there must be some kind of mistake. I'm looking for...."
"Hey, Scully," said Frohike coming up behind Jimmy.
"Come on in," he said leading Scully in. "Jimmy was just leaving. Weren't you Jimmy?"
"Well, I..." Jimmy got out before Frohike gently pushed him out the door and closed it.
"Who was that?" Scully asked.
"Don't ask. Times have been hard."
Upon hearing Scully's voice, Langly and Byers emerged from inside their headquarters to greet her.
"How ya doing, Scully?" asked Langley. "We haven't seen you in awhile."
Scully looked at all of them and then turned her gaze to the floor. This was hard.
"I...um," Scully's voice started to break. She licked her lips and tried again. These were the first people she was breaking the news to. "I've got some bad news."
And then a blanket of silence fell over the room. No one moved or spoke for a few moments. Grief and shock had left them speechless. They instinctively knew what was wrong.
Frohike broke the silence by whispering, "Are you sure?"
A tearful, harsh laugh escaped Scully throat. She instantly regretted it, but it was done. "Yes, I'm sure. After all the times I thought he was dead, this time I'm certain. Even though I still can't believe it."
The Lone Gunmen exchanged glances. They wondered what they should do next.
"We are very sorry, Scully. Please sit down," said Byers, his voice full of compassion.
Scully shook her head, but Frohike and Langley had already pulled up a chair and guided her into it. They joined her sitting down in a circle.
"Can you tell us what happened, Scully?" asked Byers gently.
Scully nodded her head and explained how they had gotten a tip that abductees who had been taken the same time as Mulder were being returned in Montana. She told them how they had found Jeremiah Smith, the miraculous healer she and Mulder had previous dealings with, and who was healing the returned abductees. The abductees were being returned tortured, experimented on, and near death. She then explained how they had found Mulder dead in a field and before she could get Smith to bring Mulder back to life, Smith was abducted by aliens.
As Scully finished her story, strong tears were coursing down her face. She was reliving it all over again. She hadn't even realized she had been crying. When she did realize it, she brushed the tears away.
Again there was silence. Frohike, Langly, and Byers didn't have a clue what to do. They wanted to comfort Scully, but how could they possibly comfort her? They couldn't bring Mulder back from the dead anymore than she could.
Scully looked at them. "I wanted, I needed, to tell you three. I didn't want you to hear it any other way. You were the ones who told me he was missing. You were his best and closet friends. He knew the three of you even before he knew me. You believed in him and supported him in his quest for the truth. You helped him on cases, never asking anything in return. I know I've never said this before, but I wanted to thank you on behalf of Mulder and myself."
The Lone Gunmen felt their eyes starting to water. They quickly tried to hide it and stop any tears.
Frohike said, "I just want to say, and I'm speaking on behalf of all of us, when I say that we've always been your friend too, Scully. And if you ever need anything from us, and I mean anything, even if it's just to talk, you know where we are and that you are always welcome."
Scully smiled her thanks.
"I still can't believe he's gone," said Scully in disbelief. "Maybe he never will be," she said absently as she stood up.
Off their confused looks she said, "Mulder changed all of us just by us knowing him. And in that way, he'll never really be gone."
"I have some other news that I also want to tell you all about. And I'm not quite certain how to say this. I should have told you all sooner and for that I'm very sorry. I'm pregnant."
The Gunmen didn't know what to say. A million and one questions coursed through their mind. Was Mulder the father? Scully was always a very private person and they respected that. If she didn't offer any further information, they would not be rude and pry into her affairs.
"Congratulations, Scully," said Byers and the others nodded their agreement, still processing the news. This was information overload. "If there is anything we can do for you or your baby...."
"Thank you," Scully said. "I also wanted to let you know that Mulder will be buried in North Carolina with his Mother. After seeing that tombstone, I think it's what he would have wanted. I'm leaving tomorrow to go down there."
Scully pulled some plane tickets out of her coat pocket and placed them on a nearby table.
"I know times have been hard and I wasn't certain your vehicle would be able to make the trip, so I took the liberty of getting you three plane tickets and a motel room. My Mother will be accompanying me."
The Gunmen stared to protest but Scully cut them off.
"Please. I don't want you to feel like you have to go."
Langley spoke for them all. "It's not that."
Scully smiled gratefully at them.
"Then if it's about the money, I don't want you to worry about it. It would mean a lot to have you all there. And I know it would have meant a lot to Mulder as well."
Scully moved toward the door. But just before she could leave, Frohike stopped her. He wasn't thinking straight else he would have doubted himself and never done it. He hugged Scully. It caught Scully by surprise, but then she hugged him back. And then she hugged Byers and Langly. She smiled sadly at them and then was gone.
But they would see her tomorrow in order to make the sad journey to North Carolina. There they would bury Mulder. The world would never know that Mulder had made the ultimate sacrifice in trying to protect them. And so they promised themselves that his sacrifice would not be in vain. They would continue their pursuit to uncover the truth to the world, no matter what the personal cost.