Here... We… Go…
William huffed and turned over, still reluctant to wake, burying his face in the scratchy pillow. Something smelled great, like freshly baked pastries, no wait… pancakes? He lifted his head off the pillow and spotted in the dim light a napkin on the cheap wooden nightstand, neatly piled on top were two perfect looking chocolate chip pancakes. Placed beside them was a cup of steaming liquid. Smiling, he sat up; swinging his legs over the edge of the creaking bed he noticed there was no fork and so picked up the pancakes with his fingers. Licking the chocolate off them as he went, he quickly polished off his breakfast and sipped the cup of what he had now identified as tea.
He looked over to the other bed by the window. Dust dancing in the beams of light that filtered through the blinds. There was still no sign of Felicity. She wasn't in the bathroom, though she'd clearly already been in there; the door to it was open and there was still condensation on the glass of the shower. Her bed was made. All her things were neatly packed in her backpack and tucked under the bed.
William had been surprised he'd slept so well. Sleeping in the same room as a stranger you'd met only that day was not usually a comforting thought. But she hadn't slit his throat while he slept, which was a good start. In fact, she'd left him a warm breakfast. She was almost too good to be true, but at the same time, that was it, she was so… true. She hadn't lied to him yet. She'd mislead him when she'd mentioned her brother, but it's not like it was malicious. She'd just been scared and hurting.
Felicity had taken a huge risk, a much bigger risk than he, by suggesting they put their money together. He could easily over-power her that much was obvious. William could have been a complete creep, but she'd trusted him. That was a stupid move without a doubt, he could have been a murderer, but it's not like either of them had had much of a choice. It was share a room or spend a night on the streets. It was stupid, yes, but William also kind of admired her bravery.
William hadn't realised until yesterday that most Motels wouldn't rent to underage people. They'd been lucky to find a hostel for under 18's, though they had got some judgmental looks when they'd checked in. And although they'd found a place to stay, they'd had to walk 17 blocks to get there. By the time they'd got the room William had been exhausted. He'd been all for collapsing straight into the sheets still in his clothes.
He hadn't been blind to the fact Felicity was a girl either. They'd silently agreed that she'd change in the bathroom. The lights had been off when she'd walked back through to get into her bed, that hadn't stopped William's breath hitching. He'd rolled over and tried to think about different things, without much luck. He'd thought about girls a lot before, but more as a concept, a distant reality. Sure, he'd interacted with… women, but they'd been carers, foster mothers and doctors. They'd been older, mother-like figures.
There had been one girl, when he was ten. He'd been living with the Stacy's and their neighbors had a daughter who was in his class at school. Cassie Seldon was her name. They were at a barbecue, playing in the undergrowth behind the Stacy's house. That was his first kiss. His only kiss actually. He didn't really remember it all that well, it had been nice, he guessed, not a bad first. He'd spent the rest of the day pursing his lips, convinced he could feel Cassie's on them. Then everything went wrong, he had watched her bedroom window as social services took him away. He could still remember the details, complete with red polka dot curtains and a rag doll sat on the windowsill. He hadn't been in love with her or anything, he'd been ten. He wasn't even sure anymore if he'd even liked the girl that much, but it had made him feel normal. It made him feel like just maybe, he had to potential to be loved… someday.
William sighed, rubbing away sleep from his eyes, he could still hear Cassie's giggle, the one she'd made as he pushed her in the pool that day. He could still recall the smell of the burgers cooking, and his foster father, Rob Stacy, laughing heartily as he talked with his friends around the barbecue, and his foster mother, Lillian, fussing over the little ones, applying a Band-Aid to the knee of one little boy who'd fell out a tree. He'd been so happy that day. Then that night… It'd been the night he'd blown it again. Literally.
William lifted himself off the mattress, chucking the balled up, chocolate stained napkin in the waste bin. He tugged his backpack out from under his bed and unzipped it. He drew out a clean pair of boxer shorts and a change of clothes, before pulling his pyjama top over his head to reveal bare skin.
The door creaked and slammed as Felicity entered. She froze for a short second, and then threw a hand over her eyes, "God! Sorry William!"
William forced out a laugh, feeling a little insecure. "No worries. Not much to see anyway." He bit his lip. Why on earth did he say that? William quickly slotted his arms through a maroon shirt and buttoned it up.
"When did you wake up?" Her cheeks were a little flushed, whether from embarrassment or something else, matching the light pink of her shirt. She sat on a rickety chair in the corner and began to remove strong black boots from her feet, then seemingly decided to keep them on. She straightened the bottoms of her beige trousers where they were crinkled instead. William was a little saddened that she wasn't wearing a skirt, she suited them, but he said nothing.
"Breakfast was still hot, if that's what you're wondering." William grinned down at her where she was sat. "It was great, thank you." He tilted his head. "Where did you get it?"
"Place across the street." Felicity was smiling contentedly, but not at him. Her shoulders seemed relaxed, more so than before. There was a certain easiness about her mood this morning, and it made William a little curious.
William nodded, before stuttering, "So… Where'd you go after?"
Felicity looked up at him slowly, the gold flecks in her dark eyes glinting in the morning sun, as she regarded him a second, she said, "Do you really need to know?" Her hair was pulled into a plait, highlighting the different tones in her hair. He almost didn't hear her.
William blew out his cheeks, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck, "Uh, you don't have to tell me. I just wondered. If you don't want to, you don't." She continued to stare softly, "That's okay. I just… if you did. I could… I said I would help. So, you know, you can. You may not! I don't really care." He squeezed his eyes shut. That went well.
"You don't care?" Felicity's eyes narrowed questioningly.
William really wasn't so good with the whole social interaction thing. He realised that today this was going to get shown off in all its glory. He choked a little, "Oh! That's not what I. I care. I mean I care if you. Because, you know, we're together. Well uh not together. That's not how. I know. But we are friends. No! Wait, partners! …uh allies? So, if you are, I care, because you and I are helping …each other. Right?" He sucked in a strained breath, his back warm, his breathing quickened.
"William! It's okay I'm just pulling your leg, sorry..." Felicity, standing now, was looking at him with wide eyes, "I've never been on the receiving end before… that was fascinating!"
"Oh God," William gasped, this is why he avoided human contact. He collapsed onto his bed, the mattress springs squeaking in protest.
"I'm sorry," Felicity said, and she did look genuinely apologetic. Her arms were folded awkwardly, and lips were set in a tight pink line.
William rested his elbows on his knees and held his head in his hands, gripping his hair with his fingers. "I'm sorry too. Like I said, I'm not much of a talker. When I do talk… yeah, it's just better if I don't."
Felicity sat down next to him on the bed, placing a hand on his knee, "I was at the bank by the way. Emptying my savings account, so all my money's in cash now, and oh God please don't take that as an invitation to mug me."
William relaxed a little, sending her a smirk, "I have no intention of hurting you, Felicity."
"Good. That's always good." She had her gaze fixed on the ground.
"Actually, Felicity, I have to ask. It's killing me. I mean, I could be a murderer or something. Why do you want my help? Either you're desperate or you actually trust me, and I was wondering which one it was exactly?"
"Kind of both, I think. You have one of those faces though."
William snorted, "That makes people desperate?" He knew what she meant really, but he needed to laugh, even if it was at one of his own terrible jokes.
"Very funny." She elbowed him good-naturedly. "Come on, we've got stuff to do."
Felicity swung her bag over her shoulder, and waited by the door expectantly.
"Uh…" William wasn't sure how to word it; he went with short and simple, "I'm wearing pyjama pants."
Felicity's eyes wandered downward. She flinched, turning her head away, "Ah yes…, I'm going to wait outside." She opened the door, keeping her eyes averted with all her might.
William walked into the bathroom; glancing in the mirror he decided a shower might be a good idea. He was out in five minutes, drying his hair roughly with a hand towel. He threw on his maroon shirt and dark trousers. Spotting the file laid on chest of draws to his right. He swore it was in a slightly different position to yesterday.
He was drawn toward the papers. Going straight to the back of the file this time, he pulled out a photo. It had the date 06.14.11 and 'Riverton PD' stamped on the back in red. William drew in a shaky breath, chin trembling, he flipped the photo over. He could see the house burning, hearing himself screaming, choking, the world had all seemed so distant, like for a while the world wasn't real, and smoke and flames and death was all there was. The fumes rose into the dark night, the bright hungry flames reaching high, swallowing his home. Rob Stacy screaming and yelling for them to save his wife, then the man went silent, seeing her, kneeling by her body, he'd looked up a William. The way Mr Stacy had looked at him, scared and disgusted, as if William were a monster, a freak. William squeezed his eyes shut, tears dripping off his chin; he scrunched the photo up in his palm.
Felicity knocked on the door, "Hurry up Slowcoach!"
"Be there in a sec." William called, pressing on his eyeballs through his lids with his thumb and index finger, his eyelids scrunched together. Needing to feel the pressure, willing the tears to cease.
Opening his bloodshot eyes he looked down at the papers once more, he saw his name, written in cursive on cream paper. He grazed his fingers over the envelope and gripped it gently, feeling the thinness of the paper under the pad of his thumb. William turned the envelope over and dug his finger under the seal, drawing out the letter within. He bit his lip, sitting down on the bed.
"My William. One day, you'll ask me to speak of a truth - of the miracle of your birth. To explain what is unexplained. And if I falter or fail on this day, know there is an answer, my child, a sacred imperishable truth, but one you may never hope to find alone. Chance meeting your perfect other, your perfect opposite - your protector and endangerer. Chance embarking with this other on the greatest of journeys - a search for truths fugitive and imponderable. If one day this chance may befall you, my son, do not fail or falter to seize it. The truths are out there. And if one day you should behold a miracle, as I have in you, you will learn the truth is not found in science, or on some unseen plane, but by looking into your own heart. And in that moment you will be blessed - and stricken. For the truest truths are what hold us together, or keep us painfully, desperately apart. With all my love, your mother."
William didn't think he'd ever read such wonderful words. Eloquent and beautiful, everything he'd ever hoped. His mother had called him a miracle, a gift from God; unexplainable and wonderful, people don't just give up miracles light-heartedly. The way his mother wrote. Her words heavy with experience, devotion and sincerity. What extraordinary things had Dana Scully seen? William had never been sure if he'd ever been loved; now he knew. He began to hope if just maybe the 'perfect other' she spoke of was his father, that he'd not been a mistake like so many other adoptees, formed in a moment of infatuation. Perhaps, he'd been created by those two perfect opposites. Perhaps he was something more than he'd thought before.
The anxiety over whether his parents would want to see him was gone. "The truth…" He needed it more than anything now. A journey… he was kind of already on one. William had a few years before he needed to start thinking about the whole partner, perfect other, part of it all. He could do this on his own for now.
"If you get your ass out here now I'll buy you lunch." Felicity called, bringing him back to a reality that already seemed a little brighter.
He beamed involuntarily. Then again maybe he didn't have to do it alone after all.
"Okay," William chuckled, pulling on his sneakers. He stuffed his file into his backpack, and hooked the straps over his shoulders. Giving the room a sweeping glance to check they hadn't left anything before striding out the door.
They were walking down yet another identical block when Felicity asked him the big question, "So what's your story?" His ears strained to hear her over the buzz of the city.
He went with his usual response, "Oh, it's borin-"
"William, come on! I look in your eyes and I know that's a lie. If I'm going to be here, I don't want to be wandering around blind." Felicity shrugged. "And if you don't want me here then just say, I promise you won't hurt my feelings."
"No!" William exclaimed, "I want you around. I don't ever want you feel like I rather you weren't helping me. I've always rather liked being alone a lot, sure, but that's different to being lonely. I've never been great at this. I'm talking friendships… relationships of any kind. I mean, my best friend, Micah, is a great guy, but he's done two stints in Juvie and set fire to sophomore last month; I'm obviously not a golden influence, though that sophomore really deserved it. I don't where I'm going with this…" William kicked at the asphalt as he walked.
"I think I do. You like having someone around, you just don't want to have to spend every second glued to their side, and you're afraid you're a bad influence so you push people away."
William paused, then nodded.
"William, have you ever stopped to think maybe you're not a bad influence at all, maybe you're just drawn to damaged and unstable people?" Felicity said evenly.
He thought back. Micah, of course he was damaged, all those rejections had given him a pretty dull view of life, especially when that view was from a hospital bed. Noah, of course was wonderful, but the kid barely slept, and had nightmares whenever he did. Noah was by definition unstable. His best friend from Elementary school, Sid, had been obsessed with the macabre, always drawing skulls and bloody weapons. He'd been sent to a therapist after he killed his hamster. "Oh God…" William muttered.
Felicity continued cautiously, "Maybe the reason you befriend those types of people is because you're afraid you're a bad influence, so you choose people who're already messed up."
Rob and Lillian Stacy were normal, and look what he did to them.
"I've spent my life in therapy, but I think you've got me better than a therapist ever has." He said. "But you're a balanced person… right?"
"You were telling me about you, remember?" Felicity raised a brow expectantly, elegantly avoiding the question.
"I told you the basics!"
"No, William." Felicity and he dodged a few pedestrians. "You told me where you'd lived. There's a difference."
"Okay, fine. I was put up for adoption when I was 10 months or so old. They died so that didn't last very long. I was put up for adoption again, but no such luck. I moved around a lot. Then when I was ten, my foster home was burnt down, and my foster mother died. Smoke inhalation, there was nothing they could do." William bit his lip. "So, I was sent to St Pauls, where they could keep their beady eyes on me."
"They?" Felicity asked.
"The government. I don't know why, put I've been having government ordered medical screenings for as long as I can remember."
"And you have no idea why?"
"Well, I have an idea; I just don't know if they know what I know."
"Okay…" Felicity trailed off. "Are you going to tell me what you know?"
"No," William put a hand on her shoulder apologetically, "Sorry, maybe another time." They walked in silence for a few seconds.
"But they're interested in your DNA?" Felicity looked up at him, her face hesitant and sheepish. Implying a hint of guilt.
"Ah hah! So you did read the file?" William accused Felicity, the corner of his mouth upturned.
Felicity held up her hands apologetically, "Just a little tiny wincey bit, yes. However, you did just leave a file with 'property of the US federal government' stamped across it in the middle of the motel room. I hack into their server for fun. How was I supposed to resist?"
"I just had an amazing idea!" William cried, grabbing her shoulders. "If I get you a computer can you get me in their Server? I want you to try and find out what they've got on me."
Felicity thought deeply for a second, breathing out through her nose. "I brought my laptop." She grinned, "All I need is a strong Wi fi connection."
"You serious?"
"No, I'm kidding." She said her tone heavy with sarcasm. "Of course, we promised we'd help each other, right? Now let's go find your mom." Felicity gestured to her right.
William turned to see the Hospital parking lot stretched out in front of him, just across the road. His stomach jumped into his throat.
Felicity jogged across the empty road and beckoned to him enthusiastically.
William steadied himself and began to make his way across the road, looking up at the hospital towering above him across the tarmac. He saw a woman in a window several floors up. She was distant, but he could see she had beautiful long red hair and a bitter sweet look about her face that strung a cord somewhere deep inside himself. He knew the chances of it being her were tiny, but that didn't stop him freezing, right where he was, two thirds of his way across the road. He heard Felicity scream his name, and then a hand came out of nowhere and yanked on his backpack, pulling him onto the curb, out of harm's way. A car squealed to a halt right where he had been stood.
"Lunatic!" The man who was still holding to him tight yelled passionately at the driver of the vehicle, "Watch where you're driving!"
William's breathing was laboured, he felt sick, and he was sweating.
"You okay kid?" His rescuer asked, letting go of the bag and staring intensely down at William. He had soft features and dark hair. His eyes were dark and young, a glint dancing in them, but the lines around them betrayed his true age. William guessed he must be around 50 or so, but he looked younger than that somehow. There was something familiar about his face, in the curve of his jaw, his smile, and the shape of his brow. William's mouth opened and closed.
"Oh my god," Felicity collapsed onto her knees at his side, placing a hand on his cheek and searching his eyes. "Oh my god! Are you okay? Did you hit your head?"
William smiled for her sake. "Felicity, I'm fine." He reassured her.
Felicity looked up at the man who'd saved William. "Thank you."
The man put a hand on William's shoulder, "Watch where you're walking next time kid."
"Sorry. Thanks. Not used to the busy roads." William thought back to the empty tracks of Denville.
"You two from out of town?" The guy concluded.
"Denville, New Jersey." William answered nodding, he stood up. Felicity let him used her as prop, his legs still a little shaky. "Felicity's from Philadelphia though."
"Well, Denville, you have to watch these streets, idiots come racing round these corners all the time." The man explained half-heartedly, it was apparent he wanted to be elsewhere.
"Well thanks again." Felicity said sincerely, she observed William's pale face, "Are you sure you're okay, we can get you looked at real quick?"
William squeezed her arm, "I'm fine. I just need to distract myself from the fact I nearly died."
The man sighed, holding out his hand, "I have to get going. It was nice to meet you. Stay safe, okay?" The corner of his mouth curled up.
"You too." William gripped his hand, it was firm and warm. He realised he didn't know the guy's name. "Thanks, uh…?"
"Fox Mulder."
"Fox?" William and Felicity raised their eyebrows in unison.
"I know, what was my mother thinking? See you. " The man said, walking away in the direction of the hospital, he turned one last time to yell, "Don't go standing in any more roads. I won't always be there, Denville."
"Well, he was nice." Felicity decided after a few seconds.
"Yeah, let's get going." William said, sliding his hand down her arm and into her grasp in order to lead her through the parking lot.
Upon entering they decided it made the most sense to head straight up to neurology. Quickly finding the elevator, William's heart was pounding as they were lifted up to the seventh floor. Stepping out to the clean white walls and strong disinfectant smell of the hospital floor, William had come so far, this was it.
They approached the desk. The receptionist looked up, disinterested and tired looking she drawled, "Can I help you?" As if she really wished they'd say no. She was young, with dark bags under her eyes and dark hair pulled back in a ponytail.
Felicity took over when William failed to speak, "We're looking for Doctor Scully?"
"She's on her break, and then she's leaving after lunch. You'll have to make an appointment and come back in few weeks."
"What? No!" William burst out.
Felicity put a hand on his arm, her eyes concentrated on the receptionist, "This is very urgent and very personal. Can you go get her?"
"I've been instructed not to disturb Doctor's when they're on break except when there's an emergency." The woman's gaze narrowed, silently telling the two teenagers to leave.
"This is an emergency!" William declared.
The receptionist gave him a glare.
"Please." William begged.
"I'm sorry, Sir, please leave." The woman said with her jaw tight.
Felicity pulled him aside as if they were making to leave, William protested, pulling away. Felicity tugged him close and lifted her lips up to his ear, "Run."
It took a second for William's body to respond, turning on his heel and skidding and sliding with a squeak down the pale corridor.
"Stop!" The receptionist bellowed after him.
William searched the plaques on the doors, finding the one engraved with the words 'Doctor's lounge' He burst through, much to the surprise of the five doctors inside, the door slamming closed behind him.
The room consisted of a number of arm chairs, a book shelf, a table and chairs, and a coffee machine.
"Hey?" A bewildered voice came from the far end of the room. William's eyes flickered across the room, noting the doctor making coffee, and the other three sat in armchairs arranged in a circle around a coffee table, all of who looked shocked, to fall on the couple stood several metres away.
William's blue eyes widened, it was the man who'd saved him, standing opposite the doctor from the window. Seeing them standing side by side was all it took for William to know. Her red hair, his smile, her eyes, his jaw line, her posture, his ears, it made it so glaringly obvious.
Dr Scully stared at him, recognition in her eyes as if she knew it too, as Mulder spoke again, "This is the kid I was telling you about. Denville, what are doing in here?"
"Actually," William cleared his throat, "My name's William Scully."
Everything seemed to go into slow motion as Dana Scully muttered, "Oh my god." Mulder's smile halted; suddenly his whole body was very tense.
William was terrified of what was going to happen next, he was terrified of rejection. After everything, he wasn't sure he could handle it.
Dana Scully rushed toward William, tucking him into her arms, hot tears falling on his shoulder. Her hand held the back of his head like he was to her still the baby she had given up over fifteen years ago, "My William, my son," she whispered, the room was so silent you could of heard a pin drop.
"Hey, Mom." William held her too, wrapping his arms around her back, his own tears beginning to fall.
Scully drew away slightly, looking over to the stationary Mulder, "Our son, Mulder."
Mulder jolted awake at those words. Scully moved out of William arms just in time for Mulder to walk into them, gripping William tightly to him. "I feel like an idiot for not seeing it before." He muttered, pulling away, "In my defence you were only…" Mulder positioned his hands to indicate the size of William as a small baby, "…you know, a newborn, when I had to leave."
So, William frowned, his father hadn't been there when he was adopted then, he wondered why.
Just then hospital security made their entrance. Two middle-age men dressed in grey uniforms, one of them holding tightly onto the arm of a very flushed and resentful Felicity.
"Hey! Let her go." William cried, eyeing the guard who was holding her.
"Let her go, Gerry, this is a family matter." Dana Scully said evenly. 'Family' William blinked.
The guard released Felicity, who made her way to William's side.
"You okay, Felicity?" He said his voice unsteady.
"I'll be fine." Felicity growled, holding her arm where it had been gripped. "You?"
William looked to his right, where his parents stood, his eyes shining. "I'm going to be fine."
Bad? Good? Wow it's way longer than my usual chapters. I seem to be writing super long chapters for this fic. I love it when you guys tell me where you want this to go or what you think is going to happen. Cause it sorta feels like I could leave it right here, but I'm not going to do that because that's mean and I like this story to much.
I have a big twist planned as well so… follow!
Sorry for anything noticeably un-american, I try very hard but I'm English... so...
