A/N: Part 4/4. Posted a bit earlier than expected because I've been in bed with a cold for two days :/, which gives one a lot of free time to avoid coursework and write fanfiction instead. I hope this is a chapter that will make the heartache of the previous ones lessen a little- sorry for the angst, but apparently killing off characters is one of the things I write a lot of. Make your own conclusions about this chapter. Thanks to everyone who has read and enjoyed this fic, I never wanted to hurt you, I promise. (For more MSR feels, check out the poem 'Beauty And The Beast' which I took the below quote from. I could've easily quoted the entire thing.)

'When souls find comfort in one another, separation is not possible.'

-N.R. Hart

The Beginning

"Fox."

He finally makes sense of the word. Something at the back of his mind recognises it as his name.

"Fox, wake up."

His eyes open. It's bright, so bright, and he automatically flinches before something touches his arm.

"It's okay, Fox."

He knows that voice. He hasn't heard it for almost twenty-five years, but he's never forgotten it, and he recognises it in an instant.

"Samantha?"

A laugh, and then his little sister's in his arms once more, hugging him, and he's gripping her back because she's finally real, she's there, and she's the only secure thing he has left.

"Samantha."

His eyes begin to slowly adjust; he can see her, now, as she pulls away. She's a few years older than when he saw her last, what seems like a lifetime ago, but he knows it's her. Her eyes and smile are hers, and she's so happy and young and so undeniably his sister that he grins back, overwhelmed with love for her.

The world seems to glow around her, still bright enough to hurt his eyes but quickly becoming bearable. He's in a forest, surrounded by pines, and he realises he must be sitting up against one. The wind stirs his hair and brings distant bird song to his ears. It's quiet. Calm. The atmosphere seems to relax him, even though he knows he's never been here before, and that enough should be enough to worry him.

"Daddy's back at the house. He wants to see you."

"Dad? D-Dad's here? But… but he's…" it hits him then, full force and without warning. He remembers a warehouse, sharp cracks like fireworks, warmth exploding from his chest. Lying on something hard as everything faded away… "Sam, are we dead? I'm dead?"

There's worry in her eyes, even as she smiles reassuringly. "It's okay, Fox. Here."

She holds him again and he feels his body go limp, a grown man collapsing into this little girl's arms, letting her take all his weight. His brain is fighting desperately to try and make sense of it all, to process it, but all he can think is that she's been dead. All this time, all these years, she's been dead. He'd spent all his life searching for her in vain, and she was already gone too far for him to save her, and there was never anything he could've done to bring her back.

Questions tumble out of his mouth, and he knows they're all nonsense and just words, barely constructed sentences put together by his addled mind, so he's not surprised when she doesn't reply. He needs to calm down.

He can't.

She's here. His father's here. And now he is, too. Why didn't they ever come and see him? Why… where… oh, god-

"Scully." He sits up, head still spinning. "Scully."

She's here. She must be here. He almost collapses again as memories of her that he'd thought he'd forgotten come rushing back through him, making his throat constrict and tears well in his eyes. The thought of seeing her, of holding her, of just being with her again, send him spiralling.

"Dana? Your partner?"

He realises he's trembling as he looks back up at Samantha. "You know her?"

"She comes to see me sometimes. Daddy said you worked together."

Mulder exhales shakily, covering his face. Scully. Scully.

"Hey," Samantha puts a hand on his shoulder again, concern in her voice. "You okay?"

"Can I… can I see her?" Then he feels terrible because he hasn't seen his family for so long, he hasn't seen her in so long, and she's the one he's spent his life looking for, and all he can think about is Scully. "I mean… Sam, I need to… I need to see her."

She seems to understand. "It's fine," she smiles. "We've got all the time in the world."

Whether that's true or not, he knows that it wouldn't change his actions. He's spent all this time looking for his sister, but what he needs now is to see her. It's hardly surprising. Scully has been the most important person in his life pretty much as long as he's known her, has taken priority over everything and everyone else, and he's spent the last few years blocking her from his mind.

He finally lets it all come back. Every emotion related to her, surrounding her, every thought he's ever had of her. He remembers holding her as she cried, sitting by her bedside when she was in hospital, smiling at her from across the table at her surprise birthday meal, kissing her forehead at every chance he got.

His hands are covering his face again, and he's not sure if he's crying but he can feel his shoulders shaking and he knows his breath is coming in gasps. He can't hear anything but his sobs for a long time, so he doesn't know how long it takes him to calm down enough to become at least partially aware of his surroundings again. It's cool, now, in the shade; he feels goose-bumps on his bare arms.

"Mulder?"

His head snaps up. His eyes are still blurry with tears and emotion, and he blinks a few times to clear them before…

"Scully," he breathes, feeling his chest lighten.

"Hi," she kneels in front of him, where he's sure Samantha was a moment ago, but he doesn't think about it because she's smiling.

Her smile. He never thought he'd see her smile ever again, and he only sees it now for a second before his eyes flood with tears and he feels himself break down again. It doesn't matter, though, because Scully's wrapping her arms around him, guiding his forehead to her shoulder, letting him cry into her neck.

She rocks him back and forth, her hands running through his hair as he holds on to her.

"Oh, Mulder," she whispers. "Mulder."

She feels solid and secure underneath him while he's almost painfully weak in comparison, clinging to her for support. He remembers the last time he saw her and how fragile she felt- thin and delicate, like she could shatter any moment, and the thought makes him cry harder. He's missed her. He's missed her so much it's been like a physical ache in his body, one that's finally been eased after the eternity he's spent without her.

He kisses her shoulder, her hair, her neck, every inch of her that he can touch in his current position. His grip on her is probably hurting, but he can't make himself let go of her yet, he has to make sure she's there and he can't lose her again.

"Shh," her voice sounds tearful, too. "Shh, Mulder. It's okay, I'm here."

"Dana…"

"Scully." She takes his head in her hands and tenderly kisses his forehead. "Or I'm calling you Fox."

He laughs and draws back so he can see her properly. She's still smiling, but her eyes are slightly glassy, and the sight makes him resolve to never let her cry again, to keep her happy forever.

He touches her cheek with quiet reverence, still hesitant to do so in case she vanishes under his touch. She doesn't. Instead, she reaches up to trace his jaw with her thumb, resting it momentarily on his lower lip before trailing it up the other side. He takes it as a sign that it's okay to do the same; he gently runs his fingers over her lips, her cheekbones, her brows, down to carefully tuck a lock of hair behind her ear, gazing into her eyes the whole time.

Her hands have found their way round to the nape of his neck, tangling in his hair and stroking it like it's the most precious thing in the world, like she never wants to stop.

The feeling of her skin on his brings new tears to his eyes, but he squeezes them tight and brings his forehead to hers so she can't see them. They share a long breath, the warm air dancing over their lips, love and comfort radiating into each other through their embrace.

"I missed you," she whispers finally.

He wants to say it back but his throat is so choked up with emotion that he can't manage it. When he manages to get the words out, all he can manage is her name, savouring each syllable as it leaves his mouth.

She tilts her chin up so her lips touch his, just as his are parted, and he feels himself smiling because this is what he's missed, her, everything about her, her touch and her scent and the way she feels in his arms, and this kiss is all of it and more. Her lips are soft, warm; he could spend forever in this moment and never tire of the sensation of her mouth on his or the way his heart is swelling.

She's the one who pulls away first, only enough to rest her forehead on his again so their lips remain a fraction of an inch away from each other's.

"I missed you, Mulder," she whispers again.

He nods, fighting with every ounce of his body not to kiss her one more time. Her touch is addictive.

"I love you," he murmurs instead, nudging her nose with his. His chest feels instantly lighter now he's said it, now it's finally out there. Any longer inside and he would burst.

Scully cups his cheek to wipe away his tears and presses another kiss to his lips. "I know. I always knew."

He pulls her close again so she's tucked under his chin, fully pressed against his chest, and notes the way her heart starts to beat in time with his against him. She clings back for a long moment, then relaxes completely and lets out a long sigh of relief and contentment.

"Mulder."

He drops a kiss on the crown of her head.

"Scully."

He starts to rock her gently, their arms still wrapped tight around each other, knowing that everything he's feeling is being conveyed through touch, unspoken, in the same way her emotions are rippling through him. He has a million and one things to ask her, to tell her, but she's not going anywhere soon, so he can take all the time he wants. He doesn't need answers right now- the only one that matters has been answered, and all others pale in comparison.

She's here. Right now that's all he needs.