Dear Jack-
Happy birthday! Did you think I would forget? That's a bit hard, as we share the day. I thought of you this morning, I indulged in one of those awful, McDonald's breakfasts you used to swear by. It tastes just as plastic as I remember, but it reminds me of those Saturday mornings when we would back up early and drive north to your cabin in the Pineys in New Jersey. You would tell me horrible stories about the Jersey Devil, just to scare me.
I found the Jersey Devil; by the way...she tried to rip Mulder's liver through his chest. True story...don't laugh, Jack Willis. Not all of the rumors you hear about the X-files are crap, you know. But you weren't one of those who sniggered at them behind Mulder's back. Colton did that a lot. You were right, Jack, Colton was worthless, but I'm too nice of a person to ever assume the worst. You warned me, but I still listened to him.
It's so strange, this birthday, the first without you here. I know things didn't end ideally between us, but you always made sure to call or leave a card, even when you were out of town. I would catch myself all day listening for the phone, hoping it was you, only to remember you were dead...gunned down in that bank robbery by Dupree. I think you were at least...I don't know if I can accept that it was you I saw dying in front of my eyes as I was chained to that radiator. The Jack Willis I knew and loved would never have hurt me. And yet, it was that Jack Willis who saved me in the end...perhaps you remembered? Did you come back for the briefest of moments, just to say goodbye? I don't know. Mulder wants to believe that, but you know me, I'm the scientist. Some things are too strange even for me to believe.
At least I was able to say goodbye.
I miss you, Jack. Happy birthday!
Love-
D
