CHAPTER TEN

Two weeks later…

Scully pulled the door to her apartment open and saw the familiar red blinking light from her answering machine. It was probably Mulder; after he disappeared that afternoon with defiled government property in hand she assumed she would eventually get the privilege of his daily event recap.

She hit the button as the familiar automated voice filled her apartment. "You have an urgent message from one Fox Mantle." Scully chuckled before Mulder's voice took over.

"Hey Scully, a very special, either very early or very late birthday present, awaits you at Georgetown Park. I'll be by the batting cages if you are interested."

"Message received at 6:54pm," the automated voice informed her, "End of messages."

Scully checked the clock, it was quarter after seven, and suddenly the intrigue of a quiet evening at home was no longer so appealing.

Scully changed out of her customary pantsuit and into something more casual. She pulled on a jacket and headed back out the door.

Scully struck the baseball directly towards second base as Mulder's tight embrace pulled her backwards in preparation for the next ball.

Mulder's hands choked down on the bat so that his hands tightly sandwiched hers.

Scully chuckled as the momentum of Mulder's swing propelled her forward. After impact Mulder's hands instinctively relinquished control of the bat and relocated to her waist as he helped her regain balance.

"I think that's enough baseball for tonight, Mulder, its getting late and I'm sure this little boy's mother is expecting him home." Scully said handing him the bat.

Mulder dug into his pocket and surrendered a twenty-dollar bill to the young boy, "For your services, sir." Mulder joked, "Don't spend it all in one place."

The boy smiled, "Thank you." and he took off through the park, disappearing down the street of houses surrounding the park

Scully turned to Mulder as he plopped himself down on the bleachers, "Planning on staying a while?" Scully asked him.

"Care to join me?"

"Mulder, its cold."

He shed his coat in response and held it out to her.

Scully hesitated before reaching out to take his jacket. She slipped it on and crossed her arms across her chest.

She sighed and sat down next to him. He massaged at his temples vigorously before popping a sunflower seed into his mouth.

"Mulder, are you alright?"

Mulder paused before he reclined backwards and looked up at the stars. "Scully, what do you think happens to people after they die?"

Scully looked slightly disconcerted before she answered, "They go to Heaven."

Mulder gave her an accusatory glance. "I don't get it. You struggle with believing in the fantastic we witness on a daily basis, but heaven, something with absolutely no substantiation, you are certain of?"

"I have my faith, Mulder, you know that."

Mulder sighed, "I just need to know that people are born to do more than just die. That life doesn't end with death. That God has justifications for his choices, that there is a reason for why he chooses some to die and others to live. Because some how I doubt he is up there weighing the pros and cons of the impact of a single human's demise." He met her gaze, "Because he certainly wasn't thinking when he chose you."

Scully looked over at him, "He must have had his reasons."

"I refuse to believe that God went through all the trouble of getting you abducted and implanted only to have you locate it, remove it and fall ill, just because he had some larger plan for you."

"Maybe he knew he wasn't getting me without a fight."

"I don't think God should be getting recognition for your illness nor your cure, I have a hard time believing that he was anything more than an observer – if even that."

"So what's your big theory then? If God doesn't exist then what do you think happens? You can't really believe that people just cease to exist."

"Why not? It makes sense. The body dies so does everything that once occupied it. When your brain dies so does your memory – and with that everything that you once were."

She paused, "Is that what you thought would happen to me?"

Mulder sighed deeply and returned his gaze back to the stars, drying washing his face with his hands before he spoke, "I hoped that your soul would reside among the stars."

"The stars?" she asked cocking her head and smiling.

"It was the most peaceful place I could think of."

Scully followed his gaze up to the stars, "And you don't believe in that anymore?"

"I'm not sure what I believe in anymore."

Scully reached over and squeezed his hand. "I'll believe in it enough for the both of us."

A/N: The flashback will continue in the next chapter. Thank you for reading!