At last, I'm down to the last chapter! So that I won't have to worry about anything. Good news: I won't be moving out until Nov. 1 or 2 (because that's All Saints' Day holiday here in the Philippines), so I guess I can hang around a little longer. Maybe after one of those dates I'll go. I'll let you know if that time comes.
So here is the last chapter of "Weekend in New England".
Chapter 12-A Year Later
It had been a year since she last went here. Everything still looked the same, and she found great comfort in that. The first thing Scully did upon returning to Nantucket was to go to St. Elmo's Inn. She hoped to find Krycek there and catch up with him. She wanted to know how he had been doing lately. They were in touch with each other, but they slowly lost contact.
As she walked inside the inn lobby, she went to the back portion of the inn. There was a veranda there facing the ocean. Scully saw an old man sitting at the porch. She immediately recognized who he was.
"Uncle Joe?" She walked towards him in small strides. The man turned his head to look at her. "Dana," he said, exasperated. He stood up and hugged her. "Dana, I know you'll come back."
"I did." She broke free from him and looked at him, smiling. "Nice to see you again, uncle. By the way, where is he?" she asked.
The old man didn't answer. Instead, he gave her a folded sheet of paper. "Alex wants me to give this to you before he goes. But now, it's too late," he said mournfully.
Her eyebrows furrowed. "What do you mean?" She unfolded the paper and started reading the letter.
Starbuck,
I know it's too late by now for you to be reading this. But I want you to know that you have become a special part of my life. I did love you, even before, and it'll remain in me. Thank you for the memories, for the love you gave me. Even if we're not meant to last forever, I'm glad you gave me a portion of your time with me. Thank you for sharing with me your life and for forgiving me. I know I can never undo all those terrible things I did, but I am repentant now. And I'll die peacefully knowing that I made the most out of my second chance with life.
I'm sorry I forgot to tell you that I have brain cancer. The same one you had before. When I found out, it was already malignant. No amount of treatment could reverse it. That's why I haven't been replying to all your calls and emails. I don't want you to worry about me. You have too many things to think about, and I don't want to add up to your burden.
Take care of yourself, and be happy with him. You have my blessing. I want to be at peace now. I'll always love you. Dosvedanya. Goodbye.
-Alex Krycek
Scully dropped the letter. Tears streamed down her cheeks. "He's dead…" was all she could utter. "Why did he left again?"
Uncle Joe embraced her tightly. Both of them were in tears. "He passed on last week. He didn't want you to know about this."
"He's always leaving me!" she exclaimed, crying. "Why didn't he ask for help, even if his cancer was untreatable? I know a lot of doctors who can treat him!" He broke her heart again for the second time. He always made her cry. Now she knows that he'll never return for good.
"He doesn't want to go through the pain of chemotherapy," Uncle Joe said. "He knows he's going to die, anyway. He wants to spare himself of the suffering."
They went to a cliff facing the sea. Scully and Uncle Joe said a short prayer for him. Afterwards, Scully dropped a single white rose. You're free. She watched the rose bobbing up and down in the water, only to be trashed by the waves.
"He suffered so much because of his sickness," Uncle Joe narrated. "He requested never to be brought to the hospital. He wanted to die here. When he knew it was coming, he asked me to bring him to the sea before sunrise. As soon as the sun rose, he slipped away." He paused. "Now I'm alone again. It's such a terrible thing to have outlived someone that young."
"I agree with you." She looked up to the heavens. He would never get to experience being married and having kids, of living to an old age, of doing everything he wanted to do in his life. Scully felt bitter sorrow for him, he whose life was taken away so easily. "He could have done so much more in his life. Especially now," she mused regretfully.
They stood silently looking beyond the sea. Last year, Scully asked, Why were you forgiven? Now she felt like she knew the answer to that. He was given another chance to straighten his life. He made the most out of it, and he fulfilled it. He truly deserved that second chance.
She wiped the tears from her eyes. "Uncle Joe, I'm glad to have met him again." Scully mustered all her courage and smiled at the old man.
The old man chuckled at her. "Right… Say, why don't we have some snacks? I prepared food for you."
"Looks like we'll have a lot of catching up to do."
Uncle Joe and Scully walked back to the inn. Scully felt the sun shining on her face. She knew it was a sign that he would be all right in the place where he is now. Thank you, Krycek. She never expected she would thank him for what he brought into her life. Everything does happen for a reason. She smiled at that heartwarming thought. All was well now.
The End
I feel so sad, knowing that I won't be writing anything after this. I have to concentrate on my life now; of living in Manila, of finding a job. It's hard, but I guess I needed this so that I'll grow up a little. What doesn't kill you will make you stronger, ayt? As I said in the last paragraph, everything happens for a reason. One day, time will come and I'll know why.
So thanks to all of you who have been reading this! Especially to Fictionnaire, The X-Filer, and Dana42. Love you guys!
-Artemis Chick
(To God be the Glory)
