The Kosher Deli

December 25, 2017

One week later

Mulder looked up from an email from Cera, as the bells on the door jingled, announcing an arrival. It was not Scully, but an older man and a little girl wearing hot pink furry earmuffs and a matching coat. They walked past him and he watched them approach the counter, smiling as the girl looked at all the cookies, as she decided on which one she wanted to buy.

He looked back down at his phone, at the photos she had sent over and he shook his head. The night she had been attacked in the amusement park, she had captured pictures of Elinor, unbeknownst to her until a couple of days later.

Elinor had not appeared as a ghost, but as a slightly out of focus person, getting clearer the closer she came to Cera. Not an angel in a graveyard, but a vengeful woman in her wedding dress. Mulder shook his head at the physical proof of an apparition that he held in his hand and all he could think was that it had nearly cost Scully her life. Not worth it.

Nothing was worth that.

"Hey," Scully said, suddenly beside him and he jumped as he turned to look at her, locking his phone and putting it into his pocket. "Scare you?" She smiled as she sat down carefully, taking a chip from the bag in front of him.

"What have I been telling you for the past few days? I don't get scared, remember?" he lied, his heart racing in his chest.

"Hmm," she hummed, eating the chip and taking another. "Couldn't wait for me?"

"You said twenty minutes and it's been... at least thirty. So, I needed something to tide me over."

"I believe the new established understanding is, if it's longer than twenty minutes, bacon is involved. All the bacon."

"Jewish deli, Scully," he quipped, looking around and she laughed softly.

"Touché," she said as she stood up just as carefully as she had sat down, brushing off her hands, and sliding off her coat and leaving it on her chair. "I'll go order for us, you wait here and keep the table." She stared at him and he raised an eyebrow. "Pastrami on rye, extra mustard, pickle on the side." He kept staring and she smiled. "Coleslaw, unless the potato salad looks homemade."

"Ahhh, Scully…" he said, more than a little aroused.

"Twenty five years, Mulder," she said, shrugging and walking away.

"Yeah," he said softly. "Twenty five years."

He sighed as he watched her waiting in line, seeing her unconsciously rubbing gently at her chest. Knowing it was the ache of the bruises that covered the skin beneath the black sweater she wore, he shook his head, rubbing at his mouth.

They had only arrived home yesterday afternoon, after Scully had spent a couple of days in the hospital, making sure she was all right after nearly dying at the Boudreaux house. The ambulance had arrived not long after she had passed out and taken her to a hospital nearby, him following behind in the car.

He had not been allowed back until she was in a room, no matter how he had raged or flashed his badge. When he had finally been allowed back, he had walked into her room, believing she was asleep and causing him to pause in the doorway. But then she had opened her eyes and reached her hand out to him. He had walked over to her, grasping her hand and kissing her forehead, before resting his against hers.

"Thank you," she had whispered, her thumb rubbing over the top of his hand.

"Scully," he had whispered, pulling back to look at her.

"Stay with me. Don't leave."

"I'm not going anywhere." She had tugged at his hand, trying to move over, groaning as she did. "Hey… careful. Let me help you."

He had helped her shift over a bit, took off his shoes and suit jacket, and slid beneath the blankets beside her. Lying on their sides, she had nestled into him, his arms wrapped around her, and her hand grasping at his shirt.

"Mulder…" she had sighed, her breath warm against his neck, falling asleep almost instantly.

In the next few days, she had quite a few visitors for someone who knew no one in the area. Sheriff Lavonne had come to take their statement and her eyes had flicked to Mulder's as he stood in the corner of the room, listening to her doctored version of events.

She had already told him what had happened, or what she thought had happened, shaking her head as she had said she did not know what was real or imagined.

"You think you imagined it, Scully?" he had asked, and she shook her head with a sigh.

"I don't know, Mulder." She had looked at him with a shrug, looking down as she rubbed the blanket between her fingers. "How can I explain to others that I believe I was trapped inside of a mirror with a woman who died over 150 years ago? I can barely comprehend it. How can I explain that without ending up in the psych ward?"

To that question, he had no answer.

Arielle, Davis, Cera, and Adam had come to see them, eager to tell their story of what had happened.

The four of them had met up, sharing the stories each had heard over the years concerning Elinor and Mary. When they had hit a dead end, they had done the same as Mulder, scouring past records for any information. They had called family members, friends, and friends of friends, asking if anyone they knew had ever mentioned or knew of stories related to Mary and Elinor.

They had found a person related to James Cormier, a man who had heard his mother tell stories that she had heard about lost loves and being sure to choose the right person as your life partner. To never settle for the most beautiful or wealthy because both will fade. But love, it lasts and remains forever, no matter a person's social standing.

"Better to be poor and happy than rich and miserable," Arielle had said and the others had agreed, but then debated that being happy and a bit rich would not be so bad. They had all laughed and then they continued the story.

After they had spoken to Reese, James's distant relative, they knew what they needed to do.

"Truth be told," Davis had said, shaking his head. "The minute Arielle showed me the pictures Cera had taken a few years ago, I knew what we had to do, but I was terrified to actually do it."

"I was too," Arielle had said, taking his hand and looking at him with a nod. "I felt nauseous at the thought of even being there. But then, we went and saw Farrah and Tyler in the hospital, something I had been unable to do until then, and I wasn't scared anymore. I was fucking pissed." Davis had nodded in agreement, clenching his jaw.

They had driven out, stopping at a hardware store for sledgehammers and protective eye goggles, gaining curious looks, but no comments from the gum chewing young girl who had rung up four people buying such items in the middle of a storm.

When they had pulled up to the church, Arielle and Davis both had a moment of hesitation, breathing hard and shaking in the pouring rain.

"But then Cera…" Arielle had said, tears in her eyes as she reached for her friend's hand. "She grabbed my hand and that was all I needed. She nodded and we walked together in the rain, determined to end it."

Knowing exactly where it was, Cera leading them, still holding Arielle's hand, they had each taken a sledgehammer and put on their goggles, lightning flashing and the rain making it harder to see, but not impossible to get their task finished.

Simultaneously, they had hit Elinor's headstone and the large statue of Mary that had been ordered to be erected there by Mary's mother Elizabeth, years after Mary's death.

"Hany, the slave girl who had been befriended by Mary, had also been entrusted with letters Mary had written when she was the most ill regarding her concerns about Elinor, that were to be given to her mother after Mary's father had died," Adam had explained. "Mary did not like her father and he did not seem to care for her either. After his death, Hany came back to that house she had lived in as a slave, and told the truth she had kept secret for years. Mary's mother had the statue made as a sense of revenge: that Mary would always be there no matter where Elinor was. So… that bitch had to come down." The other three had nodded vigorously and Mulder had looked at Scully, impressed by the little group of badasses.

Not stopping until both were piles of rubble, they had fallen to the ground, everyone but Adam crying, feeling free, the rain washing them clean.

"I didn't even feel cold," Arielle had said, crying and wiping her eyes. "For the first time in nearly two months, in the pouring rain, I didn't feel cold." She had looked at Mulder and he had nodded with a smile before glancing at Scully. She had wiped at her own eyes and looked at him, understanding that their actions had not only saved them, but had been what saved her as well.

When Scully had been released from the hospital, they had gone to see Farrah and Tyler, who were now awake and making a slow recovery, much to Doctor Audrey's relief.

"It's going to take a long time for them to heal," Scully had said, taking a deep breath as they walked down the hallway, slowing her steps for a second. Taking another deep breath, she had placed her hand on her chest, giving him a nod. "I'm okay. Just some bruising." He had stared at her, knowing he had been the one to put the bruises there, in his desperate attempt to keep her heart beating, and she had shaken her head.

"I'll take the bruises over the alternative any day," she had said softly and he had nodded, placing his hand on the small of her back as they had continued out of the hospital.

"Food should be up soon," she said, sitting beside him, pulling him from his thoughts.

"Great, I'm starving."

"Maybe this will help tide you over until then?" she asked with a smile, placing a black and white cookie in front of him on a napkin. He nodded as he looked at it, breaking it in half horizontally, two pieces of equal amount of both colors.

"Look to the cookie, Elaine. Look to the cookie," he said, quoting Seinfeld and he handed her half. She laughed and nodded as she took a bite and he did the same.

"Order for Fox? Fox, your order is ready!"

"Really?" he asked, staring at her and shaking his head. She shrugged, not meeting his eyes until he started to get up and she looked at him, her eyes shining. "I'll remember this, Miss Scully, mark my words."

"I'm sure you will… Fox," she giggled and he shook his head with a smile as he walked up to the counter.

"Fox?" the girl at the counter asked.

"Yeah, that's me," he muttered, and she nodded, sliding their tray of food toward him.

"Thank you for coming in today, Fox. And Merry Christmas!" He looked at her and nodded.

"Happy Holidays to you," he said, picking up the tray and turning around. He shook his head as he saw Scully grinning at him as he walked back to their table.

"Did you get the food okay then, Fox?"

"You best watch it," he said, setting the tray down as she took their plates off of it, and he moved the tray to the side.

They ate in silence, sharing food back and forth as they always had, and he found comfort in the comfortable. Glancing at her as she stopped eating to take a deep breath, he shook his head needing to tell her something that had been on his mind.

"I know I've joked that I don't get scared anymore," he said quietly, setting his sandwich down, and wiping his hands clean. "But… I was more scared than I have ever been when I couldn't bring you around. You were so cold-"

"Mulder-"

"I thought I'd lost you, Scully. I really did."

"Your panic face was showing?" she teased and he looked at her, his expression serious.

"I'm not joking. I'm not-"

"Mulder," she said quietly, covering his hand with her own and squeezing his fingers. "I know. I… I was scared too. Very scared." He nodded as he looked into her eyes and they spoke the best way they knew how; silently. He squeezed her hand with a deep sigh and a nod and she squeezed back.

Not saying anything further, words unnecessary, they sat quietly holding hands, in a busy Jewish deli on Christmas afternoon, her head resting on his shoulder, as life bustled on around them.