Title: Starscapes
Author: SexyPhile
E-Mail: sexyphile@hotmail.com
Category: SR
Keywords: Mulder/Scully UST
Rating: PG
Spoilers: small one for Small Potatoes and basically you have to
have seen the show
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters. They belong to
Chris Carter, 1013 Productions and FOX television and brought to
life by the lovely Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny. They are
used without permission, but not for profit, so don't sue cause I
have no money.
Summary: Mulder surprises Scully on a lonely Friday night.
Another Friday night. Dana Scully was home alone. Again.
Sometimes she liked to have some time to herself, but tonight was
different. She realized, with a sigh, that this was the fifth
Friday in a row that she had no plans for Friday night. She knew
how pathetic it was, but she rationalized that she didn't keep up
with the many friends that she could go out with because of her
erratic travel schedule. She told herself she didn't have time
for a boyfriend for the same reason. Most days that she was home,
she would come home from work exhausted and wanting to crawl in
bed immediately. Of course, that didn't allow for much of a
social life. There was no one to call, no single friends to hang
out with. Except Mulder.
Mulder. She thought about calling him, but then recalled hearing
him say something about "big plans". He wouldn't elaborate any
further and she didn't press the issue. What he did in his free
time was his business and she didn't feel the need to pry. But
she did feel a twinge of jealousy. Not only did he have a hot
date, but she was obviously very special to him. Scully knew in
her mind that she wouldn't be replaced, but her heart was telling
her something else. He had left work early this afternoon--
something he never did. Most days, she had to plead with him to
get him to go home. She was curious as to who this new woman in
Mulder's life was. She hadn't heard him mention anyone until
today, but the few details he had shared seemed to lead Dana to
believe that things were getting serious. Well, good for him, she
thought. One of us should be out there, living life.
She shook her head as if to clear her mind of those thoughts. She
should be enjoying her night at home. She never knew when Mulder
would be calling her with twenty minutes notice to go off on
another case. Dana pulled herself off the couch and went into the
kitchen. She pulled out a pint of Rocky Road ice cream, then put
it back. You're acting like you've been dumped, she thought to
herself. Get a grip, Dana. She walked into her bedroom and
flopped down on her bed. She thought about watching television,
but decided to read one of the back issues of one of the monthly
medical journals she received but never had time to read.
She was deeply engrossed in an article describing the hand
transplant in England, when she heard a knock at the door.
Glancing at the clock, she noted it was 10:31pm. Who would be
coming over at this hour? Her first thought was Mulder, but he
was supposed to be on a big date with his mystery woman. She
walked into the living room, checking that her gun was loaded and
ready on the coffee table, then proceeded to the door. When she
looked through the peephole, she was incredibly surprised. What
was he doing here?!
Dana unlocked the door and opened it. When she did, his face lit
up. He was wearing dark blue jeans and a white T-shirt. Not
exactly big date attire, thought Dana, but then again who knows
where they went. Her face must have shown her surprise, but Dana
was very confused.
"Mulder, what are you doing here?"
"I'm sorry to just show up like this, but I thought you could use
some company tonight."
"How did you know I didn't have plans? Besides, didn't you have a
date tonight?" Dana knew she sounded denfensive, but she was
shocked and wanted some answers.
"I had a hunch. And no, Scully, I didn't have a date tonight.
What makes you say that?"
"Well, you said you had 'big plans' for tonight. I just
assumed..."
"And you know what happens when you assume, right?" He winked at
her. "Actually, I do have big plans tonight."
"Then what are you doing here?"
"They involve you."
"Oh really?"
"Yeah, I was sitting at home last night and I thought about how we
never really talk anymore. We are so caught up in work and all
that we never take the time to really talk. So, if you're willing
I've got a little surprise for you. For us."
While he was talking, Dana's mind drifted back to a time when
these words had been said to her before, except it wasn't really
Mulder and they didn't talk about anything of consequence. Her
curiousity was piqued, but she was still confused.
"So, if there was no big date, Mulder, then why didn't you just
tell this morning in the office? And while I'm asking questions,
why did you leave early?"
"All your questions will be answered if you come with me. I
promise, it'll be worth you're while. So, what do you say? Are
you game?"
"Sure. I've nothing pressing to take care of here. Let me just
go change." Scully looked at herself in the mirror. She had on
blue addias pull-away pants and a white tank top. And bare feet.
"You look fine, Scully. C'mon."
"I've got to put shoes on. Where are we going? Do I need to
bring anything?"
"My, my, Scully, so full of questions. I told you, you'll find
out when we get there."
Scully went back to her bedroom and pulled on some old running
shoes. She brushed her hair back into a ponytail and tied it with
an elastic band. She shoved her wallet in her pocket and turned
out the light.
"Ok, Mulder, where are we off to?"
"Patience, Scully. You'll find out soon enough."
******************
The car ride was comfortable. They settle into an easy silence
and listened to the radio. That was one thing Dana loved about
their relationship. Neither one of them felt the need to fill the
silence with mindless chatter. Dana alternately looked at Mulder
and out the window. She wondered what he was up to. Why, all of
sudden, does he want to talk? Her mind was racing with endless
possibilities, but she forced herself to stay calm. He probably
was just lonely and he wanted to get out and do something. He
knew I'd be home because my social life is as pathetic as his.
She opened her mouth to say something, but shut it promptly. She
would wait until they got to their desination to ask him anymore
questions.
When they turned onto the two lane road that seemed to go on for
miles, Dana had to ask.
"Where are we, Mulder?"
"Well, we just turned on to Snickersville Road. It's only a few
miles from here."
"What kind of a name is that? And what is only a few miles from
here?"
"Wow, Scully, I never knew you could be so impatient. You'll find
out..."
"When we get there," Dana finished. "I'm not impatient, I'm
just...curious, that's all."
Mulder looked at her with a "get real!" look and Dana knew she
must have a "hand-caught-in-the-cookie-jar" look on her face. She
turned away from Mulder and looked out the window. It was pitch
black outside with very few lights in the distance. She could
barely make out a stone wall that extended for miles and large
fields. There was a big white house up ahead with a solitary
light on in front. Wherever they were, it was pretty desserted.
Mulder turned onto a gravel road which made him slow down some,
giving Dana a chance to take a good look around. On the left was
a field and lake. She also thought she could make out a stable
and riding ring. On the right were trees and a sign. Before she
could read what it said, Mulder took the right fork in the road.
He obviously knows where he's going, thought Dana. What was this
place and why were they...
"We're here!" Mulder interrupted Dana's train of thought she
looked around. There was a large building surround by a short
rock fence. The building was L-shaped and made of brick. It was
dark, but there was one flood light on in front, that kept
blinking, giving the building an erie glow. While she had been
taking in her surroundings, Mulder had exited the car and opened
her door. It was a chivalrous gesture, but Dana decided not to
complain. She had no idea where they were, and she didn't was
Mulder to be upset and not tell her.
"C'mon Scully! Let's go!" Mulder took her hand and proceed to
run around the building.
"Mulder, slow down! Some of us don't have long legs like you,"
Dana laughed, a little out of breath.
"Well, we can fix that," Mulder stated as he scooped her up and
threw her over his shoulder.
"Put me down! I'm serious! Mulder!" Dana yelled exasperated at
him, knowing that the cause was futile.
When Mulder finally put her down again, Dana looked at her
surroundings. There were woods on both sides of the building. It
seemed they were standing in the middle of a field. The most
surprising aspect was the plaid blankets lying in the field a few
steps in front of her.
"Mulder, what is all this?" Dana questioned. "Where are we?"
"Okay, okay. I guess it's time I start answering your quesitons.
As to where we are, this is Camp Highroad. More specifically, we
are standing behind Oak Lodge. Back before Sam...disappeared, we
would come down here for music camp one week in the summer..."
"YOU were in a MUSIC camp?!" Dana could barely contain her
laughter.
"Hey, I have many talents that you've never seen! Anyway, we
would come out here at night after the campfire had gone out and
just lay out under the stars. One night I must have seen 50
shooting stars in a matter of hours. It was incredible, Scully!
I mean, there was a time, when I just looked up at the sky and
saw...stars. Not conspiracies, not aliens, not missing a sister,
just stars. I guess I just wanted to share that with you."
"But why are we here now? I mean, it's after midnight, Mulder.
Why tonight?"
"Well, I'm not sure why tonight. It's just...well, think about
it, Scully. Think about all we've been through. We never know
when the call is going to come for a case and only one of us makes
it home again...or neither of us. It's really only a matter of
time, given our current record, right?" Mulder tried to smile,
but it looked more like a grimace.
"Well, that's a morbid thought, Mulder. You brought me out here,
two hours from home to a place with shooting stars because you're
afraid of our impending deaths? There has to be more to it than
that. C'mon Mulder, tell me the real reason."
"Well, I mean, we go through life every day, the same way. Get
up, go to work, fill out paperwork or go on a case, go home, sleep
and the whole thing starts all over again. Don't you feel like
something's missing?"
"Namely a life, obviously. That still doesn't explain anything,
Mulder."
He went quite for a moment, leaving Dana to wonder what he was
thinking about. Why are we out here? It's a lovely gesture, but
why now? He's been thought dead twice, I've been abducted, had
cancer, lost my daughter. Why not then?
Obviously Mulder had collected his thoughts because he began
speaking again. "Why tonight? Because it felt right. I needed
to be with you tonight. I wanted it to be special. Just us. To
talk about anything and nothing. To just lay here and look at the
stars. For one night to just be with each other and not worry
about anyone or anything coming between us...I just..."
"Mulder," Dana said quietly.
"Hmmm. Yeah, I know. It's a stupid idea. If you want to leave,
we can. I'm sorry..." Mulder turned his back and started to
walk toward the side of the building.
"No, Mulder. That was beautiful. It would be wonderful to just
throw our cares away for one night and be with each other. You
know, I've never seen a shooting star," Dana put her hand on his
arm. "Shall we sit?"
Mulder's eyes lit up. "Sure. Are you cold? I brought a couple
flannels here earlier."
"That would be great. It is a little chilly out here. I should
have brought a coat," Dana felt the need to change the subject
back to the previous serious topic. She had one more question.
"So is this why you left early? To bring all this stuff out
here?"
"Actually no. I was so nervous that you would think this was a
dumb idea and I had been imagining all the different senarios of
how this might go. I just couldn't be with you. I had to get out
of there and think. I dropped this stuff off on the way to your
apartment. You know, when I came back here tonight, it was eerie.
I never thought I would see this place again. I mean, I haven't
been here in thirty years, but nothing has really changed. It
brings back all these wonderful memories and I knew that I was
doing the right thing. I knew I had to bring you here, Scully."
Mulder turned away shyly, ducking his head, as if ashamed that he
had revealed too much information too soon.
Dana sat for a minute, absorbing all that Mulder had just said.
She wanted to let him know that she was glad she was here and that
she appreciated that she meant so much to him that he could bring
her to his favorite place. "Mulder, I wish I could tell you what
this means to me. It makes me feel so secure and safe to know
that you can show me your favorite place and trust me with those
memories."
"Scully, I trust you with my life."
"But, Mulder, this is different. These are your memories, your
soul. These make you who you are today. There's only one thing
that could make me happier right now."
"What's that?"
"Call me Dana. Just for tonight. I want you to know *me*. Not
Scully, the office partner, but Dana the total person."
"And you can call me Fox.."
"I don't want you to feel obligated to recipricate. That's just
my thing for tonight."
"But you're right. I want tonight to be perfect, so that's why I
have to do this. Call me Fox. Just for tonight." Fox said,
echoing her words.
"Okay...Fox. Um, so what's the agenda? Childhood memories,
followed by teenage angst and then life before the X-Files?" She
smiled at him to let him know she was kidding.
"Actually, I was think we should lead off with teenage angst and
take it from there..." Fox grinned and let the sentence trail
off.
"Seriously, what are we doing out here? It's late and I'm cold.
What do you want to talk about?"
"Well, Dana, for right now, why don't we just look for shooting
stars and enjoy each other's company?" Fox moved from his
position facing her to sit beside her, his legs slightly spread
in front of him, streched out from the long drive before.
"Ok." A comfortable silence spread over them as both their heads
looked up, waiting to see that first magical shooting star. Dana
shifted slightly and found herself leaning with her back on Fox's
chest and hugging her knees. Fox put his arms around her. They
just seemed to fit...Dana didn't question it. It just felt right.
"You know, when I was little, I used to have a little ritual.
Whenever we would move to a new house, it was always a little
scary. I mean, it's not I wasn't used to it, it just...I don't
know...having to pack up your whole life and move to another part
of the country was always hard. Anyway, the first night in our
new house, I would look out my window and find the north star.
When I found it, I knew I was home. And then when Ahab would go
out to sea, I would look for that star and I knew that he was
looking at it too and we were together. It seems silly now..."
Dana trailed off, a little embarressed at the childishness of the
memory, but she was glad that she could share that with him. It
was hard being the rational one. Sometimes she just wanted to say
whatever came into her head and not care what anyone thought.
"Dana?" Mulder questioned softly.
"Huh? What? I'm sorry, did you ask me something?" Dana woke
from her silent reverie.
"You were a million miles away. Where did you go?"
"Oh nowhere..."
"C'mon, Dana, you can tell me anything. What were you thinking
about just then?"
"It's silly really.."
"Dana, nothing with you is silly."
"I was just thinking about Ahab. I wonder what he thinks of what
I've done with my life. I mean, Mom told me that he was proud of
me and I believe that, but what about now? Is he sitting up in
heaven thinking, 'what has my Starbuck gotten herself into now?'
or 'who is that young man and why is my Starbuck sitting alone in
the middle of a field with him?'? Probably the latter. He was
always so overprotective."
"And what would you tell him? Who is that young man and why is
his Starbuck is sitting alone in the middle of a field with him?"
"First off, I would say, 'Ahab, I'm thirty-five years old. You
don't have to worry about me so much.' And then I'd say, 'Well,
Ahab, that young man is Fox Mulder. He's my partner at the FBI
and my best friend. I trust him with my life. And I'm sitting
in the middle of this field with him because he asked me. I
decided that being here with him is more important right now than
anything else and it just feels right.'" Dana finished with a
smile. She leaned her head back on his shoulder so she could
look at his face. "Isn't that about right?"
"Well, you left out the part about my being devastatingly
handsome, but I'm sure he can tell that from there."
Dana giggled and playfully swatted his face. "You sure know how
to kill a mood, Fox Mulder."
"Hey, I do what I can."
The conversation lapsed back into silence. Dana was starting to
feel more relaxed. Everything was going well. She had been
unsure of Mulder's motive for bringing her out here and her motive
for staying. But now she knew. She secretly craved this kind of
attention. She needed to be held and to share her emotions. Most
people only saw one side of her personality. The business,
formal, cut-and-dried Scully. But she was so much more than that.
And now to be able to share that with her best friend and the man
that she loved...whoa, back it up, Dana, what was that? The man
that she loved? Mulder? Well, now that she thought about, yeah,
it was true. She loved him. Just like she knew he loved her. It
was so obvious. It didn't need to be said, did it?
Dana felt herself leaning more and more on Mulder and her eyes
starting to drift shut. Maybe she would just close her eyes for a
minute...
"Dana, Dana!" Dana suddenly heard Mulder's voice in her ear.
"Wake up!"
"Huh?! What? I'm not asleep..." Dana groggily answered.
"Dana, look!" Mulder gestured upward toward the heavens.
Dana blinked her eyes a few times to get rid of the glassy glaze
of sleep and looked where Mulder was pointing. In the sky, there
were shooting stars everywhere. She couldn't believe it! It was
amazing!
"Oh Fox! You were right! This is amazing! I've never seen
anything like it!" She watched the sky for a few more minutes and
took in the wondrous sight, committing it to memory. For a moment
she wished she had Mulder's eidetic memory, but she knew even
without it, she would never forget that sight, or this night.
THE END
So, what do you think? Should it end there? There could be a
sequel in the making if there is a request for it. Camp Highroad
does exist in Middleburg, Virginia. I went there as a camper when
I was in 5th grade and I have been a counselor at music camp for 2
years. That night that Fox describes happened to me and the rest
of the counselors one night after the kids went to bed. It really
was amazing. Let me know what you think:
sexyphile@hotmail.com. I'm a first time writer so be
gentle, but honest (is there such a thing? haha!) Visit my
webpage if you want more fanfiction:
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Lofts/4856/X-Files/index.html
Author: SexyPhile
E-Mail: sexyphile@hotmail.com
Category: SR
Keywords: Mulder/Scully UST
Rating: PG
Spoilers: small one for Small Potatoes and basically you have to
have seen the show
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters. They belong to
Chris Carter, 1013 Productions and FOX television and brought to
life by the lovely Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny. They are
used without permission, but not for profit, so don't sue cause I
have no money.
Summary: Mulder surprises Scully on a lonely Friday night.
Another Friday night. Dana Scully was home alone. Again.
Sometimes she liked to have some time to herself, but tonight was
different. She realized, with a sigh, that this was the fifth
Friday in a row that she had no plans for Friday night. She knew
how pathetic it was, but she rationalized that she didn't keep up
with the many friends that she could go out with because of her
erratic travel schedule. She told herself she didn't have time
for a boyfriend for the same reason. Most days that she was home,
she would come home from work exhausted and wanting to crawl in
bed immediately. Of course, that didn't allow for much of a
social life. There was no one to call, no single friends to hang
out with. Except Mulder.
Mulder. She thought about calling him, but then recalled hearing
him say something about "big plans". He wouldn't elaborate any
further and she didn't press the issue. What he did in his free
time was his business and she didn't feel the need to pry. But
she did feel a twinge of jealousy. Not only did he have a hot
date, but she was obviously very special to him. Scully knew in
her mind that she wouldn't be replaced, but her heart was telling
her something else. He had left work early this afternoon--
something he never did. Most days, she had to plead with him to
get him to go home. She was curious as to who this new woman in
Mulder's life was. She hadn't heard him mention anyone until
today, but the few details he had shared seemed to lead Dana to
believe that things were getting serious. Well, good for him, she
thought. One of us should be out there, living life.
She shook her head as if to clear her mind of those thoughts. She
should be enjoying her night at home. She never knew when Mulder
would be calling her with twenty minutes notice to go off on
another case. Dana pulled herself off the couch and went into the
kitchen. She pulled out a pint of Rocky Road ice cream, then put
it back. You're acting like you've been dumped, she thought to
herself. Get a grip, Dana. She walked into her bedroom and
flopped down on her bed. She thought about watching television,
but decided to read one of the back issues of one of the monthly
medical journals she received but never had time to read.
She was deeply engrossed in an article describing the hand
transplant in England, when she heard a knock at the door.
Glancing at the clock, she noted it was 10:31pm. Who would be
coming over at this hour? Her first thought was Mulder, but he
was supposed to be on a big date with his mystery woman. She
walked into the living room, checking that her gun was loaded and
ready on the coffee table, then proceeded to the door. When she
looked through the peephole, she was incredibly surprised. What
was he doing here?!
Dana unlocked the door and opened it. When she did, his face lit
up. He was wearing dark blue jeans and a white T-shirt. Not
exactly big date attire, thought Dana, but then again who knows
where they went. Her face must have shown her surprise, but Dana
was very confused.
"Mulder, what are you doing here?"
"I'm sorry to just show up like this, but I thought you could use
some company tonight."
"How did you know I didn't have plans? Besides, didn't you have a
date tonight?" Dana knew she sounded denfensive, but she was
shocked and wanted some answers.
"I had a hunch. And no, Scully, I didn't have a date tonight.
What makes you say that?"
"Well, you said you had 'big plans' for tonight. I just
assumed..."
"And you know what happens when you assume, right?" He winked at
her. "Actually, I do have big plans tonight."
"Then what are you doing here?"
"They involve you."
"Oh really?"
"Yeah, I was sitting at home last night and I thought about how we
never really talk anymore. We are so caught up in work and all
that we never take the time to really talk. So, if you're willing
I've got a little surprise for you. For us."
While he was talking, Dana's mind drifted back to a time when
these words had been said to her before, except it wasn't really
Mulder and they didn't talk about anything of consequence. Her
curiousity was piqued, but she was still confused.
"So, if there was no big date, Mulder, then why didn't you just
tell this morning in the office? And while I'm asking questions,
why did you leave early?"
"All your questions will be answered if you come with me. I
promise, it'll be worth you're while. So, what do you say? Are
you game?"
"Sure. I've nothing pressing to take care of here. Let me just
go change." Scully looked at herself in the mirror. She had on
blue addias pull-away pants and a white tank top. And bare feet.
"You look fine, Scully. C'mon."
"I've got to put shoes on. Where are we going? Do I need to
bring anything?"
"My, my, Scully, so full of questions. I told you, you'll find
out when we get there."
Scully went back to her bedroom and pulled on some old running
shoes. She brushed her hair back into a ponytail and tied it with
an elastic band. She shoved her wallet in her pocket and turned
out the light.
"Ok, Mulder, where are we off to?"
"Patience, Scully. You'll find out soon enough."
******************
The car ride was comfortable. They settle into an easy silence
and listened to the radio. That was one thing Dana loved about
their relationship. Neither one of them felt the need to fill the
silence with mindless chatter. Dana alternately looked at Mulder
and out the window. She wondered what he was up to. Why, all of
sudden, does he want to talk? Her mind was racing with endless
possibilities, but she forced herself to stay calm. He probably
was just lonely and he wanted to get out and do something. He
knew I'd be home because my social life is as pathetic as his.
She opened her mouth to say something, but shut it promptly. She
would wait until they got to their desination to ask him anymore
questions.
When they turned onto the two lane road that seemed to go on for
miles, Dana had to ask.
"Where are we, Mulder?"
"Well, we just turned on to Snickersville Road. It's only a few
miles from here."
"What kind of a name is that? And what is only a few miles from
here?"
"Wow, Scully, I never knew you could be so impatient. You'll find
out..."
"When we get there," Dana finished. "I'm not impatient, I'm
just...curious, that's all."
Mulder looked at her with a "get real!" look and Dana knew she
must have a "hand-caught-in-the-cookie-jar" look on her face. She
turned away from Mulder and looked out the window. It was pitch
black outside with very few lights in the distance. She could
barely make out a stone wall that extended for miles and large
fields. There was a big white house up ahead with a solitary
light on in front. Wherever they were, it was pretty desserted.
Mulder turned onto a gravel road which made him slow down some,
giving Dana a chance to take a good look around. On the left was
a field and lake. She also thought she could make out a stable
and riding ring. On the right were trees and a sign. Before she
could read what it said, Mulder took the right fork in the road.
He obviously knows where he's going, thought Dana. What was this
place and why were they...
"We're here!" Mulder interrupted Dana's train of thought she
looked around. There was a large building surround by a short
rock fence. The building was L-shaped and made of brick. It was
dark, but there was one flood light on in front, that kept
blinking, giving the building an erie glow. While she had been
taking in her surroundings, Mulder had exited the car and opened
her door. It was a chivalrous gesture, but Dana decided not to
complain. She had no idea where they were, and she didn't was
Mulder to be upset and not tell her.
"C'mon Scully! Let's go!" Mulder took her hand and proceed to
run around the building.
"Mulder, slow down! Some of us don't have long legs like you,"
Dana laughed, a little out of breath.
"Well, we can fix that," Mulder stated as he scooped her up and
threw her over his shoulder.
"Put me down! I'm serious! Mulder!" Dana yelled exasperated at
him, knowing that the cause was futile.
When Mulder finally put her down again, Dana looked at her
surroundings. There were woods on both sides of the building. It
seemed they were standing in the middle of a field. The most
surprising aspect was the plaid blankets lying in the field a few
steps in front of her.
"Mulder, what is all this?" Dana questioned. "Where are we?"
"Okay, okay. I guess it's time I start answering your quesitons.
As to where we are, this is Camp Highroad. More specifically, we
are standing behind Oak Lodge. Back before Sam...disappeared, we
would come down here for music camp one week in the summer..."
"YOU were in a MUSIC camp?!" Dana could barely contain her
laughter.
"Hey, I have many talents that you've never seen! Anyway, we
would come out here at night after the campfire had gone out and
just lay out under the stars. One night I must have seen 50
shooting stars in a matter of hours. It was incredible, Scully!
I mean, there was a time, when I just looked up at the sky and
saw...stars. Not conspiracies, not aliens, not missing a sister,
just stars. I guess I just wanted to share that with you."
"But why are we here now? I mean, it's after midnight, Mulder.
Why tonight?"
"Well, I'm not sure why tonight. It's just...well, think about
it, Scully. Think about all we've been through. We never know
when the call is going to come for a case and only one of us makes
it home again...or neither of us. It's really only a matter of
time, given our current record, right?" Mulder tried to smile,
but it looked more like a grimace.
"Well, that's a morbid thought, Mulder. You brought me out here,
two hours from home to a place with shooting stars because you're
afraid of our impending deaths? There has to be more to it than
that. C'mon Mulder, tell me the real reason."
"Well, I mean, we go through life every day, the same way. Get
up, go to work, fill out paperwork or go on a case, go home, sleep
and the whole thing starts all over again. Don't you feel like
something's missing?"
"Namely a life, obviously. That still doesn't explain anything,
Mulder."
He went quite for a moment, leaving Dana to wonder what he was
thinking about. Why are we out here? It's a lovely gesture, but
why now? He's been thought dead twice, I've been abducted, had
cancer, lost my daughter. Why not then?
Obviously Mulder had collected his thoughts because he began
speaking again. "Why tonight? Because it felt right. I needed
to be with you tonight. I wanted it to be special. Just us. To
talk about anything and nothing. To just lay here and look at the
stars. For one night to just be with each other and not worry
about anyone or anything coming between us...I just..."
"Mulder," Dana said quietly.
"Hmmm. Yeah, I know. It's a stupid idea. If you want to leave,
we can. I'm sorry..." Mulder turned his back and started to
walk toward the side of the building.
"No, Mulder. That was beautiful. It would be wonderful to just
throw our cares away for one night and be with each other. You
know, I've never seen a shooting star," Dana put her hand on his
arm. "Shall we sit?"
Mulder's eyes lit up. "Sure. Are you cold? I brought a couple
flannels here earlier."
"That would be great. It is a little chilly out here. I should
have brought a coat," Dana felt the need to change the subject
back to the previous serious topic. She had one more question.
"So is this why you left early? To bring all this stuff out
here?"
"Actually no. I was so nervous that you would think this was a
dumb idea and I had been imagining all the different senarios of
how this might go. I just couldn't be with you. I had to get out
of there and think. I dropped this stuff off on the way to your
apartment. You know, when I came back here tonight, it was eerie.
I never thought I would see this place again. I mean, I haven't
been here in thirty years, but nothing has really changed. It
brings back all these wonderful memories and I knew that I was
doing the right thing. I knew I had to bring you here, Scully."
Mulder turned away shyly, ducking his head, as if ashamed that he
had revealed too much information too soon.
Dana sat for a minute, absorbing all that Mulder had just said.
She wanted to let him know that she was glad she was here and that
she appreciated that she meant so much to him that he could bring
her to his favorite place. "Mulder, I wish I could tell you what
this means to me. It makes me feel so secure and safe to know
that you can show me your favorite place and trust me with those
memories."
"Scully, I trust you with my life."
"But, Mulder, this is different. These are your memories, your
soul. These make you who you are today. There's only one thing
that could make me happier right now."
"What's that?"
"Call me Dana. Just for tonight. I want you to know *me*. Not
Scully, the office partner, but Dana the total person."
"And you can call me Fox.."
"I don't want you to feel obligated to recipricate. That's just
my thing for tonight."
"But you're right. I want tonight to be perfect, so that's why I
have to do this. Call me Fox. Just for tonight." Fox said,
echoing her words.
"Okay...Fox. Um, so what's the agenda? Childhood memories,
followed by teenage angst and then life before the X-Files?" She
smiled at him to let him know she was kidding.
"Actually, I was think we should lead off with teenage angst and
take it from there..." Fox grinned and let the sentence trail
off.
"Seriously, what are we doing out here? It's late and I'm cold.
What do you want to talk about?"
"Well, Dana, for right now, why don't we just look for shooting
stars and enjoy each other's company?" Fox moved from his
position facing her to sit beside her, his legs slightly spread
in front of him, streched out from the long drive before.
"Ok." A comfortable silence spread over them as both their heads
looked up, waiting to see that first magical shooting star. Dana
shifted slightly and found herself leaning with her back on Fox's
chest and hugging her knees. Fox put his arms around her. They
just seemed to fit...Dana didn't question it. It just felt right.
"You know, when I was little, I used to have a little ritual.
Whenever we would move to a new house, it was always a little
scary. I mean, it's not I wasn't used to it, it just...I don't
know...having to pack up your whole life and move to another part
of the country was always hard. Anyway, the first night in our
new house, I would look out my window and find the north star.
When I found it, I knew I was home. And then when Ahab would go
out to sea, I would look for that star and I knew that he was
looking at it too and we were together. It seems silly now..."
Dana trailed off, a little embarressed at the childishness of the
memory, but she was glad that she could share that with him. It
was hard being the rational one. Sometimes she just wanted to say
whatever came into her head and not care what anyone thought.
"Dana?" Mulder questioned softly.
"Huh? What? I'm sorry, did you ask me something?" Dana woke
from her silent reverie.
"You were a million miles away. Where did you go?"
"Oh nowhere..."
"C'mon, Dana, you can tell me anything. What were you thinking
about just then?"
"It's silly really.."
"Dana, nothing with you is silly."
"I was just thinking about Ahab. I wonder what he thinks of what
I've done with my life. I mean, Mom told me that he was proud of
me and I believe that, but what about now? Is he sitting up in
heaven thinking, 'what has my Starbuck gotten herself into now?'
or 'who is that young man and why is my Starbuck sitting alone in
the middle of a field with him?'? Probably the latter. He was
always so overprotective."
"And what would you tell him? Who is that young man and why is
his Starbuck is sitting alone in the middle of a field with him?"
"First off, I would say, 'Ahab, I'm thirty-five years old. You
don't have to worry about me so much.' And then I'd say, 'Well,
Ahab, that young man is Fox Mulder. He's my partner at the FBI
and my best friend. I trust him with my life. And I'm sitting
in the middle of this field with him because he asked me. I
decided that being here with him is more important right now than
anything else and it just feels right.'" Dana finished with a
smile. She leaned her head back on his shoulder so she could
look at his face. "Isn't that about right?"
"Well, you left out the part about my being devastatingly
handsome, but I'm sure he can tell that from there."
Dana giggled and playfully swatted his face. "You sure know how
to kill a mood, Fox Mulder."
"Hey, I do what I can."
The conversation lapsed back into silence. Dana was starting to
feel more relaxed. Everything was going well. She had been
unsure of Mulder's motive for bringing her out here and her motive
for staying. But now she knew. She secretly craved this kind of
attention. She needed to be held and to share her emotions. Most
people only saw one side of her personality. The business,
formal, cut-and-dried Scully. But she was so much more than that.
And now to be able to share that with her best friend and the man
that she loved...whoa, back it up, Dana, what was that? The man
that she loved? Mulder? Well, now that she thought about, yeah,
it was true. She loved him. Just like she knew he loved her. It
was so obvious. It didn't need to be said, did it?
Dana felt herself leaning more and more on Mulder and her eyes
starting to drift shut. Maybe she would just close her eyes for a
minute...
"Dana, Dana!" Dana suddenly heard Mulder's voice in her ear.
"Wake up!"
"Huh?! What? I'm not asleep..." Dana groggily answered.
"Dana, look!" Mulder gestured upward toward the heavens.
Dana blinked her eyes a few times to get rid of the glassy glaze
of sleep and looked where Mulder was pointing. In the sky, there
were shooting stars everywhere. She couldn't believe it! It was
amazing!
"Oh Fox! You were right! This is amazing! I've never seen
anything like it!" She watched the sky for a few more minutes and
took in the wondrous sight, committing it to memory. For a moment
she wished she had Mulder's eidetic memory, but she knew even
without it, she would never forget that sight, or this night.
THE END
So, what do you think? Should it end there? There could be a
sequel in the making if there is a request for it. Camp Highroad
does exist in Middleburg, Virginia. I went there as a camper when
I was in 5th grade and I have been a counselor at music camp for 2
years. That night that Fox describes happened to me and the rest
of the counselors one night after the kids went to bed. It really
was amazing. Let me know what you think:
sexyphile@hotmail.com. I'm a first time writer so be
gentle, but honest (is there such a thing? haha!) Visit my
webpage if you want more fanfiction:
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Lofts/4856/X-Files/index.html