Title - Wake To This Nightmare
Author - Nicky
Rating - PG-13
Spoilers - Up to beginning of Season 8
Keywords - Mulder/Scully romance
Summary - Scully sinks deeper and deeper into a depression as the hunt for
Mulder seems to wind to an unsuccessful conclusion. As she struggles to hang on
to hope, Mulder awakens to a life he doesn't remember and faces his own
struggles to maintain his grip on reality.
Disclaimer - Most of these characters aren't mine. You know that. And I know
that. They're property of someone else and used without permission strictly for
entertainment purposes.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Chapter 11
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Mulder awakens and feels around the empty bed, becoming more and more dismayed
when he realizes he's the only occupant. It must have just been a dream, he
thinks with a heavy sigh. Scully. The baby. Everything. All just a dream.
The sigh alerts his visitor to his conscious state.
"Agent Mulder," Doggett calls. "You're awake."
"Where's Scully?" Mulder asks, afraid to know the answer. Afraid for Doggett to
tell him she was just a figment of his imagination.
"We finally convinced her to go get some real rest. I don't think she's slept
the entire time you've been in here," Doggett explains.
"That's good," Mulder sighs in relief. Although he missed waking up with her,
he couldn't deny her need for rest. She had to take care of herself and the
baby. Mulder tests his strength by trying to sit up in bed, but is quickly
stopped by Doggett.
"You shouldn't be sitting up yet," he tells Mulder. "Doctor's orders."
"Scully's the only doctor I listen to," Mulder wheezes. His lungs were still
weak and he found that his attempt to sit was too much of an exertion. "You
could help me up. I feel like I've been laying there for a long time."
Against his better judgment, Doggett helps Mulder prop himself up on a couple of
pillows. He wasn't quite in a sitting position, but he wasn't completely
reclined either.
"Thanks," Mulder whispers, a little out of breath. "And not just for helping me
just now. But for everything you've done for Scully while I was away."
"Well, it was no problem. I promised her I'd bring you back."
"And you did," Mulder interrupts. "And you were there for her when I couldn't
be. For that, I'll forever be grateful."
"I didn't do much. She mostly took care of herself. And she didn't make it
easy for me to help, you know," Doggett says with a small laugh.
"Oh I definitely know. I bet you got a lot of 'I'm fine's' from her," Mulder
laughs. "She doesn't like to seem weak or needy."
"She was fine for awhile. But then . . . . ," Doggett pauses, not sure how to
tell Mulder the next part. "Things got kind of bad for her." He looks at
Mulder and sees a look begging him to continue. "About three months after your
disappearance, she just kind of broke down. If it weren't for the baby . . . "
"I know," Mulder whispers, trying to hold back his tears. He knows exactly what
it was like. Because he went through the same thing when she was missing.
There was very little hope to hold onto. The only reason he's still alive to
this day is because he somehow knew he'd be hurting her mother that much more by
killing himself. "She disappeared awhile back."
"Skinner told me about it. I guess she expected you to return in three months
like she was returned. When you didn't, she just shut down. I didn't see her
much that next month. She stayed at your place. Her mother had to pretty much
take care of her. She snapped out of it, though. She realized she had to live.
That she had a baby to take care of." *Your baby*, Doggett wants to add. But
he doesn't want to make any assumptions. Although he's sure he would be
assuming correctly.
"I'm sorry she had to go through that," Mulder says quietly. "But I'm glad she
didn't have to go through it alone. She had her mother. She had Skinner. And
she had you." He looks up just in time to see Doggett drop his head.
"But we weren't who she really needed," Doggett sighs in resignation. "She
needed you. And she didn't let a day go by without letting us know. Don't get
me wrong. I know that she appreciated us. And no matter how much she tried to
deny it, she needed help. And we were there to give it. I didn't get to know
her very well, but it was easy to see how much she was hurting. I knew I
couldn't leave her alone. I felt like I had to be there. I couldn't help it.
I couldn't help wanting to reach out to her. I couldn't help wanting to comfort
her. I couldn't help . ." Doggett trails off, catching himself before he said
too much.
"Couldn't help falling in love with her," Mulder realizes. He watches Doggett
shift his eyes nervously around the room, unable to deny the accusation.
"She's easy to fall in love with. Trust me."
An uneasy silence settles in the room and the men stare uncomfortably at each
other, not sure of what to say. Both loved Scully. It was obvious now. But
she only loved one of them back. Doggett knew he never had a chance with her.
But that didn't stop him from loving her all the same.
The tension is broken by the arrival of a very special visitor.
"Emily," Mulder says when the little girl's head pokes through the door.
"Daddy!" she squeals excitedly, wanting to run into his arms, but remembering
that he was still hurt.
"Agent Doggett, do you mind?" Mulder asks, nodding towards Emily.
"Sure. I'll leave you two alone," Doggett says, moving towards the door.
"No, you don't have to leave," Mulder calls after him. "I just needed you to
lift her onto my lap if you would."
"Oh," Doggett blushes. "Well, I can do that, too." He picks up the little girl
and plants her on Mulder's lap.
"Mommy's just outside. She said she wanted to give us some time alone, Daddy,"
Emily explains.
"In that case, I think I will step outside and talk to her," Doggett says as he
excuses himself.
"I really missed you, Squirt," Mulder says to the little girl once Doggett is
gone. "But I knew it was for the best that you go live with your mother."
"She's really nice, Daddy. I like her a lot."
"Me too, Em. I like her a whole lot. And I remember how much I used to like
her before," Mulder tries to explain.
"You got back your memories of Mommy?" she asks with a worried look in her eyes.
"Does that mean you'll forget all about me?"
"No, Sweetie. It doesn't work like that. I'll never forget about you," he
assures her. "I've loved you for every minute that I've known you, Emily. Do
you understand that? You probably don't even remember the first time I met you,
but I do. You were so little. So helpless. That's when I started to love you.
And that's something I can never forget. Just like I never forgot that I love
Mommy. Because when I didn't even remember who I was, I remembered that I loved
you as soon as I saw you."
"I love you too, Daddy," she whispers sweetly, pressing a little kiss on his
cheek. She puts her arms carefully around his chest, taking care not to squeeze
him too tightly.
"Can I join in on this hug too?" a voice calls from the door. Mulder looks up
and smiles brightly at Scully. Even though he knew he wasn't dreaming seeing
her, he felt better being reassured by her presence.
"Of course. Come on over," he invites, holding out his arm to her. He places
his arm around her shoulder once she gets settled next to him on the bed.
"Perfect," he sighs, leaning back against his pillows and closing his eyes.
He's able to sleep peacefully knowing that everything in the world important to
him was secure in his arms.
* * * * * * * * * *
"Knock, knock. Can I come in?" a voice calls from the door.
Mulder looks up from the questionable lunch on his tray and smiles brightly at
his visitor.
"Mrs. Scully! Please, come in." He pushes the tray aside to make room for the
woman. "Tell me you've brought me something decent to eat."
"Sorry, Fox. Dana wouldn't let me. She said that hospital food hasn't killed
anyone yet. And that it won't kill you," Maggie Scully says with a laugh. "And
please. Call me Maggie. 'Mrs. Scully' is so formal."
"Okay, Maggie," he smiles.
"Fox, it's so good to see you back. Breathing. In one piece," she sighs.
"I guess sometimes it's hard for some people like me to be all three at once,"
he jokes. "Kind of like walking and chewing gum."
"I'm serious, Fox. We missed you so much. Dana especially."
"I know, Maggie. I'll never forgive myself for leaving her to deal with this
alone."
"I didn't even know about you being missing. Or about the baby. Not until a
month ago. She kept it all to herself for all that time. Her being alone to
deal with things is as much my fault as it is yours. I failed my baby girl,"
she sobs.
"Maggie, don't say that" Mulder admonishes, reaching up to brush away her tears.
"You're always there for her. Even when she pushes you away. You didn't fail
her. You're a good mother, Maggie Scully. The best one I ever had."
"You really believe that Fox?" More tears flood her face, but they're tears of
joy. Tears of pride.
"My mother was never really very . . . nurturing. But in the short time I've
known you, despite all the pain I've caused on your family, you've taken me in
and treated me like your own. For that, I'll forever be grateful. And for
that, I'll forever love you."
"Oh, Fox," she sobs again, folding him gently into her arms. "I love you, too.
Don't you ever forget that." She sits back to look at him and smiles. "Now,
you should make this official. Become my son for real and make an honest woman
out of my daughter," she hints. Her boldness brings a loud, nervous laugh to
Mulder.
"One step a head of you, Maggie," he smiles. He carefully reaches over to the
desk drawer and pulls out a small black box from inside. He opens the box and
turns it around to let her view the contents. The shine from the diamond
sparkles in her still moist eyes. "I had the guys bring this for me. I was
going to give it to her when I got back from my little ill fated trip to Oregon,
but a small case of amnesia got in the way. I decided now was the time. Don't
want to tempt fate again."
"Fox," she gasps. "This is beautiful." She fingers the intricate design of the
ring, marvelling at it's exquisiteness.
"I found it when my mother's estate was settled. Once I saw it, I knew I had to
give it to Scully. I was just trying to work up my nerve to ask her," he
blushes sheepishly.
"Ask her what? To marry you?" Maggie's eyes bulge. "Fox, I was kidding before.
I mean, I would love for the two of you to be married, but that whole thing
about making her an honest woman was just a joke. I didn't mean . . . "
"You don't approve?" he teases. "But Maggie, I'm begging for your daughter's
hand in marriage. Don't break my heart," he smiles.
"Don't tease, Fox," Maggie playfully swats at him. "You know I approve. And of
course you can have my daughter's hand in marriage. I just didn't want you to
think I was forcing you to do this."
"Maggie," Mulder says, grabbing her hand and suddenly turning very serious.
"Thinking you're forcing me to love your daughter is like thinking you have to
force me to breathe. I take air in my lungs because I need it. I love your
daughter because I need her. She's my life force. My everything. And with
your help, I want to proclaim that very thing before God and everyone important
to us. Before I leave this place, I intend on making your daughter my wife."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
2 days later . . . .
"Okay, you guys. What's going on here?" Scully demands to know. Her patience
was starting to wear a little thin. At first she was curious why they were all
there just staring at her with these goofy expressions. But they all seemed to
have temporarily lost their minds because no one was saying a word. Her mother
sent her here to light a few candles for Mulder, reminding her not to neglect
her faith. And when she finished praying, she discovered her mother was gone
and the chapel suddenly filled with her closest friends and family. Tara and
Bill were there, holding a squirming Matthew between them. Doggett and Skinner
were there. Which is strange because she could have sworn they went back to DC
days ago. Even the gunmen were there. She didn't even realize they were in
town. Her gaze finally falls on her daughter, sitting on Langley's lap.
"Emily, baby," she tries to coax it out of the little girl. "What's going on?"
"I can't say," she giggles, covering her mouth with her hand. "Daddy said it's
a surprise."
"Daddy? So Mulder is up to something." She glares at the gunmen, thinking she
could get one of them to spill the details. "Frohike," she says sternly.
"No can do, Sweet Cheeks. My lips are sealed," the small man replies. Byers
and Langley just look away, avoiding eye contact with her.
"Why won't anyone tell me what's . . . " her tirade is stopped by the sounds of
the chapel doors opening. She spins around and finally sees where her mother
disappeared to. At the entrance to the chapel, her mother stood behind a tuxedo
clad Mulder in a wheelchair.
"Mulder?" she gasps, one last attempt to gain a clue. "What's all this?"
He just smiles at her, never taking his eyes off of her as he motions for her
mother to start pushing him up the aisle. Maggie parks the chair right next to
Scully and puts on the brakes. Doggett and Skinner come up next and help the
man out of the chair, bringing him crutches to help him support himself. Scully
looks around and realizes that her and Mulder are standing at the alter. And a
priest has suddenly appeared before them.
"Dana Katherine Scully," Mulder says, reaching out to grab her hand. "I'm here
today in front of God and these witnesses to pledge my undying love to you. And
to ask you to make me the happiest man in the world by honoring my plea to marry
me."
"Mulder?" she cries. The tears are streaming down and she can't see the panic
stricken look on Mulder's face through her blurred eyes.
"Please, Scully," he begs. "I love you with all my heart. And I want nothing
more than to be a family. Me, you and the rugrats."
She hears the desperation in his voice and realizes that he's gotten the wrong
idea. She decides to very quickly put him out of his misery.
"How could a girl refuse an offer like that?" she laughs through her tears. She
leans over and kisses him deeply.
"I think that comes a little later," Frohike calls from the audience, eliciting
laughs from everyone.
"I take that as a yes," Mulder teases.
"Yes, Mulder," she answers. "That's a yes. I will marry you."
"Today? Right here? Right now?" he asks, to be sure.
"Today. Right here. Right now," she assures with a bright smile.
"In that case, take it away Father," Mulder signals and the priest begins the
ceremony.
The ceremony was short, both Mulder and Scully tiring of standing quickly. But
it was beautiful. Even Skinner had moments where his eyes weren't quite dry.
It was an event that everyone expected, but was surprised nonetheless when it
finally happened. A joining of two individuals. A making of one soul.
Mulder stares at his almost wife with a smile, not really noticing anything but
her. The words he was waiting for are finally spoken by the priest.
"Dana and Fox, I now pronounce you man and wife. What God has joined together,
let no man put asunder. Fox, you may kiss your bride."
Mulder smiles again, this time at his wife. Pulling her close, he gets ready to
seal their vows with a kiss when she mumbles something.
"You know, Mulder," she whispers. "They say when you get married, you may find
that while you're concentrating on saying the vows, the rest of the world just
fades away. All other everyday nagging concerns. The ticking of my biological
clock. Which isn't ticking so loudly these days," she says with a smile,
rubbing a hand gently across her belly. "How you probably couldn't afford this
nice ring on a G-Man's salary. Especially one considered MIA and wasn't getting
paid anymore. How I threw away a promising career in medicine to hunt aliens
with a crackpot, albeit brilliant, partner. Getting to the heart of a global
conspriacy. Your obscenely overdue triple X bill. Which by the way, will be
paid in full and then immediately cancelled." They both laugh, reliving that
day out on the baseball field.
"Shut up, Scully." He gently cups her cheeks and pulls her closer to him. "I'm
getting married here." His mouth lightly grazes her before finally making
solid contact. He pulls her even closer and fully engulfs her in himself,
promising never to let anything come between them ever again. A little jab to
his ribs reminds him otherwise.
"Sorry little guy," Mulder says, bending down to kiss her stomach. "I didn't
mean to squish you."
Fatigue finally overtakes him, and Mulder's forced back into his wheelchair, his
hand never leaving his wife's. He kisses it gently before finally releasing his
grasp on her. He holds out his arms to Emily, who eagerly climbs into her
father's lap.
"Well, Kid. Looks like we got our happily ever after. I told you we'd find
your mom. Our hearts found their way back to each other. We're all back
together again," he smiles, reminded of that day on their boat seemingly so long
ago.
"Forever Daddy?"
"Forever, Princess," he assures her.
"You promise?"
"Cross my heart and hope to die," he swears.
They're both surprised with a kiss for both of them from Scully. She takes
their hands and places them in a pile on her stomach. Mulder just smiles
because he finally knows what the future holds for him. A future so bright and
so close he can reach out and grab it. This time, he doesn't intend on letting
it go.
The End.
Author - Nicky
Rating - PG-13
Spoilers - Up to beginning of Season 8
Keywords - Mulder/Scully romance
Summary - Scully sinks deeper and deeper into a depression as the hunt for
Mulder seems to wind to an unsuccessful conclusion. As she struggles to hang on
to hope, Mulder awakens to a life he doesn't remember and faces his own
struggles to maintain his grip on reality.
Disclaimer - Most of these characters aren't mine. You know that. And I know
that. They're property of someone else and used without permission strictly for
entertainment purposes.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Chapter 11
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Mulder awakens and feels around the empty bed, becoming more and more dismayed
when he realizes he's the only occupant. It must have just been a dream, he
thinks with a heavy sigh. Scully. The baby. Everything. All just a dream.
The sigh alerts his visitor to his conscious state.
"Agent Mulder," Doggett calls. "You're awake."
"Where's Scully?" Mulder asks, afraid to know the answer. Afraid for Doggett to
tell him she was just a figment of his imagination.
"We finally convinced her to go get some real rest. I don't think she's slept
the entire time you've been in here," Doggett explains.
"That's good," Mulder sighs in relief. Although he missed waking up with her,
he couldn't deny her need for rest. She had to take care of herself and the
baby. Mulder tests his strength by trying to sit up in bed, but is quickly
stopped by Doggett.
"You shouldn't be sitting up yet," he tells Mulder. "Doctor's orders."
"Scully's the only doctor I listen to," Mulder wheezes. His lungs were still
weak and he found that his attempt to sit was too much of an exertion. "You
could help me up. I feel like I've been laying there for a long time."
Against his better judgment, Doggett helps Mulder prop himself up on a couple of
pillows. He wasn't quite in a sitting position, but he wasn't completely
reclined either.
"Thanks," Mulder whispers, a little out of breath. "And not just for helping me
just now. But for everything you've done for Scully while I was away."
"Well, it was no problem. I promised her I'd bring you back."
"And you did," Mulder interrupts. "And you were there for her when I couldn't
be. For that, I'll forever be grateful."
"I didn't do much. She mostly took care of herself. And she didn't make it
easy for me to help, you know," Doggett says with a small laugh.
"Oh I definitely know. I bet you got a lot of 'I'm fine's' from her," Mulder
laughs. "She doesn't like to seem weak or needy."
"She was fine for awhile. But then . . . . ," Doggett pauses, not sure how to
tell Mulder the next part. "Things got kind of bad for her." He looks at
Mulder and sees a look begging him to continue. "About three months after your
disappearance, she just kind of broke down. If it weren't for the baby . . . "
"I know," Mulder whispers, trying to hold back his tears. He knows exactly what
it was like. Because he went through the same thing when she was missing.
There was very little hope to hold onto. The only reason he's still alive to
this day is because he somehow knew he'd be hurting her mother that much more by
killing himself. "She disappeared awhile back."
"Skinner told me about it. I guess she expected you to return in three months
like she was returned. When you didn't, she just shut down. I didn't see her
much that next month. She stayed at your place. Her mother had to pretty much
take care of her. She snapped out of it, though. She realized she had to live.
That she had a baby to take care of." *Your baby*, Doggett wants to add. But
he doesn't want to make any assumptions. Although he's sure he would be
assuming correctly.
"I'm sorry she had to go through that," Mulder says quietly. "But I'm glad she
didn't have to go through it alone. She had her mother. She had Skinner. And
she had you." He looks up just in time to see Doggett drop his head.
"But we weren't who she really needed," Doggett sighs in resignation. "She
needed you. And she didn't let a day go by without letting us know. Don't get
me wrong. I know that she appreciated us. And no matter how much she tried to
deny it, she needed help. And we were there to give it. I didn't get to know
her very well, but it was easy to see how much she was hurting. I knew I
couldn't leave her alone. I felt like I had to be there. I couldn't help it.
I couldn't help wanting to reach out to her. I couldn't help wanting to comfort
her. I couldn't help . ." Doggett trails off, catching himself before he said
too much.
"Couldn't help falling in love with her," Mulder realizes. He watches Doggett
shift his eyes nervously around the room, unable to deny the accusation.
"She's easy to fall in love with. Trust me."
An uneasy silence settles in the room and the men stare uncomfortably at each
other, not sure of what to say. Both loved Scully. It was obvious now. But
she only loved one of them back. Doggett knew he never had a chance with her.
But that didn't stop him from loving her all the same.
The tension is broken by the arrival of a very special visitor.
"Emily," Mulder says when the little girl's head pokes through the door.
"Daddy!" she squeals excitedly, wanting to run into his arms, but remembering
that he was still hurt.
"Agent Doggett, do you mind?" Mulder asks, nodding towards Emily.
"Sure. I'll leave you two alone," Doggett says, moving towards the door.
"No, you don't have to leave," Mulder calls after him. "I just needed you to
lift her onto my lap if you would."
"Oh," Doggett blushes. "Well, I can do that, too." He picks up the little girl
and plants her on Mulder's lap.
"Mommy's just outside. She said she wanted to give us some time alone, Daddy,"
Emily explains.
"In that case, I think I will step outside and talk to her," Doggett says as he
excuses himself.
"I really missed you, Squirt," Mulder says to the little girl once Doggett is
gone. "But I knew it was for the best that you go live with your mother."
"She's really nice, Daddy. I like her a lot."
"Me too, Em. I like her a whole lot. And I remember how much I used to like
her before," Mulder tries to explain.
"You got back your memories of Mommy?" she asks with a worried look in her eyes.
"Does that mean you'll forget all about me?"
"No, Sweetie. It doesn't work like that. I'll never forget about you," he
assures her. "I've loved you for every minute that I've known you, Emily. Do
you understand that? You probably don't even remember the first time I met you,
but I do. You were so little. So helpless. That's when I started to love you.
And that's something I can never forget. Just like I never forgot that I love
Mommy. Because when I didn't even remember who I was, I remembered that I loved
you as soon as I saw you."
"I love you too, Daddy," she whispers sweetly, pressing a little kiss on his
cheek. She puts her arms carefully around his chest, taking care not to squeeze
him too tightly.
"Can I join in on this hug too?" a voice calls from the door. Mulder looks up
and smiles brightly at Scully. Even though he knew he wasn't dreaming seeing
her, he felt better being reassured by her presence.
"Of course. Come on over," he invites, holding out his arm to her. He places
his arm around her shoulder once she gets settled next to him on the bed.
"Perfect," he sighs, leaning back against his pillows and closing his eyes.
He's able to sleep peacefully knowing that everything in the world important to
him was secure in his arms.
* * * * * * * * * *
"Knock, knock. Can I come in?" a voice calls from the door.
Mulder looks up from the questionable lunch on his tray and smiles brightly at
his visitor.
"Mrs. Scully! Please, come in." He pushes the tray aside to make room for the
woman. "Tell me you've brought me something decent to eat."
"Sorry, Fox. Dana wouldn't let me. She said that hospital food hasn't killed
anyone yet. And that it won't kill you," Maggie Scully says with a laugh. "And
please. Call me Maggie. 'Mrs. Scully' is so formal."
"Okay, Maggie," he smiles.
"Fox, it's so good to see you back. Breathing. In one piece," she sighs.
"I guess sometimes it's hard for some people like me to be all three at once,"
he jokes. "Kind of like walking and chewing gum."
"I'm serious, Fox. We missed you so much. Dana especially."
"I know, Maggie. I'll never forgive myself for leaving her to deal with this
alone."
"I didn't even know about you being missing. Or about the baby. Not until a
month ago. She kept it all to herself for all that time. Her being alone to
deal with things is as much my fault as it is yours. I failed my baby girl,"
she sobs.
"Maggie, don't say that" Mulder admonishes, reaching up to brush away her tears.
"You're always there for her. Even when she pushes you away. You didn't fail
her. You're a good mother, Maggie Scully. The best one I ever had."
"You really believe that Fox?" More tears flood her face, but they're tears of
joy. Tears of pride.
"My mother was never really very . . . nurturing. But in the short time I've
known you, despite all the pain I've caused on your family, you've taken me in
and treated me like your own. For that, I'll forever be grateful. And for
that, I'll forever love you."
"Oh, Fox," she sobs again, folding him gently into her arms. "I love you, too.
Don't you ever forget that." She sits back to look at him and smiles. "Now,
you should make this official. Become my son for real and make an honest woman
out of my daughter," she hints. Her boldness brings a loud, nervous laugh to
Mulder.
"One step a head of you, Maggie," he smiles. He carefully reaches over to the
desk drawer and pulls out a small black box from inside. He opens the box and
turns it around to let her view the contents. The shine from the diamond
sparkles in her still moist eyes. "I had the guys bring this for me. I was
going to give it to her when I got back from my little ill fated trip to Oregon,
but a small case of amnesia got in the way. I decided now was the time. Don't
want to tempt fate again."
"Fox," she gasps. "This is beautiful." She fingers the intricate design of the
ring, marvelling at it's exquisiteness.
"I found it when my mother's estate was settled. Once I saw it, I knew I had to
give it to Scully. I was just trying to work up my nerve to ask her," he
blushes sheepishly.
"Ask her what? To marry you?" Maggie's eyes bulge. "Fox, I was kidding before.
I mean, I would love for the two of you to be married, but that whole thing
about making her an honest woman was just a joke. I didn't mean . . . "
"You don't approve?" he teases. "But Maggie, I'm begging for your daughter's
hand in marriage. Don't break my heart," he smiles.
"Don't tease, Fox," Maggie playfully swats at him. "You know I approve. And of
course you can have my daughter's hand in marriage. I just didn't want you to
think I was forcing you to do this."
"Maggie," Mulder says, grabbing her hand and suddenly turning very serious.
"Thinking you're forcing me to love your daughter is like thinking you have to
force me to breathe. I take air in my lungs because I need it. I love your
daughter because I need her. She's my life force. My everything. And with
your help, I want to proclaim that very thing before God and everyone important
to us. Before I leave this place, I intend on making your daughter my wife."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
2 days later . . . .
"Okay, you guys. What's going on here?" Scully demands to know. Her patience
was starting to wear a little thin. At first she was curious why they were all
there just staring at her with these goofy expressions. But they all seemed to
have temporarily lost their minds because no one was saying a word. Her mother
sent her here to light a few candles for Mulder, reminding her not to neglect
her faith. And when she finished praying, she discovered her mother was gone
and the chapel suddenly filled with her closest friends and family. Tara and
Bill were there, holding a squirming Matthew between them. Doggett and Skinner
were there. Which is strange because she could have sworn they went back to DC
days ago. Even the gunmen were there. She didn't even realize they were in
town. Her gaze finally falls on her daughter, sitting on Langley's lap.
"Emily, baby," she tries to coax it out of the little girl. "What's going on?"
"I can't say," she giggles, covering her mouth with her hand. "Daddy said it's
a surprise."
"Daddy? So Mulder is up to something." She glares at the gunmen, thinking she
could get one of them to spill the details. "Frohike," she says sternly.
"No can do, Sweet Cheeks. My lips are sealed," the small man replies. Byers
and Langley just look away, avoiding eye contact with her.
"Why won't anyone tell me what's . . . " her tirade is stopped by the sounds of
the chapel doors opening. She spins around and finally sees where her mother
disappeared to. At the entrance to the chapel, her mother stood behind a tuxedo
clad Mulder in a wheelchair.
"Mulder?" she gasps, one last attempt to gain a clue. "What's all this?"
He just smiles at her, never taking his eyes off of her as he motions for her
mother to start pushing him up the aisle. Maggie parks the chair right next to
Scully and puts on the brakes. Doggett and Skinner come up next and help the
man out of the chair, bringing him crutches to help him support himself. Scully
looks around and realizes that her and Mulder are standing at the alter. And a
priest has suddenly appeared before them.
"Dana Katherine Scully," Mulder says, reaching out to grab her hand. "I'm here
today in front of God and these witnesses to pledge my undying love to you. And
to ask you to make me the happiest man in the world by honoring my plea to marry
me."
"Mulder?" she cries. The tears are streaming down and she can't see the panic
stricken look on Mulder's face through her blurred eyes.
"Please, Scully," he begs. "I love you with all my heart. And I want nothing
more than to be a family. Me, you and the rugrats."
She hears the desperation in his voice and realizes that he's gotten the wrong
idea. She decides to very quickly put him out of his misery.
"How could a girl refuse an offer like that?" she laughs through her tears. She
leans over and kisses him deeply.
"I think that comes a little later," Frohike calls from the audience, eliciting
laughs from everyone.
"I take that as a yes," Mulder teases.
"Yes, Mulder," she answers. "That's a yes. I will marry you."
"Today? Right here? Right now?" he asks, to be sure.
"Today. Right here. Right now," she assures with a bright smile.
"In that case, take it away Father," Mulder signals and the priest begins the
ceremony.
The ceremony was short, both Mulder and Scully tiring of standing quickly. But
it was beautiful. Even Skinner had moments where his eyes weren't quite dry.
It was an event that everyone expected, but was surprised nonetheless when it
finally happened. A joining of two individuals. A making of one soul.
Mulder stares at his almost wife with a smile, not really noticing anything but
her. The words he was waiting for are finally spoken by the priest.
"Dana and Fox, I now pronounce you man and wife. What God has joined together,
let no man put asunder. Fox, you may kiss your bride."
Mulder smiles again, this time at his wife. Pulling her close, he gets ready to
seal their vows with a kiss when she mumbles something.
"You know, Mulder," she whispers. "They say when you get married, you may find
that while you're concentrating on saying the vows, the rest of the world just
fades away. All other everyday nagging concerns. The ticking of my biological
clock. Which isn't ticking so loudly these days," she says with a smile,
rubbing a hand gently across her belly. "How you probably couldn't afford this
nice ring on a G-Man's salary. Especially one considered MIA and wasn't getting
paid anymore. How I threw away a promising career in medicine to hunt aliens
with a crackpot, albeit brilliant, partner. Getting to the heart of a global
conspriacy. Your obscenely overdue triple X bill. Which by the way, will be
paid in full and then immediately cancelled." They both laugh, reliving that
day out on the baseball field.
"Shut up, Scully." He gently cups her cheeks and pulls her closer to him. "I'm
getting married here." His mouth lightly grazes her before finally making
solid contact. He pulls her even closer and fully engulfs her in himself,
promising never to let anything come between them ever again. A little jab to
his ribs reminds him otherwise.
"Sorry little guy," Mulder says, bending down to kiss her stomach. "I didn't
mean to squish you."
Fatigue finally overtakes him, and Mulder's forced back into his wheelchair, his
hand never leaving his wife's. He kisses it gently before finally releasing his
grasp on her. He holds out his arms to Emily, who eagerly climbs into her
father's lap.
"Well, Kid. Looks like we got our happily ever after. I told you we'd find
your mom. Our hearts found their way back to each other. We're all back
together again," he smiles, reminded of that day on their boat seemingly so long
ago.
"Forever Daddy?"
"Forever, Princess," he assures her.
"You promise?"
"Cross my heart and hope to die," he swears.
They're both surprised with a kiss for both of them from Scully. She takes
their hands and places them in a pile on her stomach. Mulder just smiles
because he finally knows what the future holds for him. A future so bright and
so close he can reach out and grab it. This time, he doesn't intend on letting
it go.
The End.