She'd been walking across the sunflower field for what seemed like forever. Above her the sky was blue and cloudless, and the sky was all she could see, lost in the middle of the massive flowers.
She kept walking, trying to find a way out, but there seemed to be no end to the sunflower field. She wore a long green dress and the gauzy fabric got tangled in the stalks of the lower dry leaves, hindering her progress.
Everything around her was silent, even the wind blowing through the flowers made no noise. She was reminded of something, something that had nothing to do with sunflowers and bright blue skies; something darkly painful.
The sound of laughter came across the sea of flowers like a lifeline. Voices of a man and a child. The first more familiar than her own, the second so much a part of her own.
She followed the voices. Slowly, a tree began to rise over the flowers. Soon, she had left the sunflower field behind her. Before her the flatness of a wide pasture was broken by a single tree.
Two figures were sitting under the massive tree. She ran to meet them. Emily looked up at her and said with childish severity, "You're late, mummy."
"She's right, Scully," Mulder said, smiling, "Where were you?"
She stood there, unable to speak. She should be happy. But something inside her kept reminding her that Emily wasn't supposed to be there, and a sense of dread filled her.
Mulder was still smiling when the hole began forming right beneath him. He fell through, but only for a second. Then, he seemed to remain suspended in mid-air, a hand stretched out to her, as the hole continued to widen.
Scully reached out, but before she could get hold of him, a frightened voice called, "Mummy!"
She looked back; Emily was standing on the edge of the gapping hole, soon she too would fall in. Scully wanted to yell, she wanted to order the child back, but she found herself voiceless.
She looked at Mulder. He still wasn't falling, but soon the hole would be too wide for her to reach him. Softly, his lips formed the word, "GO."
She hesitated just a second before running to Emily, but the child didn't seem to be frightened anymore, and the hole didn't seem to be widening anymore. Scully looked for Mulder, but he had disappeared in the dark depths of the unfathomable gap.
When she looked back at Emily, the child was smiling serenely. "You're too late,
mummy."
*
The door to Mulder's apartment opened silently on well-oiled hinges. The sharp sound it made while closing gave rise to no movement inside the apartment.
Beyond the hall and in the darkness, the living room couch was clearly empty. Next to it, the door to the bedroom was slightly ajar, and it made no more noise than the front door upon being pushed open.
Mulder lay in bed, the bedclothes jumbled around him. Scully stood in the middle of the room for a moment, watching her sleeping partner.
Then, she started to undress, laying her clothes mindfully on top of a nearby chair, until she was wearing nothing but a soft colored camisole. Carefully, she slid into bed. Keeping her back to him, she moved gently until her body touched his.
She felt him waking up. He rose slightly and she could tell he was staring at her. A hand stroke her face, followed by his breath. "Dana?"
She kept her eyes closed and didn't move. His arms circled her waist and he pulled her closer. "I won't ask," he said.
She turned around, resting her head on his chest. Soon, the steady rhythm of his breathing told her he'd gone back to sleep. Only then did she allow herself to relax.
She kept walking, trying to find a way out, but there seemed to be no end to the sunflower field. She wore a long green dress and the gauzy fabric got tangled in the stalks of the lower dry leaves, hindering her progress.
Everything around her was silent, even the wind blowing through the flowers made no noise. She was reminded of something, something that had nothing to do with sunflowers and bright blue skies; something darkly painful.
The sound of laughter came across the sea of flowers like a lifeline. Voices of a man and a child. The first more familiar than her own, the second so much a part of her own.
She followed the voices. Slowly, a tree began to rise over the flowers. Soon, she had left the sunflower field behind her. Before her the flatness of a wide pasture was broken by a single tree.
Two figures were sitting under the massive tree. She ran to meet them. Emily looked up at her and said with childish severity, "You're late, mummy."
"She's right, Scully," Mulder said, smiling, "Where were you?"
She stood there, unable to speak. She should be happy. But something inside her kept reminding her that Emily wasn't supposed to be there, and a sense of dread filled her.
Mulder was still smiling when the hole began forming right beneath him. He fell through, but only for a second. Then, he seemed to remain suspended in mid-air, a hand stretched out to her, as the hole continued to widen.
Scully reached out, but before she could get hold of him, a frightened voice called, "Mummy!"
She looked back; Emily was standing on the edge of the gapping hole, soon she too would fall in. Scully wanted to yell, she wanted to order the child back, but she found herself voiceless.
She looked at Mulder. He still wasn't falling, but soon the hole would be too wide for her to reach him. Softly, his lips formed the word, "GO."
She hesitated just a second before running to Emily, but the child didn't seem to be frightened anymore, and the hole didn't seem to be widening anymore. Scully looked for Mulder, but he had disappeared in the dark depths of the unfathomable gap.
When she looked back at Emily, the child was smiling serenely. "You're too late,
mummy."
*
The door to Mulder's apartment opened silently on well-oiled hinges. The sharp sound it made while closing gave rise to no movement inside the apartment.
Beyond the hall and in the darkness, the living room couch was clearly empty. Next to it, the door to the bedroom was slightly ajar, and it made no more noise than the front door upon being pushed open.
Mulder lay in bed, the bedclothes jumbled around him. Scully stood in the middle of the room for a moment, watching her sleeping partner.
Then, she started to undress, laying her clothes mindfully on top of a nearby chair, until she was wearing nothing but a soft colored camisole. Carefully, she slid into bed. Keeping her back to him, she moved gently until her body touched his.
She felt him waking up. He rose slightly and she could tell he was staring at her. A hand stroke her face, followed by his breath. "Dana?"
She kept her eyes closed and didn't move. His arms circled her waist and he pulled her closer. "I won't ask," he said.
She turned around, resting her head on his chest. Soon, the steady rhythm of his breathing told her he'd gone back to sleep. Only then did she allow herself to relax.