Thanks, PixieDustBunny, I um, fixed it. I wrote this part months after the first, so that thing kinda got forgotten. Sorry everyone.

December 24, 2013

In a living room, darkened except for the glow of the lights on the Christmas tree, a child, far too old to be waiting up hoping to catch a glimpse of Santa Claus, has spread his lanky form across the length of a couch. He fell asleep, without a blanket or pillow, his arm and leg on the right side touching the floor. He sleeps on his stomach, snoring slightly through his open mouth. Though he doesn't know it, the very ones he hoped to see are standing in the corner of the living room, casting their own glow.

"Fox, can't I just move that piece of hair out of his face, please?" Scully whispers, fidgeting with the sleeve of her white gown. Her husband smiles at her.

"Dana, you know once you touch him he'll wake up, and we'll have to leave. Let's just take a few more minutes to watch him sleep. In a few years, he won't be waiting up to see us on Christmas Eves anymore," he conjectures, putting an arm around his wife's shoulder.

"It's hard to believe he's thirteen. He's so tall, so mature looking. He could be your twin."

"But he still has your eyes," Mulder whispers. Scully smiles at him, her hand brushing his cheek. He looks nothing of the ragged, truth-seeking widower who set out in May of the previous year to save the world, and who, after completing his mission, having died at the hands of one he believed to be on his side. In the same respect, she looks nothing of the frail woman who succumbed to cancer, the same nasal pharyngeal tumor that she had beaten once before. They look as they did when their children were born. Young and healthy; eternally so.

"I'm glad the girls are sleeping well this Christmas. It was hard on them last year you know," Scully says, watching with contentment as her son sleeps, his eyes moving beneath his lids; consequent of another REM cycle.

"They're doing well. Monica's doing a great job of caring for them. I'm glad we listed her as the kids' caregiver in our wills," he contributes. She smiles, but noting the clock on the wall, the time draws near for them to go back.

"Once a year is not enough." Her husband nods sympathetically, fiddling with the tie on his white robe to avoid her eyes.

"We should go, sweetheart."

"Just let me give him a hug and get that hair out of his eyes.." Mulder laughs quietly but concedes, knowing how stubborn his wife is. She creeps across the living room, making not a sound, but leaving simply a silver glow in her wake. She embraces him quickly, and takes a split second to push the hair out of his eyes. She pauses for a moment, as he stirs slightly, before placing a gentle kiss on his now-exposed forehead. William opens his eyes, and at seeing his mother's face before his, says,

"Mom?" before quickly sitting up. He rubs his eyes, but when he opens them again, his mother is gone, but there is an unmistakable silver glow to the air. He touches his forehead, the spot where he felt her kiss, and glances at the silver dust on his fingertips, not with surprise or fear, if anything, he glances at it with a knowing smile, and an understanding, as he lowers his head to the couch to sleep again, saying,

"Merry Christmas, Mom and Dad. See you next year."

Author's Notes: This one took a lot of time and effort, despite its length. I had to find a tasteful way to deal with Scully's death, and tie into it the fact that they *do* end up meeting in Heaven sooner than Scully would've liked to have seen. I've included the lyrics to "Angel" the song that proved to be the inspiration for this entire story, which oddly enough, was originally going to deal with Mulder and Scully falling in love. (Letters from Heaven was not the title of the first one...) But I realized somewhere along the way, that character death was more fitting with the way the lyrics are sung, so I deleted the story and started all over again. Thanks for reading, and I hope you liked it.

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'Angel'

Sarah McLachlan

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Spend all your time waiting
for that second chance
for a break that would make it okay
there's always one reason
to feel not good enough
and it's hard at the end of the day
I need some distraction
oh beautiful release
memory seeps from my veins
let me be empty
and weightless and maybe
I'll find some peace tonight

in the arms of an angel
fly away from here
from this dark cold hotel room
and the endlessness that you fear
you are pulled from the wreckage
of your silent reverie
you're in the arms of the angel
may you find some comfort there

so tired of the straight line
and everywhere you turn
there's vultures and thieves at your back
and the storm keeps on twisting
you keep on building the lie
that you make up for all that you lack
it don't make no difference
escaping one last time
it's easier to believe in this sweet madness oh
this glorious sadness that brings me to my knees

in the arms of an angel
fly away from here
from this dark cold hotel room
and the endlessness that you fear
you are pulled from the wreckage
of your silent reverie
you're in the arms of the angel
may you find some comfort there
you're in the arms of the angel
may you find some comfort here

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Feedback always welcome! xxilovedaviduchovnyxx@yahoo.com

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