CHAPTER 1
Pachebel's Canon in D played softly as she walked down the aisle, a veil softly obscuring her vision. He walked next to her, his arm looped through hers. She had asked him to walk her down the aisle because he was the closet person to her. Not everyone agreed with her decision. Her brother had refused to come to the wedding because of it. But she didn't care, she was happy. They paused at the end of the aisle, and he lifted the veil to kiss her on the cheek. Dana stared up at him, and wondered again if she was making the right decision. He whispered to her "I'll always be here, no matter what." Then he put the veil back over her face and placed her arm in the arm of the man standing there waiting. He sat down next to her mother and the wedding mass began.
Dana got through everything up until the priest said, "Do you, Dana Katherine Scully, take Patrick Connor Malone to be your lawfully wedded husband, for better or for worse, as long as you both shall live?" She paused and Patrick looked at her questioningly. She closed her eyes for just a second, and imagined waking up next to Patrick for the rest of her life. Then she glanced at the man who had given her away. Fox Mulder was looking at the floor, diverting his attention from her and Patrick. The priest cleared his throat.
"I do," she squeaked out and the congregation let out a collective breath. The service continued.
* * * * * *
Five years later, Dana sat in the edge of her bed staring at a picture of her and Patrick on their wedding day. She remembered that day so vividly. The reception had been beautiful. She could still hear Mulder's toast to her and Patrick. It had been mumbled and delivered to the floor, but she had heard every word. "I hope you too are . . . umm . . . really happy. And I think you make a great couple." He had looked at her then, and said what she still heard in her dreams every night. "Scully, I hope this makes you happy, and ummm . . . I hope you know I will always be there for you. This will be good for you. Patrick, he'll give you everything . . . " Then he had trailed off.
They had had one dance together. He hadn't said anything to her during the entire song. They had dance to Bryan Adam's "Everything I Do, I Do It For You." At the end, he had whispered in her ear that he would, that he'd die for her, just like the song said. Then he had left. She had only seen him once since. He had stopped by right after the birth of her daughter, eight months after the wedding. He had brought her a gift. At first, Dana had thought it was just a stuffed alien. But when she looked closer, she saw that a delicate locket hung around the alien's neck. Inside was a picture of her as a little girl. She didn't know where he had gotten the picture, but the locket was such a thoughtful, beautiful gift, she didn't bother to ask. She just hugged him and closed her eyes against the secret that she was keeping from him.
Now five years later, she still hadn't told anyone the truth. Emma came running into her mother's room and jumped up onto the bed next to her.
"Momma, when is daddy coming home?"
"Soon, darling, soon." But Dana didn't know for sure. Patrick had been gone for a week, but not on business. She suspected that he was with one of his girlfriends. She had first found out about his cheating about seven months ago. At first, she had been sure that he would get over it soon, but it hadn't happened yet.
Last Monday, they had gotten into a huge argument. She had told him that she knew and wanted a divorce. He had said some hurtful things and accused her of cheating on him. She had denied it, of course. But then he had said that she was cheating with her heart because she would always love Mulder more than she loved him. He brought up the fact that before she said "I do" on their wedding day, she had looked at Mulder. She didn't know that he had seen. But that didn't justify him cheating on her. So she had asked him to leave.
The sound of the doorknob set her on alert. Emma ran out of the room, excited that her daddy was home. Dana was not. She stood up slowly, unsure what to say to her husband. She should have never married him. He had scared her Monday. He seemed so angry, ready to snap. There had been many moments like that during their marriage. He had never hit her, but he had come close. Their marriage had been one filled with abuse, just not the physical kind. Emotional and verbal attacks happened often in her home. So far, she'd been able to protect her children, but she didn't know how long she could keep it up.
When she had first met Patrick, she had been attracted to his quiet manner and dedication to his work. He had been working at Headquarters, in Accounting. She had run into him, actually run into him in the hall one day. They had got to talking and realized that they had a lot in common. After dating secretly for six months, they had finally told everyone. She remembered Mulder's reaction. He had feigned disinterest, pretending he was preoccupied with a case file. It had hurt her, but she didn't tell him.
Patrick had started drifting away from her shortly after Emma's birth. Something about her flipped a switch in him. He started drinking and disappeared for days at a time. She even suspected drugs about a year later. Then, just after their two-year anniversary, he joined AA and started to clean up. She gave birth to their son, Danny, a year later. After his birth, though, Patrick started his downward spiral again. She stayed with him, mainly for the kids, but she just couldn't do it any longer.
Dana headed for the back door, breathing deep to prepare herself for a confrontation she wasn't ready for. When she got to the kitchen, she looked around for Emma. The girl was sitting at the kitchen table with Margaret Scully.
"Hello, dear, I just stopped by to bring Emma the doll clothes she left at my house. And I picked up a little something for her and Danny on the way here."
She handed Dana a bag with cookies and candy in it.
"Oh mom, you shouldn't have. But thanks, and you know that the kids won't be the only ones enjoying these tonight. Emma, why don't you take a cookie for you, and take one to Danny."
"Ok Momma."
"Say thanks to your Grandma, Em."
"Thanks Grammy!" The girl flung herself at the older Scully, kissing her on the cheek. Then she grabbed two cookies and ran off toward the back of the house.
Margaret Scully looked at her daughter closely. "Dana, what's wrong? You seem troubled. Where's Patrick?"
Dana looked at the floor, the walls, anything to avoid looking her mother in the eye. When she finally looked up, tears overflowed and poured down her cheeks.
"Oh mom, I just, I didn't want to involve you. It's been bad for so long. I know I told you about his drinking, but he's cheating on me, and I think he's doing drugs. I told him last week that I want a divorce. And he's been gone since."
"Dana, you shouldn't have to go though this alone. Do you think he'll be back?"
"Well, mom, I kind of told him to . . . " The doorbell rang, cutting her off. She wiped her eyes and headed for the front door.
A young woman stood on the porch, looking nervous.
"Hi, is are you Patrick Malone's wife?"
"Yes, how may I help you?"
"Well . . . ummm . . . Mrs. Malone, I really don't want to be the one who has to tell you this . . . " She trailed off.
"Actually, it's Dr. Scully."
"Ok, well, Dr. Scully, I don't know if you knew this, but your husband has been having an affair for about a year and a half."
"I was slightly aware." Dana's tone was icy. "Is this affair with you?"
"No, no, it was with my sister. But, umm . . . well . . . the reason I am here is to tell you that Patrick and Jessica died in a house fire late last night."
Dana just gaped at her. "Excuse me? My husband is dead?"
"Yes. They said that they would come to notify you, but I thought I should do it. After all, my sister was having an affair with him." But Dana wasn't listening anymore. She had zoned out, was just staring past the woman, at nothing. Her mother walked into the room.
"Dear, what's wrong?"
Dana snapped out of it at that, and turned to Margaret.
"It's Patrick, he's . . . dead."
* * * * * *
Three days later, Dana was playing the part of grieving widow at her husband's funeral. She sat in her folding chair, holding little Danny, staring past Patrick's brother, Colin, giving the eulogy. She was looking over the flowers atop the casket at the blue sky. Figured that Patrick's funeral would be on a beautiful day. She glanced over at her mother. Her mother was sitting there, holding Emma, pretending, just like Dana. She was the only one who knew the truth about Patrick and her marriage.
She had decided to keep everything from Patrick's family. She genuinely liked them. They were good people, and she didn't want their image of their beloved oldest son tarnished. What would be the point? So she hadn't told them that he had been sleeping with Jessica Littrelle. She made up some lie about him doing some outside tax work to make a little extra cash.
She looked back at the sky, but this time, when she tuned her head, a dark sedan sat with the sun glinting off the hood. The driver side door opened. A tall, dark haired man stepped out and raised his sunglasses. Fox Mulder nodded at her, stood for a moment, got back into his car, and was gone. In those few seconds that he was there, she actually considered jumping up and running to him. But by the time the thought crossed her mind he was gone.
Dana looked back at Colin as he told of the great man his brother had been. They had asked her to give the eulogy, but she had told everyone that she wasn't ready to talk about him yet. But the truth was that she couldn't talk about what a great man he had been, because she didn't have anything to say. She couldn't think of him as a great man. All she could think of was the lies, the alcohol, and the other women.
Pachebel's Canon in D played softly as she walked down the aisle, a veil softly obscuring her vision. He walked next to her, his arm looped through hers. She had asked him to walk her down the aisle because he was the closet person to her. Not everyone agreed with her decision. Her brother had refused to come to the wedding because of it. But she didn't care, she was happy. They paused at the end of the aisle, and he lifted the veil to kiss her on the cheek. Dana stared up at him, and wondered again if she was making the right decision. He whispered to her "I'll always be here, no matter what." Then he put the veil back over her face and placed her arm in the arm of the man standing there waiting. He sat down next to her mother and the wedding mass began.
Dana got through everything up until the priest said, "Do you, Dana Katherine Scully, take Patrick Connor Malone to be your lawfully wedded husband, for better or for worse, as long as you both shall live?" She paused and Patrick looked at her questioningly. She closed her eyes for just a second, and imagined waking up next to Patrick for the rest of her life. Then she glanced at the man who had given her away. Fox Mulder was looking at the floor, diverting his attention from her and Patrick. The priest cleared his throat.
"I do," she squeaked out and the congregation let out a collective breath. The service continued.
* * * * * *
Five years later, Dana sat in the edge of her bed staring at a picture of her and Patrick on their wedding day. She remembered that day so vividly. The reception had been beautiful. She could still hear Mulder's toast to her and Patrick. It had been mumbled and delivered to the floor, but she had heard every word. "I hope you too are . . . umm . . . really happy. And I think you make a great couple." He had looked at her then, and said what she still heard in her dreams every night. "Scully, I hope this makes you happy, and ummm . . . I hope you know I will always be there for you. This will be good for you. Patrick, he'll give you everything . . . " Then he had trailed off.
They had had one dance together. He hadn't said anything to her during the entire song. They had dance to Bryan Adam's "Everything I Do, I Do It For You." At the end, he had whispered in her ear that he would, that he'd die for her, just like the song said. Then he had left. She had only seen him once since. He had stopped by right after the birth of her daughter, eight months after the wedding. He had brought her a gift. At first, Dana had thought it was just a stuffed alien. But when she looked closer, she saw that a delicate locket hung around the alien's neck. Inside was a picture of her as a little girl. She didn't know where he had gotten the picture, but the locket was such a thoughtful, beautiful gift, she didn't bother to ask. She just hugged him and closed her eyes against the secret that she was keeping from him.
Now five years later, she still hadn't told anyone the truth. Emma came running into her mother's room and jumped up onto the bed next to her.
"Momma, when is daddy coming home?"
"Soon, darling, soon." But Dana didn't know for sure. Patrick had been gone for a week, but not on business. She suspected that he was with one of his girlfriends. She had first found out about his cheating about seven months ago. At first, she had been sure that he would get over it soon, but it hadn't happened yet.
Last Monday, they had gotten into a huge argument. She had told him that she knew and wanted a divorce. He had said some hurtful things and accused her of cheating on him. She had denied it, of course. But then he had said that she was cheating with her heart because she would always love Mulder more than she loved him. He brought up the fact that before she said "I do" on their wedding day, she had looked at Mulder. She didn't know that he had seen. But that didn't justify him cheating on her. So she had asked him to leave.
The sound of the doorknob set her on alert. Emma ran out of the room, excited that her daddy was home. Dana was not. She stood up slowly, unsure what to say to her husband. She should have never married him. He had scared her Monday. He seemed so angry, ready to snap. There had been many moments like that during their marriage. He had never hit her, but he had come close. Their marriage had been one filled with abuse, just not the physical kind. Emotional and verbal attacks happened often in her home. So far, she'd been able to protect her children, but she didn't know how long she could keep it up.
When she had first met Patrick, she had been attracted to his quiet manner and dedication to his work. He had been working at Headquarters, in Accounting. She had run into him, actually run into him in the hall one day. They had got to talking and realized that they had a lot in common. After dating secretly for six months, they had finally told everyone. She remembered Mulder's reaction. He had feigned disinterest, pretending he was preoccupied with a case file. It had hurt her, but she didn't tell him.
Patrick had started drifting away from her shortly after Emma's birth. Something about her flipped a switch in him. He started drinking and disappeared for days at a time. She even suspected drugs about a year later. Then, just after their two-year anniversary, he joined AA and started to clean up. She gave birth to their son, Danny, a year later. After his birth, though, Patrick started his downward spiral again. She stayed with him, mainly for the kids, but she just couldn't do it any longer.
Dana headed for the back door, breathing deep to prepare herself for a confrontation she wasn't ready for. When she got to the kitchen, she looked around for Emma. The girl was sitting at the kitchen table with Margaret Scully.
"Hello, dear, I just stopped by to bring Emma the doll clothes she left at my house. And I picked up a little something for her and Danny on the way here."
She handed Dana a bag with cookies and candy in it.
"Oh mom, you shouldn't have. But thanks, and you know that the kids won't be the only ones enjoying these tonight. Emma, why don't you take a cookie for you, and take one to Danny."
"Ok Momma."
"Say thanks to your Grandma, Em."
"Thanks Grammy!" The girl flung herself at the older Scully, kissing her on the cheek. Then she grabbed two cookies and ran off toward the back of the house.
Margaret Scully looked at her daughter closely. "Dana, what's wrong? You seem troubled. Where's Patrick?"
Dana looked at the floor, the walls, anything to avoid looking her mother in the eye. When she finally looked up, tears overflowed and poured down her cheeks.
"Oh mom, I just, I didn't want to involve you. It's been bad for so long. I know I told you about his drinking, but he's cheating on me, and I think he's doing drugs. I told him last week that I want a divorce. And he's been gone since."
"Dana, you shouldn't have to go though this alone. Do you think he'll be back?"
"Well, mom, I kind of told him to . . . " The doorbell rang, cutting her off. She wiped her eyes and headed for the front door.
A young woman stood on the porch, looking nervous.
"Hi, is are you Patrick Malone's wife?"
"Yes, how may I help you?"
"Well . . . ummm . . . Mrs. Malone, I really don't want to be the one who has to tell you this . . . " She trailed off.
"Actually, it's Dr. Scully."
"Ok, well, Dr. Scully, I don't know if you knew this, but your husband has been having an affair for about a year and a half."
"I was slightly aware." Dana's tone was icy. "Is this affair with you?"
"No, no, it was with my sister. But, umm . . . well . . . the reason I am here is to tell you that Patrick and Jessica died in a house fire late last night."
Dana just gaped at her. "Excuse me? My husband is dead?"
"Yes. They said that they would come to notify you, but I thought I should do it. After all, my sister was having an affair with him." But Dana wasn't listening anymore. She had zoned out, was just staring past the woman, at nothing. Her mother walked into the room.
"Dear, what's wrong?"
Dana snapped out of it at that, and turned to Margaret.
"It's Patrick, he's . . . dead."
* * * * * *
Three days later, Dana was playing the part of grieving widow at her husband's funeral. She sat in her folding chair, holding little Danny, staring past Patrick's brother, Colin, giving the eulogy. She was looking over the flowers atop the casket at the blue sky. Figured that Patrick's funeral would be on a beautiful day. She glanced over at her mother. Her mother was sitting there, holding Emma, pretending, just like Dana. She was the only one who knew the truth about Patrick and her marriage.
She had decided to keep everything from Patrick's family. She genuinely liked them. They were good people, and she didn't want their image of their beloved oldest son tarnished. What would be the point? So she hadn't told them that he had been sleeping with Jessica Littrelle. She made up some lie about him doing some outside tax work to make a little extra cash.
She looked back at the sky, but this time, when she tuned her head, a dark sedan sat with the sun glinting off the hood. The driver side door opened. A tall, dark haired man stepped out and raised his sunglasses. Fox Mulder nodded at her, stood for a moment, got back into his car, and was gone. In those few seconds that he was there, she actually considered jumping up and running to him. But by the time the thought crossed her mind he was gone.
Dana looked back at Colin as he told of the great man his brother had been. They had asked her to give the eulogy, but she had told everyone that she wasn't ready to talk about him yet. But the truth was that she couldn't talk about what a great man he had been, because she didn't have anything to say. She couldn't think of him as a great man. All she could think of was the lies, the alcohol, and the other women.