A/N: This might be a bit confusing. The words in italics are Mulder's thoughts for the first half and Scully's for the second half. Hope you can read them and understand it okay.
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Swimming through water, Mulder wished for land and he found it. It was right under his feet where it had not been a moment before. The water vanished and his clothes dried in a blink of an eye, leaving him standing in a large, empty field. He ran through the field, the long grass brushing his thighs as his long strides swept it to the side. Tiring, he lay down and thought of the ocean and suddenly he could hear the cry of a seagull and the lap of the waves softly hitting sand. He drew circles in the dry, golden sand beneath him and sat up to look down across the beach from his seat halfway up a sand dune. Hours passed as he watched the tide go out and the sun sink lower in the sky. Just as he was about to fall asleep, a sudden movement further down the beach caught his eye - it was Scully.
Mulder watched as she made her way along the beach, the fiery red of her hair gleaming in the dying sunlight. He had figured out by now that he was in some sort of transitional world - waiting between life and death to choose which way to go or have his way chosen for him. When he saw Scully he assumed that, for her to have been able to appear here, she must already be dead from her cancer. He walked towards her and saw as she stopped near the waters edge, her toes dabbling in the cool water. Unable to resist touching her for any longer, he reached out with his hand and hoped fervently that she would not fade away. She turned towards him and he gazed into her clear blue eyes for just a moment before enveloping her in his arms. He felt her relax into his chest and then shudder as a cold breeze swept across the ocean to them. Bending down, he hooked one arm under her knees and swiftly lifted her up, carrying her across the beach. They reached the small hut quickly and he laid her gently down on the bed when they got inside before joining her there.
He closed his eyes as he reclined on the bed and imagined a house with a balcony and a beautiful, green garden. When he reopened them he was not surprised to find that the room had changed into the one he had imagined. His arms felt empty without Scully in them so he got out of the bed and walked out to the balcony where she was standing. He wrapped his arms around her from behind and held her close, smiling contentedly when she leaned her head back into him. They watched the sunset in silence for a while although the sun never dropped any lower in the sky, keeping their world bathed in its orangey glow. Dipping his head down, he pressed a gentle kiss on her temple and she turned round in his arms so that she was leaning against the balcony railing, facing him. He felt a solitary tear leave his eye and roll down his cheek, saddened at the thought that her life had ended far too early. Reaching up to brush it away, he found that she had gotten there first and was caressing his cheek softly with her hand.
"I'm sorry it has to be like this Scully."
I'm sorry that you had to die before we could be together - you didn't deserve to die.
"What do you mean, Mulder? It doesn't have to be like this."
"Yes it does Scully. It's okay -this is how I want it."
I would give anything to be with you - and my life isn't worth living without you in it so it wasn't a hard decision.
"What?"
"If there's no other way then I'm glad it could be this way."
When you were sick, I wished that we could remain together always - that you wouldn't die but I suppose this is good enough.
"Mulder, I don't understand."
"It's beautiful here. It's much nicer than the world we live in with all its pollution and noise. It's so peaceful here - I'm glad I'm going to stay."
I'm going to stay here with you - my Scully - forever.
"Mulder, no! You have to get better. You can't stay here - fight it."
"I don't want to fight Scully...not anymore."
Not now I know that you're not there - that you're gone. There's nothing left to fight for.
"Mulder..."
Her voice faded away as she vanished before his eyes, leaving his arms empty and his heart aching for her to return. The sun finally dipped below the horizon, leaving his world shrouded in darkness. He closed his eyes and remembered her face, more certain than ever that he was going to continue on his journey to be with her instead of returning to a world without her.
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As she slept, SHE dreamed:
The deep red sun glowed in the darkening sky, its last rays of the day reflecting of the calm rippling of the ocean. The sand felt cool beneath her feet as she walked along the beach, heading towards the shoreline. She had just reached the cold water when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning, she found herself face to face with Mulder who was smiling sadly and pulling her nearer to him. Willingly she took the small step towards him to close the gap between them and sighed happily as his arms went around her, holding her tightly. She savoured his warmth for a moment but soon became aware of the crash of waves further along the beach and the cool wind that had come from nowhere. Feeling her shiver in his arms, Mulder bent down and scooped her up into his arms. He began to walk back up the beach and came to a halt in front of a small hut that Scully would have sworn was not there just moments before.
Carrying her inside, Mulder then lay her down on the soft white sheets on the bed after turning down the duvet. He slipped in beside her, pulling the covers up over them both and snuggling closer to her as she let her eyes close. Placing a gentle kiss on her forehead and stroking her cheek lightly, he lay back on his pillow and closed his eyes as well. When she opened her eyes, Scully looked around the room and found to her surprise that they were in a large room of a proper house. Although the sun was still setting when she looked out of the window, she could no longer hear the sounds of the beach. Confused, she eased carefully out of Mulder's grasp and got out of the bed, walking over to the window. She gasped in amazement as she saw a wonderful garden and she opened the French windows, stepping out onto the balcony.
She heard him come through the doors onto the balcony and sighed happily as he slipped his arms around her waist, holding her tight. When she felt the gentle warmth of his lips press against her skin she felt a change in his mood so she turned in his arms. Watching a lone tear fall from his eye, she immediately reached up to wipe it away. She left her hand on his cheek and stroked her thumb gently across his stubbly chin.
"I'm sorry it has to be like this Scully."
"What do you mean, Mulder? It doesn't have to be like this."
You could get better - you WILL get better.
"Yes it does Scully. It's okay -this is how I want it."
"What?"
How can you want this? How can you want to die?
"If there's no other way then I'm glad it could be this way."
"Mulder, I don't understand."
No other way for what? Why would you be glad that you're dying? - Not dying, he's NOT going to die!
"It's beautiful here. It's much nicer than the world we live in with all its pollution and noise. It's so peaceful here - I'm glad I'm going to stay."
"Mulder, no! You have to get better. You can't stay here - fight it."
You have to fight. I need you with me - I don't know if I'll make it without you.
"I don't want to fight Scully...not anymore."
"Mulder..."
"Dana ... Dana... wake up. You're dreaming."
Scully woke up to find her mother standing over her, shaking her shoulders slightly in order to wake her. She raised her head off of the bed and, remembering where she was, she reached up to touch Mulder's face. Maggie watched in concern as her daughter's face crumbled and a few stray tears leaked out of the corners of her eyes. She gently rubbed her back as she had done to comfort her when she was young, trying to banish whatever dream she had just had. Scully stood up and leant over his bed to press a gentle kiss on Mulder's cheeks, some of her tears landing on his skin and rolling down his neck unchecked. Just as Maggie opened her mouth to speak, Scully turned to her with a face so full of despair it stopped her short and she instead embraced her daughter in silence. Scully clung to her as the tears continued to fall and, when she finally spoke, Maggie felt her heart break for her daughter.
"He's given up mom. He doesn't want to fight. ... Why wouldn't he want to fight mom? ...Why doesn't he want to come back to me?"
