Last Wish

Part 20

By

Trycee

Time-Line: Alternative Universe. Season 10 After Home Again and before My Struggle II.

Disclaimer: This is written for fun, not profit.

The ride from the airport in Jackson Hole to the Van DeKamps home was the longest ride of Scully's entire life. They were being driven by a local Jackson area FBI who met them at the airport. The blacked out SUV maneuvered the windy rocky back roads past cows and fields filled with crops. Scully could tell that Mulder too was growing anxious, the closer they got. The driver turned down the long windy road and stopped. A crowd of farmers and families standing next to their pickup trucks were gathered at the opening of the roadway blocked with wooden workhorses by the local Jackson Police. The crowd as well as the local news van were lined around the edges of the road, all staring in the same direction.

Beyond them in the distance, Scully and Mulder could see the front of the Van DeKamps home lined with local Police and FBI cars parked. Several officers stood outside talking while others searched the fields and dilapidated buildings on the property. They were finally waved on through the barricade and their SUV raced off towards the home. As they neared, Scully threw opened the door and jumped out. The driver slammed on his brakes. Mulder followed behind her and ran towards the front of the Van DeKamp's. Skinner waited until the driver pulled in front of the house before he stepped out. Scully flashed her badge to the officers gathered and made her way up the steps into the living room. She stopped and scanned the scene in front of her, the home her son had grown up in. She noticed the room several FBI Agents mingling with the local cops all guarding her son. Scully sighed in relief the moment she saw him. William dropped his game control on the floor and raced into her arms, hugging her tightly. Mulder stepped up and wrapped his arms around them both, cherishing the feel of his family.

Scully touched William's cheek and sifted through his hair. "William," she said, as she hugged him. "Are you okay, honey? Are you alright?".

He could feel her heart beating fast. She pulled back and looked into his matching blue eyes. "Are you hurt?"

William smiled. "I'm fine, mom."

Mulder placed his hand on William's back, patting him softly. Scully was busy checking him for bruises and hugging him, wiping at the small salty tears that gathered in the corners of her eyes. William chuckled as Scully fussed over him. He grinned as Mulder winked at him, completely understanding how he felt.

A man in a dark suit approached them, his hand outstretched. "I'm A.D. MacMillan."

Mulder shook his hand. "Agents Mulder and Scully... Williams parents."

He nodded. He had no doubt in his mind that they were in fact his parents. William looked exactly like them. "We're investigating what happened to his adoptive parents. Honestly, it's like they just vanished."

"Ah, I see, " Scully chimed in.

"Honestly, we can't really tell you what happened. You can ask you son, but their cars are still here, Mrs. Van DeKamps purse and his wallet with money in them. No clothes was taken. Everything is in it's place."

Skinner walked up behind them and shook MacMillan's hand. Mr. MacMillan stepped away from them and followed Skinner to a quiet corner where they could speak alone."Walter, we arrested the two Agents you sent here. We've dusted the entire house for prints and accessed each room. But you didn't fill me in on much. I couldn't interrogate those two Agents. We have them in a holding cell. You just told me the adoptive parents were missing and to protect the boy."

Skinner looked around. "Those two Agents...I'll talk to them before they're sent to Quantico."

MacMillan nodded his head. "What do you know that happened here?."

"They're gone," Skinner added. "Taken away."

MacMillan looked alarmed. "By who? We got the boy's statement and he said he woke up and they weren't here."

Skinner looked around the living room. Scully and Mulder were surrounding their son, with Scully searching what she could reach of William's scalp for bruises. He'd seen her do that a million times to Mulder. Skinner's eyes caught sight of the daybed in front of the window with a circular table next to it full of medicine bottles. He realized it was William's sickbed prior to being treated and healed by Scully. He swallowed hard, realizing that had the Van DeKamp's not found Mulder and Scully, William would've died in that bed.

"We're checking their resources, " MacMillan continued. "So far what we know is that the family owed a large sum of money on the farm and were on the verge of losing it. Medical Bills for the boy. There's no signs of forced entry. Looks to me like they suddenly ran off during the night. The question is, why?"

Skinner turned his attention back to A.D. MacMillan. "I'll leave it to you to investigate it."

MacMillan turned to his Agents and ordered, "Wrap up everything in the other rooms."

His Agents dispersed leaving the local cops to clean up after their investigation.

Scully was still fussing over William. "Did you eat?", Scully questioned.

William dipped his head down, a curved smile on his lips."Yes, mom...," he chuckled. "They ordered me a pizza."

Mulder kept his hand on William's shoulder as he surveyed the activity in the home. Local Police and FBI agents were swarming the living room and moving in and out of the kitchen and racing up and down the stairs to the upper level.

Skinner turned to them. "We have a plane to catch."

"Come on, Scully," Mulder said. "Let's get his belongings."

Scully looked at William. "Where did the Van DeKamp's keep your photos? Your baby book?"

William turned and walked over to inset bookshelf. He placed several colorful photo albums on the coffee table. Mulder walked over to William's book bag and dumped out his school books, replacing them with the photo album and then tossed it unto his own back. Scully spotted a photo of the Van DeKamp's. Mr. Van DeKamp had his hand wrapped around his wife, seated in the grass. She looked so happy as they posed for their photo. "Did you take this pic?", Scully asked.

"Yeah," William sighed. "I took it last week. They were trying to get me to talk to them but I was giving them the silent treatment," he said, as tears flooded his eyes.

Scully gripped him as he cried over her shoulder. "It's okay," she whispered. "It's alright. Why don't we add this photo to the bookbag," she said, handing it off to Mulder.

William wiped his eyes with his sleeve. "Come on," he sniffled, struggling to clear his throat. "My bedroom is upstairs."

Skinner and MacMillan looked away as Mulder and Scully followed William upstairs. Two officers waved them on but William shook his head. He waited until they were finished and had left. William walked into his bedroom and immediately veered towards his closet grabbing his suitcase and filling it with clothes from his dresser drawers.

Scully stood in the doorway, looking around at the room she had often envisioned. This was the place he had spent the bulk of his life. She realized that her fantasies fell short of what he actually had. William's room was colorful and full of sports paraphernalia and awards. The Van DeKamp's had matching furniture and colorful bedding. His room looked like it came from the cover of a magazine. She was amazed as she looked around. She wasn't sure she could've created a better room for her son herself. William turned to her. "Yes, you can. They hired a lady from their church who put this together. I've had this room like this since I was eleven. It was a dream room as a kid, but now...," he said, looking around. "I'd prefer some Bob Marley posters or something."

Scully smiled warmly. "Alright."

Mulder picked up one of William's baseball trophies. "Your bringing these, right?"

William shook his head no. "That's from my old life," he sighed.

Mulder cocked his head to the side. "It's okay to keep these things, son. This is still your accomplishments."

"You're right," William said. "Besides, girls love athletic guys."

Scully shot a look to Mulder who smirked and winked back at her. "They do!," he said, gazing at Scully. "That's how I snagged your mom."

Scully rolled her eyes and turned away from Mulder, trying to hide the redness of her cheeks.

"Okay, I'm gonna just say, GROSS," William added.

Mulder and Scully smiled to themselves. William found an empty box in his closet and started filling it with his awards and sport trophies.

Scully touched her hand on the walls of his room, as she slowly moved in further, examining every corner. "They cared a great deal about you."

William nodded. "They did."

"Do you remember what happened last night?", Scully asked.

William sighed heavily, his mind going back to just hours before. "No. I know those things were after me. I woke up on their ship. They were saying they were going to keep me. They were angry that I hadn't died from my tainted blood. So they were going to harvest my organs."

Scully looked nauseated. "What!", she choked.

"But I fought back," William added. "I just remember falling back to earth and being back in here," he said, looking around him. "And my parents were standing there," he said, pointing to the doorway. "What happened after that, I can't remember. I woke up this morning and when I couldn't find them, I had a sinking feeling that they were taken."

Scully touched his arm. "Will the aliens come back?"

"No," he said. "They're not coming back for me. They're done with me."

Both Mulder and Scully looked puzzled. "They're defeated," he continued.

Mulder sighed in relief. "They recognize that the prophecy WILL happen. We will fight against them."

"Yeah," William added. "When they come back, they're coming back to usher in colonization."

Scully searched Mulder's eyes and then turned back to William. "Come on," Scully said. "We're gonna take you home."

The UnRemarkable House, Somewhere in Virginia:

Scully walked out onto the porch. It was a bright sky blue day as she look out into the fields surrounding their home. She could hear laughter and so she strolled over to the side of the front porch. She spotted Mulder sitting just beyond the house with William at the picnic table. They were both breathing heavily, trying to catch their breaths from playing touch football for nearly an hour. Scully noticed they were both covered us in both grass and dirt stains. They were laughing as William tossed a football up into the air. The screen door slammed, startling Scully. She turned to see her mother with an apron tied around her waist. "How long are they gonna be out there?"

"I don't know," Scully sighed. "I really don't want to disturb them," she said, still watching them. "This is all Mulder wanted. This father-son time. He couldn't be happier."

Maggie gripped the railing and smiled. "He's grinning from ear to ear."

"He is," Scully answered, beaming as she observed them.

Mulder looked like a proud father as he teased William; their laughter drifted back to the porch. Scully could feel her heart swell as she observed them. Maggie reached out and touched her daughter's arm. "Your so happy. I've never seen you so happy, Dana."

"Not since he was born," Scully said in a small voice. "And when Mulder held William in his arms."

There was a long silence as her mind drifted back. She watched as Mulder stood up and snatched the ball from William's hands. William turned and ran back to a designated area and waited, ready to leap in the air at any moment. She watched as Mulder threw the ball high and William weaved back and forth on his feet, catching the spiraling ball and then spiking the ball onto the ground. Mulder walked up to him and then grabbed him, playfully wrestling him to the ground until William screamed out 'Uncle'. Mulder stood up and rustled William's hair as they ran back into place to toss the ball all over again.

Maggie turned her attention back to her daughter. "How's he adjusting?"

"Well...", Scully smiled. "He did cover his room in Bob Marley posters. Some stuff we had him take down. We're both FBI Agents," she said, with her eyebrow raised. "Just the weed paraphernalia ones."

"Ah!", Maggie chuckled.

"But, he seems to be adjusting pretty well. Oh, I think he already has a girlfriend..."

"Really?", Maggie grinned. "Already?"

"He's the newest thing at the local high school. Most of the girls around here are all local so here he is, tall and handsome and from a different state, so yeah. We've had a few girls show up here," Scully said, shaking her head. "There's nothing out here for miles," she smiled.

Maggie grinnned but grew quiet for a moment. She turned towards Scully. "Has William mentioned the Van DeKamp's?"

Scully sighed heavily. "I've found him crying in his room a few times but he's not really talking about it. He can't remember what happened."

"What about you? How do you feel?"

Scully looked into her mother's eyes. "I'm grateful to the Van DeKamps."

"I understand", Maggie added.

Scully crossed her arms in front of her. "Just think about it. If it weren't for them seeking us out, William would've died without us ever knowing him."

She turned to look back at her mother. "Because of Adoption Laws, we would have been forced to wait until his eighteenth birthday before we could seek out information about him. I can't imagine the horror we would've endured to learn that he had died at fifteen. I don't think I could function... I just can't...," Scully shivered, trying to shrug off the thought. "The Van DeKamp's found us. They sought us out and helped us save him. Despite our disagreements, I really wish I could thank them. They were trying desperately to save his life and now he's here with us."

Maggie smiled as she watched her healthy grandson run for the ball and catch it. "It was a blessing."

"It was."

"What did the judge say?"

Scully smiled. "He granted us permanent custody."

Maggie clasped her hands together. "Wonderful."

"I don't want to forget the Van DeKamp's or their sacrifice," Scully said, looking out as William ran circles around Mulder before racing back in place for Mulder to throw another spiraling ball into the air. They watched as William caught it. Scully continued, "I don't want William to forget them either."

"I saw you added their photo to the wall with the family photos."

"They raised him. They kept him safe. They sought us out and sacrificed themselves for him. I'm more than grateful to them that right now, my son is running around healthy, wearing out his father and we get to not only see it, but spend the rest of our lives with him, thanks to them."

Maggie patted Scully's back, nodding in their direction. "Go on, Dana. Go!"

Scully smiled, a sparkle in her bright blue eyes. She turned and bound down the steps. She was shorter without her heels and was dressed casually in jeans and a t-shirt, just like they all were. Mulder watched as Scully walked straight up to him and stood on her tips toes, pressing her lips to Mulder's.

He smiled and winked at her, "Two against one Scully?"

"Sure, why not", she said, marching over to where William was waiting.

She high-fived William and then turned facing Mulder. He held up the Ball and tossed it up into the air. William, being taller reached up, and grabbed the ball out of the air. He held his hand up, keeping it high above her head. But William had underestimated how tough Scully was. She tackled him to the ground, grabbing the ball from him , ready to run to Mulder who held out his hands as the goal line. William grabbed her leg and Scully toppled over him, landing on the soft earth. "Ah, shoot!", she whined.

Mulder chuckled. "I should've taped this."

"NO," Scully screamed, her face flushed as she chuckled. "I wouldn't want this on Youtube or wherever kids post things nowadays."

"Why not, Scully?", Mulder teased. "I bet it would go viral."

"No way!", Scully said, shaking her head.

Mulder reached out and clasped her hand, lifting her up on her feet.

"Yeah, mom," William added. "Maybe you could fall again and we can capture it," he said, whipping out his phone.

Scully looked at Mulder, her eyebrow raised. "Don't either of you dare!"

Mulder encased Scully into his arms and kissed her soft lips repeatedly until he tired. "Our boy is home, Scully."

She sighed as she observed William tossing the football up into the air. "It's a dream come true."

"It is," he said, still holding her.

"Come on," William whined. "Kiss later. I want to run this ball."

"Okay!", Scully declared, stomping off towards the diving line in the grass. "This time, I'm going to beat you."

"Not on your life!", William smiled.

"I'm staying out of this", Mulder chuckled.

"Good choice, dad", William huffed as he ran circles around him. Mulder quickly reached out and snatched the ball out of William's hands and tossed it to Scully. William looked surprised as Scully cradled the ball and raced towards Mulder and tapped his hand. She tossed the ball down. "TOUCHDOWN!", she whooped and hollered.

"You cheated!", William grinned. "That's not a score."

"It counts!", Mulder smirked.

"I'm scoring next!", William said.

"We'll see about that," Scully grinned.

Maggie stood back, watching them as they laughed and fumbled around in the grass. She smiled to herself and look up towards the heavens. She said a silent "Thank You" before watching them for a few more seconds.

"Grandma!", William screamed out. "You be the goal line. It's now me against you BOTH. I'm gonna win!"

Maggie smiled and then bound the steps to join them. She grabbed the ball and then stood in place. Mulder and Scully joined William at the end of the field.

"Watch", William warned. "Get ready to lose!," William trash-talked.

Scully locked eyes with Mulder and he smiled, kissing her fingers entwined with his. They turned back towards their son, listening to his threats. Scully's smile made Mulder stop in place. He bent down, kissing her lips again. "Come on, Scully. Let's show him how it's done."

Scully nodded her head, determined. "Let's do this!"

THE END

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