From: pbfloyd@ix.netcom.com(Thomas Ethridge )
Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative
Subject: NEW: Children's Books and Cappuccino 1/1
Date: 4 Dec 1995 21:14:51 GMT


*** I wrote this while going through some old boxes of my own. it's a
relationship story (no sex) that also involves the death of Melissa.***

Disclaimer: All characters herein belong to FOX, CC and 10/13.

I love to hear what you think, mail me at pbfloyd@ix.netcom.com
Enjoy_jen

This is for a dear loved one who left too soon. Paw Paw, is the sky
green today? Can you see me now? I love you, forever.


Children's Books and Cappuccino
By Jennifer Ethridge


Dana Scully took the last box out of her car and shut the trunk. "Ok,
that's the last one." 

Fox Mulder groaned slightly as he picked it up. "Good, I was beginning
to wonder how much longer I would have lasted like this."

"It's only three floors."

"You would pick the one day the elevator broke." He walked into the
apartment building and began climbing the stairs.

"Just be glad we weren't on the elevator when it broke."

Mulder didn't answer, he was too busy concentrating on the fine art of
breathing.

Finally, they reached Scully's floor. Putting down the box by her door
Mulder sighed. "What's *in* these anyway?"

Scully pushed open the door, "I'm not sure, mom just said that Melissa
would want me to have them." She shrugged. "Missy was a packrat,
*anything* could be in there." She felt herself beginning to choke up.
Mulder gave her a concerned look.

"Do you want me to go?"

She smiled slightly. "Why? Mulder, you of all people should
understand."

"Which is why I'll go, if you want me to."

Scully didn't want him to know how much she needed him, but didn't want
him to leave either. "No, stay. I can't unpack all of this myself."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded.

Mulder sighed inwardly, relieved she wasn't going to throw him out.
"Ok, where do we start?"

Scully walked over to a box already perched on her coffee table. "How
about this one?" She took her key and broke the tape. Then she pulled
the sides open, while Mulder looked on.

Opening her mouth in an 'o', she looked inside. "I can't believe it."

Books, tons of books, were packed inside. "This is amazing, she must
have every last one in here."

"Books?" Mulder picked one up. It was a children's story book. Opening
to a page at random he read:

"I never did I never did, I never *did* like
	'Now take care dear!'
I never did, I never did, I never *did* want
	'Hold my hand.';
I never did, I never did, I never *did* think much of
	'Not up there dear!'
It's no good saying it. They don't understand."

Scully smiled softly. "I've always loved that one." 

Mulder watched her face, she was truly reliving memories, she looked
like a little girl.

Scully picked up another book. "I thought we had lost this one." She
flipped through a few pages, then stopped when she came to the one she
wanted.

	"Just around the corner
	You just might meet
	A happy young dinosaur
	Walking in the street.

	Just around the corner
	You just might see
	An elfman riding
	On a bumblebee.

	Just around the corner
	You just could sight
	Something most unusual
  	If the times are right."

Mulder tried to come up with his own verse. "Just around the corner ,
you just might see, um, an alien? Oh well, the inspiration left me."

Laughing, Scully put the book down. "Want something to drink? I just
bought a new cappuccino maker."

"Do you know how to work it?"

"I sat up last night reading the directions, I sure as anything
*better* know how to use it." She disappeared into the kitchen.

Mulder glanced into the box. Picking up another book he flipped through
the pages. Some of the stories contained within were familiar to him,
others he had never seen before. 

"...and your bright and tiny spark
lights the traveler in the dark
though I know not what you are;
twinkle, twinkle, little star."

He smiled. "now *that* could be taken anyway you wanted. Scully would
laugh and tell him he was crazy. She had a habit of reminding him he
either saw a ghost or an alien around every corner. When would she ever
believe?

His gaze turned towards the kitchen, Scully...Dana. She had been through
a lot lately. Losing her sister to the same people that had his father
killed. 

Probably hardest for her was the fact that Melissa's death had been
accidental. Scully was the one whom the bullet was meant for.

*She's strong* he thought *She won't give up.* But she also wouldn't
let anyone in. Mulder was worried. It wasn't healthy to hold sorrow in.
Especially the amount Scully was carrying.

The sounds of the cappuccino machine roused him form his thoughts. He
turned back to the books. Scully entered the room carrying two cups of
coffee. "Here."

Mulder took the mug with a 'thank you', then turned back to the book.
Scully picked up one as well. Then laughed. "Hey Mulder."

"What?" He looked up from 'The Red Shoes'.

"Listen to this:

	'Ladies and gentlemen, pray how you do?
	If you all happy, me all happy too.
	Stop and hear my merry little play,
	If me make you laugh, me need not
	    *make* you pay!"

"What the devil was that?"

"Punch and Judy."

Mulder thought for a moment. "They're the two puppets that beat each
other with sticks, right?"

"There was a baby that punch threw out the window as well."

"Resulting in quite a wham on the head from Judy, I'm sure."

Scully laughed. "Did you ever see one?"

"What, a Punch and Judy show? No, I didn't"

"My dad took me to see one once. My mother wouldn't go, she couldn't
stand the violence."

Mulder smiled, then turned back to his book. Turning a page he came
upon a new story. 'The Snow Queen'. *Hmm, probably not a good choice.* 
Instead, he put the book down and stood up. "I'm going to make another
cup. Want one?"

Scully looked at her mug. "No, I'm fine." She turned another page,
smiling over the memories.

Mulder walked into the kitchen. He looked at the cappuccino machine for
a moment. There were a ton of things hanging off of it. Shrugging, he
unscrewed the cap on the top.

A sound like a gunshot filled the room.

Coffee grinds flew everywhere, on his clothes, in his face, all *over*
Scully's kitchen. He wiped his eyes and looked around. Scully was
standing in the doorway, eyes wide open.

"Mulder, what *happened* in here?"

Wordlessly, and with a shameful look on his face, he handed her the
cap.

Glancing at it Scully shook her head. "Mulder, did you ever take the
time to read the cap?"

-- contents under pressure  DO NOT REMOVE !!!

He hung his head. "I'm sorry."

She looked at him, then at her kitchen, then at him again. Then she
laughed.

Mulder looked up. Scully was beautiful when she laughed. It was a rare
occasion that she would, but when she did, she lit up the room. He
couldn't help it. He started to laugh too.

Once they calmed down, they began to clean up the disaster zone. Soon,
the kitchen was a kitchen again. Scully stepped back and admired their
work. "Not bad." Then she looked at Mulder. "You, on the other hand..."

He looked down at his coffee covered shirt.

Scully reached out her hand. "Give me the shirt, I'll throw it in the
wash."

Mulder hesitated for a moment, then shrugged. Taking of his shirt, he
handed it to Scully. He still had on a tee shirt underneath. What was
he so nervous about?

Scully took the shirt from him, and walked over to the laundry closet.
Although reeking of coffee, it still smelled like *him*. She resisted
the urge to hold it up to her face. *Get a hold on yourself Dana.* 

Throwing the shirt in the washer and pouring in detergent she sighed.
She didn't want Mulder to leave, and it scared her a little.

Returning to the living room she once again found Mulder with a book.
He looked up as she entered. "Listen to this one Scully."

"Where am I going? I don't quite know.
Down to the stream where the king-cups 
grow---
Up on the hill where the pine trees blow---
Anywhere, anywhere. *I* don't know."

Scully closed her eyes. *Missy...*

"Where am I going? The clouds sail by,
Little ones, baby ones, over the sky.
Where am I going? The shadows pass,
Little ones, baby ones, over the grass"

<<<< "Dana, it's *my* book." She held her hands over her hips.

"Come on Missy, just let me read a few."

"Fine, but you're not leaving this room with that book. If you read
them at all, you read them *here*."

Pouting, Dana climbed onto her sister's bed. She began to turn the
pages, reading the poems. When she stumbled on a few lines, Melissa
grabbed the book, aggravated.

"Here, give it to me." She opened to a page and began to read. "Where
am I going?...">>>>

"If you were a cloud, and sailed up there,
You'd sail on water as blue as air
And you'd see me here in the fields and say:
'Doesn't the sky look green today?'"

Scully felt the tears gather in her eyes. *Is the sky green today
Missy, can you see me?* The memories flooded back.

<<<< "Missy, how can the *sky* be green?"

"It's a *poem* Dana."

"I know, but you didn't answer my question."

Melissa laughed. "I guess you won't take no for an answer, huh?"

The red haired girl on the bed smiled impishly. "Nope."

"Ok then, hmm. I guess, well, think of it this way. When you stand on
your head, doesn't the floor seem like the ceiling?"

"I've never stood on my head before."

"Look, just take my word for it, okay?"

But that didn't satisfy the little Dana. She jumped off the bed, and
attempted a headstand.

Laughing, Melissa shook her head. "Dana, you're impossible.">>>>

"Where am I going? The high rocks call:
'It's awful fun to be born at all.'
Where am I going? The ring-doves coo:
'We do have beautiful things to do!'

If you were a bird, and lived on high,
You'd lean on the wind when the wind came by
You'd say to the wind when it too you away:
'*That's* where I wanted to go today!"

A single tear fell down her cheek. Absently, she brushed it away, as
Mulder read on. Her mind was far in the past.

<<<< "Give me the book Dana."

"Can I just borrow it tonight, *please*?"

She shrugged. "Oh, go ahead, but I want it back *first thing* in the
morning.">>>>

Scully smiled ruefully. Melissa didn't get the book back for nearly a
month. The tears fell freely.

"Where am I going?  I don't quite know.
What does it matter where people go?
Down to the wood where the blue-bells grow---
Anywhere, anywhere. *I* don't know."

Mulder looked up from the book. "That was cute, don't you think?" Then
he saw Scully, leaning against the wall, eyes closed, tears streaming
down her face. 

"Dana." He jumped up and ran over to her. "What's wrong?"

She looked up through the tears. "Missy read that poem to me once. It
was her favorite book. She..." Breaking into sobs, Scully couldn't
finish.

"Shhh." Mulder pulled her into his arms, letting her cry.

Scully clung to him like a lifeline. She thanked God for Mulder. He was
always there for her, one way or another. She wasn't sure what she
would do if she lost him. Just the thought of losing him brought even
more tears.

As he held her Mulder closed his eyes. He wanted to always be able to
do this, to hold her, let her cry on his shoulder. He wondered if it
was possible. He and Scully. Forever. Or would it just end, would she
be taken away from him? He held her even tighter.

They stood like that for some time, then Scully pulled back, wiping
her eyes. She glanced up at Mulder. His eyes were full of concern,
and...something else. Scully couldn't figure out what. She
smiled. "Thank you."

"Feel better?"

She nodded. They walked back over to the couch and sat down. Mulder
picked the book back up and glanced at the poem he had just read.
Frowning slightly, he looked up at Scully.

"How can the sky be green?"

Scully smiled. Mulder, have you ever stood on your head?"
			*
		            FIN