From:             "Jim & Carol Gritton" <jimcaz@dircon.co.uk>
Subject:          New: Forever Autumn 1/1
Date sent:        Tue, 30 Sep 1997 17:48:42 +0100


TITLE: Forever Autumn 1/1

AUTHOR: Carol Gritton

E-MAIL: jimcaz@dircon.co.uk

DISCLAIMER: Fox Mulder, Dana Scully belong to Chris Carter, 1013 and
Fox TV.  They are used without permission, and no infringement of
copyright is intended.  

RATING: G

CLASSIFICATION: V, (?)MSR 

SUMMARY: Scully takes a walk on an autumn day.

WARNING: Character dead!

AUTHOR'S NOTE: The inspiration for this little piece came from the
song "Forever Autumn," sung by Justin Hayward, from the musical
version of "War Of The Worlds," by Jeff Wayne.  Elements from the
song appear in the story, but lines are not directly quoted.

Comments welcome at the above address.

Forever Autumn 1/1
by Carol Gritton (jimcaz@dircon.co.uk)

     Dana Scully woke to find the autumn sunlight streaming in
through her bedroom window.  She opened her mouth to say something,
then remembered that the space beside her was empty, as it had been
for the last three months.  There was no warm, masculine body or
comforting weight on the mattress beside her.  She still hadn't
gotten used to the fact that he was gone.

     The year was growing older. The season was changing - the summer
sun was fading, the nights were drawing in.   Autumn was already
under way, the leaves on the trees were beginning to sport the reds,
yellows and copper that one associated with that particular time of
the year.  Soon they would fall, and winter would come knocking at
the door.
     Dana stood by the window and ate her breakfast cereal.  It was a
beautiful day - just the thing for a walk in the country.  There was
something about this time of the year that gave Dana a warm feeling
in her heart.  Maybe it was the deep blue of the cloudless sky, or
the golden light cast by the sun as it hung low in the sky.  Perhaps
it was the cold nights and mornings that gave way to the warm, early
autumn days.  Or maybe it was because autumn had been Mulder's
favourite season.  Somehow, she hadn't been surprised by that. 
Autumn also carried an air of melancholy about it, and so had Mulder.
 The two had been ideally suited.

     Dressed in leggings and ankle boots, with a warm Polar fleece
top over her t-shirt, Dana steered her car in the direction of the
Virginia countryside.  Out of the corner of her eye, she could see
birds flying overhead, on their way south, to sunnier climes.  A
flock of geese, flying in their characteristic `V' formation, honked
noisily as they passed above her.
     Dana stopped the car and sat for a moment, before getting out
and striking off on a little used trail.  As she strode out briskly,
she recalled the first time she had gone walking with Mulder. She had
been surprised to find that he even liked walking in the country.  He
had called her up one Sunday afternoon and asked if she would like to
accompany him on one of his walks.  Recalling his previous comment
about `a nice trip to the forest,' she'd almost declined but
curiosity about this aspect of her partner had gotten the better of
her, and she'd said yes.  
     As she might have expected, he didn't use the well worn, marked
trails that everyone else used.  He opted for a small, barely visible
path that disappeared into what looked like thick forest - the very
path she was on now.  As they had walked, Mulder had explained that
he liked to get out of the city now and again, and that the peace and
quiet also gave him time to think.
     "Think about what, Mulder?" she had asked.
     "Oh, you know, Scully," he had replied with the characteristic
shrug of his shoulders.  "The meaning of life... are we alone in the
universe...  The usual mind boggling questions that we all ask
ourselves from time to time."

     Dana smiled as she thought of it now.  If ever there had been a
man of contradictions, Fox Mulder was it.  He had seen and
experienced untold horror in his life, yet could find beauty and
peace in the simplest of things.  The Virginia countryside had been
his favourite place to come to on his precious weekends.  Dana had
come to love it too.  They loved the quiet, the way the sunlight fell
through the trees, dappling the woodland floor.  They used to kick
their way through the golden carpet of leaves, giggling like
children.
     Dana's small feet crunched on the crisp, curling leaves.  She
came to a clearing, with a moss covered stump that Mulder had sat on
when he'd first told her that he loved her.  That seemed eons ago
now.  They had shared many moments of happiness and pure joy on these
walks - Dana closed her eyes, and could see Mulder sitting on the
tree stump, his head thrown back and the rich sound of his unbridled
laughter filling the air around them.
     Now all she could hear was the whispering of the trees in the
gentle breeze.  The clearing was bathed in a golden glow from shafts
of sunlight that penetrated through the trees.  It was so peaceful,
save for the sound of birdsong, but even the birds seemed to be
singing in such a way as to make it unobtrusive, knowing that it was
the peace and quiet that she craved.
     Dana could almost feel his spirit beside her, hear him asking
her in an amused voice what she was doing there.
     "Just thinking, Mulder," she said softly.  
     The leaves rustled as a sudden gust of wind blew, and Dana felt
something wet on her face.  She put her hand up and found a lonely
tear rolling slowly down her cheek.
     "Oh, Mulder... I miss you."
     Without Mulder, life would be forever autumn.

The End