From: Scott Miller Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative Subject: NEW: Two Separate Paths (1/3) By Kathryn Miller Date: Sun, 26 May 1996 23:09:46 -0500 (CDT) Okay, first off, this is not a very happy story for all the fans that want to see our heroes as a couple. It centers around Scully mostly. If this was a movie, it would be a chick-flick due to the onslaught of romance. This is *not* part of the All Things series, though I am working on another part of it. Rate: PG13 for mild language and adult content. I can't even drive yet, so how far can it go, right? Mulder, Scully, and any other characters belong to Chris Carter, 1013 Productions. No copywrite infringment is intended. Eleanor Perkins, Nora Lance, Mark Gibbonds, and a few other minor charcters belong to ME! I don't know why, but if you decide to use my characters, you can, assuming you get my permission. _________________________________________________________________________ Two Seperate Paths (Become One) By: Kathryn (Kate) Miller __________________________________________________________________________ Four years ago, on that very day, he left. Four years he remained missing. No one heard from him. Eventually no one cared; not even his own partner. She moved on. They were walking back from a meeting at Skinner's office and he never came back. The only thing that remained was a cryptic radio message. Now, on this, the anniversary, she could not help but remember. FBI Building The Basement Office October 17, 1997 "That was a very unfair accusation. We didn't run up that large medical bill. They had to have combined two partners! Neither of us even got hurt!" Scully was furious. She and Mulder were returning from a tell-tale meeting at Skinner's office. "You're right, Scully, he needs to try and get a better reason to vent his anger at us than make up an outragous medical bill. He's getting a little rusty," Mulder agreed in a very monotone voice. Scully rounded the corner on the way to their office and said, "Okay, Mulder, what's the next case look like. Tell me it's an X-File, I am desperate. All we've had lately are elementary cases... Mulder...?.... ... Mulder?" She was puzzled that he hadn't responded, so she wheeled around to face and empty cooridor. At first she thought he had stopped off at the bathroom. She believed that, in fact, until the minutes turned into a half an hour. She checked with the security guard to see if he had left, but they had no record of it. Scully began to get worried. She met with Skinner who told her not to worry go home. Once at home things went from no so good to horrible. Killer met her at the door due to his hunger. Scully swore the little pomeranian only loved her for her food. She fed the yappy dog and settled into her couch to watch TV. The hours passed, she never heard from Mulder. She eventually went to bed. Sleep, however, did not come. "I HATE INSOMNIA!" Scully yelled at the top of her lungs. Killer jumped from her side and hid under the bed. "Sorry fella. Come here. That's it, good boy. Instead of yelling, I'll turn on the radio, how's that?" Scully reached over the sleepy dog and turned on 99.5. They played mostly soft rock and she was sure it would put her to sleep. "Hey folks. This is Jack McAllastair filling in for Beverly Fox. We have several dedications tonight, and let me tell you, some of them are from some really weird people. First of all, to Mandy from Tyler, 'I love you, come back.' To Wally form Sherry, 'I don't want to see you again, you freak,' To Allison from George, 'If you ever touch my cat again, there's a place for you in cat-hell', and last, to The Ice Queen from Spooky, 'Sorry I can't see you again, sometimes people have to take two separate paths. I'll see you again. Get a life.' Now, here's 'If You Ask Me To' for Alisha." Scully couldn't believe her ears. The message had to be for her. No one else had those nicknames. 'Why, Mulder?' was all she could think of. Tears were welling up in her eyes. Even though she knew she'd probably never see him again, she still smiled at him telling her to get a life. She suddenly felt an empty hole in her life. The partnership she and Mulder shared was special in every way. Half the Bureau thought they were sleeping together, but Scully didn't love Mulder that way. He was more of a big brother and best friend. Eventually the tears fell and Killer moved due to precipitation. No good-bye, no real explanation, no reason, typically Mulder. Maybe he'd found Sam, but surely he would have said something to the person she *thought* had trusted her. If there was one thing that she *had* learned from Mulder it was to trust no one. Apparently that applied to her partner as well. Scully would have to tell Skinner, she would be assigned to Pathology, and she would have to get a life. Mulder would be nothing more than a few years of fond and very wierd memories. She eventually cried herself to sleep. The Next Day AD Skinner's Office "Come in, Agent Scully. Did Agent Mulder come to work today?" Skinner asked, offering her a chair. "That's what I came to talk to you about." She said, sitting in 'her' chair. "Yes?" "He won't be coming to work again. You can shut down the X-Files...permanantly." "What?" "I received, through channels I don't wish to reveal, that Agent Mulder has unofficially resigned from the Bureau. I don't think that we will ever see him again." "What are you going to do, Scully?" As Skinner spoke, his tone changed. He went form the *boss* to a caring person that saw the hurt in another's person's eyes. He never understood Mulder, and never would. Eventually Scully would get over him, he knew that. She was one of the strongest people he had ever met. "I wish to be assigned to the Pathology Division. If I don't have to work on the X-Files, than I want a semi-regular life. If it isn't too much, I wish to be transferred there immediately." "Scully, can we speak off the record?" "Isn't it unusual for you to ask to talk off the record?" "Scully? Don't shove me away. You oviously need to talk about this, and I sure as hell, am better than that so-called phycologist down stairs." "Yes sir." "How are you holding up?" "Fine, I guess. I mean, well, I'm confused. Why did he do it? What we had... what we had was good, we were good. No one else came even close to our level of solve-rates. We were a hell of a team, and he runs away. I know he's wierd, but not so much as to just run off like that. He should have at least left me more than that damn radio message." "What radio message?" "That was the 'channel' I was talking about." "Scully..." "Yeah, Skinner, I know. It might have been a plant, but I just don't think so. Call it intuition, call it *woman's* intuition, call it ESP, I don't care, but I know that it was him that said that. He even used out nicknames." "Scully, I'm sorry." "Don't be. I will get over him. He said so himself. Maybe now I'll actually get that life that if supposed to exist on this plane." "Don't wallow." "I won't. I'll be elbow deep in corpses and won't even notice." "Well, then, I'll see you in Pathology tomorrow." "Yeah." Scully said, getting out of her seat. "And Skinner?" "Yes?" "Thanks. You helped." Scully closed his office door softly, said goodbye to Kim, and returned to her ex-office. As she straightened Mulder's files, she had a strange calmness about her. Perhaps her talk with Skinner had done more than reassure her, perhaps it also closed her wound. She would miss her spooky partner, but her short period of mourning was over and she was ready to begin again in Pathology. She herself was suprised at how quickly she was over him. She packed the last of his files in his desk, dusted off his desk, and placed the plastic sheet over it. her mind told her. With that, she lifted the cover and took his picture of Samantha. She also removed his 'I want to believe' poster from the wall. Scully moved to her desk, packed her feeble things, and was about to leave when she remembered one thing. She took *her* X-File, covered everything else, and turned the lights off; closing that chapter of her life. "Goodbye, Mulder," She said quietly as she softly closed the door for one last time. October 17, 2001 Scully's House in Alexandria "Queequeg! Where are you?" she beckoned to her dog. Surely he would be hungry. "Queequeg?" She continued to walk around her brand-new house calling to the pom. Scully had been working in the pathology division for four years and she had finally received clout. She saved her money and purchased a home that sat a few blocks from the Potomac in Alexandria. It was three bedroom, four bath, had a large kitchen, a huge fireplace in a roomy living room, and an extra room that was her study and a play room for the kids she someday wanted to have. Scully hadn't dated very mych due to her work, but she had resigned herself to looking for that man, now. She had recevied the promotion that put her in charge if the department; meaning regular hours, no suprises, and an office. She was thrilled. This was her dream and she had finally reached it. "There you are, boy. Hungry?... I thought so. Come on." She led the still-yippy dog to the laundy room and fed him. "Now you won't whine, right? Not likely," She muttered under her breath. Scully left the munching pomeranian and settled into her couch with a mug of hot chocolate. Mulder's anniversary had only occured to her once and she honored him with a glass of Merlot and thought nothing more of it. In four years she was never sad when she saw something that reminded her of the years she'd spent with him. She simply looked on in happiness. As Skinner, the new director, had suggested, she would not wallow. She had just gotten comfortable in her couch when the doorbell rang. "Oh, damn! Who the hell is that? It's ten o'clock for crying out loud!" She got up and walked to the door. The one thing that she hated about her house was that she couldn't see out the peep-hole, she was too short. "Who is it?" "Scully it's me." "Oh my god." She opened the door and faced her ex-partner. "Mulder." "Hi, Scully. Can we come in?" He greeted her happily. "Who's we?" "Scully, meet my wife, Eleanor, and my son, Eric." A medium-sized, strawberry blond appeared behind Mulder holding a year-old little boy. "Hello, please, come in." "Thank you, Miss Scully." Eleanor said. "Please, you can call me Dana." She said, smiling sweetly. Scully welcomed them into her house and led them into the living room. She was appauled and very angry. What right did he have to just show up at her door with his family and on his own anniversary too. She had to note, though, that he looked absolutely beside himself with happiness. Eleanor was not what she had seen as his type. She was only 5'7" with a neutral hair color, and a typical build. She was not a tall, busty, blond as she had always seen him liking. Eric had his mother's hair but his dad's entrancing eyes. He would have girls all over him when he grew up. Eleanor had put Eric on the floor, removed some cars from his diaper bag, and was playing with him. One look, and all of her anger faded. "Can I speak to you, Scully?" Mulder asked, motioning to what he thought to be the door to the kitchen. "Sure, Mulder, but we won't both fit in that closet." "Okay, try the kitchen then." "Better." She agreed as she walked ahead of him and into her colonial kitchen. "I'm sorry, Scully, I didn't mean to show up unannounced like this, and especially not on the day I left you." "That's okay. I'm over you." "I'm glad." He paused, then... "Geez, how are you, Scully?" He asked, hugging her warmly. There was no way that she could possinly be mad at him. His apology had been more than sincere, it had been loving. "I'm happy, Mulder. I was just promoted to the head of the Pathology Division and actually have a real work day schedule now. I just bought this house and am really happy. I jusy need a man." "Can't help you there. I wanted so badly to tell you personally that I was leaving, but I would have broken down and never gone. I hope you can find it somewhere in your heart to forgive me." "Oh, Mulder, I forgave you a long time ago, I just wanted to know why...why you left." "I was offered a position as the head of a research team in Tucson, Arizona. All of the remnants of unidentified, ungovernemt-found, material were sent to us, and our job was, and still is to try make heads and tails of the scraps hoping to find consistencies and such. Frankly I was sick of the loops *we* kept finding ourselves in, and I wanted out of the Bureau. This gave me the opportunnity. Everything was perfect, I just needed a way to say goodbye to you, so I came up with the radio thing. I had hoped, by some miracle, you would hear it. Did you?" "Thank god for insomnia, or I wouldn't have. Could you have been more cryptic, though. I talked to Skinner the next day and was transferred immediately. I never really thought of you unless I saw a UFO or something. But you probably don't care. How'd you meet Eleanor?" "I ran into her, literally. Actually, it's a funny story. Want to hear it?" "Sure, but we left Eleanor in the other room, and I just bet that she could add some things to the story." "You're right. Let's go find her." They walked into the living room where she was running her toy truck into Eric's. He giggled as she made crashing noises. It was all serene and Scully felt more and more ready for her own children. "Elly, Scully wants to hear how we met." "Oh, okay. I think you'll find it funny, Dana. Honey, you start." "Okay, so here I was, middle of the night, and I'm drifting off..." Applering Road Tucson, Arizona August 26, 1998 It was late and Mulder was very tired. The research team had spent that last two days trying to figure out a completely new substance. As it turned out, the whole thing was a very elaborate joke, and no one was very happy about it. As he drove down the road to his apartment, he began to dose off. It didn't help at all that it was also pouring down rain. Though he was only out for a few seconds, it was enough to run a stop sign and run into another car. "Oh, shit!" He yelled, climbing out of his car and running over to the other car which was in much worse shape. He was a little woozy, but well enough to run. "Oh my god, oh my god." He peered into the passenger side of the car and saw a woman slumped against the driver's door with blood streaming down the side of her head. No one else was in the car, so he ran to the uncrumpled side of the car. He used a piece of glass to cut the seatbelt away and gently layed her on the pavement. Mulder checked for a pulse, which there was one, and then used his phone to call 911. He sat next to her in the rain and held pressure against her head, slowing the bleeding slightly. He had retreived a blanket from his car and was sheilding her as much as he could from the rain. Five minutes passed and he began to hear the wail of sirens to his left. The ambliance arrived and loaded her into the back. Another paramedic told him to call a taxi and go home. He was also ordered to call the police the next day. The next morning, after calling the police and his insurance company, he picked up some flowers and drove to the hospital. He hoped against hope that she had not bled to death. When he arrived, he walked over to the attendant. "Excuse me, miss?" He asked cautiously. "Yes, sir?" She asked. "Can you tell me where the woman brought in late last night from a car wreck is?" "Um, hold on, please." She walked over to the desk and began thumbing through some files. "She's on the fourth floor, ask the attendant when you get up there exactly where she is." "Thank you," he said, walking toward the stairs. He was very much suprised that she had been so willing to give him the information. He only hoped that the room was not the morgue. When Mulder reached the fourth floor he did as he was told and located another attendant. He asked where she was and was led to a private room. He had an overwhelming sense of deja-vu as he looked at the woman through the window. She had obviously been cleaned up, with stiches on her forehead. She was wide awake and attentive, lying on her back and staring at the ceiling. What was suprising was that there was no one with her and there was an absence of flowers and cards. He opened the door slowly and walked in. "And you would be?" She asked nervously, turing her head to look at the very handsome man that walked nervously into her room. "Uh...I'm the person that ran into you last night." He said, looking very sheepish. "Oh, really? Feeling guilty are we?" "Yeah, actually. Oh, um, these are for you," He said looking around for something to put the flowers in. He located an extra water jug and placed them in it. He then set them on the stand next to her bed. "I just wanted to apologize. No, I wasn't drunk and I wasn't talking on the phone, I sort of fell asleep." She laughed softly and began to speak with a little more assurance, "Actually, I owe you a thanks. The paramedics told me that you covered me up and slowed the bleeding on my head. They also said that if you hadn't, I would have either bled to death or caught pneumonia. You may have totaled my car, but you also saved my life. Thank you." "Your welcome, I guess. Geez, I don't even know your name." "Eleanor Perkins. And you?" "Fox Mulder. Call me Mulder please." "Strange name. I think I like it. You can call me Eleanor. Oh, and feel free to have a seat. Can I ask what you were doing out so late?" "I work on the Millan Research Team." "Oh, that would explain everything. Rumor has it that you have been known to spend all hours of the day working on those 'projects.' Are they really about UFOs and things?" "Yeah. What were you doing out so late?" "I run the Perkins Nursery. We had some crysanthumums wilt and I was trying to make sure all of the other plants were okay." "Oh. How did you come up with the name 'Perkins' Nursery?" "Very funny." Mulder finally sat down and spoke again, "So, I noticed that you don't have any family here." "They were all killed in a plane crash. I had to finish a college exam, so I wasn't on the plane with them." "Oh, I'm sorry. At least you know what happened to your family. I'm estranged from mine. When I was 12, my sister was kidnapped by someone or something. My parents blamed it on me, and I hardly ever spoke to them. My father was murdered last year." "Wow, and I thought I had the most depressing family. Why was your dad killed?" "Do you really want to know?" "I'm intrigued, so yes." "I'll have to start from the beginning then and it will probably take quite awhile." "I don't think I am going anywhere." She said, smiling. "First of all, I have to ask... do you believe in the paranormal?" "Actually I do, and believe me, I have beem ridiculed becuase of it." "Hey, me too. Well, I told you about my sister. I said that someone or something killed her. Well, I am under the impression that aliens abducted her." "That's a possibility. I believe that we are not alone in this universe," she said smiling. Mulder could not help but notice how beautiful the woman before him was. Take the bruises and scratches away and she would be quite the looker. Not that her ailments made her unattractive, not at all. To Mulder's utter suprise, he found himself falling in love with her. A voice told him. It was the same one that made Mulder blame himself for everything. Then another, more optomistic voice sounded, Mulder snapped back from his reverie and said, "If only Scully could hear you say that?" A look of slight disappointment crossed Eleanor's face briefly, but not quickly enough that Mulder, who was trained in the ways of perception, thanks to Scully, didn't pickup on it. "And this Scully, she would be...your wife?" "Oh, no, she was my partner." "Your partner?" "Yeah, I'll get to her in a minute. On with my story if I'm not boring you." "No, please, continue." "Okay, well, Samantha, my sister's, abduction led me to an obsession which remained even after I graduated from Oxford and was recruited into the FBI. I worked in the section called Violent Crimes because I apparently had a knack for getting inside the heads of vicious killers and helping profile them. My profiles eventually led to their capture. Well, this was all well and good, until I happened to come across what the government liked to call X-Files. They were the stowed away reports of UFOs and werewolves and ghosts and things that were kept in the lowly basement of the FBI Building. Generally the things that the government did *not* want being investigated. Needless to say, they had not anticipated me, and so, with the backing of a Senator whom I was friends with, he pulled a few strings and I began the X-Files Division. Bored yet?" "Oh, no. Actually I am even more interested now and might be liable to hurt you later if you got up and left." "Okay, well, the "higher-ups" as I called them, did not want me on the X-File, so they assigned me a spy. Her name was Dana Scully and she *was* sent to spy on me. She was a pathologist who's beliefs centered around scientific explanations. She was my opposite. After a couple of cases, though, we gained a trust that was undeniable. Scully and I had the highest solve-rate in the Bureau and, try as they might, they could not separate us. We worked insepearbly togther." "So, what kind of things did you investigate?" "You name it, we did it." "Gee, let's make this a game, shall we? I guess and you tell." "Fine with me, I already told the group that I wasn't coming to work today." "Okay, let me see, you mentioned, werewolves?" "Yep, in Montana. And, like folklore said, you shoot them and they return to normal." "Neat, okay, how about vampires?" "Slept with one." "You didn't?" Eleanor said with a shocked look on her face. "I did. Her name was Kristen and I was feeling depressed, so I let her seduce me while I was shaving." "Was it, you know, any different?" She asked, bashfully. "Nope, it was a little disappoiting really. I had Scully on my mind." "Speaking of her, where was she during all this?" "Yeah! Another long story. Before I start, do you want anything?" "No, but if you do, I'll be glad to wait." "I'm fine. Scully and I had been separated becuase we did something that 'they' didn't like. While we were apart, I was called into a hostage situation. Apparently a man by the name of Duanne Barry, a supposed abductee, had stopped at a travel agency because he couldn't remember where his abduction site was. He had with him a doctor which Barry intended to use as a replacement for his own re-abduction. Scully came in to help me and discovered that he was an ex-CIA agent. He was a chronic liar becuase of an injury. Anyway, I saved the people, but Barry was shot again. He escaped from the hospital, no now know how, and broke into Scully's apartment while she was on the phone with my answering machine. All I heard was her scream, "Mulder! I need your help." I was terrified and tried as hard as I couldto save her, but I failed. She showed up dying in a Georgetown hospital outside of D.C. She was going to die, but miraculously recovered." "Wow, great story." "Oh yeah? Well it gets better. While the whole Barry scandle was going on, I had been given a replacement partner named Alex Krycek." "Sounds like an evil person." "You have no idea. Anyway, I later found out that Krycek had helped kidnapp Scully. Sixth months after Scully's return Krycek killed both my father and Scully's sister." "Oh my god. You two lived a hard life." "I'm glad it's all behind me." "Please, continue." Mulder and Eleanor talked for another five hours, against the nurse's wishes. They covered every case that Mulder could think of and all the while he fell more deeply in love with Eleanor. Not only was she the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, but she was almost as strong as Scully. No one would ever be as strong as her, but Eleanor radiated inner strength and intelligance that was almost blinding. She was witty, funny, and very kind. Mulder could not think of a single thing that he disliked about her. Eleanor felt the same way. The stories of Dudley, Arkansas, Donny Pfaster, the Kalishari, the clones, Deep Throat, Mr.X, and the mysterious Smoking Man were more interesting than anything she had ever read in a book. Mulder was smart, had a very dry, macabre sense of humor, was tall, dark, and handsome, *and* sensitive. He offered to get her something every thirty minutes, and was always asking her if he should leave. There was no doubt in his mind that she had met the man that she was certainly destined to marry. She thought that seven hours was surely not enough to decide who your husband would be, but now she wasn't so sure. "Mulder?" "Yeah?" "There are a couple of questions I have been waiting to ask you." "Fire away." "Not funny if your talking to a man who used to be armed constantly." "Your right. Try this: Ask away." "Better. Now...uh...why did you and Scully call each other by your last names?" "I called her Scully becuase it was originally meant to keep her from ever getting close to me. After a while, though, it held as much emotion as 'Dana' ever would. No one's called me Fox becuase Sam did and it always hurt after she disappeared. I suppose, if I ever get married, I'll let my wife call me that if she wants. To Scully, Mulder was as intimate as Fox too." "I see. Okay, why are you telling me all this. Given your past, shouldn't you be worried than I'm not a government spy?" "I asked myself that, too. I guess I'm telling you because my instinct, which is usually right, told me that you were a very honest person that I could trust." "Thank you. Okay, one more thing." "Sure." "Why'd you leave?" "I got sick and tired of being stepped all over. I told myself I would never give in, but I couldn't stand seeing Scully keep taking the wrap for me and always getting kidnapped. She was the sister I lost and I wasn't going to lose her too. So, all I could do was leave her a message via radio, hope she would heard it, and I left. I know that if she would get the message she would understand." "Do you think she heard it?" "I hope so. I really hope so. Are you sure you don't need anything. I should be going." "Are you sure?" "Yeah, I've been here for seven hours. You need your rest." "Okay, but could you lift me up so that I am leaning against the headboard. I guess I'll have to watch TV." "Absolutely." Mulder walked to her side, put his arms around her back and lifted her gently up, fluffed her pillows, and made sure everything was perfect. When all was said and done, he was only a few inches from her crystal blue eyes. He sank into hers and she likewise was lost in his. Before either knew what was happening, his lips claimed hers softly. They stayed that was for a few seconds until Mulder pulled away gently. "I'll see you tomorrow, then?" he asked softly, looking at her with loving eyes. "I'll look foward to it," she agreed. =========================================================================== From: Scott Miller Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative Subject: NEW: Two Separate Paths (2/3) Date: Sun, 26 May 1996 23:10:14 -0500 (CDT) Two Separate Paths - Part 2/3 Mulder turned and walked out of her room, waving at her from behind the window. She smiled warmly at him and thought, She sat in a trance for a couple of minutes, replaying the kiss in her mind, the feel of his soft lips, and then she reached for the phone. She dialed her lawyer's number and sat patiently as it rang. "Evan Smith, may I help you." A harsh voice sounded from the other line. "Yes, I'm Eleanor Perkins, the woman in the accident." "No need to identify yourself, Elly, how are you?" "So much better than I would have ever imagined." "Really? How so?" "Long story, but I have to talk to you abour the charges against the other driver." "Oh, yes. We found a name. It appears that he was an FBI agent, turned research head named Fox Mulder." "I know." "How?" "I spent half the day today talking to him." "Elly! You know better than to do that!" "I know, I know, but, well, Evan I need you to do something for me." "Whatever you want, Elly." "Drop all charges against him." "You are plum nuts, but you are also in charge so, though I will never understand it, I'll see to it right away." "Thanks, Evan." "Your welcome. Have a good night, Elly." "You too." Scully's House October 17, 2001 "Way to go, Mulder," Scully said smiling. It really was a sweet story. "Some poeple will do anything for love, huh?" Elly said. "You have no idea." Scully said, nodding her head. "Hey, Scully, why aren't you married?" "No dates, what do you think?" "Makes sense. Hey, Elly, Eric's out like a light. Scully, can we borrow a bed so he can sleep." "Sure, Mulder. Elly, why don't you follow me." Scully got up, waited for Eleanor to join her and led the way down the hall toward her back bedroom. She walked in, turned the light on, and watched as Eleanor set the sleeping child down gently on the bed. She brushed a fuzzy lock of hair of his forehead and kissed her boy goodnight. "You love him a lot, don't you?" Scully asked Eleanor quietly. "With all my heart. You have to hear how he proposed to me." "How?" "Can we go to your room? Fox will be fine, I just don't want to wake Eric." "Fine with me." Back in the family room, it became apparent, as he expected, that the two women were not going to return soon. He suspected that his wife was telling Scully about his proposal. Mulder fidgeted for some time, looked around like a very bored little boy, located the remote, and truned the TV on. He acted like a typical male, flipping wildly through all 57 cable stations, finally settling on "Them" the scary flick of the night on TNT. It was one of the truly great scifi movies of its time. It ranked right up there with "The Thing" and "Forbidden Planet." He sat back and laughed when he heard the undeniable call of the mammoth ants. He also began to mimic the words and screams. "Okay, now you can tell me." Scully said quietly, shutting the door. "Well, Dana, you know how a woman always expects the candle-light dinner with a 'down-on-one-knee' proposal." "Absolutely." "Well, let's just say that Mulder decided to take the "Romantic-note" way out." "What?" "Well, I was sitting on my couch reading a newspaper and I hear something slide under the doorway. I get up and walk over to the window and look out to see Fox get in his car and drive away. I pick the note up and am puzzled by it. I eventually work up the nerve to open it. I was afraid he was breaking up with me because he's not very good at bad news. When I open it, it reads: Dearest Eleanor: We may not have known each other but for seven months, but I feel I've known you for ages. Damn, that was corny. I want you to know that I can't write; this is my best attempt. I probably ruined it by putting that in here, didn't I? Oh well, here goes nothing. I tried to kill you, but could you please forget that and marry me anyway. I am not getting any younger and am going to have to settle with you. That doesn't matter to me, though, becuase you are perfect. No one has ever made me feel so happy in my life. I could love no one as much as you, not even Sam. Marry me? Love, F. Mulder "How sweet!" "Wasn't it, though? I was about to kill him, though, when he said he would have to settle with me." "Mulder is not very good at messages, as you can see. That was the most romantic thing, though. He paid you quite an honor when he said that he could not love anyone as much as you, not even his own sister." "He's not good with words, but I love him anyway. So, I called him after I got the note and told him yes. We were married about three weeks later, on April Fools Day." "Typical. I bet it was his idea." "Mine, actually. He proposed on the Ides of March, so I decided to play along." "I wish there were more Mulders in the world." "Yeah. It would make the world less dull. We've kept you too long, though, we really need to be going." "Are you, sure?" "Yeah. We were on our way to Fox's Mom's house, and I talked him into stopping here. You sounded like the neatest person, and I really wanted to meet you." "Did I disappoint you?" "No, not at all. I should be going, though." "I want to go say goodbye to Mulder, if you go get Eric." "Alright. I hope you don't mind, but I may be awhile. He needs to be fed." "That's fine, Elly." She said, waving at her to proceed. Scully left her room and walked back into the family room. Mulder was dosing off. She stopped and looked at him. Being married and away from the X-Files made him look years younger. He actually looked peaceful. If only he had Sam, he would be the happiest man in the world. "You better wake up Mulder, you found a wife doing that last time. I'm a little scared to see what would happen this time." "Actually I got a son the *very* last time, Scully." He said, smiling up at her as she walked around to sit in the chair from the couch. "Mulder! You had better not tell Eleanor you were asleep." She said, smiling as well. "It's our secret, then." Scully knew Mulder was kidding, but still, you couldn't help but wonder... "So, Scully, do you like her?" "Who, Elly? Yes, I do. She's really sweet. I hate to say this, but if this was a movie, she would be the one to die of childbirth, yellow fever, or some other deadly disease." "I know. A regular Melanie Wilkins." He said chuckling. "I'm just kidding, though, she's wonderful. I hope you grow old together. Really old." "What are you hinting at? If you think I'm going to start doing rituals like the Kindred in Maine, then you've got another thing coming." "No, Mulder, I just want you to be happy. You've spent the first half of your life being absolutely miserable, now you should have the other half to be happy. You need a daughter." "Can't. Elly had trouble with Eric. They said that she really shouldn't try again." "Oh, I'm sorry. Granddaughter then." "Yep. Scully, *your* the one that needs a daughter." "I wish. I'm still looking for a husband, though." "You'll find one. You really don't know how attractive you are." Eleanor took that opportunity to walk, child in hand, into the room. "Are you trying to cheat on me, Fox?" "No." He said, standing. "I'm simply telling Scully that she need not worry about finding a husband" "He's right, Dana. Come on, honey, we need to get going," She said, taking her husband's hand. "It was nice seeing you again, Mulder. I'll tell Director Skinner that you said 'hi.'" "That's right, he is the Director now isn't he?" "Sure is. It was nice meeting you and Eric, Elly. Bye." "Bye, Dana. You'll find that husband, you just need a friend to set you up on a blind date." And that was exactly what Nora Lance did. Three weeks after Scully's meeting with Mulder, she was informed that her best friend, Nora, had cordially set her up on a blind date. Scully was introduced to Nora her first day in the Pathology Division. Though she was no more than a clerical staff member, she had heard the 'Ice Queen' stories and was the only person to not throw a cold shoulder at Scully. They began only saying a few words when Scully would check in and out, but then Scully invited her to dinner. Like any really good friends, they clicked. Nora had her share of family stories, having grown up with seven siblings, and Scully had hers. They talked freely the whole evening and had been close ever since. This particular day was nothing great and nothing bad until Nora pulled her aside when she checked in. It was, of course, Friday the 13th and Scully was scared. "Morning, Nora," Scully greeted with a fair ammount of cheer. "Morning. Wait, Dana, don't go anywhere, we have to talk. Do you have to be anywhere?" She asked. Nora was about three inched taller than Scully with black hair that extended past her shoulders a couple inches. Her dark hair complimented her grey-green eyes quite nicely. No one could accuse Nora of being unattractive, she was stunning. "Why?" Scully asked with uncertainty. "You are going on a blind date!" "No I'm not. It's seven in the morning, and I need coffee, leave me alone." "Oh come on, Dana, you never date. Other than Jack, I don't think you ever had. It's a Friday, live a little!" "Yeah, Friday the 13th. How do I know you didn't set me up with a real wacko?" "You can have my word." "And what word would that be? 'Sucker'?" "Please, Dana? I promise that this guy isn't overly wierd. Look, if you were in a bar, you would try and pick this guy up." "He's that cute?" "I swear on a piece of chocolate." Nora said with a goofy grin on her face. Nora was a first-class chocoholic. To her, chocolate was as good as gold. Good chocolate at least. "Okay, but do I at least get to know his name?" "Yeah, Mark Gibbonds." "Profession?" "Lawyer. Oh, damn, I shouldn't have told you that. Now, you'll run a backround check on him. Please don't, though, I want you blind, not near-sided." "Damn. Fine, I too will swear on chocolate that I won't run a check on him. So when and where do I meet him and what do I dress like?" "Silver Plater Cafe, eight o'clock. Nice." "Wow, that's a five star restraunt! Guess I get to break out the old midnight dress." "That's my girl. Have fun!" "Oh, yeah, I love desk work." "No, I meant on the date, you dufe." "Stop quoting Justin Greene." "Go away." "I'm gone." 12 Hours Later Scully's House Alexandria, Virginia Hurricane Dana had hit hard. One look at what used to be the family room and you would run hell-bent-for-leather out of the room, begging not to be stuck with clean-up duty. Clothes were strewn haphazardly over every chair and couch. Queequeg was chasing his fur, and Scully was running around throwing every drawer open in search of the elusive sapphire earings to match her dress. Finally she located them in her 'junk' drawer, put them on, checked her appearance, put the finishing touches on her hair, and slowed down. "You'd think I was a teenager. It's only a date, not a marriage. Calm down, Dana," she said to her herself outloud. On the floor, Queequeg had finally layed down and was looking up at her in his 'you have completely lost it,' look. "Shut up, Queequeg. You're not the one trying to quickly clean up before a man you have never seen before in your whole life shows up at your door. You try this and we'll see how calm you are, okay?" Scully was moving methodically throughout the room, picking up clothes here, old food wrappers there, and an assortment of other things off of the floor, couches, and chairs. "God I hate this. I would like to have at least seen this guy before. 'Mark,' sounds like a name a serial-killer would have. Why won't I calm down? You may have to stop me, Queequeg, I'm about to break out the morphine." "No, don't do that, then you'd ruin our evening," came a man's voice from the door. Scully whirled around to face a man that typically looked like a lawyer. He was about 5'8", balding in the front, with glasses. Despite the odd looks, she found him quite attractive in a funny way. She was pretty sure that she would rather have this guy than a really cute, really dumb mimbo. He appeared to be smart, based on the *very* first impression. "I hope your initials are MG, or else your brain is going to coat that wall," she said reaching for her gun. "Do you always treat your guests that way? Yes, I am Mark Gibbonds and I am here to pick you up on our date. Before you ask, yes I know I was supossed to meet you there, but Nora gave me your address and told me to suprise you." "And that you did. How'd you get in?" "The door was unlocked and I heard voices, or rather, one voice that was talking to what I assumed was a dog. Either that or a very unfortunate child with a horrible name." Scully glared at him and said, "Be glad I'm not trigger-happy or I would have done exactly what I said." "Then I guess Nora didn't lie when she said you were an FBI agent." "No, she didn't." "That's quite a mess you have here. I guess it's true what they say about woman and their fury." "Yeah, and right now you can be really nice and help be pick this up." Scully motioned for him to get started, and she began to move around the room again. As she bent over and picked things up, Mark couldn't help but admire her. He noticed right away that she as short, but he also noticed how beautiful she was. She was waering a navy-blue cocktail dress that fit her in all the right spots. Her hair had been curled lightly so that it hung in its normal fashion, only with a little more body. He also noticed the efficiency at which she worked. Her hands were quick and agile and she wasted no time. Mark thought to himself. What Mark didn't know was that she was also checking him out, and she liked what she saw. His figure was less lean that Mulder's but he was well built. His crystal blue eyes were amazing. He was obedient and picked up about as much as she did. For Scully's sake, she was glad she had removed the clothing, all that was left was the food wrappers and dog toys. "Okay, can we go now?" He asked once the room had returned to semi-normal. "Yes, and I assume I am going in your car." "Yeah, if that's okay." "As long as you don't kidnapp me." Mark had no way of knowing the inside meaning that was hiding behind her words. "I'll try to resist the urge." "I would appreciate it." Mark cautiously walked over to Scully and took her arm under his. She was inwardly reluctant but let him take it any way. Scully asked herself. They walked out of her house and he even opened the car door for her. If he lacked anything else, like a few marbles, he was a gentleman. The drive to the restraunt was sepnt in comfortable silence, neither felt it was neccesary to talk yet. At the dinner table however it was quite different. Neither truned out to be shy nor lacked things to say. To an outsider, the adorable couple at table 11 might was well have been married. "So," Scully began, "You're a lawyer." "I am." "Where'd you go to school?" "I went to Law School at Harvard and went into practive with a couple of college buds. Don't get me wrong, though, I am not a prep that would rather gather with his elite Harverd social group. I hate those people." "That's good becuase, if you were, then I would have had to hurt you." "I'd gladly let you. What specifically do you do?" "I am the head of the Pathology Division at the FBI." "Oh, so if I die, I can request you as my coroner if such a waiting list existed?" "Not unless you die of a drug-bust, international terrorism or some other rediculous government offence." "Does pilfering funds count?" "You had better be kidding." "I am, don't worry about it. Have you always been in that division?" "No, actually. For five years I worked with a person on paranormal-related cases." "Do you believe in UFOs ghosts and things. I'm assuming you mean UFOs ghosts, voodoo and stuff?" Mark asked with an astonished look on his face. She didn't look that type person. "Yeah, you're exactly right. And, no I don't. People think I should, but I don't have enough time to rethink my whole belief system. I do, however, believe in opinons." "I don't believe in that stuff either. Conspiracies, maybe..." "Oh yeah, those definately exist. One killed my partner, Fox Mulder's, dad and my sister." "Oh, I'm so sorry." "That's okay." "If you don't mind. Could you tell me a little about it?" "Are you a spy?" "NO!" "Okay, then listen. It all began when I was sent as a spy..." Two hours passed as they talked about the X-Files. Scully herself did not think that her work was as interesting as Mark did. May be being a lawyer wasn't as exciting as she thought. Or, it could have been the alcohol talking. They were through three bottles of chapagne before all of the recollected cases were discussed. As she told her countless stories, she was lost in his clear blue eyes. He had a sweet laugh and was ever considerate of her. Likewise, Mark liked Scully a lot too. She told wonderful stories and had the nicest smile. Her eyes weren't as enchanting, but her beauty was a mix of her physical beauty, her inner strength, and intelligence. He noticed right away that she was strong and influencial. He was not about to mess with her. It was no wonder that she chose such a power-hungry career. He was very glad that Nora had mentioned her. After the X-Files stories were done, Scully couldn't help but apologize. "Mark, I am so sorry about what happened when I picked you up. I forced you to clean up my mess. That was wrong." "Don't apologize, you were just establishing ground. If you hadn't done that, who knows how I would have acted. You made me see that you were strong and not about to be used or pushed around." "Really?" "Yeah, I'm no phychologist, but its probably becuase you subconsciously don't want anyone using you." "Stop, you sound like Mulder." "Sorry." "I was kidding. Anyway, how do you know Nora?" "I'm a cousin." "No kidding!" "Yep. Distant, though. She heard I was single and her woman instincts took over, hence the reason I was set up on a a blind date with an amazing woman." "Thank you." "How do you know Nora?" "I'd like to think we were best friends." "I thought so. She said you were close." "She was the only who would talk to me. After all, the Ice Queen was coming to Pathology." "I envy those dead people." "No, stop. After all this, I thought you were sane. Now you're starting to show symtoms of some lost marbles." "No, what I'm saying is...well...never mind. Maybe we should leave, though, I think we're the last ones here." "Yeah, you're right." After the bill was payed and the coats unchecked, they walked arm-in-arm out of the restraunt. He again walked her to the car and opened the door for her. He had made an impression on her and she was quite pleased. She liked him and hoped they could meet again. He also liked her more than he thought he could for a blind date. Those things usually crashed and burned. This one was flying high and was first-class. He was going to make sure that they could go out again. That was not a problem. Eight months later, they were still seeing each other. In fact, they were living together. From Scully's perspective there was nothing wrong with Mark. From his, he had snatched the perfect woman. She was smart, funny, lacked nothing in the 'beauty' department and was serious about him. They had been living together for enough time for him to finally ask the big question. He just didn't know what the best time was. He would just have to wait and see. =========================================================================== From: Scott Miller Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative Subject: NEW: Two Separate Paths (3/3) Date: Sun, 26 May 1996 23:10:37 -0500 (CDT) Two Separate Paths - Part 3/3 Scully's House May 10, 2002 "The writing is really good on this show. You really get to like the characters too." Mark said as soon as a Post Office commercial came on. It was a picturesque evening watching 'News Radio' on TV. Mark was sitting up; Scully with her head on a pillow in his lap. He was running his fingers through her hair, and neither could think of a more perfect way to spend a Sunday evening. "I know. Matthew's a dork, but you have to like him anyway. You know, I read an article about this show, and it said that, if you notice, it's a running thing for Matthew to fall down every beginning." "Hey, your right. I can't think of one where he hasn't." "See, you can believe some of the stuff you read in the paper." "Depends on what paper. I, for one, don't want to believe that Dole is winning the Republican race, but I will believe that aliens have taken over New Jersey." "No, Maine, isn't it?" "Your right, my fault," Mark said, chuckling. "Mhm, that feels good. Where'd you learn to play with someone's hair like this?" "I don't know." "You don't know or you don't want to tell me?" "I really don't know." "Okay as long as you keep your facts straight." "Hush now, it's back on." They sat through the rest of the sitcom simply enjoying each other's company. On impulse, Mark decided to go out on a limb and ask Scully to marry him now, right after the credits. He had a feeling she loved him or else he wouldn't be living with her, and he knew that he didn't want to live without her. The tag flashed on the TV screen and he used the extra 30 seconds to work up the courage to ask. "Dana?" "Yeah?" "Can I ask you something?" "That's a stupid question, you know you can ask me anything." She said, sitting up to look into eyes. She was trying to see what kind of emotion his eyes held. "I know, but this is serious." "How serious?" "Oh, no, its nothing bad." "That's good because you really had me worried." "I'm sorry," Mark said leaning over and kissing her as an apology and an act of reassurance. "Okay, well ask." "Marry me." "Excuse me?" "Marry me," he repeated taking her hand in his and stroking her fingers. "Okay, I will." "Really?" "No, I'm teasing you. Yes, I will gladly be your wife. I like the sound of Dana Gibbonds, anyway." "I love you so much." He kissed her again, this time longer and a little more passion. "I love you too, you know that don't you?" "Now, I do." "As long as you do, now be quiet and kiss me again." He did more than just kiss her. The Gibbonds House August 30, 2002 "That can't be," Dana said with astonishment. "No, there has to be some sort of mistake." "I assure you, Mrs. Gibbonds, there was no mistake. If you want to come in again we can run more tests." "No, that's okay. I believe you, I'm just not completely ready for this yet." "That's usually the response we get. Is your husband there, Mrs. Gibbonds?" "No, he's not home from work yet." "I think you'll make him a happy man." "Yeah, I think so. Thank you." "We'll have a nurse call you to shecule your first appointment in a few weeks." "Thank you." Dana hung up the phone and sat down heavily on her couch. Three months married and now this. Yes, Mark would be happy. He wanted this as much as she did, but she wasn't quite ready for it yet. Oh well, she was never bad at adapting. She and her husband had been married three weeks after the proposal on the 10th of May. The affair wasn't large but it was nice. Mark moved permanantly into Dana's house and asked for a relocation closer to the house. It was accepted and he now was only thirty minutes from home instead of an hour and a half. She was still the head of the Pathology Division and wasn't worried about being demoted any time soon, for any reason. While waiting for her husband to come home, Dana made Mrak's favorite meal, spaghetti with french bread and a salad. She knew that she was undoubtedly giving herself away. She turned the radio on and began singing along to 'Because You Loved Me,' a very popular oldie. Dana found herself cheering up as the cooking progressed. Eventually, Mark came in, but Dana didn't hear him over the boiling water and her singing. "That must be my wife," he mumbled to himself. He walked in to find her twirling noodles around on the spoon over the pot and still sang, but this time to "Just Between You and Me". She got to her favorite spot and smiled widely. She didn't notice that Mark was home until she turned to walk out of the kitchen. The song was over and, as she walked out, there he was grinning at her. "Oh, you scared me. How long have you been standing there?" She asked, her eye brow raised showing that she was a little angry, but not enough to count. "Since the line: "Staring at each other with accusing eyes." "You jerk! That's the whole song. Make your presence known next time, would you?" "Yes, your royal highness." "Shut up." All kidding aside, she walked over and kissed him. "How was your day?" "Oh, you know, the usual killers, druggies, and general nutcases." "Hey, me too! I got to fill in as instructor. That meant showing new agents an autopsies of an international drug lord." "Your days always sound more exiting than mine." "Oh yeah, gotta love those autposies. I love endtrails." "Now I have an appetite for red sauce and stringy noodles." "Would you just sit down, I have some news for you?" "Ooh, I love news. As long as it isn't a divorce summons." "If I was going to divorce you, you wouldn't be having your favorite meal." "How true, how true...I hope." Dana finished setting all of the food on the table and then joined her husband who was already seated at the table. Both being slightly religious, they said grace, and then served the food. All big news forgotten, they enjoyed dinner with small talk about the biggest scandals and the most important news. Never was the 'big news' far from Dana's mind though. She would wait for desert. Desert came, and she served good old frozen ice cream. "So, what's the big news?" "Are you sitting down?" "No, I enjoy eating standing up." "Suit yourself. Okay, Mark, you liked our honeymoon, right?" "Yes." He answered cautiously. "Well, more than one thing came from our luxurious week than the credit card bills." "Really?" "Yeah. Mark, I'm pregnant." "Cool!" "I could swear I was married to an 8 year old." "Well, add about 30 years to that." "How about 33?" "If I have to. So, your pregnant. Three months then, I guess." "Yep, he or she is due somtime in March." "Hey, my favorite month!" "That's nice dear. When we can, do you want to know tha sex of the child?" "No. I want a suprise." "Good, I do too." "There's another thing we have in common." "We were made for each other, Mark." "I'm saying we were." "Come with me," she said seductively. Mark only had one weakness and that was his wife's seductive voice. And so, he obediently got up from his chair and followed Dana to their bedroom. There was the only true place that they could celebrate a new life. J. Edgar Hoover FBI Building Dana Gibbonds Office March 13, 2003 "Dana Gibbonds," she answered in a monotone voice. She was irritable, she was tired, and she was very pregnant. Skinner had been very considerate and told her to call whenever she was ready to take off on maternity leave. She was about to make that very phone call. She would have never made if not for Mark who was very supportive the whole time. He was there for her during the morning sickness and the different food cravings. He helped reduce her stress when she had just about had it with the whole child bearing thing, and he brought her little suprises every now and then. No, she would have definately never made it withour her husband. Today, however, she was very ready to go home. "Agent Gibbonds, this is Director Skinner's secretary," "Hello, Kim. Does he want to see me?" "No, but I have a message for you." "Okay?" "He said, and I quote, 'I don't care what she thinks is best for her, she is now on maternity leave.'" "Blunt." "Yes I know." "Okay, you can tell him that I am going home and will not be back until futher notice." "I'll tell him. You're due any day now aren't you?" "Thankfully, yes, I am." "Isn't this fun?" "Oh, yeah." "Picture it the third time. It gets no better. Believe me, I've been there." "Thanks, I guess." "Go home, Agent Gibbonds." "I will. Thank you, Kim." "Your welcome." Dana hung up the phone and gathered all of her 'needed' things and was about to leave, when she suddenly felt pain. "Oh, damn, not now!" She'd seen enough labors to realize that that was what was happening with her. She fought the pain for enough time to find her phone and call Mark. "Mark Gibbonds office, may I help you?" Answered a peppy secretary. "This is his wife, I really need to speak to him," Dana said through gritted teeth. "Is it important? He's busy right now." She asked. Something inside her snapped and she wanted to rip the little woman's head off. She hardly ever called there and she had no right to ask her if it was important. She calmed herself enough to not completely tell the lady off. "Look, bitch, let me talk to my husband, NOW!" "Hold on, geez, let me get him." There was about a thirty second pause and finally the woman returned and switched her over to Mark's line. "Dana, hon, what's wrong?" "I'm in labor. I need you to pick me up. Hurry, please!" "I'm there." She hated to prolong getting to the hospital, but she couldn't drive herself, and frankly, she wanted her husband. She timed her contractions and came to the conclusion that she needed to get to the hospital and fast. Mark showed up twenty minuted later, having had to have driven around sixty the whole time. "Dana, you okay?" He asked, hurrying to her side to help her out the door. "Just a little bit of pain," She said bearing her teeth. "Come on, let's get you to a hospital." He helped her to the car and was a bit startled when she was reluctant to let go of his hand. He recognized that she was scared. He told her that he was just walking around to the other side of the car. He did so and as he pulled into the traffic and stopped at a stop sign he reached over to take her hand in his. He knew why she was scared. She had told him about her abduction and that she was afraid that whatever they had done to her would hurt their child. He was equally as scared, but he had no idea how she felt. To have missed three months of her life and now to feel untterly resonsible if something were to happen to the baby. The night that she had told him about it, he had simply held her as she cried telling her everything was going to be alright. Now he had to only hope that his words would come true. He and Dana had been living in complete happiness. He had told her that he would never let anything happen to her, but he knew he wouldn't be able to do anything if her own body turned against her. He gripped her hand tightly and prayed that every next light would be green and that no accidents would be in their way or traffic jams. Georgetown was the closest hospital and they were there in under twenty minutes. He squeezed her hand in support, got out, and flagged down someone to get a wheel chair for her. He returned with a nurse and within an hour she was in a room and on pain killers. Her doctor wasn't to the hospital, but she wasn't due to deliver quite yet. Mark was prepared to be in the room with her, and was currently getting her some iced tea, even though she wasn't supposed to. She needed caffine though, and there was nothing that was going to stand in her way. She was, suprisingly enough, about to fall asleep when her doctor, whom she was personlly aquianted with, arrived. "Well, Dana, are you ready to experience child birth?" "No, but do I have a choice?" "Not really. You could have an epideral." "Cathy Simon, you know I do *not* believe in those." "I had to ask. Let's see how dialated you are. Ten centimeters. Where's you husband? We have to get this show on the road." "I'm right here. How are you, love?" "Pain is a little part of my diagnosis." "Okay, Dana," began Dr. Simon, "I want you to relax as much as possible and breath like you were taught. You help with that Mark." Cathy began to order nurses around, while telling Dana what to do. "Okay, Dana we almost have a head, you're doing fine. A couple more pushes and you'll be all done. You okay?" "NO!" she screamed, practically breaking her husband's fingers. "Dr., do they usually scream this loud?" Mark asked. "If they don't, we get concerned, unless they have an epideral. Dana, we have a head now. A few more pushes and you'll be all done, okay?" "JUST GET IT OUT OF ME!" A few screams of pain and a little blood later, Mark and Dana were parents. "Dana and Mark, you have a beautiful 8 pound baby girl." Cathy said. Dana could only laugh in relief. Mark reached over and kissed her forehead. "We have a daughter, honey." Mark said beaming. "You want to hold her?" A nurse asked her. "Oh..." Mark was in awe. He didn't quite know what to do with the tiny, wrinkled, and fussy thing that was handed to him. Dana was startled to look up to see that her usually tough husband was crying. He handed the small and finally quieted bundle to Dana and everyone left the room to give them privacy. Dana was going to take the few minutes with her daughter to perhaps name her. "She's beautiful, Dana." "She has your grey eyes." "And your hair. What's her name?" "Somehow, Beth fits even better know that I actually know what she looks like." "It suits her." "Hello, Elizabeth Margaret Gibbonds. I'm your Mom. You can always talk to me about anything. And your Dad too, okay?" "Hi, Beth. It's me, your Dad. I'll never leave you okay? I promise." "We will always be here for you." The Gibbonds House May 17, 2022 Beth Gibbonds was home from college for the summer, and she had big news. She announced her presence and walked enthusiastically into the kitchen where her mom sat drinking tea. It was six o'clock and the Director of the FBI was home from work. Her dad wasn't home yet because he was working on a big case involving a singer who was raped. Beth was now 19 years old and attending Oxford. She had worked very hard as a little girl to make good grades in order to attend the college. She was going to be a phycologist and join the FBI. Her mother was thrilled but a little anxious about her little girl getting involved in Bureau politics. She crossed her fingers that she wouldn't want to get into the X-Files. As a child every night, once she was past the nightmare stage, Dana would tell Beth an X-File. Beth loved them and was now certain that there was life on another planet and that there really was vampires, ghosts, and werewolves. She had looked on at the news and wanted nothing more than to be able to help people. When she was 12, she discovered her interest in the human mind. Unlike some children who go throught phases with what they want to do, Beth was sure of her career. She graduated high school with a 4.0 GPA, valedictorian, and her high school was not easy. She applied to every major college that had a phych school and was accepted to Oxford. The day she told her parents, it surprised her mother so much, she added a few more grey hairs. As for the older Gibbonds, things were fine. In 2015, Director Skinner had retired and named the head of Pathology as his replacement. Dana had accepted it readily and was 7 years into the position. The Bureau was cleaner and running more smoothly now than it ever had been. Not suprisingly, she had straightened out the macho feelings some of the male agents had toward women. Dana had some trouble with respect in her first years, but after a few pay cuts here and reprimands there, the male agents straightened up quickly. Mark Gibbonds had moved up the chain of command and was now the head of his own law firm. He worked fewer hours, unless on an intricate case, and he had a better salary. As a result, they moved to a much larger house in Virginia in a very nice neighborhood. Currently, he was the prosecuter of a case involving a Spanish singer who was supposedly raped in America. He was defending the singer who was receiving threats from bitter US citizens. The poor woman had more than her fair share of problems. No one knew what was going on with the Mulders. Since that day in 2001, there had been no other contact between the two ex-partners. The X-Files were buried in the murky past of the FBI and it was better left forgotten. With the coming of the new Director, no one mentioned or even joked about the mysterious files in the basement. Everyone knew better. Hell really had no fury like the Director's scorn Now, Beth was home and Dana was happy to see her. She had grown to be 5'5", with her mother's flaming red hair. She had stunning grey eyes and a wonderful figure. There was no doubt in Dana's mind that her daughter probably had beuxs in England, but she preferred not think of the mischeif she was getting into. She and Beth talked about Beth's grades and other college things for a while until Mark arrived home. He had been stressed out, but when he saw his daughter, the day was forgotten. "Hi, Dad." she said, hugging him warmly. "Hi sweetheart, how's school." "Wonderful, but before I get into all that again, I have some big news for you and mom." "What?" Dana asked. She wasn't worried becuase Beth had too big a grin on her face. "I'm engaged to be married." "Beth!" Mark said, looking very angry. "Dad, before you have a corinary, hear me out. I know you're mad becuase you think I'm going to screw my life up by getting married in school. You probably think I'll even drop out of school. Well, no, I won't. He's a senior, he's smart, and he has his head in the right place. I'm not pregnant and he's not abusive. He's perfect. He wants to join the FBI, too and he's going to med school. He swept me off my feet and now we're going to get married. Don't worry, it won't be until after we're both through school and have jobs. Oh, and he's American, in fact he lives in South Carolina. He's supposed to fly out here and meet you two in June." "I'm not convinced." Mark said sternly. "Daddy..." "Mark, I believe her. Just don't pass judgement until you meet him, okay." "Thanks, mom." "Hey, you're not off the hook yet, either, young lady. I still don't even know this guy's name." "Eric Mulder." The End Well, there it is. I really hope you liked it, and I am down on two knees begging for you to give me comments. All of the facts were true. I'm referring to the radio station 99.5, it's DJ's, the part about News Radio, and just about everything else. If anyone is interested in the parts in between like Beth growing up, Dana's marriage, or anything else, tell me and I'll write it. Please respond, though, I never know how I'm doing.