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TITLE: 'Tower Tall'
AUTHOR: XSketch (XSketch@hotmail.com)
WEBSITE: http://thesketchfiles.bravehost.com SPOILERS: All spoilers for up til NIHT, and then AU RATING: PG
CATEGORY: MSR, A (if you weren't expecting to see that there, check the author's name again and maybe go read my other stuff LOL) SUMMARY: In dreams she walks down an aisle in a long, flowing, white dress. With Mulder leaving, surely it can never be more than a dream...can it?
FEEDBACK: I'm never too proud to beg, so pweeeease send some! DISCLAIMER: Property of the Surfer Dude and Co. - I fit nowhere in that equation, though Heaven knows I wish I did!!! sigh ARCHIVE: I'd be honored, as long as you ask first. AUTHOR'S NOTES: Written for SimplyDevoted's special 'Wedding' challenge. Massive thanks to Valerie for the beautiful artwork she did to accompany this, and Lisa for roughing up my muse :) DEDICATION: In memory of Girlie_Girl7 (Marcella) - an inspiration to us all, and sad loss to the X-Phile community.XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
'Marriage, to men as to women, must be a luxury, not a necessity; an incident of life, not all of it. And the only possible way to accomplish this great change is to accord to women equal power in the making, shaping and controlling of the circumstances of life.'~Susan B. Anthony (1875)
White satin and lace, cherry blossoms, sunlight brighter than she's ever seen it, a sea of friends and family gathered for this one special day, and the keys to a soul never believed attainable.
Without a doubt a fairytale come true.
Blue eyes fix on beams of hazel, and for neither the first nor last time she wonders how the hell they'd managed to hold on this long for this moment as his hands reach to clasp onto hers.
"Scully," the man she loves with all she has and more whispers with a hitched, disbelieving breath. "We're here."
The widest smile she's sure she's ever smiled splits her face, and her eyes slip shut as she basks in his presence. It's all so surreal - the concept that after years of innuendo, masked flirtation and emotional turmoil they're here, ready to tie the proverbial knot and become husband and wife...
"Scully?"
She feels warm flesh cup her cheek, and she leans into the touch--
"Scully?"
--but something isn't right. The concern in his voice is misplaced, and reluctantly her eyes open, only to find herself seated in the passenger seat of their car as a torrent of rain continues to fall outside.
The dream, again. She should have known it could never be that perfect for them...
"Scully, are you okay?"
The hand touching her face gently wipes away a single, unexpected tear, and her gaze lifts to fix on Mulder's expression of panic. She nods, but waits until she's cast a quick glance down at the small engagement ring on her slim right hand before replying, "I'm fine."
His mouth opens, ready to protest, but the right words evade him and he's left feeling even more distant than he knows they will be in just twenty-four hours. He has to give her this moment of happiness before they're ripped apart, but he doesn't know if he can muster the energy or will to be cheery when such dark storm clouds linger on the horizon.
If only their lives weren't such a catch-22.
XxXxXxXxX
SCULLY'S APARTMENT
GEORGETOWN, WASHINGTON D.C
32 HOURS EARLIERFox Mulder sat in his car and stared contemplatively through the windshield at Scully's apartment block - a hand nervously wiping several times over his dry mouth. Early this morning Kersh had arrived to rip apart their moment of 'normal' family bliss, spouting some crap about how their lives were more threatened than ever before. An argument had followed, the deputy director had deftly avoided swung fists before making a quick exit, and then Mulder had turned - with head shaking in disgust - ready to laugh with Scully about how desperate Kersh really was to disappear him off the face of the earth.
All words and momentum in him had died, however, when he'd seen her gently kiss the top of William's head and then quickly turn away from him.
She wanted him to go.
...Well, not 'wanted', perhaps, per se, but certainly needed him to leave his new family behind indefinitely for the sake of all their lives'.
"The truth we both know."
The words echo in his head.
Oh yeah, they'd found it - all the truth they could ever imagine knowing had dropped into their hands - but the price for that possession was now turning out to be much more than they were prepared to pay, and there was no going back. All they could pray for from now on was its eventual deliverance of a future they could live and enjoy together
So, all day he'd been at his apartment moping, clearing his stuff out with the help of the Gunmen, and thinking. She'd called his home phone and cellular countless times, but he'd avoided answering for fear that wrong words would be said or that he wouldn't be able to say anything to her at all. Their partnership and whatever else they shared meant everything to him, and last night had been the first time they'd openly acknowledged their love for and commitment to each other since before he'd been abducted, but now she was telling him to leave... No matter how much logic she may see behind that course of action, his brain refuses to wrap around it - certain in the fact that the only thing that can come from this plan of self-exile is the death of his heart all over again.
"She's crazy about you, man," Frohike had exclaimed, stepping into the bedroom of the half-empty apartment, only to find Mulder staring blankly out through the window he stood in front of. "If it hadn't been for the pregnancy, she'd o' more than likely killed herself when you were found in those woods... And now, with the miracle munchkin being born...You can't really stand there and believe that sending you away is easy for her?"
Mulder hadn't turned to face his friend - ashamed that on some level that was exactly what he believed. Since his return from the grave, he'd carried the burden of what his ego had insisted was his grief to bear alone with little (if any at all) of a sideways glance at what emotional turmoil she may be going through. He'd apologized over and over again for his cold behavior and doubt concerning the paternity of William...Surely last night had been her forgiveness...
Hadn't it?
"Why can't she and William come with me, if we really have to be safer? She can't truly believe they'll be okay without me there to watch their backs?" he had finally ground out, still looking at the world beyond his bedroom window.
"There's gonna be plenty people watching her back, and you know it," Frohike had continued, undeterred. "I mean, what do you think we'll be doing for starters? And then there's the bald guy, and Doggett and his lady friend...and, of course, several well-placed, well-hidden camera friends of ours...Scully and William will never be out of anyone's sight." The little man had let out a small chuckle, but just as quickly fallen silent for a minute or two before continuing, "She's sending you away, for God's sake, so that nothing happens to you! Your life's in danger if you stick around, so she's putting herself through the hell of letting you disappear again so that she doesn't have to bury you forever! Doesn't that prove how much she cares for you? How much she loves you?"
Silence.
"She's putting everything on the line for you, despite how much of a jackass you've been since you got back. Have you even bothered to tell her what you'd do for her to make everything right? Have you proven to her how far you'd go to safely hold her and Will in your arms forever with no fears of aliens ripping you apart? Maybe--...Maybe this is your chance."
Eight years of touches, promises, hospital bed vigils, and - more recently - declarations of love; a trust and soul never attained by anyone else willingly placed in her hands. He'd lived, died and risen again for her - because of her. Surely all that had shown just how committed he was to their partnership? Sur--
And that was when he'd faltered - the word 'partnership' still reverberating in his mind. Even when they'd become 'lovers', he'd considered them as partners - partners in everything. But 'partnership' refused to define who they were now from how it'd been when they'd first been sentenced to share the basement x-files office, no matter how far they'd come since then. It was too professional and cold, and no wonder Scully might have reason to think he just wanted to keep things as they always had been between them.
Rivulets of tears sliding down his face, Mulder had slowly turned away from the window and nodded at his elf-esque friend. Frohike was right: he had to show Scully that he could embrace this new world he'd been resurrected into and love the woman his disappearance and necessity had forced her to become. He would show her how blessed he was to have been gifted with a beautiful, caring woman who had then given birth to the miracle that was his - correction, their - son. He'd prove that he was committed to their relationship one hundred and fifty percent always and forever...
And - God, help him - he'd leave them if that was what it took to keep them safe.
"But for how long?" he'd eventually managed to choke out. "I'm missing them so much right now my heart aches, but I'm only a couple of miles away and saw them just six hours ago. A day, a week, a month.....a year...it'll kill me..."
"And it'll kill her," Byers' voice had suddenly cut in from the bedroom doorway. "That's why you should be with them now, enjoying every last second you have together until it's okay for you to return."
There'd been no need to tell him twice, and after checking everything was okay to leave in their hands, he'd left the apartment for what he was certain would be the last time ever.
But her place hadn't been his first port of call.
And, now, as Mulder sits in his car and stares at her building, he wonders if he did the right thing by going to the jewelers' and buying the small engagement ring. Lack of bravery aside, he's petrified about her possible reaction to his proposing before disappearing into the shadows.
XxXxXxXxX
JUNE 10th, 2001
12:24 PM"Shhh. It's okay, sweet baby," Scully sighed, pacing the room and gently rocking a restless, screaming William in her tired arms. Several kisses to his face and the crest of his head made no difference, and all she could worry about was Mulder's whereabouts. "Daddy'll be home soon."
Who was she trying to convince with that? William or herself? When she'd tried to call Mulder on his phone numerous times with no reply, she hadn't been surprised by the thought that he was avoiding her - understood fully that he needed time alone to let what she was asking him to do sink in properly. Thankfully, just over an hour ago Frohike had phoned to assure her Mulder was okay and on his way home...
But she's neither seen nor heard from him since, and she can't shift the fear that he's left them already without saying 'goodbye'.
"Shhh."
Suddenly, her pacing stopped and breath caught as there's the sound of footsteps slowly, hesitantly making their way down the hall outside and then come to a stop at her apartment door. Scully waited for the visitor to knock, but no sound came. Even William had fallen silent.
Silence. Stillness. For what seemed an eternity, until finally....
A key entered and turned the lock.
It could easily be an enemy breaking in, but instinct and anticipation told her otherwise, and she rushed to greet the man at the door just as it opened.
XxXxXxXxX
PRESENT DAY
JUNE 11th, 2001
3:46 PMA cold gust of air envelopes them, despite the car heater, and her false assurance of fineness falls flat as he struggles to find a reply. The awkwardness becomes too intense, however, and they end up breaking eye contact to quietly stare at the small chapel ahead of them.
"You don--...You...I don't want you to feel obligated into doing this," her small voice from the passenger seat croaks out. "Not like this...Not if it's not something you wanted...Whether we're married or not, you know I'll always care for you..." Gulp. "I'll a-a-always...love you..."
Mulder sharply turns back to face the side of her head, unable to believe that she can doubt how badly he wants this - how badly he's wanted to take her hand and call her his wife for almost forever. When he'd asked the question yesterday he'd seen the look on her face questioning his motive, but he'd sworn that he had never been nor ever would be more certain of anything in his sorry-ass life, and she'd believed him.
Except...he'd lied.
As his head leans ever so slightly to the side, Mulder continues to stare at her profile, feels his heart swell to near-bursting point - so much so that he finds himself struggling for breath - and knows beyond every conceivable shadow of a doubt that marriage and anything else attainable is exactly what he wants with this woman.
"You and William are the most important things in my life, and I'll do anything in my power to take down anybody that tries to take you away... This--...The thought of marriage has always scared me because I don't wanna take any risks that might change or spoil what we have. Past experience told me that that's all marriage does - ends up turning people against each other - and I couldn't bear the thought of doing that to us," he professes in a whisper heavy with emotion. "I came to realize that that could never happen between us, though, because what we have is so different - so much greater - than anything I had with--..." His voice trails off momentarily as he sees her flinch, and rushes to finish the sentence before she emotionally separates herself from his words. "Than anything I had with anybody else, ever. Having you as my wife would only make my life more magical - more complete. And now, with William, we can finally be a proper family! ...We...We can get out of the car like you always wanted..."
Strands of auburn wrap around her face as it lowers, shakes, and then slowly lifts again to turn toward him. Orbs of blue drown in unstoppable tears. Lips as red as cherry quiver. And then it dawns on him as to why this is so much more difficult than it had been to propose: there's just no hiding from the fact that while she may be able to get out of the proverbial car with their son protectively wrapped in her arms, Mulder will have to continue driving the damn thing away from them as far and for as long as necessary until he can return safely.
XxXxXxXxX
SCULLY'S APARTMENT
26 HOURS EARLIER"Hi."
"Hi." Tension polluted the air between them, but Mulder bent to kiss the corner of her mouth before then leaning in further to press a kiss to the crest of William's downy hair. "Hey, kiddo! You been good for Mommy?" The child considered his strange but enthralling father thoughtfully and then smiled - reaching out a chubby fist to playfully tap Mulder's nose. Mulder beamed also and gently clasped the tiny hand in one of his much larger ones. "You don't like it either, huh? Well, be thankful - at the moment, your nose looks pretty fine to me, so you could just be in luck and not have inherited mine."
Despite the seriousness of what she knew would follow, Scully couldn't hold back the small chuckle that escaped at his one-sided banter.
"There's nothing wrong with your nose, Mulder, and in fact I think William does have yours - that's certainly not mine," she smiled.
Mulder eyed her curiously and then stared back at Will - as if the two of them were having a meaningful conversation. "A woman of taste is your mommy, Will'yum...Either that or she's completely crazy! There's a lesson for you to learn when you grow up and start getting compliments from girls: if they're nice about your nose, be suspicious!" He paused and blinked...and realized William was actually fast asleep. "Oh," he sighed, shaking his head once and standing up straight. "Nice to see you've inherited that trait from your mother, I'm sure."
His chuckle died quickly, and silence entrapped them for several long seconds.
"I'm gonna go put him down in his cr--"
"No! I mean, can you wait a second? I need--...I want to ask you a question."
The quirked eyebrow was something he found himself grateful to see, and Scully gave an uncertain nod as she shifted the bulk in her arms until William was using her shoulder as a pillow. "Wh-what is it? If it's about--...You know w-we can't..."
Mulder stood frozen on the spot, wishing he'd sat in his car for a bit longer to plan this through more thoroughly. "I, uh...I wanna first apologise for being such a jerk - today, since I got back, since we were first paired together. Sometimes my head completely disassociates itself from my heart and what I know to be true deep down in there, so I end up saying and thinking stuff that isn't right. Th-that's no excuse for being hurtful, but I really wanna say sorry for--"
"Mul--"
"--being like that." As he continued to speak, one hand lowered into the pocket of his jacket and fingers enveloped the small velvet box inside. "And...I just wanna always be there with you... So, h-how about--...I mean, what would you say if I asked you to... to marry me?" The box was removed from it's hiding place and presented to her just as Scully's mouth dropped open in silent surprise and confusion. "We could organise a ceremony for tomorrow before--"
Dana shook her head, stroking her free hand down Will's back. "I know why...why you're doing this...Y-you shouldn't listen to my mother - just because we have a child, doesn't mean you should feel forced into--"
"I'm not thinking about your mom or religious regulations or anything else except the dream of you, me and Will together always. Today I've gone from hating what you've asked of me, to actually admiring you for it because I know I'm too cowardly to have ever made that sacrifice. If you hadn't anchored me and...and ...and..." Mulder swallowed hard and blinked back tears. "If you hadn't stepped forward and decided what would be for the best, I'd've stayed here and blindly waved a fist at the enemy whilst others crept up from behind."
"You have to go because your life is at risk," she corrected assertively. "You have to go because I can't let anything happen to you. If this was just about me things would be a lot different."
"Whatever. We've been through so much over the years together...I just wanna finally prove my commitment and give a promise to you before I leave. We could have a small ceremony tomorrow to keep us going until I get back, and then when I do return we can do the whole thing with tuxedos and long dresses and family and friends... and even Bill."
Scully stared at the box in his outstretched hand and then turned away toward the hallway. "I don't...I--" Her head lowered and she quickly moved to her bedroom, pushing the door shut after her.
"Scully? Scully!? Dammit..." Refusing to cower yet again from the walls around their hearts that had threatened to seperate them time and time again, he ran to the door and lightly rapped on it. When she still didn't respond, he entered the room, only to find her leaning over William's bassinet - her arched back heaving as she sobbed.
"When I was a little girl I always used to dream about getting married...I guess that's normal, really, but Missy used to tease me about it. I used to dream about becoming the wife of Prince Charming out of any fairytale and living with him in his castle, but Missy heard me talking in my sleep one night and it became...I don't know...Her trump card, I guess, because she'd threaten to tell Mom and Ahab about it if I didn't help her with homework or something like that," she sniffed, sensing Mulder's presence behind her. "Maybe that dream was also why I used to go for the types of men that I did: I wanted to be somebody's princess...a prize, of sorts."
"Scully, I just--"
"But then I stumbled upon the ultimate Prince Charming when I entered his palace in the basement of the FBI. He didn't treat me like some cheap prize, though...He treated me like an equal, and together we could have ruled the land..." Finally, she stood, glanced over her shoulder at him and then shakily turned. "I know fairytales aren't real, but you've always helped me to believe and feel that absolutely anything is possible, and you made me realize that, in the end, all I really need is a knight in shining armor to save my broken soul and whisk me away. You're everything to me, Mulder, no matter what, and last night you gave me so much hope for the future that I actually had the dream again - the first time in over a quarter of a century!"
"All you have to say is 'yes' and we'll do it." He took a step forward and yet again outstretched the hand holding the ring box.
Her head shook and lowered briefly. "I told you I know fairytales don't exist, and that can only mean things end far from 'happily ever after'. The dream was shattered, and hope was snatched away by Kersh's visit this morning..."
Mulder frowned in puzzlement - confused as to what she was getting at and why she didn't just accept his proposal.
"I--..." Her hesitation made him wonder if even she knew. "I wanna say 'yes' so badly...God, I've longed to hear those words come from you for longer than I can remember, but in twenty-four or forty-eight hours--
"In twenty-four or forty-eight hours I'm gonna be gone with only memories to cling to," he quickly cut in, stepping forward and wrapping both arms around her. "But that shouldn't stop us from being able to snatch up one more piece of happiness before it happens, should it?"
There was the faint sting of her nails frantically scratching at his back and hot tears soaking the front of his t-shirt, but he said nothing more, choosing instead to just tighten his hold on her and press kisses in her hair.
"No," she eventually whispered, and his eyes clamped shut before the tears of pain completely washed them out of their sockets. "No, we shouldn't let it."
Mulder's eyes flew open again and he took a step back so that he could frown down at her, only to see her staring back at him with jaw set. "Scu--"
Her head shook to silence him and then she shifted so that she could pry the box from his grasp. "We should enjoy every minute we have." Trembling fingers struggled to open the catch on the front until, finally, the lid fell backwards to reveal a golden band and whisper small diamond that shone so brightly it could probably blind the unsuspecting.
"I-I-I know it's n-not much...but, when I get back, I swear I'll get the biggest imaginable..."
Once again her head shook, but this time she was smiling. "Why? This--...This is the most beautiful ever, and...and given with your love, which is the greatest and most important thing to me - what more could I want?"
"So...W-Will you marry this paranoid old guy, Dana Katherine Scully?"
As far as she was concerned, words were not good enough an answer for such a question if he couldn't already read it from the expression on her face, so, instead - as William's light snore became the only sound in the room - Scully wrapped both arms around her partner's neck and reached up onto tiptoe to share a passionate kiss with him.
The heavy reality of the whole situation didn't sink in until later that night as she lay beside his slumbering body in their bed.
XxXxXxXxX
PRESENT DAY
The unseasonal rainstorm continues to hammer against their car, and Scully listens to the rhythm of the water droplets as she considers Mulder's words. She'd been on a kind of high as they'd spent the rest of yesterday making arrangements, putting his belongings into either storage or her apartment and tying up loose ends - making every effort, with the help of the Gunmen and Skinner, to be as thorough as possible so Mulder would completely disappear off the radar as if he'd never existed, but at the same time being sure that enough time was set aside in the evening for him, William and herself to spend together alone.
The practical thinking part of her, as well as the ruins of the emotional wall around her heart, had chosen to start bombarding her with doubt at approximately one-thirty this morning and hadn't let up since.
'He could have asked before, but he left it until now - why?'
'You're not ready to become his little wife!'
'You're forcing him into this!'
She's heard about it being natural to have second thoughts before a wedding, but she'd have never thought that possible with him - after all, why shouldn't they finally get married? It's the most logical next step in their long, growing relationship and their love's as great, if not moreso, than anybody else's!
'Admit it, you're just scared!'
But why?
'Because although he's still the man you love and the father of your son, you can bear the thought of losing your partner more than you can that of letting your husband walk away.'
Dana's head sharply lifts - the random beat on the shell of the vehicle abandoned and forgotten - and wet but steely-blue eyes fix on his worried expression. Yes, he has to go, but at least it's by choice - he will be back, and somehow they can find a way to communicate in the meantime. Clarity finally helps her see that her fears have been working overdrive, based solely on the experience from when he'd been abducted and returned dead earlier in the year.
"And we'll keep the home fires burning until you've parked it," she smiles at last, squaring her shoulders and reaching out to grab his hand and intertwine their fingers together.
There's a pause as Mulder draws upon her newfound strength of will, and then he reaches over to place a kiss on her forehead, cheek and lips. The uncertainty of their future lies around tomorrow's corner, but they have today and he prays that they're allowed to enjoy every second of it
"Come on then, Agent Scully - before you change your mind!"
XxXxXxXxX
MULDER'S APARTMENT
24 HOURS EARLIERNine hours after an emotional, slightly inebriated Fox Mulder had turned up at their door, and just two hours short of that since 'Operation Vanish' had been forced into action, the Lone Gunmen loaded the last box of personal effects to be transported to Scully's home into their VW bus.
"This is ridiculous," a sweaty, disgruntled Skinner - who had rushed here after hearing Kersh's news and arrived shortly after Mulder's departure - sighed, shaking his head.
"It's beyond ridiculous, man - it's downright crazy!" Frohike corrected, sliding the side door shut. "I mean, he only just got back...They've got the little man now and they should be able to live happily ever after!"
Langley opened his mouth to agree, but that was when Byers' cellphone rang. All eyes turned on him as he answered.
"Hello?"
"Byers, it's Mulder. Have you guys finished at the apartment?"
"Uh, yeah. Assistant Director Skinner helped. We were just about to bring the fish tank and other specified belongings to Agent Scully's home. Why?"
There was a brief silent pause at the other end of the line before, "I'm very grateful for all you've done to--... What I mean is, both of us are grateful for everything you guys have done to help us with this, but I need to ask one more favor..."
John frowned slightly, but shook his head when his friends threw questioning glares his way. "Sure thing, Mulder - you know we'll help with whatever we can," he hesitantly answered into the phone.
"First of all, you gotta promise not to laugh or say 'about time' or anything like that."
Suddenly, the more quiet member of the trio had an inkling of where this was leading, and the corner of his mouth turned upwards. He'd hoped his words would get through Mulder's bullheadedness earlier when he'd interrupted the conversation in the bedroom, but could they really have kicked the FBI agent into finally screwing his head on straight and taking the next big step in the relationship with his partner?
"Byers?"
"I'm here. What do you need?"
"I've asked Scully to marry me, and she's said yes..."
'About time!' Byers' head exclaimed in exultation.
"But we wanna do it before I go...Just a small ceremony as unnoticeable as possible..." Mulder snatched in a deep breath before continuing in a conspiratorial, hushed tone, "She's agreed it'd be best none of her family or anybody else know about it, but I want you guys to find a chapel for tomorrow....and discreetly get Mrs. Scully there. Would that be possible at all, or am I pushing my luck with all the other stuff you're doing?"
Frohike stepped forward and nudged his taller friend in the side, but Byers shifted away - ignoring him as he assured the caller, "No, that'd be fine - Langley and Frohike can work on the ID setups etcetera whilst I, and possibly A.D. Skinner, arrange that, but... just her mother? What about the rest of the family? Don't you wan--"
"If it were up to me she'd be wearing a long white gown, it'd be in a large church, and she could have as many friends, family and whoever else she wishes there as she likes, but we need to keep this low-key, and if her brother Bill finds out what we're doing I may end up permanently dead before I've even stepped one foot out of town," Mulder exclaimed, unable to tamper his irritation. After a second or two, though, he sighed and apologized, "I'm sorry, Byers...I shouldn't have shouted...William just woke up for an afternoon feed and it's really sinking in about all the moments I'm gonna miss as he grows up - miss him develop all the quirks that make him him. I don't wanna be a bad father...The kid's cursed enough as it is having my DNA, but he shouldn't have to grow up without a father - he deserves more than that, and Scully deserves more than that."
"It's okay, I understand - we're all ruffled by this, and you of all people have every reason to be tense. You gotta remember, though: you will be home soon, and you'll always be there for them. And how can you call yourself a bad father? You're sacrificing all you have so that he's safe!"
"I wish I had as much optimism as you, bu--"
"Mulder?" Byers heard Dana's distant voice call out.
He smiled and turned back to his friends. The day looked far from over.
"I--"
"Go to them, Mulder. We'll sort out the chapel and everything else - don't worry about anything except the time you have left."
Nothing more said, the call ended, and John pocketed his cellphone just as the four men beside him exclaimed in unison, "'Chapel'?"
XxXxXxXxX
WASHINGTON D.C
JUNE 11thHands tightly clasped in each others', the two of them stand in front of the priest and repeat their vows on cue - desperately trying not to laugh when William (nestled in Maggie Scully's arms) lets out a cheerful gurgle almost at the same time, as if saying it for them.
"Do you, Dana Katherine Scully take this man, Fox William Mulder, to be your lawfully wedded husband..."
The friendly priest's voice fades away as Scully turns her head to look at the five smartly-dressed figures standing behind them. The most important people in her life are here, in this chapel, and as she focuses on the pride deeply engraved in her mother's expression, she realizes that fairytales can exist - just in different forms from the versions in childrens' books and dreams. An impending shadow of darkness waits just outside the chapel doors to swallow her whole, but in the presence of the people she loves, time seems to have frozen, and she almost wishes that it could stay this way so he'll never have to leave.
"Scully?"
Almost.
For eight years she's dreamt of being with this man; sharing a life and having a family with him. When abduction and cancer had stolen away her health and chances of conceiving, she'd condemned herself to believing that the fantasy would never be anything more than just that. Thanks to miracle after miracle, though, she has a chance to grab a tight hold on the dream-come-true reality, but only if she lives it instead of avoiding it.
Briefly glancing at her son, she mentally prepares herself to face the treacherous storm that is their lives - letting her eyelids flutter shut for the tiniest instant.
"Scully, Father McCue's falling asleep here!"
Images of a life she doesn't understand how she knows attack her senses and flash behind her closed eyes: lonely nights in her apartment singing to William; threats against them all; supersoldiers appearing left, right and center; another uncovered spaceship; a moving mobile; blood, gunfire and...and...
Dana's eyes fly open - a gasp escaping her as she struggles to comprehend what the hell she's just seen. Except, when the glare of blinding sunlight clears, she finds herself standing at the front of a large church. Margaret Scully is still in her direct line of vision, but so is Bill and Tara and...Matthew, looking at least 10 years old?! And where's William?
"Mul--"
Turning at breakneck speed, she faces Mulder and the panic etched on his face, only to notice that he's dressed in a full tuxedo, and patches of grey speckle his hair. She could have sworn that time had come to a halt, so how - in the blink of an eye - had it rushed past like the wind?
Too caught up in her thoughts, Scully doesn't notice her partner slowly leaning forward until his head rests against hers and he whispers, "We've waited this long to get here...Don't say you've changed your mind now?" He chuckles, but she can here the nervousness that laces it.
'This long'? Something indescribable lets go of its vice-like grip on her heart, and for what she knows is the first time in forever, she feels safe, complete, free. Memories catch her up, and she knows that the real 'now' is actually four years after that day in 2001. Mulder had been gone for two-and-a-half painful years before returning home, but the wedding had been postponed until now due to further threats against them and other complications.
"Mommy?"
As the widest smile imagineable begins to rise her cheekbones, Scully looks down at the small boy, dressed in a miniature version of Mulder's suit, tugging at the bottom of her long ivory-colored gown.
"Mommy, you 'kay?"
She crouches down, brushes a hand over the crest of her son's lightbrown hair, and smiles, "I'm fine, William...How can I not be with you and your daddy keeping an eye on me?" When he gives a satisfied nod of his head and puts his fist in his mouth before running back to sit on the front pew beside Walter Skinner, Dana raises back up to full height.
"How can we not?" she hears Mulder whisper, just as she returns her gaze back to the depths of his eyes that hold so many emotions just for her and their son. "Who would keep us sane if we didn't have you?" He squeezes the hand in his hold, and she reciprocates the gesture.
"Are we ready, now?" the elderly McCue queries, cutting in. Both nod, and he repeats his question to the female agent. "Do you, Dana Katherine Scully, take this man, Fox William Mulder, to be your lawfully wedded husband - for better, for worse; for richer, for poorer; in sickness and in health for as long as you both shall live?"
"I'd say we've been through all those, and much more, and we're still together," comes her chuckled response. "So, yes, I do."
Maggie Scully shifts excitedly where she sits, but feels the tension in the body next to her notch up a level or two. She knew Bill Jr. was just as stubborn as his father had been, but she prayed that one day he would see straight and realize that Dana was very happy where she was - that she wouldn't be happy anywhere else. The grunt of disgust he makes when McCue asks the same question to Mulder (their names swapped accordingly), though, causes her to doubt that her prayers will be answered anytime soon.
"Exactly four years ago today in a run-down chapel not far from here I made the same vow, and absolutely nothing has changed - in fact, my love for you has grown unbelievably stronger in that time. I did then, and I do now - for as long as we live and beyond that," comes Mulder's solemn response as he refuses to break eye contact with his shorter partner.
"Oh, give me strength!" Bill curses under his breath - ready to jump to his feet and leave.
"Hush," reprimands his wife. "Don't spoil Dana's day...Just for a change."
"Bu--" The scowl Tara shoots his way is enough to silence him, and he folds both arms across his chest as he pouts.
At the altar, much to Bill's silenced chagrin, Mulder and Scully are pronounced man and wife and they share a long, passionate kiss. When they turn to walk down the aisle toward the church's exit, Dana falters and looks at all the faces congregated in the church on this warm Saturday afternoon: Skinner, the Gunmen, Doggett, Reyes, Kimberly, her mother, sister-in-law, nephew and two brothers, her son... Every single person that fills a portion of her life watching as she - dressed in white satin and lace - begins to make her way down the aisle strewn with cherry blossoms, arm-inarm with her soulmate and husband.
"Dreams come true, Scully, even ones based in fairytales," Mulder's assuring tone sighs into her ear as they approach the back of the church. "I knew this is what you'd hoped for when we were sitting in the car outside that chapel...I so badly wanted to give this to you..."
Without breaking her stride, she leans into him and replies, "I was wrong back then - just as you've proven me wrong on so many other things over the years--"
"I may have to quote you on that sometime..."
"Fairytales are real. Shall I tell you how I know?"
"Because you got Prince Charming twice?"
"Besides that."
He stops alongside their car - which the guys have, unsurprisingly, decorated with ribbons, confetti, and 'Just Married...Again' signs - and smirks down at her. "Go on then, g-woman; don't keep your helpless husband always guessing!"
"'Helpless'? Pffft...Clumsy, accident-prone and often-times bedridden, but never helpless."
"Ooh, you make it sound so romantic! I just got very turned on a--"
"We ended happily ever after."
Mulder frowns for a second in bewilderment, but then his features contort into a wide, bright smile. "Yes and no," he beams, bending down to kiss her. "There's a 'happy ever after' involved, but this is far from the end!"
Goodbyes and gestures of appreciation are exchanged, and William is handed into the care of his grandmother for the next fortnight. It isn't long before the couple are belted into their car seats, the key turns in the ignition, and Mulder is driving them away from the crowd.
The journey starts out in companionable silence, but when they reach the end of the street, Mulder awkwardly asks, "Uh...Scully? Where are we going?"
Preoccupied with the worry that if she blinks again she might find herself back at that small chapel or - even worse - standing in the woods of Montana staring at his lifeless body, Scully doesn't quite catch what he's said and slowly turns away from the passenger-side window. "Huh?"
"Wh-where are we going?" He begins to panic, wishing he'd ignored his paranoia and just booked them reservations somewhere.
But instead of complaining at his lack of organization, she actually smiles, replying, "Just drive, Mulder. Just drive anywhere. The car has been our friend for too long for us to not trust it and let it take us to wherever."
Without argument, as the sun begins to lower in the sky, Mulder puts the car into gear and just drives toward the horizon. They've got two weeks vacation time to themselves, with nothing to detour them and no particular place to go. And for them, that's perfect.
The sedan disappears from view, tightly packed with its two passengers and the endless, tower tall love they share between them, whilst bad memories become nothing more than the dust in their wake.
THE END
I gave my love a diamond whisper small
I made my love a promise tower tall
I said one day just wait I'll buy the world for you One day you'll see my promise will come trueShe looked down at the diamond whisper small And said it sparkles brighter than them all She said I'll need no more as long as I may live You gave me love what greater gift can anyone give? What greater gift can anyone give?
And so I made a promise in reply
A vow that I will honour till I die
The one buy for you may be but whisper small My love will be forever tower tall~'Tower Tall' by Gene Pitney
EXTRA AUTHOR'S NOTES: Before you come chasing me down with pitchforks and other sharp implements, I know Scully - a mother out of wedlock - by religious laws probably shouldn't be able to get married in a virginal-white dress, let alone a church, but I'm not religious and am not about to be restricted by that in the face of making these two happy :)
Despite the technical flaws, I hope you enjoyed this. When the challenge was first set, I thought, 'Ooh, that'll be easy'.....and then realized the time periods I'd considered setting it in stepped too heavily on other universes I have in stories that are in production. Not helping was sickness and the breakdown of my 'puter :/
Anyway, would be great to hear your thoughts at XSketch@hotmail.com :) Thanks for taking the time to read!!!
If you enjoyed this story, please send feedback to XSketch
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