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WEBSITE: http://thesketchfiles.bravehost.com RATING: PG
CLASSIFICATION: S, A, MSR
SPOILERS: Set season 9, so everything up til then SUMMARY: Why, on his birthday, was he in some dingy hell-hole in the middle of nowhere alone - running away and leaving his family behind?
FEEDBACK: Love it, hug it :) XSketch@hotmail.com DISCLAIMER: Not mine, never have been. Kudos to FOx and 1013. ARCHIVE: Why you'd want to is a mystery, but you can host it if you'd like :)
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Just a little, almost pointless splurge of words inspired by Lisa's 'Mulder's Birthday' challenge set at Mulder's Refuge. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MULDER!!! DEDICATION: For all the lovely folks at MR - you rock!
Low cloud cover blocked out the rising sun's cleansing rays as the man slowly awoke in the run-down shack.
He glanced at the window, said a silent prayer he hoped its intended recipients would hear, and shakily stepped into the bathroom as a hand wiped down his haggard and bearded face. The weather meant little to him - no matter what, it couldn't change where he was or where he wasn't - but days like this seemed to emulate his low resolve so closely that it made everything that much more painful; days like this brought back so many memories of standing beside her under an umbrella on some case or another that the ache to be home where he belonged only deepened that much more.
...Those things, and the fact that today was October 13th...
The figure in the dirty mirror stared back at him, but it was barely recognisable - so detached from the man he had once been, and the driving fire of determination in his eyes now four months dead.
riiinnnggg rriiinnnnngggggg
Eyes slipped shut and thankfully the stranger disappeared from view. What was happening here? Why, on his birthday - when he finally had his one in five billion to spend it with without having to dig up some wild goose chase to go on - was he in some dingy hell-hole in the middle of nowhere, running away and leaving his family behind so that they could be safe in his absense? Why was he letting those that had taken so much from them already over the years do this? Why--
riiinnnggg rriiinnnnngggggg
Finally it registered that there was a phone ringing in the bedroom, and he turned to go back there. There was only one person that knew the number, but...but it was only supposed to be used in emergencies...
'Oh, God, please no...'
Almost tentatively, he pulled the cellphone out of one of his bags and answered, "...Frohike?"
"Hey man, you alright? I mean, other than the obvious, of course?"
"I'm...I'm fine."
"Like that, huh? I know." There was movement at the other end of the line as the shortest member of the Lone Gunmen looked over at his two friends and shook his head before smiling. "But, hey, it's your birthday an--"
"What's the point of a birthday if there's nobody to celebrate with?" Mulder coldly replied, pacing the small room. "How can I celebrate when my partner and newborn son are hundreds of miles away? What's to celebrate?!"
"But they're alive and well, and that's the most important thing, right? Mulder, you know if you could be here--"
"'I would, but it's just not safe - supersoldiers and conspirators threatening my existence' yadda, yadda, yadda. I've heard it a million times and tried telling myself it just as many, but the whole scenario still stinks and I still miss them!"
"Well, we can't bring you home, but we may have some information that'll help." Frohike shot a glance at the clock on the wall, whispered "Check out your inbox," into the receiver and then hung up.
The line disconnected with a click, and the exiled FBI agent blankly stared at the phone for several silent moments before packing it away again and fetching his laptop from the bedside cabinet. Could there finally be some scrap of information that would help bring down these beings and send him home?
"You have mail!" the computer cheerily announced, and he was about to click on the message from the Gunmen, when suddenly he noted the un-visited link below...from Scully.
That became his priority - the day not seeming so bad anymore - and as he read her e-mail, he couldn't stop himself from hearing the words in her voice, as if she were speaking to him instead.
'I don't know if you'll read this on the actual day, but happy birthday, Mulder. We wish we could be there to celebrate - you have to know that...William would certainly find something creative to do with a big, iced cake, I'm sure :) Anyway, another year older, and yet still we've not been able to grab life by the short hairs like we deserve to...I've tried reminding myself that this is the right thing -"That if we want to share birthdays and Christmases and every day in between together , we must sacrifice this one...but this is too hellish...I can't live another day without you, and I'd give anything to be standing over you now, reciting this e-mail."
Mulder froze - the voice more real than something just in his head actually breathing in his ear.
"Give it a minute to sink in."
His head snapped up, only to be blinded by a light even brighter and more beautiful than the sun - hidden or otherwise. In front of where he perched on the edge of the bed, stood his one and only Scully - hands resting on hips in that familiar pose, hair tied back into a ponytail, and face tear-streaked but still the best thing he'd ever seen and glowing with the new-mother aura. Her name hung on his trembling lips, but the sound refused to come, so instead the laptop was pushed aside and he leapt to his feet.
"S--...Scu--....."
Dana swallowed hard and took a step toward him. Raw, desperate need was telling her to run into his arms and hold him as tight as possible, but it was tampered by the desire to savour every moment they had until she had to return to their home and son alone later tonight, so she waited for him to regain his voice and take the next step that would close the space still separating them.
"S-S--...Scully?"
She nodded, and within the blink on an eye the separation temporarily became nothing more than the ghost of a nightmare as arms wrapped around bodies and lips pressed against skin.
"H-how?"
"Cowardly Lion, Scarecrow and Toto."
Breathless from pure joy, Mulder smiled and pressed his forehead against hers - fingers combing through her hair. He badly wanted to cradle William in his arms again, and he knew full well that this moment could not last as long as either of them wanted, but he was ready to accept any chance he could have to share with them, and understood travelling with an infant whilst being as hidden as possible was not the safest of ideas.
He'd asked Frohike what he had to celebrate today, but as he held onto Scully, Mulder realised the fact that he was alive and able to experience this moment at all, let alone have a family to protect, eventually return to and enjoy a future with - all that much more extraordinary when considering where he'd been seven months ago - was the greatest reason of all to celebrate his life. And having this now was the best gift ever.
"Sorry I couldn't bring you any cake," her small voice started, muffled against his cheek. "William got to it before I could pack any."
All he could do was laugh and tighten his arms around her.
Outside, the cloud cover started to break apart, and the sun's rays seeped through the cracks, marking the true start of the day.
THE END
If you enjoyed this story, please feed the author.
Title: Birthday Arrival
Author: XSketch
Details: 7k · PG · Standalone · 01/15/06 · Email/Website
Gossamer Category(Keywords): Story [Romance, Angst]
Pairings: Mulder/Scully romance
SPOILERS: Set season 9, so everything up til then
SUMMARY: Why, on his birthday, was he in some dingy hell-hole in the middle of nowhere alone - running away and leaving his family behind?
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