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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
DISCLAIMER:
Not mine and never have been. Kudos to FOx and 1013.
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