Title: Lightening Shadows VI-Two Viewpoints
Author: Elizabeth L. Iacono
Rating: PG
Category: Story, Angst, Little bit of Romance
Keywords: Pre-XF, Mulder/Scully Romance
Spoilers: None
Summary: How two different families, the Ramsays and the
Mulders, handle the loss of their children.
Okay, I lied. I said there was a big part coming up next,
but there's a little thing called writer's block that's
been plaguing me for weeks when it comes to this series.
So this is just a little piece as to how the two main
families in this series, the Mulders and the Ramsays,
handle losing a child. If you don't know who the Ramsays
are, I suggest reading the other stories in the series.
In this series, The End, the Movie, and all of Season Six
so far never happened.
If Mulder's dream sounds a little familiar, that's because
it's based on scenes from Susan Proto's
Life Cycles: The Unveiling, one of the best series I've
ever read. If you haven't, trust me, go read it.
Warning! There is some child abuse in this story, and if
it bothers you too much don't read this. It's not vital
to the series, so you won't be missing anything.
Archive-Go ahead, just e-mail me and tell me where it is.
I already sent this to Gossamer.
Disclaimer-Not mine. If they were, I wouldn't be working
off of this old computer whose CD-ROM drive and sound card
doesn't work. They do belong to CC, 1013, and Fox. I own
Catriona and Jerome Ramsay, Shannon Ramsay and Colin Ramsay,
and anyone else mentioned in the part that takes place in
Ireland. You're welcome to borrow them if you want, just
send me an e-mail.
Feedback is a welcome treat for any writer. My addy is
RhiaRamsay@aol.com, should anyone wanna write. (Pleeeze?!?)
Lightening Shadows VI-Two Viewpoints
Elizabeth L. Iacono
August 24, 1965
Ireland
10:15 a.m.
The unearthly wind died down, bringing with it a fresh
smell of the sea. Catriona Ramsay straightened up from
where the wind had forced her to hunch over the bundle
of flowers she was holding.
Today, they were setting up for a big party that
her mother in law, Eveanna Ramsay, was holding for the
sheer sake of celebration and the desire to see her
family. It would be a fun occasion for all. Catriona
lifted her face towards the sky. Something was different,
now that the wind had passed, but she couldn't put her
finger on it. Even with all of her talents, natural
and supernatural, she couldn't pinpoint what was
causing the uneasiness in her soul.
"Mama!" Catriona heard her son Colin yell. She
whipped around scanning the big yard scattered with
various tables and other stuff needed for the party.
She saw him running towards her from near the cliffside
that towered into the sky, which made up one of the
boundaries of the extensive Ramsay land. The other
boundaries were the other cliff, where the land dropped
off abruptly into the sea, a road, and a fenced in grazing
pasture a good distance from the main houses.
"What is it?" she yelled over the distance Colin was
diminishing rapidly.
"Fox is gone!" he said as he skittered to a stop in
front of her.
"What?" Catriona gasped, not truly comprehending
what she just heard. Fox, her other little boy, was...gone?
"He's gone! I turned around to get the ball that the
wind kept blowing away, and when I turned back Fox was
gone. It wasn't even thirty seconds! He was there,
and then he was gone. I lost him!" Colin cried, breaking
down into tears, even though he believed nine years old
was too old to cry.
Catriona kneeled down and hugged her son. "It's
okay. It's not your fault." She wiped the tears off
his face. "We'll find him, okay?"
He nodded, still too upset to speak. At that moment
her daughter, Shannon came tearing around the corner of
the house, still carrying the vegetables from the garden
in a basket by her side. "What was that?" she said.
"I heard someone screaming."
Catriona stood up, and took Colin's hand in hers.
"Fox is missing, and we're going to go find him."
Shannon's eyes went wide and she froze in her steps.
"Don't worry," Catriona assured Shannon. "We will find
him." Shannon just nodded and ran to her mother,
throwing her arms around her waist. Catriona put
one arm around Shannon's shoulders, and used her
other to bring Colin into the hug also. "You two
going to be okay enough so we can find Fox?" she
asked gently. She felt them both nod against her
stomach. "Then let's go get Da, okay?" The three
of them made their way slowly to the main house.
As the three walked through the doorway, Catriona
felt another pair of arms go around her waist from behind,
but these arms were stronger, and much older. She turned
around slowly, still guiding Shannon and Colin, into the
arms of her husband, Jerome. He then managed to get his
arms around all three of them. Jerome whispered into
Catriona's ear with his soft Irish lilt. "I saw it,
and I heard all of it. Don't worry, Cat, we'll find him."
"I hope so, Dragon Boy," she whispered back.
Eveanna was tiptoeing around the family, until
Catriona finally pulled away and started walking to
the phone. "I called them already," Eveanna said.
"They should be here any minute."
"Thanks," Catriona said softly.
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Three days later...
"Look, Catriona, we did all we could. We got the
bloodhounds out searching for him throughout the county,
there are officers out interviewing anyone who could have
possibly seen him, we've even got the boats out dredging
the pools around the foot of the cliff. I think it's
time you face the truth, Catriona," an officer of the
local police force and longtime friend of the family,
Christian Walton.
Catriona stood up, towering over Christian while
brushing off Jerome's hands that were trying to calm
her down and keep her sitting in her chair. "What the
hell are you saying?" she said while giving him a look
that would have killed him.
Christian leaned back in his chair, surveying the
kitchen where they were all gathered. Jerome and
Catriona were sitting at the large table with him,
while Shannon and Colin were sitting in their
grandparents arms by the fireplace that was lit
for the unseasonably cold weather. "I think you
should stop believing we'll find Fox and accept
the fact that he probably fell over the side of
the cliff and got swept out to sea."
Before Catriona's fist could reach Christian's
face Jerome wrapped his arms around her thin waist
and pulled her into his lap. "Calm down, Cat," he
spoke into her hair. "Just keep believing we'll
find him, and we will." She nodded, and said what
she was planning to before.
"It would be nearly impossible for Fox to fall
over the cliff, Christian. No one saw him for a
period of no more than thirty seconds. Fox can't
run that fast, and it takes Colin a good solid
minute to reach it while running at top speed.
And Fox would have had to climb over the wall to
reach the cliff, which is at least a foot taller
than he is and smooth stone!" she finished and
slumped back in Jerome's arms.
Christian sighed and ran a hand through his
hair. "Okay, Catriona, we'll keep looking as long
as we possibly can, but..." he trailed off, knowing
anything else said would get him a black eye.
Jerome spoke, his cheek leaning on Catriona's
oak brown hair. "Just don't sign any death
certificates or anything. We're always going to
be hopeful." He looked around the room. "Where
are the kids, Ma?" he asked Eveanna.
"Shannon went up to her room, and Colin went
outside," she spoke in a voice laced with anger,
not at her family, but at Christian for bringing
bad news to the family at such a time.
Jerome sighed. "You want to see to Shannon,
and I'll get Colin?" he asked.
"Okay," Catriona said, and they both went to
their children.
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Catriona knocked on the door to Shannon's room.
"Can I come in?" she asked.
Shannon sniffled and let out a soft "Okay."
Catriona pushed it open slowly to find Shannon
huddled on the bed, her fingers playing around
on an invisible spot on the bed cover. Catriona
sat down on the bed on the bed in front of her.
"Are you okay, Shan?"
A few tears started making their way down
Shannon's face. "I hate Christian!" she sobbed.
"How can he say Fox is gone?" she turned a sad face
up at her mother. Catriona stretched her arms and
pulled her daughter into them.
"It's all right, sweetheart, I know and Da knows
that we will find Fox, that he's not gone."
Shannon buried her face into shoulder and kept
sobbing. "But why does it hurt so much, even if Fox
is gonna come back?"
"It's supposed to hurt. You're not supposed to
have to go through something like this," Catriona whispered.
"I'm tired, Mama," Shannon sighed, the tears
finally tapering off.
Catriona laid down, pulling Shannon with her.
"I'm tired too. We'll stay together, then. I love
you, Shan."
"I love you too, Mama," Shannon said, and they
both dropped off to sleep.
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Jerome finally found Colin sitting on the wall
surrounding the rose garden, staring out at the sea.
He climbed up on the wall beside him and put a hand
on his shoulder. "How are you doing?" he asked quietly.
"I lost him," Colin said almost inaudibly.
"What?" Jerome asked, not believing his ears.
"It's my fault he's gone! I was supposed to
be watching him, but I turned away to get the ball
that had kept rolling away from us and when I turned
back he was gone! I took my eyes off of him for a
few seconds and now he's gone! I lost him," he
finished with a sob.
Despite all of Colin's pleas that he was too
old to cry he broke down, tears spilling down his
face. Jerome gathered Colin up into his arms and
set him down on his lap, slowly rocking him back
and forth. "It's not your fault, Col, remember
that. It will never be your fault."
"But Mama told me to keep an eye on him. Now
you two are going to blame me for losing him, and
you're not going to love me anymore," Colin cried
into his father's shirt.
"It doesn't matter. It is not your fault.
Mama and I don't blame you for losing him, we never
will. We will love you no matter what happens,"
Jerome spoke into Colin's hair.
"But Fox is still gone," Colin whispered.
Jerome sighed, knowing what he said was true.
He looked out over the sea into the night that
was growing steadily darker, almost like the
darkening of the past three days.
'When will these shadows lighten?' he
wondered to himself.
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December 19, 1973
Martha's Vineyard
7: 23 p.m.
Bill Mulder pushed open the door to the empty
house and stalked inside, his wife following closely
behind, leaving the young boy standing out on the porch
in the cold weather.
Fox Mulder sighed and walked into the house,
locking the door behind him. He was finally out
of the hospital, after lapsing into a coma for a
few weeks after Sam's disappearance, and now his
parents dropped him like a hot coal. He knew
they blamed him for everything, even though
they hadn't said anything yet. Fox was just
waiting for the blow-up that was inevitable
at this point.
He walked into the kitchen, avoiding the
family room. Fox didn't want to see the last
place he saw Sam. It was too painful, and would
probably be for a long while.
Once in the kitchen, he searched for some
food. The fridge was bare, save for some old
bread. No one had eaten here for ages. While
he was in the hospital, his parents had usually
ate out if they ate at all. Mostly his dad lived
off of his favorite bottles of liquor, and his
mother had become very familiar with Valium.
Fox searched the cabinets, and finally came up
with a can of chicken noodle soup.
Fox made it quietly and ate it the same way.
He had been feeling that, ever since he woke up
from the coma, that something was missing from
his memory. It was hard to pinpoint, but he
just knew it had something to do with Sam's
disappearance. He was sure he knew something,
saw something, but whatever it was, it was gone
from his memory now.
He finished the soup and cleaned it up, not
wanting to do anything to make his father mad.
He wasn't up to fending off a beating this soon
after getting out of the hospital. Fox went
upstairs to his bedroom and changed into his
pajamas. Right now all he wanted to do was sleep.
But sleep was not going to come anytime soon.
Just as Fox was settling into bed his father threw
open the door to his room. He noticed Bill's eyes
were glazed over with drunkenness and had an evil
glint to them. "You son of a bitch," he growled
towards Fox. "It was your fault. You lost my
little girl."
Fox began to shake. He knew what was coming,
and that it would be made even worse by the amount
of liquor he'd consumed. Bill stormed over to the
bed and jerked Fox out of it and threw him into
the closet door.
Fox gasped, feeling the pain course through
his shoulder where it had hit the door. "Dad,
please..." he began to say.
"Don't 'Dad' me you little bastard!" Bill
screamed at him and kicked him in the stomach.
Fox turned his head to try and call for his mother,
but he heard the noise from the TV in their bedroom
loud and clear. No chance that she would save him
from his father's wrath.
Bill kicked Fox in the stomach once more, and
then bent down to his level. He whispered savagely
to him "You lost her you little bastard, and don't
think I'm ever going to let you forget it." Then,
he started punching Fox in the face, bruising him
and opening new cuts.
Throughout the whole ordeal Fox just kept
silent, knowing from past experiences that it
was best to keep his mouth shut. When Bill
finally felt that he was finished, he gave Fox
one last kick in the back of the head, and then
stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
After a while, Fox finally managed to get
himself off the floor, wincing with every move
he made. He made his way to the bed slowly. Fox
reached into the drawer of his nighttable, where he
had taken to keeping a supply of Band-Aids and
disinfectant and a hand mirror to clean himself
up after such a time.
Finally, after he was cleaned up, he got back
under the covers. But sleep was hard to find, and
only then, did the tears he's been holding all night
began to fall silently.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
September 3, 1998
Dana Scully's apartment
11:30 p.m.
Dana Scully looked at the tears coursing
down Mulder's face while he was sleeping. He
must be dreaming something horrible, she thought.
Scully decided to wake him up from where he'd fallen
asleep on her couch before from a late night of back
paperwork.
'This is a great way to spend a Friday night,'
she thought with a twist to her lips. 'I'm here
with the man I love and we spend our Friday nights
doing paperwork.'
She kneeled down and brushed her lips to his,
and then shook him gently. "Mulder," she whispered
in his ear. It didn't work, so she shook him again
and kissed him a little harder. Finally Mulder came
to and kissed her back. After a few minutes of that
Scully pulled back and he opened his eyes.
"Why'd you stop," he pouted sleepily.
"What were you dreaming about?" Scully asked gently.
Mulder grimaced. It wasn't something he wanted
to talk about, but it was nothing Scully hadn't heard
before. "Just my father being a jerk again, that's
all," he said with a shrug. Scully winced, knowing
exactly what he meant. She reached up and softly
brushed the tears off his face.
Scully stood up and pulled Mulder to his feet.
"C'mon G-man, let's go to bed," she said and turned
to the bedroom.
Mulder wrapped his arms around her waist from
behind. "But I already got some sleep, Scully," he
whined. "I'm not tired anymore."
Scully tilted her head back and grinned at him.
"Who said anything about sleeping right away?"
Mulder grinned back at her and leaned down to
kiss her again. "I like the way you think, Scully."
The end...until part seven comes.
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Just to clarify something, Mulder did not dream the first
part with the Ramsay family, but he did dream the part
with his father.
And remember, all comments, fair or foul, will be welcomed
With open arms. My address is RhiaRamsay@aol.com.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"I was nothing before
you but I became so
strong."
Nobody But Me
Save Ferris
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"Ah, true love, it's
the greatest thing in
the world."
Miracle Max
The Princess Bride
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"Men will fight bravely
and be heroes, but for a
last ditch defense
against any odds...get
a mother."
Lightbringer
High Wizardry
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(
geocities.com/rhiaramsay)