Now is Forever (1/1)

Author: DSc1110
Email: DSc1110@hotmail.com

Feedback: Pretty please? I respond to it all.

Archive: Go for it! Please let me know where. Spookys… always!

Rating: Ahhh… PG

Keywords: MSR

Spoilers: Have to have seen Sein Und Zeit/ Closure to get this. Also references to All Souls, Beyond the Sea and Amor Fati. SMALL reference to X-Cops.

Disclaimer: Not mine. Poor college student. They are CC, DD, and GA's. Ten Thirteen, FOX, etc. You get the idea.

Summary: The past is all that's gone, the future is yet to come… It picks up where Closure left off.

Author note: Okay, yes I got the summary and the title for the Eiffel 65 song. I couldn't figure out what to call it! I was NOT going to do a post-episode. I always shy away from them, but this one just flowed from the end of my pen. (Yes pen. I wrote it last night at 2 AM in a spiral before bed. It was begging to be written.) I am in the progress of outlining two more fics…. Feedback will help me have to confidence to actually complete them. Uhhmmm… Oh, it hasn't been beta-read. My beautiful beta Brandy (say that six times real fast) wasn't on-line when I got this typed and I just couldn't wait to shoot it out to you. Forgive me for anything my spell/grammar checker missed.

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He continued looking at the stars as she continued to watch him. She reached out and grasped his arm. He slowly turned and focused on her for the first time since he'd returned. He gave her a lopsided smile as she continued to gaze at him with concern.

"Hi."

He looked at the ground and kicked at a rock. She squeezed his arm in response. The stood there for a few seconds before he looked back up at her. He reached up and took her hand.

"Come on."

He tugged at her hand and began to lead her into the woods.

"Mul--"

He pressed a finger to his lips and she fell silent again.

He led her down a small path to a clearing. The moonlight gave everything a silvery quality. He pulled her to the center of the area before he tuned to face her. They stood about a foot apart and he took her free hand into his. He both looked at the area around them. After a few moments, Mulder broke the silence. His eyes were focused on a point just past Scully.

"I saw her."

Scully didn't say anything; she just squeezed his hands. This brought his eyes to hers.

"I HELD her."

Scully simply nodded. Her eyes began to fill with tears. This brought tears to Mulder's eyes, as if she was giving him permission to grieve.

"God! She was so beautiful, Scully. How could --"

He stopped and his tears finally spilt over. Scully rubbed the back of his hands with her thumbs. Mulder focused on this gesture for a moment before breaking away. He turned his back on her and took a few steps away. He put his hand to his lips and looked straight ahead.

Suddenly, he spun around and locked her gaze with his. She had clasped her hands in front of her, and continued to look at him with concern.

"She was here!"

He pointed at the ground with conviction. He was shouting now, as if he wanted the world to hear him.

"She was HERE! So were Amber Lynn, Harold's son, and dozens of other children of all ages. They were playing. They were happy. They were safe."

He had begun to slowly advance towards her again as he spoke. His voice lowed to a whisper with his last words. He placed his hands on her shoulders and she in turn put her on his waist.

"They are in a better place," she whispered.

She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close to her. They stood holding each other for awhile. When they pulled apart she looked up at him. She cupped his face with her hands and wiped his tears away with her thumbs. He smiled as he remembered the similar gesture from his sister earlier.

"Let's go home Mulder."

He nodded and she took his hand and led him back to the car.

Once there, she turned to him and held her free hand out.

"Give me the keys.'

"Scu--"

"Give 'em."

He grinned at her as he fished them out of his pocket. He shook his head as he handed her the keys and he walked around to the other side of the car.

"What?"

They climbed in the car and he grinned.

"Nothing… you."

"What?"

"You're so stubborn."

"I have to be to work with you."

"Touché."

Scully started the car and began to drive back to the motel. They hadn't gotten far when they saw a lone figure walking along the side of the highway.

"Mulder, isn't that --"

"Yeah, slow down."

She slowed to a crawl as Mulder rolled down the window.

"Harold, get in the car."

"No."

"Harold, get in the damn car."

"You're wrong!"

"You know I'm not, you just don't want to admit it."

"YOU are WRONG."

"Get in the car."

"Go to hell."

"Been there the past twenty-six years. Just got back. Don't plan to return any time soon. You'll have to do better than that."

"You think this is funny?"

"Hell no. I'm serious."

"Dead serious, right? Well fuck you."

"That's fair, I suppose."

Mulder glanced at Scully with a slight look of amusement. He turned his attention back to Harold.

"Get in the car."

"No."

"It's not safe to be out here at this time of night."

"I don't care."

"Fine."

Mulder rolled up the window and turned back to Scully.

"Let's get out of here."

"But --"

"He's too stubborn and mad. I feel sorry for anything that might try to mess with him. The walk might do him some good. Give him a chance to think about it."

Scully nodded and sped up. The drove for awhile in silence, both lost in their own thoughts.

"You believe me? You believe that I saw her?"

Mulder turned his focus on Scully. She licked her lips and kept her eyes on the road.

"I don't doubt that you saw her, Mulder."

"But?"

She glanced at him for a second.

"But what?"

"There has to be a but, Scully. I know you."

She chuckled.

"Normally, I would say it was an illusion of your grief, that you just wanted to see her and those kids so bad that you did."

"But?"

She gave him a look at which he smiled.

"BUT, if I said that I wouldn't be being fair."

"How's that?"

"Well, I saw Emily after she died. I - I saw my father. They were so real. Hell, I prayed with Albert Hosteen in my apartment, and there is no way that could have happened but it did. Who am I to say you didn't see your sister?"

He fell silent for a long time. She assumed he was digesting her statement, but when glanced at him finally, she found him staring at her.

"What?'

"I - I don't know how to respond to that."

"The don't. Just accept that I believe you. I believe IN you. Hell, would I still be here with you if I didn't?"

"I guess not," he whispered.

They were almost in town before either of them spoke again.

"What now partner?"

Mulder sighed.

"Case closed. The fate of Samantha Mulder and Amber Lynn LaPierre has been discovered. I can't prove it, though."

"Nothing unusual about that. Skinner will never buy it, though."

"He'll have to."

"I'll file our report tomorrow morning, if you want me to handle it."

"I'd like that, thank you."

She nodded as they turned into the motel parking lot.

"I - uh- I have to plan Mom's funeral and I'd like to set a headstone or a memorial for Sam soon. I'll have to take care of that as soon as I get back to DC."

Scully turned the car off and turned to face Mulder.

"Please let me help you with all of that."

He swallowed and nodded.

"You know, we've been looking for Samantha for so long that I feel almost as if she were my sister, too."

Mulder's eyes shone. He reached over and cupped her cheek with his hand.

"Scully, you are my only family now. Actually, you have been for a long time now. Maybe one of these days we can make her your sister in the eyes of family, friends, the law and even God."

Tears filled her eyes at his promise for the future.

"I'd like that. I'd like that a lot."

He pulled her to him, wrapped her in his embrace. She turned her face to his and he leaned down and brushed her lips with his. They held each other for a long time. When she finally pulled away he smiled.

"'Till then, I wanna investigate something really odd."

She groaned.

"I'm afraid to ask."

"Did I tell you about the werewolf attack in LA a few weeks ago?"

She rolled her eyes and reached for her door handle.

"Come on Scully!"

"Good night Mulder."

She began to walk towards her room as he climbed out of the car.

"A short side trip before we return to DC? Tomorrow night is a full moon. You know what they say about --"

His voice faded away as she closed her motel room door. She sighed but couldn't help but laugh to herself. She had a feeling that the next was going to be a long one.

FIN
February 2000