November 18, 2001

Scully is sitting by her bedroom window staring at the blue-black sky. She would bundle up and go outside, but can't leave William, and even if he were to awaken, she couldn't take him out into the cold early morning air. She's been sitting here for almost an hour watching the meteors, and is surprised at how many she has seen from her indoor vantage point through the window glass and the trees across the street from her building. But the horizon has been filled with tiny shooting white lights.

She is feeling calm, and dare she think it, a little at peace. She knows this is but a small respite, and that the feeling will soon disappear as fast as one of the meteors, but she also knows that wherever he is, that Mulder too, is watching the sky.

He has been gone one week. Scully doesn't know when she will see him next, and hasn't so far been able to make herself believe that his being gone is the lesser evil, since by all evidence he should be dead. She had persuaded him to go, but she doesn't like it, not one bit. Her greed is boundless, as is her guilt. He's alive and well, and that should be enough for now. But it isn't.

It was a quiet, fierce parting. Their mouths had met in kisses that stopped only when Scully had forced herself to extricate her hand to open the front door. Tears fell as they stood there looking at each other, and then he was gone. It would have been too conspicuous to watch him walk away, so she stood with an ear pressed to the closed door and listened to the sound of his footsteps as they faded down the hallway. She remembers sitting down on the couch and supposes she might still be there if William hadn't started to cry a few minutes after this. Scully hadn't been in the room when Mulder went to tell his son goodbye. She'd heard the murmur of his voice and the little noises that William made, but she couldn't handle watching them together. That would have broken her. Again.

There was a small sound from the bassinet, and Scully got up and went over to check on William, who seemed to want in on the show. She picked him up, cuddling him for a bit, and then carried him with her to her seat by the window. It really was amazing to see the lights darting all over. She hoped Mulder was able to get some measure of enjoyment from watching it, too. Oh, there was a bigger one. So far they had all been little shooting stars. She looked at her son whose eyes were wide open now, and also staring out the window.

"Oh, you liked that, didn't you?" He did. Just like your Daddy, she thought. She blinked hard a couple of times, determined not to cry.

Then there was an even bigger one. It shot across the sky and left a trail that was visible for several seconds. William had Scully's eyes, no doubt about it, but for a moment with only the starlight and meteors illumining them, she could have sworn they were Mulder's beautiful hazel color. For just a moment. Who knows? One day they might be; she'd certainly have no objection to that. She looked down into the little face that was enjoying the view so much that he hadn't made a sound, and was once again awed and humbled. She and Mulder have a son. She then spoke softly:

"Mulder, I hope you enjoyed the meteors. William and I did. We love you. We miss you. Please come home."

~ End ~

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This story is (c) Copyright 2002 by Christine Leigh. "The X-Files" and its characters are the property of the Fox Network and Ten-Thirteen Productions and are borrowed here without profit or intent for profit.