Title: "Sarah"
Author: Mystic Kat 
E-mail: halls@xfilesfan.com
Classification: MSR William/Other Doggett/Other 
Keywords: MSR DR R A
Spoilers: Everything
Rating: R
Archive: As long as my name and e-mail stay on it.
Disclaimer:  I don't own any characters already owned by 1013/Fox.
The rest are mine, however.
Feedback:  Would be nice.
Completed:  July1st 2001
Summary:  The life of William Mulder, and the birth of a young woman
a year and a half later that would have a profound impact on the rest
of his life.

******************************

PROLOGUE

I can tell you safely what got me in to this mess. Correction,
who got me in to this mess. And it wouldn't have happened if I was
born...No, I shouldn't say that. I was a blessing. A miracle. My
parents waited until forever to have me. I'm just in the mood to say
that it was 'Her' fault. She was the mistake by all rights. She once
said that we were both "Bastards" but that we were different kinds.
She was unexpected, and by all means could have been unwanted. I was,
however, a surprise but a welcomed and wanted one. She said that's
where we differed, okay...actually one of the many areas we differed
in. She always said that we were probably separated at birth, then
she'd remember that she was born about a year and a half after me. So
she'd just say that God had sent down the wrong kid to the wrong
parents.

I didn't believe in all the Alien BS that mom and dad
frequently talked about. I was a skeptic, apparently like mom once
was. I fear believing I suppose but more so like sucks on this planet,
I don't want to believe how it would suck even more if we were to
become slaves to an alien race. Yeah right mom and dad...you stopped
an alien invasion?? That's original! She believed it though. She often
sat around with my parents, making them recall the invasion. Whenever
that happens I cross the lawn and walk in to her place and demand some
normalcy from her parents, who were involved in the alien invasion but
don't care to talk about it. They ignore it even happened. There I can
watch some NASCAR racing and eat Triple Chocolate Fudge Brownie Ben
and Jerry's, where mom only buys it when she's depressed and eats it
all before I have the chance to get a bite. She hates all the
chocolate and enjoys my mom's Lasagna while having Sun Flower Seed
spitting contests with my dad. I'm a vegetarian at the moment, which
Dad can't understand. Mom sees where I'm coming from but still makes
meat. Many nights I know the neighbors across the street wonder why
she and I cross each other's lawn, giving each other a high five,
sinking in to the other's house for about forty-five minutes then
crossing the lawns again to go back to our original homes.  It's
because her mom's making a vegetarian dish with chocolate dessert and
my mom is making a spicy meat dish. Mind you sometimes Her dad sneaks
over to my place with Her because he can only take so much vegetarian
meals a week. Sometimes we just spend weekends at each other's houses. 
When my friend's find the black lace bras in my bed sheets they assume
I got lucky...I don't bother to tell them the truth that I share my
bedroom occasionally with Her and that I'm sure there's been pairs of
my underwear under her bed. If people want to think I scored, the
power to ya. 

It's because of Her that my heart is aching and I can barely
breathe.  This isn't like the time she threw me out of our tree house
and called me 'dumbass' when she was five and I was six (Mom and Dad
don't know whether it's from Her mom or dad that she gets the language
from...but her parents are convinced it's from MY dad. And I don't
blame them.  Only MY father could swear at something while laying in
the backyard in a hammock, enjoying the sun. "Fucking Sun, you're too
hot. Fucking Hammock, you're too uncomfortable.") This isn't like the
times she's kicked me for defending her from a jerk in Junior High, or
four months ago when she tossed me out our friend's Mercedes
Convertible when we were going 80 clicks an hour. This is a different
kind of pain, according to Dad, worse then any other. Even getting
shot.... But that's one thing she never did to me. She never shot me,
came close during Hunting Season and once with a B-B gun but she knew
it would probably hurt - unlike throwing me out of a car doing 80.
Maybe had she indeed shot me, the pain I was feeling now would seem
insignificant. Because I doubt Dad knows what he's talking about. 

So it's all Her fault. Being born. I'd go even far to say it
was her mother's....But I'd feel guilty eating her ice cream if I felt
that way. Mom says that everything happens for a reason, but I doubt
that 17 years ago She was born to cause me such heartache. Maybe a
whole lot of physical pain so I'd stop being such a wimp, but not
heartache.  It would have to be an awfully cruel God to let me survive
Her physical abuse only to let her bruise my heart. 

Damn Sarah. Damn you Sarah, and the day you were born. 


CHAPTER 1
Establishing Me

As Sarah once mentioned I was a bastard, but the different
kind. I was wanted. I had been the desperate attempt by my two loving
and devoted, completely opposite parents. You see they were partners
at the FBI.  Had been since early 1993 I believe. They were the best
of friends, and investigated off the wall BS like real monsters and
aliens and UFO's. Dad, Special Agent Fox Mulder, had been put on to
this search in an attempt to find his sister who disappeared when he
was twelve and she was eight.

Mom, Special Agent Dana Scully, and dad would continue to work
together, loosing colleagues, friends and family to their search. They
trusted only each other and were in love with each other. That without
a doubt.  They both had been through some pretty radical shit I guess.
Mom had been 'abducted' and experimented on. (which later I believed
Sarah might have been a victim too but was told that she just was
crazy)  Mom ended up getting a brain tumor, was expected to die,
lived, went in to remission, was told she couldn't have
children...found out she had an alien daughter and then later Dad lost
his mom and found out that Aunt Sam was dead, all within a week of
each other. Both had been shot. Dad, twice. Once by mom and once by a
psychopath. There was a third time, but isn't counted because the
bullet grazed his brow. Mom was shot once...their division had been
shut down a few times, they had been re-assigned and on top of that
Mom's biological clock was ticking. She wanted children, and soon. Her
doctor told her that with medical help and a donor she could have
children. Or at least a child.  The only donor mom wanted was dad and
she finally asked him - this was about seven years in to their
partnership, and they weren't intimate - Dad thought about it and said
"yes". They started with the procedures but each ended in failure and
they gave up. Only to have a one night fling after mom ran in to an
old flame and started questioning her life...Dad flung her in to bed,
showed her right there and then everything that she meant to him. But
aside from the 'great' sex that Sarah convinces me they had (she
wanted to write a book on my parents, because they were semi-famous.
She said that my mom told her the sex was great.  I think she wanted
to psyche me out) Dad and mom never talked about that night again.
They never really addressed it. They stayed close, they both had a
feeling though that their careers and their work in The X Files
(honestly, what they called it) was drawing to an end.  They didn't
want to start a relationship until there were out of The X Files. On
their 'last case' together they ended up back in Bellefleur, Oregon,
where their first case was. Mom wasn't feeling good, and the X Files
was on the verge of shutting down. Dad and mom returned to D.C, only
for Dad to return with my Uncle Walter, his then superior, and only to
be 'abducted' and 'tortured' by aliens. Mom found out that night that
she was pregnant. 

Personally Sarah things it's the best story she's ever heard.
I'm still convinced, no matter how much I know he loves me, that he
suspected, got cold feet, ran off and ended up on a bad LSD kick or
something!  But apparently they found Dad, and he was dead and they
buried him, and just like magic, he pulled a Copperfield and was
resurrected. Yes, folks, these are my parents. No autographs please. 

Dad eventually wakes up, not an alien like the others that
were returned.  Particularly this alien dude Billy Miles. 

But I suppose some of the blame of the Sarah birth could land
on my dad's shoulders. I mean because he was abducted Mom was given a
new partner, Special Agent John Doggett. A by the book ex-marine,
ex-cop.  Sarah's dad. 

During this time, mom was also questioning her pregnancy with
me.  She feared I was an alien child. Or something freaky like
that...I mean in case you actually were still wondering about me. My
mental health today is fine, shockingly, after knowing how messed up
my parents are and used to be. 

Anyways, John and mom were good friends, my name William
Walter John was after the two men who helped mom during the time dad
was 'abducted'.  When he returned Dad and John hated each other, were
territorial and so on. They eventually became some what friends, Dad
hating John's skepticism. That and the time when he threw him up
against a wall when him and Aunt Monica were looking in to a
connection involving John's son from his first marriage, Luke. He was
murdered in 1997. Dad sacrificed his job for John's (or Jay as he's
called by Sarah's mom and me). Aunt Monica and dad are somewhat alike,
but Monica is a bit more dazed.  I'd hate to see her on drugs! But
she's another person Sarah likes...well Monica is her 'aunt' too.
Because Monica isn't my real aunt, or Sarah's...but she once was my
mom's and Sarah's dad's partner and she delivered me and would later
deliver Sarah. 

My delivery (if you're still at all interested in me)
apparently took place in Democrat Hot Springs, Georgia. Where Sarah's
dad was apparently born. Though Sarah points out that she was born in
Honolulu, Hawaii, a way cooler place. Aunt Monica had taken my mom in
to hiding, to save her from the aliens who wanted to sacrifice me.
(yea, I know but just go with it. You know how senile old people get.
And my parent's aren't young...things OBVIOUSLY are fuzzy for them) 

So anyways, the aliens came, watched my birth, took off and
left me alone. Dad showed up in time in a helicopter (he says he
doesn't have the money to rent one now) and took mom to the hospital
before she died. All was well, mom and I. I was healthy, she was doing
fine. Life was great. Mom, dad and myself. I had lots of play mates,
John, Monica, Wally and the Lone Gunmen, four weird men, Byers,
Langely, Frohike and Jimmy and that beautiful exotic Yves (who wasn't
a member and was killed four years ago...I never cried so hard) The
guys are cool, and I couldn't appreciate that when I was young but
when Sarah and I became teens we appreciated the hacking skills, along
with the awesome software and games they created for us! 

Then, Mom was on the verge of going back to work with John and
the newly appointed Agent in the X Files, Monica Reyes, when Dad
dropped a bombshell. He was going to London to teach. 

Not London, Ontario, Canada. London, UK. He was going to teach
at Oxford, where he graduated from. He needed to do something,
something to keep his interest. Oxford gave him a job that he thought
he could enjoy - teaching parapsychology and stuff like that. After
much fighting, and many tears, mom let dad go. 


If I want to shift blame on the creation of Sarah, then Monica
is the next to be blamed. She decided to stay in the X Files when Mom
came back. As she figured it, two agents to work the field so mom's
life wasn't in danger and mom could stick to the pathology and showing
these two the ropes. That way when, and if, she left her two new best
friends, she claimed that they would know what they were doing -
hopefully.  Monica even moved in to help mom at our new house. It's
because of her that John met Sarah's mom. 


It was the fall of 2001. October. The month of Dad's birthday.
In fact it was Dad's birthday when Monica came bouncing in the office,
cheery as usual and wanting to take the attention of the birthday of
the man that my mother missed and was hopelessly in love with, whom
she was still resenting. Monica thought that investigating a new X
File would just make mom more emotional, so she worked her magic and
got them assigned to a regular murder case (great job Monica. You were
the third party accomplice in Sarah's birth. More then dad!) 

What happened was...well, have you ever seen that old classic
movie "Bad Boys"? Well Mom, John and Monica were asked to help protect
a 23 year old stripper/bartender who had for the first time ever
decided to give a private dance to a customer. The money was good and
she needed it, apparently she was saving up for her dream - to open
her own trendy, high tech nightclub with a bouncer, Snake, of the
current club she was working at. It turned out that her first private
dance would be the last she decided to take, because the man she was
dancing for was murdered as she was upstairs in the bathroom. He was a
mobster. 

Yea, Sarah's mom's story is more intriguing then an alien
invasion.  It's somewhat more romantic to me then my parent's seven
year unresolved tension. Sarah's mom, Meredith LaClair, was a
stripper. Had been a stripper and a bartender since she was 18. She
liked being a stripper not only because of the money to help her
dream, but she loved dancing.  Both her parents had died when she was
17, leaving her alone with not a whole lot of money, especially since
they had a whole lot of debt and most of the life insurance from their
deaths in a car wreck went to pay off their debt. I mean, Meredith's
story is too Cinder-fucking-ella.  That's why Sarah hates it. She says
it's too original. Too much like another stupid movie she apparently
hates, "The Bodyguard". Her dad was sent to protect Meredith from the
mob. She had stayed with John Doggett, because as Scully put it, she
had a 5 month old and didn't need mobster bullets waking her or
myself, up.

Meredith was in severe fear of her life. As Jay said, she had
told them, "This isn't Tony Soprano and the gang you're dealing with
here.  These are real non-Italian mobsters, who are going to hurt you
and then kill me." 


But the part I liked about the story was after Meredith had
been shot and Jay visited her at the hospital. He asked her how she
was doing and she replied "Well at least I'm not in shock, because I
knew with the half ass job you all were doing that this was going to
happen.  I told you." 

But that's skipping too far ahead in the story. Jay protected
her, slept with her while he was doing so. She was sent in to do a
private dance for a mobster who wanted to kill her, who then shot her
but the whole gang was brought down by Mom, Jay, Monica and team.
Meredith lived, having been shot almost fatally, through the top of
her chest but as she said "Nothing a few thousand dollars won't be
able to erase.  Don't want any of the clientele thinkin' I draw this
kind of trouble." 

They parted and went their separate ways - until Jay realized
he was in love and went and ask Meredith out on a real date. And so
created the trouble. They fell in love. Head over heels. 


As for Mom and Dad, well he came over for Christmas, where he
was introduced to Meredith, who by then was steadily dating Jay and
had quit stripping all together, because she didn't want it to get
around the Bureau that John Doggett was dating a stripper. Meredith
was unlike anything that had been introduced to this close knit circle
of friends, according to mom. She was somewhat naive, and curious
about life. Trusting.  She didn't believe in aliens, or greater life.
She thought about God in more of a scientific and mediforical kind of
way. Though she didn't express her thoughts and respected others and
their beliefs, this is what she was about. She was nice, not too nice,
like Monica. She had a temper, and unlike mom and Monica, and for
being an ex-stripper, she was very insecure. She never believed that
she was good enough for Jay. She went through a lot of depression
during the relationship and turned to mom and Monica for help,
especially when Snake was killed in a bar brawl protecting her. That
was in February and things after that apparently started going
downhill for Jay and Meredith. He had started working a lot,
apparently he was afraid of how serious the relationship was becoming.
His last wife, Shelby, had died during childbirth and Meredith was the
first person he'd become emotionally involved and severely romantic
since her. Meredith, at first, hadn't noticed the increase in work
hours on Jay's behalf, until he started missing dinner dates, came up
with awful excuses and made Meredith wonder if he was having an
affair. Wrecked, and distraught, she went to mom for support who
confided that Jay was working like crazy and that she (my mom) feared
that he was going to become like my father. At this point, mom still
harbored feelings of hate towards my father. 

Meredith tried to help Jay out. She stopped by the office
after her night shift, which was actually over at 4 in the morning.
She'd bring him coffee, and food. Pretended like it was all right that
he was working ridiculous hours. She even cut back on her nights at
work. She usually only worked four nights out of seven since getting
involved with Jay.  Actually, since getting involved with him she had
lost a lot of money through giving up shifts and stripping. Though she
was living with him at that point, she still was loosing out on cash.
Even more so when she reduced her nights to two. She even tried to
give up her job bartending, which she kept because she loved. She
loved the people she worked with and about 95% of the time, the
atmosphere. She was young at heart and liked hearing the lonely tales
she was fed from the bar. Dad said she would have made a great
psychologist. Her effort for looking for a new job was in vain.
Meredith had never obtained a college degree. She barely finished High
School in Los Angeles, where she was from. 

Finally, mom, pissed off at the whole male race, grabbed a
hold of Meredith. 

She told her "Don't succumb to him. Don't play his game. Don't
go to his level. Give him an ultimatum." 

I still laugh every time I think of mom doing this. 

So that's what Meredith did. She called Jay, told him she had
made dinner reservations for the next night, knowing he had nothing
important to do. She said be there for eight o'clock, or it was over. 

Jay didn't show and Meredith went back to their place, packed
her stuff and met him as she walked out the door. She told him in
simple words, "It's over" 

And left. 

To this day, even though they're together he still feels
guilty. Because the dinner date wasn't just to see if work was more
important then her...It was also the night of Meredith's 24th
birthday. 

Jay wouldn't remember that until it was too late. 


So on with the melodrama. I suppose you're thinkin: Sarah was
the product of a union of two people making up for the foolish time
they spent apart. 

Uh uh. 

Completely far from it. 


Meredith threw herself in to work, and stayed with a friend.
She stopped talking to mom, not because she was mad at her but her and
Monica had ties to Jay and she didn't want to know how bad or how good
he was doing. My mom didn't even know that they had broken up until
the day Meredith came in to tell Jay that she was pregnant. Two months
pregnant. 

This was in April. 

And they would reconcile. John explained to her what he was
going through, and that now things were going to be tougher because
she was pregnant and he had a fear that what had happened to Shelby
would happen to her. But that he wasn't about to let her go through
the pregnancy alone. That he loved her and what not. 


Back to me and my screwed up first year of existence. My 1st
birthday would be a month later. May 21st. My dad would come back for
it and tell my mom he loves her, wants to forever. 

 Yea, he popped the question. Got down on one foot as I
screamed from my little swinging chair my mother put me in for
torture. I was crying for Monica, who usually saved me from the seat,
but had to be on a date at that point. 

I bet I was crying too because I was thinking "No mom, don't
do it!  Don't except it! He'll hurt you again! He's a jackass,
remember?" All that time I heard mom cursing about him, she was about
to marry him.  So I thought, okay, we're moving to the U.K. Mom says
they talk funny over there...but what about Monica?? John? Walter?
Langely? Frohike?  Byers? Jimmy? Meredith? Yves!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My
play buddies....my pals. My amigos. My people. What about them? <more
whining>

But it was dad who was coming over here to live again among
the normal people of America. He had left Oxford and was going to
teach in Atlanta - wait. That's not here. That's not in D.C. 

And that's what happened. And everyone's life changed. 


CHAPTER 2
"Hotlanta! Nothing like Mylanta!"


Mom left the Bureau. She left a month after my first birthday.
We were going to move back to the state I was born in. Dad kept going
around saying, "We're moving to HOTLANTA my boy!" He was overly
excited.  Mom was a bit sad, Grandma and her only female friends were
in this town. I never thought I'd see Monica and Meredith cry so much.
I knew it was because of Meredith's 'condition' as Jay and dad called
it.  I never knew that in 6 months when Sarah was born my life would
become ruined 17 years later. 



Mom got a job for the county coroner. How fun! Got to love
that, huh?  Her and dad had set a wedding date for March 6th of 2003.
Dad loved the faculty and students in Atlanta. He was going to be
teaching at Michigan Heights Secondary and was teaching special summer
courses in the mean time at the University, who liked him so much that
they want him back next year already for summer courses! 

During the summer I saw the Lone Gunmen. They came by whenever
they were pursuing a story. Frohike brought me pictures of Yves.
Monica came down to visit, often and usually the same time John and
Meredith did, who was getting as big as a house. Grandma still came
by, and usually with Uncle Walter. But don't worry, they weren't
dating. Which mom was at first freaked out about. 

But when Mom and dad started to work I was shoved at daycare!
I mean, the nerve. Grandma, GRANDMA used to babysit me and Meredith
sometimes when Grandma couldn't. Now I was being watched by a complete
stranger with other little snotty children. It sucked. I remember that
much. 



The next time I saw everyone was New Years Eve. Mom and dad
had a big soiree, and everyone from D.C came and all of the unfunny,
not my friends from "Hotlanta" too. That was the first time I saw
here.  Sarah. Or what she's legally known by Scarlett. Scarlett
Kathryn Doggett.  Born November 21st. The nerve to be born the same
date as me! I now hate her even more, as I think about it. She was
born in Honolulu, Hawaii. Jay and Monica were investigating a case,
though nine months pregnant Meredith went along for the ride, needing
some much rest time.  She ended up giving birth in some cove with
Monica. Meredith won't explain why, still to this day, why she was in
a cove and with Monica.  Sarah says that my sick mind is thinking that
Monica and her mom went off to have a lesbian rendezvous. Sarah laughs
and says she wouldn't put it by them but that Monica was dragging her
mother off to hear some wild, soothing sound, when she went in to
labor. 

Sarah was the life of the party. Everyone thought she was
sooooo adorable.  Mom melted over her and I could I knew that at that
moment I was concerned that she might never leave, because of all the
time Meredith was allowing mom to coddle her. Maybe Meredith didn't
like her either, and would leave her with someone who did. 

At that time I was only One and a half. I couldn't say
"Scarlett"  so I called her "It", though nobody knew who I was
referring to when I said "It". 


It would be after New Years when funky stuff went down.
Apparently, the alien invasion. This time is unclear to me. I remember
hanging out with the Lone Gunmen lots, and Grandma at the Lone
Gunmen's. Meredith was there sometimes, other times she left with mom,
dad, Jay and Walter.  I remember them calling her "bendable".
According to mom later on, they needed someone flexible to get in to
some tight places.

Scarlett was there too, and Grandma fussed over her more then
me. 


Next thing I remember is mom and dad's wedding. Everyone from
New Years was there and a whole lot of other people. Apparently the
President of the United States. The New one, at the time, Martin
Sheen. The former actor, who played the President on TV once (only in
America) I've seen the pictures, but I still believe they had to have
been doctored by the Lone Gunmen. Mom said that President Sheen was
there because Mom, dad, Jay, Monica, Walter and even Meredith to some
extent, had prevented the alien invasion and had promised to keep it
quiet. 

Yea, they had fought so hard to expose the truth, but were
forced to keep quiet. Well, apparently President Sheen was all scared
that if an alien invasion was to be leaked to the press that there
would be national and world wide anarchy. I mean, it's bad enough that
the whole world was still in shock that the entire Entertainment
industry had formed a 5th column and overthrew the Government,
replaced that idiot Bush, and put Martin Sheen as President. The last
thing he wanted was an alien invasion! 

So he consulted his PR., the best people in the biz to lie for
you.  He told the world that a deadly biological weapon had been
released, by an unknown group of people and that thanks in part to Fox
Mulder, Dana Scully, Monica Reyes, John Doggett, Walter Skinner and
company, a vaccine had been created, and the world was going to be
saved. 

My parents became famous, and the truth was held from the
public.  Still if it was out there, I'd never believe it. 

So then mom and dad got married and more chaos broke out. 


Everyone got promoted. Everyone and everything changed by my
second birthday. 

Mom was now head of CDC in Atlanta. Dad ended up at this
exclusive private school in Atlanta as a teacher for the next fall.
Walter Skinner was now Director of the FBI, The X Files was a
division. Grandma moved to Canada. We still don't know why and Uncle
Charlie moved over shortly after to be with her. (She would come back
to Atlanta when I was ten, after Charlie died of cancer and his
children moved away) Uncle Bill still won't talk to mom and wouldn't
even after all this became public, though not all the specifics. The
Lone Gunmen all got REAL jobs. They became high techies at the CIA.
Full access to everything, in exchange for their silence and help on
future top secret projects...well Jimmy wasn't included in the
package...he's a public relations/tour guide for both the FBI and CIA.
He's likable. 

Monica was offered a job in Europe. Some task force that
investigated cult like activity in eastern cultures. She wouldn't be
leaving until Christmas though, and had agreed to train the newbies on
the X Files while Jay and Meredith decided for a change. Guess who was
moving next door to us in Hotlanta? 

Scarlett Fucking O'Hara. 

Meredith apparently found a great locale for the night spot
she wanted to build. The blue prints were ready, she had enough for
the lot, and enough for construction. She, along with Jay, my family
and the others, paid quite well for saving the world. At first
Meredith didn't want the money, she didn't feel entitled, until my mom
got a hold of her again and told her that some of the stuff, some of
the intelligence she stole, wouldn't have been had she not agreed to
lend her efforts.  She took the money and was on the verge of creating
her dream. Jay had even proposed to her in the lot, as she stood on it
showing him where everything would be. 

Jay was offered as a task force leader in violent crimes and
mom was ecstatic to hear that they were moving here to Atlanta. So
much so, she insisted they by the house next door. That Scarlett and I
would be able to grow up together. We were only a year and a half
apart. 

And that's what we did, grow up together. And that's how she
got the name "Sarah". When I finally got to know baby Scarlett, the
object of my terror, I realized I liked her but not her name because I
couldn't pronounce it. The closest thing to Scarlett I could think of
was "Sarah".  Scarlett grew up thinking her name was "Sarah" because
that's what everyone had called her. 

I still remember the day when I escorted her to her first day
of junior kindergarten. I had been in senior kindergarten and took
great pride in showing her the ropes. I took her to her teacher who
called her "Scarlett". Sarah ignored the teacher because she didn't
know who Scarlett was. Later that day she nailed some kid outside in
the shin for calling her Scarlett, because that wasn't her name! And
why was everyone calling her that????!!!!!!! Meredith explained it to
her and the five year old Scarlett starting wailing like a baby,
yelling "Momma, Momma, my whole life has been a lie!" 

That, folks, was from a five year old. 

Things would only get worse from there. 


CHAPTER 3 Elementary, My Dear Watson. 


I started school a whole year before Sarah did. But she went
to preschool.  She was rambunctious, and she was trouble. She was a
tomboy and the twinkle of her father's eye. Very self-taught. Unlike
me, who hated when my parents sat down to teach me the alphabet and
how to read, Sarah knew what time was study time for me, what time my
parents set aside to make me smarter. She had this time set on her
alarm clock and ran over in time for 'class' as she called it. She was
a good student, unlike me who couldn't care.  She's not to much
different today, or at least she wasn't. 

By the time she was ready for her first year of junior
kindergarten Jay and Meredith had been married. Once again we had a
family reunion, Monica even came over and brought a boyfriend with
her. Walter and the Lone Gunmen had gals on their arms. Sarah and I
were ring barriers.  Apparently cuter then hell we were. That is when
Sarah wasn't trying to undo her zipper and strip. At four years old
she was defiant, and cocky and hated being dressed up like a little
girl. Which I thought was cool. So considering the fact that she never
cared to dress like a princess, the only thing she ever got commented
on wasn't how cute she was (unless she was trying to argue, and had
dirt smudged everywhere after beating me up) but she was commented on
her accent. They said she had the cutest Georgian accent. I didn't,
and it probably was because I had no parents with an accent. Only Jay,
and Jay and Sarah hung out a lot and, well, being in Georgia, she
acquired the cutest little accent. 


After the incident on the first day of school, and learning
that her whole life apparently had been a lie, she also found out who
had been behind the change of name, and apparently, her identity. It
didn't take her long to throw me out of the tree house that our dad's
had built in the middle of our yards. She called me a dumbass and I
cried to my mom, where she proceeded to call me a "wimp" and "sissy
prep boy". To this day I wonder if it was actually the name calling or
fall that hurt me most. 

She would later apologize, on her own terms, in her own way.
And that way would be the same way she would do it up until this
summer. 



Our houses are like 15 or 20 feet from each other, and our
bedroom windows face each other, on the second floor. At five years
old, Sarah opened the window at midnight and threw gummy bears at my
windows because she didn't want to waste her rock collection. It
wasn't until I noticed an abundance of gummy bears having a party on
my window that I realized something was up. 

Still bruised from my fall six hours earlier, that would take
me out of school for three days and gave me a cast, I was in too much
pain to sleep. Initially the gummy bears on the window made me believe
there was a plague going on outside, that I was having a nightmare and
I almost screamed, until I realized that Sarah's bedroom light was on. 
I got up, attempted to open my window, which eventually I did. 

"Hey pansy ass, are you going to let me sign your cast? Or do
I have to break the other one too?" She laughed. 

Once upon a time I used to hold this girl and kiss her
forehead as we watched Disney movies. What happened? 

"Leave me alone Sarah. What you done was mean." 

"You changed my name, that was mean." 

"You threw me out of a tree house." 

"And if you don't stop crying like a baby I'll throw you out
of your real house." She threatened. 

I still recall to this day almost screaming murder and
shitting my pants. 

After a few minutes of silence: 

"Are you mad at me Will? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt
you." 

On came the waterworks, that later I would learn was fake and
would continue to be. This girl is the devil. 

"I'm not mad Sarah." 

"I'm sorry." 

"It's okay." 

"Can I sign your cast?" 

"Yes you can." 

"Can I sign it tomorrow morning before I go to school?" 

"Yes." 

"Good night." And she slammed the window shut. 


When I was in grade 1, mom and dad still did the stupid study
time with me and Sarah would always come over and be the model
student.  I'm smart, stuff comes to me naturally. I didn't have to be
nurtured.  Sarah however was nurtured by the brain too much and ended
up getting moved up a grade to grade 1 with me when she should have
been in senior kindergarten. Apparently, according to Meredith, who
told my dad, the teachers said that Sarah was too smart and was
getting bored with senior kindergarten and that they shouldn't hold a
girl of her intelligence back. 

I still think Sarah coming to my study times was a ploy for
her to get smart and come to first grade to torture me. I convinced
mom not to have anymore study time and Sarah, much to my dismay,
wasn't moved up another grade. Apparently she was content with grade
1. I think though, as mom points out, she was content with being in an
environment with me. 


Sarah and I managed to make it to eighth grade. We also
managed to get three detentions in our entire elementary school life. 
We had made it through my Uncle Charlie's death, and all the grief
that Grandma, mom and dad went through. Sarah said it was because
Charlie was the beloved son. Everyone liked him. And I couldn't agree
more. Bill was and is a prick. 

That time was rough, I was ten and unaware of how I should
feel. Sarah told me that if I needed to talk I knew where to find her.
She ended up coming to the funeral with me, not only because I wanted
her too but because she was part of my family. She also used to hang
out with uncle Charlie when he visited. He called Sarah his 'niece'
and Grandma calls Sarah her 'granddaughter' considering there are none
other in the family.

I could even swear to you that I believe I saw Sarah shed a
tear when we were at the service, but she didn't let it go any further
then that and she kept strong for me, and my family. And she was only
9. 


The only good thing to come out of Charlie's death was that
Grandma realized that she was needed down here in Atlanta, with me and
Sarah.  We were the youngest Scully members. Matthew was an ignorant
teenager, and Charlie's three sons, Caleb, Leon, and Mark, were in
college. He had no wife left behind, being twice divorce.

It was Sarah who made Grandma realized that even if we weren't
the "youngin's" that we were, that we'd still want and need her. And
that's a promise I know she hasn't broke. 

*************

But out of all the violence in elementary school and all the
midnight gummy bear parties on my window, was it our grade eight
graduation that took the cake. 


I had gotten a date. And my parents ragged on me for weeks.
They said that I should have asked Sarah to the graduation and to the
dance that they were having on a boat afterwards. First of all, I
didn't want to go to graduation, especially not when a boat and Sarah
were involved. 

Yes, there were times in elementary school that getting in to
trouble with Sarah was fun. But on Grad night, too much was at stake
when it came to a boat and water. And, Sarah didn't want to go with
me. I asked.  She said that she was going with Atkin McDouglas. Whose
name was synonymous with trouble. He had asked her. 


The ceremony went fine, we graduated, Sarah was convinced in
to wearing a dress. Jay had promised her a day on the go-karts if she
wore one without a hassle. I half expected her to go to grad naked.
Thank god she didn't - but if Jay hadn't offered her go-karts I
wouldn't have put it past her.

Our moms made us take pretty well all our grad pictures
together.  Everything was going well - until the boat.


At first, my date Chantella and I were having fun. We were
dancing and enjoying the night as corny as it sounded. It wasn't until
two hours in to the boat cruise that I noticed that I hadn't seen
Sarah or Atkin anywhere and I knew that meant trouble. Yes, I know
Sarah would love to play a prank and hell, if she wanted too, I would
let her. But not with Atkin the juvenile criminal. Yea, I heard about
his rep and with the growing pit at the bottom of my stomach I told
Chantella I would be back, and I left in search of the fair maiden,
Scarlett. 


And, of course, I found her. But not in the condition, or the
situation, I expected, but the one I feared. 

There was Sarah, her dress was torn, her hair messy, makeup
running down her cheeks. Beside her Atkin McDouglas, unconscious with
two black eyes and a bleeding forehead. 

Sarah saw me, "Is he dead?" She sobbed. 


I had never seen Sarah cry before that night and the crying
only lasted while I was there. It ceased when help arrived and was
never brought out again - unless it was in front of me, and she
couldn't contain it anymore. She was like both my mother and father,
careful with her emotions. Where her parents, her mom, mostly, let
them flow freely.  At that time, and as time went on I considered that
maybe we were sent to the wrong parents. 


Luckily, she hadn't been raped. Atkin had attempted it and she
rendered him unconscious. She claimed she was okay. And that time is
never brought up, but she nearly killed me during hunting season that
fall. I assumed it was her of saying "Where were you, you dummy, while
I almost lost my innocence?" 

CHAPTER 4 "High School High" 


It was in high school where after nearly dying in hunting
season with her and Jay, I came to wonder about girls and why the hell
they were so confusing. I mean, I assumed she almost killed me because
I wasn't there for her. I didn't stop her from going with Atkin to the
grad ceremony. But in Grade 9, whenever she needed help from some jerk
guy and I try to interject, I get kicked and bruised. 

And then horribly embarrassed as everyone laughs. 

Followed by the midnight attack of gummy bears on my windows. 
 
"What do you want? I have a chem test tomorrow." 

"How 's your leg?" She asks innocently, with her accent
flowing. 

"It hurts and it's bruised." 

"I'd kiss it better but I know how hairy your legs are. I'm
sorry.  I didn't mean to. I was just frustrated. I mean, why do all
the jerks want me Will? Why can't I find a nice guy? I mean, I don't
even think I want a guy." 

"One day Sarah. One day." 

"You accept my apology?" 

"I suppose." 

"Okay, good-night." And she slams the window. 

That was grade 9 - or at least how I hoped it would have been. 


When we were Freshman's at Hillcrest High people were shocked
to learn that Sarah and I were friends. That we had been since we were
toddlers and we hoped to be until our deaths. We were like night and
day. 

I was in to extra-circulars, I was on the Badminton, and
Soccer team.  Worked on school news paper, yearbook and leadership, to
name a few.  I was an A student with no effort required. 

Sarah, however, was anti-social. She used to joke about me
being her 'human credential' as she said my dad once described my mom
as being to him. Sarah, in high school, wasn't the Sarah I grew up
with. She grew more unsure, more self conscious with herself and
sometimes I even saw her fretting with her looks. She was a beautiful
girl. Green eyes, beautiful caramel colored hair. She had a trim
build. But at times, where she used to say I was scrawny, according to
her, with my chestnut brown hair, baby blue eyes, my 5'11 stance, and
my small muscles, I was high school material. 

I always just chalked it up to her being uncomfortable, being
the youngest. It wasn't until she tried out for the cheerleading team
that I assumed she had lost her brain, or it had been taken over by
estrogen hormones. She didn't make the team, she didn't tell her
parents she tried out, and she wouldn't tell me why she didn't believe
she made the cut. In fact, she never talked about it. 

So she joined the Basketball and Volleyball team. She kicked
box in her spare time. In fact, my dad and I often came to her
basketball games because dad was a big fan of basketball and his
'daughter'. She was an all star player on all her teams, won
awards...and we were going our separate ways. 


I worried about this, and was told, unreassuringly, that
people change and friendships die. This scared me but I ignored it.
Sarah, though shy and anti-social, and apparently struggling to do her
work, was at least doing something -and that accounted for something.
Didn't it? 


It would be the end of Grade 9, when exams were threw, and
parties had begun, that the course of our high school education, and
ourselves, would change. 


I had just gotten home from going out with Patsy and Craig -
from yearbook. It had been a nice evening, in a nice local diner. We
were originally supposed to go to "Vibe", the restaurant part of the
club Meredith owns. The place is as trendy and high tech before 9:30
PM that it is after (mind you the huge back bar isn't out there!)
Dance floor, bitchin' tunes, and I get a discount. I just decided
against going because I knew Meredith would ask where Sarah was, and
honestly, I didn't know. 


I was coming out of my English exam when I saw her talking to
a bunch of people I didn't really recognize, except for Lacay Dion.
She went to elementary school with us and was a great person, well, in
elementary school I guess. I watched as Sarah left the school lot with
Lacay, and I assumed it was girl's night out. And it was, but not the
typical kind. 


So I had just gotten in the door when I saw both my parents,
with jackets on, standing in the foyer. They were hugging people I
recognized.  Mom was hugging Meredith, and Jay was hugging dad. I
could hear tears, and my body froze. 

*************

The ride to St. Mary's in Atlanta was the longest in my life.
I couldn't talk and I'm sure I had a hard time remembering how to
breathe. The breath though would stop all together when I saw her. She
was hooked up with wires and tubes and things I didn't know. She
looked like the space creatures we used to tell stories about. 

Mom was telling the doctor, that she too was a doctor, and
what was the prognosis? The doctor said that she was in all likelihood
going to pull through. She just needed her rest. I remember, after
that, a police man coming up and shaking my father's hand. He said
that there had been a party, and that there had been drugs. I remember
Jay moaning, "Oh my god" and mom comforting a sobbing Meredith, who
didn't get any better as the cop told that the marijuana Sarah had
been smoking had been laced with hash and all this other stuff.
Apparently her heart stopped, her body having been unable to cope with
all the toxins. The police had been lucky they showed up in time, or
Sarah would probably not had made it because the other's at the party,
eighteen and nineteen year olds, were so whacked out, they believed
Sarah's seizing to be funny. 

I still don't know to this day who I was most mad at, myself,
Sarah, or Lacay Dion and the other whacked out idiots. 



I didn't see much of Sarah that summer. Her blinds were down,
no gummy bears attacked my window. Either Jay or Meredith were home at
any given time taking care of her. When they'd come over for dinner,
Sarah had some excuse. Whenever my family was invited over, I was told
that Sarah was sleeping, and that she said to say she was sorry. 

I over heard Jay and Meredith talking with my parents. They
said it was just a phase, she was being self-conscious. She was
becoming a woman and didn't know where she fit in. Meredith and Jay
went on to blame themselves, and their work schedules. 

I figured trying was pointless. Even gummy bears at her
windows didn't work. I sent her gifts and left messages on her
answering machine.  Because we were next door neighbors she knew when
I wasn't home - and that's when she'd call and leave a message. When I
caught on to her game, and refused to leave the house after sending
her multitudes of gifts, she resorted to cards delivered by her
parents, or her Hotmail account. She often talked to my parents,
however quickly, and I noticed Grandma stopping by the house. 

At the end of July I had became sick of the game. I was
partially sick and partially worried, and was wasting the perfect
summer that Sarah and I could have been having fun with. Gorgeous
weather, the pool our yards shared was open... 

So, fed up, I left. I took most of August off from the
exhausting around the clock work of bothering Sarah, and went to and
spent three weeks with the Lone Gunmen, the plan Sarah and I had
devised last summer.  And when I got back I made myself up a resume,
and landed a job at McDonalds. I had went school shopping without
Sarah, and watched many movies, without Sarah (believing she was
watching them on her TV too).  I knew that the next day though, she
couldn't hide from me. It was our first day of Grade 10, our sophomore
year (I believe that's what TV refers to it as). I knew that the hour
bus ride we would have lots to say, we would have to compare schedules
and I would have to pretend that I'm not worried. I made a vow though,
that year I would protect her. Because Sarah the Terror was now Sarah
the Baby again. Unsure of the monsters and the places, and just like
William the Great once did, I was going to hold her hand (though maybe
more discreetly) and let her know that all was right. That she was not
alone, and that I had gotten her some really cool erasers. 

CHAPTER 5 "Liberty Heights - The Correction Center" 


If I recall correctly I didn't sleep at all the night before
school was supposed to start. If I recall correctly I was the first
one up in the Mulder household, even before my dad's 5:30 rise so he
can head to Liberty Heights at 6:30 and be there for 7:30. Liberty
Heights Academy Collegiate, was a prep school that started in Grade 7
for those who had money. Dad had been a teacher there until last year,
when he became the Dean. I never wanted to attend, it never really was
an option because, I mean, I didn't want to go to a prep school, with
uniforms, and especially those where my father is the Dean. Public
school is fine for me. 

I figure public schools couldn't mess me up anymore then my
parents could. 


I could tell that mom and dad knew I was excited about Grade
10, about seeing Sarah. I had a grin on my face the size of the state
of Texas.  And when mom wasn't focusing her attention on my father,
and helping him with his ugly suit, and his speech to the students, I
knew she was watching me and smiling. Happy that I, was once again
smiling. 

"She's coming over here this morning," My mom smiled, "so
you'll be able to see her before school." 

Duh, mom. 

"Naturally." I smiled. "Anyways, Al, our bus driver prefers
that we get on at one of our houses. So he doesn't have to make two
stops." 

With this I saw mom and dad freeze. 

"What do you mean son?" My dad asked. "Sarah's not getting on
the bus with you." 

"You don't know." My mother stated. 

Just then, at 6:20 the doorbell rang. I ran to the door,
opened it up and almost fainted with what I saw. 


She was wearing one of those lame ass plaid Liberty Height
uniforms.  It was a two piece, pants and a shirt. At least it wasn't
the mini skirt, I figured. But this had to have been a joke. A cruel
joke, planned and executed by our parents. 

"Will." She smiled, looking like herself in ugly clothing
though and with an extra ten pounds on her frame. "I've missed you." 

She gave me a quick hug. "Is your father here?" 

Dad emerged in the foyer. "Hey Sarah, you're looking
beautiful. Nervous about your first day?" 

Now I couldn't help it, "This isn't funny guys!!! What the
hell is going on??" 

"I'm going to Liberty Heights. Didn't you get my email?" Sarah
looked at me, puzzled. 

"No, I didn't. I've been busy working and actually leaving my
house thank you. I don't have time to sit around the computer and do
nothing.  What happened to giving me a call?" 

Sarah started to shake. Jesus, she wasn't even Sarah anymore!
Sarah Doggett would have kicked me. She would have gave me a shiner
for the first day of school. She wouldn't be dressing like a robot.
This isn't Sarah anymore. It's Scarlett. Scarlett O'Fucking Hara. 

"Your dad get called in to work?" My dad asked, as my eyes
burnt a whole in to the side of Sarah - Scarlett's head. I never was
good with my rage, I thought, as I had bundled my fists at my side,
closed tight. 

"Yea, about an hour ago. Mom's sick, I decided against having
her walk over here. She's a wreck." 

"Maybe I should go check on her before I go to work." My mom
stated, giving Scarlett a hug. 

"I'd appreciate that." Scarlett whispered, tears coming to her
eyes as she held my mother tight. 

After a few moments, Scarlett and my mom broke away. Dad
collected his stuff, kissed mom good-bye, wished me luck, put his arm
around Scarlett and walked out the door. My outburst had been the last
thing we had said to each other. 

I turned around only to find my mother giving me the "Glare of
Death". 

5

4

3


2

1

"William Walter John Mulder!! What the hell was that outburst
about?" 

"Mom, I'm going to miss my bus." 

"I'll drive you." She stated. "We need to have a talk. But
first, I'm going to go see Meredith." 


After the trip to St. Mary's hospital the night
Scarlett...okay, Sarah.  It's quicker to type. Sarah, the night Sarah
overdosed, the trip to the first day of Grade 10 was as slow and
painful. Even though mom took me out for a morning milkshake by the
park so she could talk to me. 

"I know that you're angry at Sarah, Will. I know but what you
don't understand is why." 

"Maybe I would," I stammered, "If someone would tell me what
the hell is going on." 

"I thought that Sarah would tell you. Eventually. What lead to
the whole mess at the party, what's been going on. But obviously it's
too hard for her and I think in the mean time I should inform you." 

It was about that time when I got a lump in my throat and
suddenly felt sick. 

"Doggett's sick." Mom whispered, crying. Her and Jay were
closer friends then her and Meredith, or my dad and Jay. I was close
to Jay. 

"How sick? What's this got to do with the party?" 

My mom took in a deep breath, "The last month of school was
probably the hardest for Sarah. She had been struggling with her
studies, as you had mentioned to me. She had other things on her
mind." 

"Like Jay's illness." 

"At the time no, Meredith's pregnancy." 

"Pregnancy? Meredith's pregnant?" 

God, not another one. 

"Was." 

My heart dropped. Mom continued, "They found out that she had
a tubal pregnancy. They had to abort. It was inevitable, she would
have lost the baby, maybe her life. She had been so excited, she had
told Sarah and I can't figure out why Sarah didn't tell you. I mean
she probably wasn't too keen initially with the idea...and that she
had noticed some changes in Jay. They scared her." Mom sighed, "A week
after the baby was aborted, Jay found out that he had stomach cancer.
Tumors William. Quite a few." 

"Well...what's..." I started to choke up. "I..."

"In August they took them out of him. When you were in D.C.
It's part of the reason we let you go, because I knew you didn't know
and at that time, I didn't want you to. We didn't know how the surgery
would work. They got the tumors though...and he's receiving Chemo and
Radiation twice a week, and doing desk work, but it's a scare. It was
a nasty scare that confused Sarah. And she did the drugs, and almost
died.  She didn't know that they were laced with anything. She didn't
mean for this to happen. But she thought she was going to loose her
dad.  You can understand her fear." 

"Yes." I responded. "This, I could have done without. What I
want to know is why Liberty Heights?" 

Mom laughed. She knew I hated the idea of prep school. "More
hands on attention. Mulder, will be there to watch over her." 

There, she did it again. She called him Mulder. I mean, she
was Mulder too. He had tried to stop calling her Scully, and lately
they had been doing well.... 

"...they believe a change would be good." 

I caught the last of mom's statement, but just nodded. "Is she
going to be boarding there?" 

"Heavens no." Mom laughed. "And take her away from her
parents? Not right now. You're dad is going to take her every morning
and bring her back every night." 


Mom sensed my worry, and she rubbed my back. "Will, it's not
to late for you to transfer." 

"Nah..." I smiled. "Public school is doing me just fine." 


That night, I attempted to assault her windows with gummy
bears, hoping she'd notice. It took her awhile, but she did. Just was
I was running out of gummy bears, that is. 

She opened her window and took a seat behind it. 

"Yes?" 

"Accept my apology for being a jerk? I was informed of
everything that's been happening and now my guilt is tearing me apart.
I wish you had told me. I wanted to be here for you." 


She diverted her eyes, looked down towards the floor and
whispered something harshly. 

"First day of school and you've already found a boy?" I asked
coyly. 

She smiled and produced the ugliest dog I've ever seen. A pug
dog. 


"Moxy meet Will. Will, meet Moxy." 

"That is the ugliest fucking dog I have ever seen." I had
laughed, only to be hit square in the forehead with a hacki-sack. 

"Fuck off." I growled. "You whore." 

"Asshole." She cursed. "You can forget about being forgiven." 

"Well you and your dog can go eat ass." 

"You have to love the language in public school." She yelled. 

"Fuck you prep. And your dog!" 

And with that, we both slammed our windows. And I made sure
that I was no where near the foyer the next morning when she came in
to leave for her Prep School. 


It was October 13th. Dad's birthday, and I had an opportunity.
I don't recall whether it was out of revenge, anger or the fact that I
missed Sarah as her old self, that I saw this opportunity and seized
it. Or seized the dog I should say. 

Everyone was in doors, celebrating Dad's birthday. Sarah was
coming over, but only when dinner was ready to be served because she
had a stack of homework she wanted to tackle. It was a Thursday night
and I thought that the homework excuse was so boring. She didn't want
to see me. We hadn't talk since I called her dog ugly. I mean, the
other Sarah would have hit me with a hacki-sack then shot me with a
b-b gun for calling her dog ugly. Instead, she got upset like a little
girl and gave up. So when I saw her let her dog out in the back yard
to do his business I seized the moment, and, well, kidnapped her dog. 


It took her fifteen minutes from the actual kidnapping for her
to notice Moxy was missing. I'm just glad Moxy wasn't an evil dog, and
that he was a small enough pup to fit in the oven mitt he was hanging
from in the tree fort. And just to give you a picture, the tree fort
wasn't much of a fort. When we were children, like when she first
threw me off, all it was a platform with a roof. No walls, easy access
to the ground. After my first drop ten feet horizontal railing had
been put across the side, but all it was two strips of wood. Still,
not an actual wall. 

Sarah ran outside, panicked, thinking quite possibly that Moxy
had been freed and was pavement food out in front. 

"Moxy?" She called. "Here boy! Moxy?" 

"Is this who you're looking for?" I taunted from the back of
the tree house, where Moxy, the Ugliest Fucking Dog in the World, was
beside me, resting in an oven mitt, that was hanging like a stocking. 

"What the fuck are you doing?" 

"Come get it." I smiled. Devious and brave. 

"Give me my fucking dog." 

"Who you gonna call, the cops?" I teased. "My dog's been
kidnapped!  Oooh. Help me. I'm an innocent victim." 

I now know that I had to have been out of my fucking mind that
night.  There must have been a chemical leak in my science class. 

"I want my dog." Her voice was a combination of the tears that
threatened, and sheer anger. I must have been taking her from her
English Lit.  "Give me my fucking dog!" 

It wouldn't surprise me if some people in the party heard her.
She was getting angry.

I shook my head a defiant "No". "I think I should strap my G.I
Joe army parachute and see what happens." 

I looked behind me, in to the toy box to see if I could find
my old parachute, to taunt her with even more. When I turned around,
there she was. Right in front of me. I grabbed the dog, and being
about a foot taller then her because of my summer growth spurt, her
5'2 figure was unable to get the dog. I remember setting the dog on a
tree branch, nestled in between the tree branch and the trunk. It
could fall out, but at that moment I was on an adrenaline rush and it
was all good. 

"You mother fucking bastard!" She screamed. "That's a
breathing organism.  A life!!! You're going to kill him!" 

It wasn't until later, when I realized the significance of the
dog, her protection of it. But at that moment those words didn't
register and she grabbed me by the shirt, and put me on the floor of
our tree house. When I tried to get up I remember crashing through the
two 'safety' strips of wood kept there to prevent us falling out of
the tree house.  I don't blame our fathers, because at the rate that
Sarah punched me, I think I could have broken brick. Yes, she punched
me. I tried to stand up and she knocked me ten feet to the ground,
with a punch. 

I must have screamed, and this time I know for sure because
the party stopped and our parents ran out. I was somewhat unconscious
on the ground, but I could see her, ignoring the attention of the
party and repeatedly jumping up and down in an attempt to grab the dog
four feet above her reach. I remember hearing her father yelling,
"What the hell is going on?" and then I just remembered her repeating,
"Can you get the dog daddy? Please? He's going to die!" 


I ended up with a concussion from that accident. A bad
headache from mom's yelling, and a sore back from hitting the ground.
Not to mention the huge bruise on my face. But, as I mentioned, it was
mom's yelling that gave me the most pain. 

"What the hell did you think you were doing??? The FUCK do you
think you were doing? Were you trying to kill her dog? What the hell
William Mulder?! That's not you! What's going on?" 

"I don't know." I mumbled. I honestly didn't. "I don't know
why I did it. At least I got a normal Sarah reaction." 

Mom's face softened. "Is this what this is about? To get Sarah
to be the person she used to be? My God William. She's turning 14 in
over a month. She's grown up. She's not in to kicking your ass anymore
for no reason. She's not in to being violent, especially after the
fucking year she's had." 

I've never heard my mom swear. But I understood and now
realized the significance of the dog. 

"They got it for after the baby, after Jay's illness.
Something to take care of. Something she could control." 

"The dog?" My mom asked, looking for clarification to my
mumbling. 

"Yes. She was scared of it dying...She's that fragile? This
has wrecked her that much?" 

"It hasn't wrecked her." Mom said, taking a seat beside me.
"She's been...Well, with Doggett being an investigator, he's always
been honest with her about death and evil. She's had a disattachment
to it. You saw that at Charlie's funeral...She was able to kiss
Charlie good-bye without flinching. A dead body, most kids her age
would be scared.  She's been taught about death...but here she was,
faced with it. she lost her baby brother or sister. It had to die. Her
dad was sick with the same thing that took Uncle Charlie from us. She
didn't know that this could hit home, and when it did, it came as a
shock. She's trying to recover, and we're trying to help - with no
help from you Mr." 

"I'm sorry." I smiled. "Where's Dad?" 

"Over with her." Mom smiled back. "Seeing how she's doing. I
think he was afraid he was going to ring your neck." 


"How's she doing?" I heard mom ask dad from the stairs in the
kitchen. 

"Okay. She's okay. Could care less about Will, who by the way
I am going to kill." 

"Mulder." My mom warned. 

"Scully." He whined back. "Sarah's like our daughter, like
Will is like Jay and Meredith's son. We share kids." 

"I know we do." I heard the smile in my mom's voice. 

"I miss that. And I know it's because Sarah and Will have
grown up and went separate ways, and Sarah's dealing with everything
from this past year...But I hold out hope that he and Sarah will work
it out." 

I do too dad. 

***********


It was another month until I even tried to have contact with
Sarah.  I avoided her when she came over in the morning, often for
breakfast, and usually...well, never did I join because of the threats
I received from my loving father prior to breakfast. We kept our
blinds closed and focused on school work. Dad often talked at the
table about Sarah, how well she was doing. That she was getting
stronger, had friends, was in clubs, sports, and loved school. Her
grades were among the highest in her class. I noticed that she had
became careful as to when the dog was let out, and she watched him -
at first. Like dad had said she was getting stronger, and she came to
leave the dog unwatched.  I had assumed she just taught it to attack. 


About mid-November the snow as already falling on occasion.
The weather had it's good days, and it's bad. People said, in singing
tones "That it was beginning to look a lot like Christmas." I thought,
bahhumbug. 

I had started on my Christmas shopping though, with the money
from my job. And that's when phase 1 of the reconciliation occurred. I
found myself in a pet store. Then I found myself buying dog bones, and
some dog toys. Then I found myself wrapping these presents, setting it
on the neighbors front door step, having labeled it "Moxy" and ringing
the doorbell before running off. 


I was awoke that night with what sounded like hail against my
windows.  I figured, Christmas time, hail, typical. But if it was, it
was bizarre hail. I got up and realized that there was Sarah, in her
room, assaulting my windows with Gobstoppers. I opened up my window. 

"Hey snot, what do you want?" 

"Moxy wanted me to tell you thanks." She smiled. "He enjoyed
his treats so much that I think we'll have to take him to the Vet
tomorrow for lipo. He can't even move Will!" 

"I suppose you want me to pay for the hospital bill." 

"You betch your bottom dollar." 

There was a pause. 

"I'm sorry." I said. "For everything." 

"I accept. For everything." She replied. "I hope you realize,
none of this was your fault." 

"I know. I just..." 

"You just...what?" 

"Wish that I could have helped you more." 

"Yea, well. Life's a bitch." 

"Then you die." 

Oops. 

"Then you die. C'est Vrai. C'est la vie." 


Sarah's birthday past. Her parents kept it simple. Her friends
had made it elaborate. 

Her friend's at the Academy had thrown a major after school
party for her. Treated her like a Princess. Her family kept it
intimate, which she liked. Which we both liked. I took her to a movie,
then we came back to my place, where our parents were gathered, with
Grandma.  It was a quiet dinner, where Jay gave Sarah the good news
that the cancer was in remission. She got lots of gifts, Monica had
sent some beautiful things from Europe, the Lone Gunmen and Walter had
even sent her stuff. I hadn't seen her so happy in months. 

Afterwards we took Moxy for a walk, I had gotten to enjoy that
little mutt. As ugly as he could be sometimes, he could be cute too. 
I put my arm around Sarah, kissed her brow, and told her how proud I
was of her. 


Christmas came. We had a flurry of activities. We decided,
with Grandma, to go to Aspen, Colorado, for Christmas. We even brought
Moxy along.  We rented a house, had Christmas and skied. It was one
the best Christmas' I had ever had. I could tell Sarah was enjoying it
too. It was a great end to a shitty year. Even more, when once more,
the people who had saved the world from the aliens, came together to
ring in a new year.  And I even got my own surprise - a punch right in
the kisser from Sarah, when I tried to kiss her at the stroke of
midnight. 


CHAPTER 6 The Following Year........ 


Aside from the hit in the kisser the next year went better.
Smoother I could say. Though I didn't know if I'd make it through
Sarah leaving me, again. 


What happened was that because of Sarah's academics she was
offered a chance to study in Paris from February until June. She'd be
close to Monica, who was residing over there and it would be the
opportunity of a lifetime. Sarah wanted to go. But I didn't want her
to. She'd miss my sixteenth birthday! Who would watch Moxy? Her
parents didn't want her to go! Or at least these are the excuses I
wanted to be validated. 

But she left me. She flew to Paris and studied. And fell in
love. 


I remember the night she finally decided. I heard the gummy
bears gathering on my window. 

"Yea?" 

"I need you to watch Mox for me. I'm going to Paris." She
smiled. 

"Seriously?" 

"Yes. Tomorrow." 

"That's...tomorrow." 

"Well, technically, it's today. Tonight, I mean, because it's
Midnight.  So...y'know." 

"You need someone to watch Mox? What about your parents?" 

"I figured he should be left with you. I mean, he wouldn't be
as lonely.  He knows you." 

"I suppose. My 'rents won't have a problem." 

"I've been up packing all night. I'm so excited!" 

"I'm glad you are." 

"Are you mad?" She asked me, fear gathering in her voice. 

"I wish you would have told me sooner." 

"I just decided four hours ago." 

"I'm sure your parents were happy about that." I remarked. 

"Overjoyed." She smiled. "But honestly. If you don't want me
to go, tell me. I'll stay. I mean, I know you're going to miss your
birthday.  I'm sorry. I'll send you something. Forgive me?" 

"Of course." 

And with that she slammed the window. And took off for Paris
14 hours later. 


My birthday was okay. My friend's threw me a surprise party,
and as promised, a package was delivered on my birthday. So after
dinner with my and Sarah's parents, along with Grandma, and the party
with my friends, Moxy and I locked ourselves in to my room, and Mox
made his way over to my bed, resting himself on the sweater Sarah once
owned that she gave to her dog as a present. Mox must know and pick up
the scent, because he never sleeps anywhere without it. 

I popped the DVD in to my player and watched as Sarah appeared
on screen. She had a big sun hat on, and goofy glasses. 

"Bonjour Monsieur." She said, and I laughed harder then hell.
She was speaking French with her Georgian accent. "Happy birthday to
you, Happy birthday to you, Happy 16th birthday Mr. President....Happy
Birthday to you." 

Sarah giggled. 

"I'm sorry, again, I couldn't be there. Hey Mox!!" The dog's
head perked up. 

"I miss you, and I miss America. But think about, I'm going to
be home soon!...This message will self destruct in 17 seconds." 

A whole minute went by, and then the image of Sarah laughed.
"Okay, it's not that high tech! I'm Audi!" 

Off clicked any image and the screen went black. 
 
I could swear, Moxy started crying. 


Though I hadn't told Sarah in any of our e-mails, I had
registered and planned on going to Liberty Heights next fall. Not
because of Sarah but, well, I wanted to. Now that I think about it, it
probably was because of Sarah. It pleased my dad though. 


We had no word, or at least I wasn't being told, when Sarah
was due back. I suppose it was for the best because I would have been
pulling my hair out counting down the days. 

The day I would have been counting down to was July 4th.
Independence Day. 




She came up to the house in a taxi, where our party was held.
Burgers and hot dogs being fried up. Apparently her arrival was a
surprise to all of us - but not anymore then her appearance. 


She was a woman. I don't know who was more surprised, her dad,
my dad, or me. She had to be at least 5'7 now, a bit taller then that
with her heels. Lean, and muscular. She was wearing this exquisite sun
hat, her hair still caramel and flowing on to her shoulders. She was
wearing a dress!! This beautiful white sleeveless sundress. She was
wearing pearls on her wrist and neck and had the appearance of a
classic movie star. 

She had become a woman. And she was just turning 15. 


It took us no time what so ever to have filled in each other
about our endeavors since February. We camped in the back yard in a
tent, with Moxy. And that's when she told me about A.K.

"Andre-Klien. My first." She smiled. 

"Your first...?" I hope she wasn't telling me. 

"Sex. I'm not a virgin." 

I didn't know what say. 

"I don't know what to say....How was it?" 

"Great!" She laughed. "I love him. He's coming here next
month."

"You love him?" I asked skeptically. 

"Yes. I think he's the one. I think it's fate. That I was sent
to France to meet him." She smiled.

And off to sleep she went. 

I watched her sleeping, as she snuggled in to my arms. I
wonder if she remembered that I was Will, boring virgin Will. Or was
she imagining A.K?


He didn't come. In fact, he didn't call. He didn't write. He
wouldn't return her attempts to contact him. The final draw was when a
woman picked up the phone and told her to stop calling. She walked
over to my house, walked in the house, up the stairs and knocked on my
door.  I had just gotten out of the shower, thought it was mom, and
was surprised when I had a sobbing Sarah in my arms. Next thing I know
we were laying in my bed, and I was no longer a virgin.


We never talked about that night. I believed things would be
weird between us, but Sarah had completely acted like it never
happened.  We still hung out, watched movies, took Moxy for a walk. 
Personally, I really don't remember much from that night because it's
so buried in the back of my head.


I had reservations about going to Liberty Heights for Grade 11
after my rendezvous with Sarah, but she said it was up to me and she'd
like to have me around. So off to Liberty Heights, every morning we
went.

Our days were filled with school, our nights, homework, walk,
talk and movies. Hell, we both even dated and had our hearts broken.


CHAPTER 7 "Up Till Now" 


Grade 11 was filled with surprises, okay, one in particular.
That was Christmas, when our parents went half and bought Sarah and I
a sports car! I mean, talk about thrown off. They figured that seeing
how once again we were attached to the hip, and had even planned
college and university together, the only fight would be who would
drive it. 

Logically, I was getting my license before Sarah. So the
argument was settled for at least a year and a half. But as Sarah
scoffed, "That's if you pass the course loser." 

On my second attempt I did. And Sarah and I cruised to Liberty
Heights every day, on our own for the start of Grade 12. 


In Grade 11 I had loosened up. Realized that without studying
I was a genius and fun should be had. Sarah couldn't agree more. We
had become partners in crime and were loving it. And this is how I was
thrown out of a car going 80 clicks. 


We had taken up drag racing. Though, not with our car. You
see, we respected our car, knowing that if it was to be wrecked, we
would never see another. Our friends however, had a new sports car
thrown at them every year as presents form their absent parents. These
were the cars used in drag races. 

We used to do it Friday nights. Since my father had been Dean
students were allowed to leave the grounds and Liberty Heights from
the time school let out Friday, until Sunday morning, without
supervision, depending on age. The conditions differed for each child,
and dad was lucky that everyone respected him and was too stiff to go
out and do something stupid like runaway. So Friday nights, after Dad
had left Liberty Heights, Sarah and myself, along with Josie, Kaley,
Mark, and Donniel, we drag raced about fifteen miles from Liberty
Heights, on this deserted road that lead to nowhere. Josie, Kaley,
Mark and Donniel, usually ended up back at our places, that way the
staff never suspected something and the Dean knew where they were.
Suspicion was never bestowed upon us and the cars were usually left in
mint condition. 

Sarah had managed to learn aggressive driving from the drag
racing and when she would go in for her driver's license a year later,
she would pass immediately. 


Our passion for drag racing continued. Every fall, every
spring, and every summer. Sarah and I had even taken up interest in
NASCAR, and we even managed to get a few laps around the Daytona race
track a few months ago. Our fathers had taken us to the track for the
Daytona 500 and called in their favors. 


But I've jumped a bit too forward. Grade 11 ended, we had a
blast in the summer, going to Orlando by ourselves from our combined
work money. And then we entered Grade 12. The last year of our high
school careers. 

We both knew what we wanted to do, and where we were going to
go.  We had even been accepted by January of our graduating year.
Columbia University, in New York City. The Big Apple. We both wanted
to be Trauma Doctors. 


And we graduated, and our parents cried. I had asked Sarah
months before Prom, if she'd escort me. Hoping that we wouldn't end
this evening with another Grade 8 Atkin scenario. She gladly accepted
and we had talked about limos, and dresses...Well she would show me
endless choices she had from the catalogues. I strained my eyes to see
them from the comfort of my bedroom. I then told her that whatever she
wanted, would be fine with me. 


She was stunning. She had her hair pinned up in curls, her
makeup simple and a beautiful cherry red dress that made her look
breathtaking.  I knew I was the luckiest man at the graduation, and I
knew that in these past months, and maybe since Europe, I wasn't
looking at Sarah the little girl, but Sarah the woman. And I was in
love. Head over heels. 



I wanted to tell her Prom night, but it didn't happen. I
couldn't find the time. I was too nervous on the limo ride there. Once
we arrived we had time to finish getting our yearbooks signed (even
though we were the editors, our colleagues had managed to stick a
picture of us and named us the "Cutest Couple" at Liberty Heights. A
relationship "that will and has lasted the test of time" I think it
was something about this picture, and the others, that made me realize
I loved her. 

Next thing I remember was taking seats, receiving diploma's,
Sarah and I's combined Grad Speech (we had tied in academics and both
received Valedictorian honors) Our parents snapping pictures. Our
friends crying...followed by us tearing off our gown and cap and
heading to the reception, but not before the sprinkler system went off
and soaked everyone in it's wrath. The twinkle in Sarah's eyes
immediately told me who was behind that. 

The ceremony I kept quiet. Sarah was socializing, talking,
having fun. I couldn't say anything. Not yet, it wasn't the moment.
Next thing you know I'm walking a tipsy Sarah to her door where I
kissed her brow and walk away. 

Nope, it didn't go as planned. 


Later on, I hosted a gummy party on her window. Hoping to get
the nerve to say those three magical words that are supposed to change
a persons life. 

Seeing her, I froze. 

"What to do ya want?" She asked, rather grumpy. I assumed it
was the liquor coming back. Her hair was flung all over the place. 

"Ummm....Just wanted to see how you're doing." 

"Tired." She yawned. "You want to let me sleep?" 

"You haven't signed my yearbook." I thought quickly, hoping
that lie would keep her at the window a few minutes longer. 

"You noticed that too, huh?" She replied. "Give it to me
tomorrow." 

It wasn't until I opened my yearbook, and observed, that I
noticed that she indeed, had not signed it. 


What I didn't know though was that Sarah was dealing with an
internal conflict also. She had an opened letter on her desk, that she
was trying to avoid. News that didn't make me happy. 


It was June 22cd. We were sitting around having a Bar-b-Que in
my backyard, when it just came out, much to Sarah's dismay. 

"So, honey, have you decided whether or not you're going to
take the internship in London?" 

Don't you mean, when are you going to tell Will about it? 

Sarah shot her father a look. But too late. The conversation
had begun. 

"It's a great opportunity." My mother remarked. 

"Internship?" I asked, apparently being the only one out of
the loop.  "For the summer, right?" 

"No." Was Sarah's simple answer. 

"You're going." Was my statement. I knew her too well. 

"Yea, I think I will." 

"What happened to Columbia? Trauma medicine? What happened to
that plan Sarah?" 

The table went quiet. 

"Will..." Sarah pleaded. Not here, her eyes begged. 

"Why would you look in to an internship in England? Especially
when you had made plans with me." 

"I didn't look in to it." She striked back. "I was offered.
Robert's father offered it to me." 

Robert, fuck. He had graduated last year, and everyone knew he
had a crush on Sarah and Sarah had been smitten but then he graduated
and went back to London. 

"Oh, you're going because of Rob." I remarked snidely. "I can
understand though, why sex is better then an education and your dream
for a whore like you. I'm sorry Sarah, but you've for once got to
understand where I'm coming from." 


Gummy's gathered on my window. And I didn't want to get up but
after awhile it began to piss me off so up I went and I opened the
window. 

"What?" 

"Watch Mox for me?" 


"Whatever." 

"I want to give it a try with Rob, and it'll be a change.
Forgive me, please, Will." 

"No Sarah, not this time." 


That's how I got in to this mess. This is why I lay here now
with my heart hurting, and barely able to breathe. I know that she's
already boarded her flight to Europe. Mox wasn't delivered over here
like I expected, but I know my dad and mom agreed to help out with Mox
whenever Jay and Meredith were working. I knew she was gone because I
heard Jay and Meredith's car pull back in to their drive way. 

I screwed up my life. Maybe that of Sarah's too. Or maybe I
haven't, but I know that I'll live a life of regret never having told
her how I feel. 



2 Weeks Later......... 


I'm watching that stupid mutt in the backyard. Jay just tied
him up, and I've concluded that I maybe never loved that dog. Nah, I'm
just in the resentment stage. 

The doorbell rings, again, and I've concluded that no one in
my house is going to answer the fucking door. 


It's UPS. He's got a package. 

"William Mulder?" He asks. 

"Yes?" I respond. 

"This is for you." He hands me the small box, "and sign here." 

I signed, but it didn't take me long to notice that the box
from the U.K., and from Sarah. And I sure as hell don't want to open
it. 


Lying here, curiosity has the best of me. What has she sent
me? It's not a letter...or maybe it is. Maybe she put in a bigger
parcel box so that I wouldn't think it was a letter and open it. Maybe
it's a bomb......... 

No. That's it. I can't take it anymore. 


It's my yearbook. I had forgotten about it. She had written
was in the back, and included a color photo. The same photo from the
yearbook picture of us being "The Cutest Couple". I didn't know she
had this.  My eyes stayed content on our images, etched in time,
smiling and happy. 

After a few minutes, I found my eyes coming across the
inscription: 

Don't call me.  Don't write. Don't show up in the middle of the night,
You know that we needed some time and space to breathe in.  I still
recall the words you said to me.  It's what you did not say that sets
me free.  Now how can I, find peace of mind, when you keep coming back
again?  It's not okay for you to play this game of seesaw with my
head.  Now it hurts too much, and it hits too hard and I won't play
this part.  So now I say the things I want to say Sometimes it's
better letting go this way.  I'll always know, down in my soul we
really had so far to go I've given all I have to give, Now it's time
for me to live And I won't look back and I won't regret - though it
hurts like hell.  Someday I will forget.  It's funny how we seemed to
end up here.  I never thought I'd see this all disappear.  Don't call
me.  Don't write. Don't show up in the middle of the night.  You know
that we needed some time and space to breathe in.  This is letting go.
This is letting go. 

Scarlett "Sarah" Doggett, 2019


Song lyrics. How original. How...blunt. How hurtful. Ouch. 


For some reason I found that the TV in the living room gave me
more comfort then my own. I must have been playing it too loud because
I heard feet making their way down the stairs. I can make them out to
be my dad's. 


"Son?" He asks, the bags under his eyes apparent. Maybe I
wasn't the only one loosing sleep over this Sarah thing. 

"Yeah." I replied in typical teenage form.

"Go to bed." 

"Can't sleep." 

"You wait eighteen years before developing Insomnia. Not bad,
your mom and I expected it earlier." 

"Well, you got it just as I'm on the verge of moving out. So
you don't have to deal with midnight TV's anymore." 

My dad took a seat at the other end of the couch, picking up
my feet and letting them drop on to the floor, almost sending my
fragile sleep deprived body with it. 

"Sarah?" Dad asked. Like he had to. 

"Maybe." I tried to be coy. I wanted the company. 

"What was in the UPS package?" 

"My yearbook." 

"You kidnapped her dog, and then she kidnapped your yearbook.
You two really suck. At least you didn't have to knock her out of a
tree house to get it back." Dad laughed. I'm glad he amused himself. 

"No, but I knocked her out of the country." 

"You didn't make her leave." 

"She never would have left if I had -" I cut myself off.
Telling my dad too much. 

"You had what? Told her the obvious? That you're madly in love
with her? Do you know that I almost smacked you boy when you decided
just to call Sarah a whore instead of say that you were in love with
her.  And it wasn't because you called her a whore - well partially -
but because you let her slip away. You think from your mom and I's
story that you'd know better not to leave your feelings until it's
almost too late." 

"You think it's almost too late? Or too late?" 

"I don't know. I don't know anything about this Rob guy. What
his motives are, what he wants with Sarah." 

"He likes her. And he's probably showering her with diamonds
and pearls, and exclusive dinners." 

"And even underneath the occasional dress and girlish
indulgence has Sarah ever cared for that?" 

Dad had a point. 

"What she write in your yearbook? 'Hope you get laid?'" 

What you don't know dad. 

"Or is the birds and bees talk a bit outdated?" 

I must have been smiling or something. 

"Yea, kinda." 

"With Sarah?" 

I shrugged, then laughed. "She came on to me." 

"I'm sure she did." My dad said, teasingly. 

"Swear to God."

"How long ago?" 

"After Europe?" 

"Jesus Will." 

"It was, what you call, a one night stand." 

"Fuck Will." 

"Or a fuck, whatever." 

"No, I meant, Fuck Will. What was this a spontany thing? Were
you careful?" 

"Obviously." I growled back, then calmed down. "Well, not
completely." 

"What do you mean?" Dad asked. 

"She was on the Pill. I didn't have anything. I wasn't safe.
She didn't really care in the moment. I mean, she was wreck because of
that asshole in Europe who fucked her and left her in the cold. I
don't know why I took advantage of that..." 

"She wanted you. You've never been one to deny Sarah of any
comfort she's needed..." Dad sighed, "Was that the last time?" 

"Yea. We never talk about that though. Sometimes I still think
it was a product of my imagination. But, God dad, when she laid there
in my arms it felt so right. Even though we were so young. And then I
felt hate that I wasn't her first. Then I just got confused, and then
I just didn't acknowledge it. Just like when she didn't with me." 

"So what did she write in your yearbook?" 

I produced the yearbook from under the stack of satellite
guides and TV guides. I saw dad flip to the back and his eyes skimmed
over the text. He then let out a chuckle and touch his belly. He then
put his hand to his goatee and stroked it. 

"You are a fucking idiot." My father smiled. "I'm sorry, but
kid, I doubted, really, that you were my son. I mean for the longest
time I don't know what happened. You are nothing like your mother and
I and we were convinced there was a mix up or something at the
hospital.  But this here is proof positive you are completely Mulder
stupid and you have the genes. This is simple and you can so
understand what Sarah's trying to say in this. You are as blind as I
was as your mother fed me the signs and I pined over her." 

"Sarah loves me too." 

"Hopefully still." Dad said as he reached into the pocket of
his house coat. Out came a few hundred dollar bills. "Go to Europe
Will. Go to London and bring my daughter-in-law home." 



I know that the trip to England, and the hunt to find exactly
where Sarah would be as I arrived, would be long, tedious and tiring.
But in the end I know that it will be the best thing I've ever done. 



********************


  

EPILOGUE


Her taxi pulled up in front of the ever familiar suburban
house. The one located next to hers. It had taken all her will power,
and all her will to get her to that plane. She feared the humility
that this would bring if she was wrong, and the blow to her pride if
Will was to laugh in her face. The words were simple though. I love
you. Three simple words that had taken so long to figure out. 


She kept all her luggage from the U.K. on the lawn. Either way
she wasn't going back to Europe. Rob understood, she was in love with
someone else. She was in love with another pathed dream. She wanted
denim, instead of diamonds. She wanted Will, instead of Rob and the
United States instead of the U.K. (or anywhere Will was).


Her knock on the door wasn't hard. She wished in her mind that
despite the fact that people appeared to be home in this house,
compared to her own, no one answered the door. That way she could
slink herself over to her house, and her room, where she could rethink
this craziness. 

But the door opened, and behind it a very, very surprised Dana
Scully. 

"Sarah!" She exclaimed, joy in her face. "What are you doing
here?  Is Will with you?" 

"Uh...no." She answered skeptically. "Why? I came here to see
him.  I need to talk to him. He isn't here is he?" 

Fox Mulder appeared in the foyer with Sarah's father, and
mother. 

"Fuck. I just sent Will to the U.K. Now doesn't this suck."
Mulder smirked, unable to hide the amusement he know he's caused. 

"What?" Sarah stammered. "The U.K.? Why? What? When?" 

"Two days ago sweetheart." Dana smiled, inviting a stunned
Sarah in the house. "He went looking for you." 

"He had to talk with you." John Doggett. 

"I have to talk to him." 

"Mulder!" Dana scorned. 

"Oh, hell." He replied. 

"Is there anywhere I can get a hold of him?" Sarah asked, as
she nervously picked at her jacket. 

"Yea. His cell. Mulder go get the number!" Dana ordered,
Mulder quick to do as she said. 

He emerged from the den and handed Sarah the number, and their
phone.  She dialed the number and let it ring three times before she
was about to hang up - but stopped as she heard: 

"Hello?" 

"Will?" 

"Sarah?" 

"Yea. Where are you?" Dumb question, she thought. 

"London, England. In front of the parliament buildings, where
I was just informed you quit your job. Where are you?" 

"Atlanta." 

There was silence, Sarah smiling from Atlanta and Will shaking
his head in disbelief in another continent. 

"You are a dead woman Scarlett Doggett. Once I get my hands on
you." 

"Not if I get to you first." 

"Don't even think about it!" He yelled. "You stay right there
in Atlanta, and I'll be right there. We need to talk." 

"I know we do." 


Sarah spent the night on the Mulder's couch. Waiting and
dreaming about Will's arrival. She couldn't wait, and she couldn't
contain her glee. But as the next morning dawned she became worried.
The flight is usually six hours and she talked to him at five o'clock
last night.  He's had ample time. Where was he? 

Dana noticed the worried look on Sarah's face, and her
constant glances to the clock. 

"Honey, have something to eat." 

"I can't." Sarah admitted. "I'm too nervous." 

Dana took a seat on the couch next to her. "I love you." 

"I love you too." Sarah replied. 

"The words are simple. Yet they change everything." 

"I know," Sarah whispered. "I know." 

Fox Mulder however didn't want to intrude on mother and
future-daughter-in-law moment that was happening, so he went out to
collect the paper when he saw a taxi approaching the house. 

"Sarah!" He called in to the house. 

Sarah stood up and shook all the fear out of her before making
it to the door way with Dana, and seeing Will, as handsome as ever,
maybe even more, getting out of his taxi and making his way towards
the house.  Sarah decided to meet him half way and out the door she
went - and straight in to his arms. Will held her tight and started
smothering her in kisses. 

"I love you. I love you. I love you Sarah Doggett." 

"I love you too William Mulder. More then you could ever
comprehend." 

"Oh I think I know. Because I feel the same way about you." 

Will kissed her again as catcalls we made from the doorway of
his house, complements of his father, who was also being elbowed by
Dana.  Across the lawn Jay had Meredith snuggled in to his arms as
they watched from their doorway. 


That night Will laid with Sarah in his arms. But this time was
like all the others, except for that one time, they were fully
dressed, laying on his bed, just enjoying the silence - and each
other. 

"Marry me?" Will whispered in to Sarah's ear. Intwining his
fingers with hers. 

"Of course." She whispered back, jet leg and last night
getting to her. "Promise me forever?" 

"Of course." He whispered. 

After a few moments of silence: 

"If I pay will you let me get your dog a face job?" 

Sarah elbowed Will. Knocking the wind right out of him. "Don't
you fucking talk about my dog like that." 

"Go to hell douche bag." 

"Fuck a cow."

"Already did." 

"Man-whore." Sarah yelled back, knowing that the cow reference
was about her. Being the only he's ever slept with. 

"I'd rather be a man whore then somebody's pussy." Will
teased. 

"I hope you go to jail and drop the soap." 

Will couldn't help it, he cracked, laughing. 

"How is my dog anyways?" Sarah asked, snuggling back in to
Will's arms. 

"Do you think we'll mess up our kids like our parents did us?"

"I think our parents, all four of them, did an excellent job.
But you're avoiding the question Will. Where's my dog?" 

THE END