Title: A Walk Beneath Willows Author: little Starbuck* Rating: PG. Category: POV, future Feedback: Yes Please! Send to starbuck42ajw@yahoo.com Disclaimer: They ain't mine, but I wish they were! :) Spoilers: Season 8 (Mulder abduction. Scully Preg. Doggett/Reyes) Distribution: I would be happy to share, please keep my name on it. Summary: Four POVs of Mulder, Scully, Doggett, and Reyes' future after the end of the show. Second part follows immediately. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Part One ~Scully~ "Tell us what you remember." He says. "It's blurred!" Mulder snaps back. They've been going at this for nearly a half hour and have gotten no where. I can see the sweat beading on his forehead. I wish they'd just leave him alone. "You said there were stakes through your arms, your ankles..." The doctor leads him on. Yes, he said that you stupid ass hole, I think to myself. I have to turn away, there's too much pain. "Through my cheeks, my arms and my ankles. I'll say it one more time. Cheeks, arms, ankles!" He taps his foot on the ground impatiently. "Look, Mr. Mulder, I'd like to help you. That's my job. But you have got to cooperate." He leans over closer. "I'm trying." He pauses as he tries to collect his thoughts, "Restraints through the cheek-" He is brutally interrupted. "Yes, yes. We heard that." The other doctor chips in. "A drill... a saw cutting my chest, the drill entering my mouth. Um, there's a man standing above me. I know who he is. He's smiling and he says something but I can't understand." He covers his face with his hands and exhales loudly. That's it, that's all I've ever heard from Mulder. It's been three years since he came back and that's been his story all along. The therapy was Skinner's idea. I don't know why we decided to start so late. And it hasn't been going well so far. They say he needs to focus more and the details will come back to him. I think they just don't want to believe. They're afraid, just like I had been all those years. "Okay, Fox. If that's all your gonna let us have today," They stand simultaneously, "...then so be it." They exit the small room together. Skinner and I fill their places across the table from him. "It's okay Mulder. Dr. Smith says you're making progress. You didn't remember the man's face last month." Skinner tries to reassure him. "Thanks, Walter. But I'm not so sure this is gonna work for me." He says. I reach across the gray table and place my hand over his. I know he is comforted by me, by my presence. But I can't heal his pain. "Mulder, let's get out of here. Sam's with Monica at home." I picture my daughter with one of my closest friends. Monica Reyes and I have become very close friends over the years. Ever since she held my hand as I delivered my precious baby girl. And, she has helped Mulder immensely with the healing process. John and she were married nearly a year ago when he finally realized he needed someone to be with him. That he couldn't make it in life alone, especially after loosing his son. "Yeah, okay, Scully." He stands and I do the same. He joins me at the door and, after glancing back at Skinner, he takes my hand and we leave together. "Scully, I don't think this is working. It's been three months. I feel like I'm not getting anywhere. You know what I mean?" He asks as he holds the door to the clinic open for me. "Mulder, I think you are getting somewhere. Listening to you has actually helped me to cope with my own abduction experiences. I'm beginning to remember bits and pieces that I've never seen before. And, you... you are getting stronger everyday." We scurry to the car attempting to avoid the down pour. I clumsily start the engine and check my mirror for oncoming traffic. "I don't feel stronger. I feel..." He pauses and stares out the window. "You feel what?" I pull out into the street. "Old." He says bluntly. I giggle, knowing his tone was meant as a joke. "Oh, c'mon, Mulder. We aren't that old... yet." He turns to me and smiles, "I suppose that feeling of oldness comes with parenthood. Plus the added stress of raising a toddler." I laugh as I picture Sam again. She's adorable in my mind. "Now, she is getting old." He switches on the radio quietly. "I know, time has gone by so fast. It seems I was just bringing her home from the hospital a week ago." I tap my finger's to the beat of the music. I make a left turn onto Alderwood St. Our new colonial style house is in view. "It's amazing... Time, I mean. Sometimes, it seems like I was meeting you for the first time only yesterday. Shaking your hand in that basement office eleven years ago. Eleven years, Scully. I thought we'd have been married by now." He teases as we pull into the driveway. Our little Samantha bursts out the front door, no shoes, no socks... runs to the car to hug her daddy. "Daddy, Monica maked cookies!" She yanks on his arm and pulls with all her might trying to drag him to the house. "Sammy... Sammy, daddy's had a long day, could you give us a moment." I ask patiently. She gives me this look... a look only a mother can read. She'll wait, but she isn't happy. "I'll come in a minute Sam." He says kindly and sends her back in the house. He looks at me happily. He's glad to have a daughter. I hope he knows I'm glad to have him. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~Monica~ They come in together out of the rain. Soaked to the bone, but I know they've both been through worse. In all of their years together on the X-files, they must have been through hell. From what little I've read about the cases they worked... well, let's say I'd never like to be there, where they were. "Hello, Dana, Mulder. How was the therapy session?" I ask cautiously, careful not to dig deeper than I should. "What is therapy, Mommy?" Sam asks her mother. "A doctor appointment, Sam. Why don't you go get your jammies on?" She pat's her daughter on the behind and sends her upstairs. "It went fine. I don't know how it went fine, but since that's what Dr. Smith said, I guess that's how it went. I'm supposedly making a lot of progress." Mulder says sarcastically as he removes his shoes. "Mulder, you should give it a chance!" Dana gently places her hand on his shoulder. Care, passion and fear all burning in her eyes, all at the same time. She wont admit it but, I know she loves him. She has for a very long time. "Maybe give it another few sessions... It may take you somewhere you never thought possible." I tell him. Somehow, for some weird reason, I always seem to get through to him. Even when Dana can't... he'll listen to me. I sometimes think that bugs her, but I know she's thankful that there's someone who can convince him. "Maybe a few more. I can't take that Dr. Smith though!" He removes his coat then offers to take Dana's. "So, do I smell the famous Reyes Chocomonster cookies?" Dana says playfully, just loud enough for Sammy to hear her. She soon appears at the top of the stairs, grinning. "Cookies!" Mulder says as he runs to greet his daughter at the base of the stairs. He lifts her up into his arms like a bird swooping down to catch a fish. She giggles and we follow them into the kitchen. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~Doggett~ I pull into the driveway and turn off the engine. I can see them all inside through the glass. My beautiful, magical wife is dishing out cookies to all three of them. I'm afraid to go in. I don't know why I'm afraid... but I am. "John! Come in. I'll take your coat." Mulder greets me at the door. He's all smiles. "Hey, Uncie John!" Samantha peeks from behind the door to the kitchen. I smile at her and she shyly disappears behind the door again. I make my way towards the kitchen. I am lovingly met by Monica's healing arms, her warm embrace. "John, would you two like to stay for dinner?" Scully asks me as she tickles her daughter. "Um, no. We have to get home. We're in the middle of this Beast-woman case." I remind her. Monica and I have recently taken up rewriting and cataloging all of the X-files. "Jersey Devil..." Mulder says quietly and to himself. This is why I'm so afraid... afraid I'm letting him down. The X-files was such a giant part of his life, of her life, I feel that if I screw up... I'll be letting both of them down. "Right, Jersey Devil." I say cautiously. He smiles at me, letting me know that he's only kidding. "All right Sammy, I'll see you next week!" Monica kneels down and gently muffles the little girl's hair. She stands and we head back towards the door. "I'll call you sometime this week, John." Scully says to me as Mulder hands me my coat. I smile at her and Monica and I head back out into the storm. "Why are you so uncomfortable around them these days?" Monica asks when the house is out of sight. "Me? I'm not uncomfortable... I- I just don't feel like I should be the one running the show, you know?" I admit to her. "John, both Dana and Mulder left the X-files willingly. It was totally their decision. They want you to have them. They trust you-" I interrupt her. "No. That's another thing. I don't think they do trust me. Didn't you hear Mulder... that 'Jersey Devil' thing?" I ask. "Oh come on... you know Mulder. He just wants you to be right. That doesn't mean you don't have his trust." She reassures me. "Yeah... okay. Let's talk about something else for now." I try not to sound too harsh. I hate getting angry at my wife. I love her. We get on the freeway and head home. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~Mulder~ The rain has stopped. I'm glad it waited until now. The sound of it pounding, endlessly, on the roof usually helps Sam get to sleep. I watch Scully clean up the kitchen from my usual evening spot in the living room. She's so beautiful, so calm and elegant. I can remember her in the most difficult situations... she always remains calm. I redirect my gaze out the window. It's still relatively light out side. "Hey, Scully?" I say quietly hoping not to wake our little sleeping beauty. "What?" She joins me in the living room, her yellow latex gloves still on her hands. "Do you want to go for a walk?" I suggest. "Now? It's almost eight o'clock, Mulder. And I still have to clean-" I stand up and place my hand over her mouth. She is taken aback but doesn't resist. "The cleaning will be ready for you when we get back. I have to talk to you about something." I insist. She removes the gloves and places them on the coffee table. We walk silently to the door and grab our coats. "It's rather nice out here." She says. We look out on the lake, all foggy and calm. "Are you glad you agreed to come?" I ask hopefully. "Yes. Yes I am." She pauses and takes in her surroundings, "I never really noticed these willow trees before. That's so weird. I mean I've been here a hundred times with Sammy but we were always too into the ducks and geese and the lake it self... but these trees are beautiful." I take her hand as she speaks. We stop walking and she turns towards me. "You're beautiful." I tell her gently. "Mulder, what are you doing?" She asks me as I begin to kneel down in the wet grass. "Oh, just asking you a question." I tease. I reach, now, into my pocket and pull out a tiny jewelry box. It's been too long, I think to myself as I open my mouth the ask the question. But she stops me. "Mulder, I'm not sure we're ready for that." She backs up, letting go of my hand. I get up off my knees. She looks so frightened. "I've been ready for... forever, Scully. Please, Scully, just let me have the satisfaction of knowing that I had a chance." I step closer. "A chance to what?" Her voice is quivering. Her hands are shaking... but I ask anyway. "To ask you to marry me." I hold out the now open jewelry box revealing to her a sparkling diamond ring. She gasps and the tears stream down her face. And I know what she's thinking... I never saw myself doing this either. "Mulder!" She utters almost silently to herself. "I can be a dad, I can be a companion, Scully, you've seen that. Let me be a husband... to the one person on earth I cannot live without. I've known you for eleven years and everyday, I can't help but fall even more in love with you." I can feel the tears in my own eyes now. "How long did it take you to write that?" She giggles. I laugh as well. "I wrote that inside my head when I first saw Samantha. But I've always wanted to ask you, Scully... what do you say?" I step even closer, now forcing her to tilt her head back just to look into my eyes. "I say...I say I love you. And what better way to show that than to become your wife!" She wraps her arms around me. It takes me a moment but I manage to do the same. She said yes. Yes. "Oh my god." I whisper. The embrace ends. She takes my hand again and smiles up at me. "Thank you, Mulder." She wipes away her tears with her free hand. She turns back out towards the lake and we continue our walk in silence. I'm not quite sure what it is that she was thanking me for. Maybe for love, companionship, for all of our years together or for our daughter. Or maybe she was simply thanking me for asking first. One of us would have had to eventually. One might say it was written in the stars. Me, though... I call it fate. ~*Fin*~ Author Notes: Thanks so much for reading. This, believe it or not, is my first two part story! Yippie! Please, tell me if you liked it. Hell, tell me if you hated it. I hope I could brighten you day, though. All other stories by little Starbuck* can be found at Ephemeral.