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It had been three
whole weeks since Scully’s passing. And it was hell, Mulder thought
as he got in his car on the way to the cemetery. Another Monday. He stopped
by a flower shop- with prices much cheaper than the one at the cemetery-
and bought 6 red roses. He sighed as he got back in and started the car.
When he came
to her grave, he immediately took the wilted flowers from Friday, threw
them away, and, in their place, put the fresh roses he had just bought.
He then stood facing her tombstone with the setting sun at his back, making
sure he wasn’t standing anywhere he wasn’t supposed to. He always came
at sunset. Dana died at sunset.
He cleared his
throat. He never really knew where to begin. He went with something familiar.
“Scully, it’s me.”
He hesitated.
Stupid. Are you waiting for an answer?
“I woke up this
morning and went to work as usual. I only remembered that you’re dead when
I walked in the door and you weren’t there, working. I don’t know why it’s
so hard to remember. After all, it has been three weeks. You’d think I’d
get it into my head after this long…”
He cleared his
throat again. Why is this so hard to tell her? She’s dead. “Today’s
been a bad day. I mean, they’ve all been bad days since you died, but today
was the worst. …They’re assigning me a new partner to me, Scully. Skinner
gave me the news this morning. Another one with a background in human biological
science. Not a medical doctor though. I’m not really sure what he is. Just
a biologist, I guess… And, yes, my new partner will be a man. I haven’t
met him yet. I’m pretty sure he’ll be one of those boring, know-it-all,
closed-minded stiffs… Ah, sorry. No offense… But what if he is? It’ll drive
me crazy if he doesn’t laugh at any of my jokes. At least you tried to
look amused…
“And that’s not
even all of it, Scully… Skinner-“ He cleared his throat again. “Skinner’s
suggesting I go to therapy. Because of your death and how it’s affecting
my work, whatever that means. He says I’m not coping well enough… Maybe
he’s right. I may not be handling this well enough. “It’s just that… I
don’t know how to let you go. Seeing you everyday for nearly six years,
spending nearly the whole day with you, and now you’re gone, out of my
life, knowing that that’ll be the way it will be for all eternity… It’s
hard to accept. Hell, it’s practically impossible. You were the one constant
in my life. If the sun should, for some reason, fail to rise, or if the
earth stopped revolving, but you still came to work every morning with
a slide in one hand and typing up a field report with the other, everything,
to me, would still be right in the world. Because with my luck and the
relative weirdness involved in my life, I wouldn’t be surprised if the
sun did stop rising or if the earth did stop revolving. But
every time I enter my office, and you’re not there, it’s as if all hell
broke loose… I just wish I had a second chance. Another chance to save
you… I’d do it right. I’d find you long before it would be too late… I’d
give anything for a second chance.”
“Anything?”
Mulder’s head
shot up, almost believing Scully had come back from the dead. The voice
came from behind him. He spun around. A figure, a woman by the look of
it, stood so that her shadow cast by the still setting sun covered her
face and features. She walked toward him. Gradually, a familiar face came
into focus.
“Mercy?!” Mulder
said incredulously.
She smiled.
“What the hell-“
She frowned as
she cut him off. “Don’t say that. It’s very blasphemous.”
“What are you?
Some religious zealot?”
“Not exactly.”
“Who are you
then? You’re not a police detective.”
“I’m an angel.
A guardian angel to be exact.”
Mulder gave her
a look.
“You don’t believe
in guardian angels?” she said curiously.
“Not recently.”
She thought for
a moment. “Well, I guess I can see why.”
“So?”
“So what?”
“Where were you
when Scully was dying?”
“With you, of
course.” She smiled wryly at his strange look. “I’m not her guardian angel.
I’m yours.”
“Like I said,
where were you when Scully was dying?”
“She’s dead already.
What can be done about it? It’s in the past.”
He turned back
to Scully’s grave and took a deep breath.
“Let me put it
this way. What can you do about it? You asked for a second chance,
right?”
He turned to
look at her. “You can do that?”
“Sure. All us
guardian angel types can.”
“So what are
you waiting for?”
“Hmm? Oh! I’m
trying to come up with a price.”
“A price?”
“Yeah. Nothing’s
for free. Sometimes the rule applies to deals with angels too… You did
say that you’d give anything, right?”
Mulder felt his
spirits sink. This didn’t sound too good.
“Okay, let’s
see… something valuable… your sister?” He felt his heart beat faster. “Hmm…
your mother?” And faster. “Okay, uh… alright, I think I have it.” And all
but stopped. “How about your fish?”
Mulder felt his
jaw drop. Or would have if he hadn’t been too shocked and confused to let
it. “My fish?”
“Yeah, your fish.
You know, the ones swimming around in a tank in your apartment? The ones
you keep asking people to feed while you’re away?”
“I know what
you’re talking about,” he said, rolling his eyes slightly. “But why my
fish? Not that I’m complaining, but there are much more valuable things
in my life.”
Well, the only
other things you value are your sister, your mother, your car, and, for
some strange reason, your friendship with those three jokers. What do they
call themselves? The Lone Gunmen. I don’t really get why your friendship
with them is valued, but when you’re as pitiful as you are, I can kinda
see where you’re coming from.” She grinned.
“Are you sure
you’re an angel? You seem a bit unorthodox to me.”
Her grinned only
widened. “An unorthodox angel for an unorthodox man. What can I say? At
any rate, taking your sister, mother or car would just be cruel and unusual
punishment. We’re not much into that stuff in heaven. And you’re friendship
with those clowns? That’s not worth a nickel.” Mercy smiled. She seemed
to be doing a lot of that lately.
“So, just my
fish,” he said skeptically.
“Well, yeah.
That and 2 other things.”
He gave her a
look. “What’s that gonna cost me?”
“Your affinity
for pornography and the use of the word ‘hell’. Besides in reference to
the fiery place all the mass murderers and such go.” He gave her another
strange look. “Hey, don’t give me that face. Seriously, I don’t see how
you can like porn. That’s just wrong in so many ways. The fact that you
do like it is slightly amusing, but wrong nevertheless. Not to mention
absolutely vile… And I just threw in the ‘hell’ thing for good measure.
So how ‘bout it, Mulder? Is it a deal?”
Mulder hesitated.
“Can I buy more fish?”
Mercy rolled
her eyes. “For gosh sakes, you had to think about it?! They’re just fish!”
“For gosh
sakes”? “Well? Can I?”
“Fine, whatever.
What do I care? I just want the ones you already have. Buy a million other
fish for all I care… So? Goodness, Mulder, I thought you said anything.
You gotta wonder how much you really love this woman if you’re deliberating
over it for this long.”
“Alright,” he
said finally. “Deal.”
“Yeesh. Took
you long enough.”
“I’ve got one
more question, though.”
“Oh yeah? What’s
that?”
“What’s your
real name?”
“You know it
already.”
“Mercy?”
“Yep. Why’d you
ask?”
“I don’t know.
It seems a bit unreal, don’t you think? An angel named Mercy?”
“Life is unreal.
Anyway, look who’s talking, Fox.”
He made a sour-looking
face. She grinned.
“One last question?”
“I thought that
last one was the last one.”
“Why are you
doing this for me?”
She paused. “You
never would have died happy had you lived this life. Not with your partner
dead. Not when you feel partly responsible… That’s what guardian angels
try to do. Make sure their charges die happy. Some guardians are better
or more successful than others. I just happen to try harder. I’m probably
gonna get in trouble for this, but you do what you have to do. Anything
to get the job done, right?”
He nodded slowly.
“Right,” he said quietly with conviction in his voice. Maybe they
are right. Maybe I am a lunatic.
“Yeah, maybe
you are.” She grinned. “Let’s go?” And, without waiting for an answer,
she made a gesture and everything turned bright.