All the Wishes in the World: Survival (2/2) by Sammi M. sammi4@earthlink.net jhourdhaun@hotmail.com s_moch@twu.edu
Disclaimer: See part 1.
This is the epilogue. This is the end. There will be no more parts. None. Nada. Zippo.
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All the Wishes in the World: Survival by Sammi M.
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Scully had offered to drive she and her partner to the Hoover on their first morning back with the X-Files. Though it was early, neither was upset. This was the return they'd both been secretly praying for and now it was here.
At their entrance, several of the security staff welcomed Mulder back and sent winks in Scully's direction. She just nodded and ushered her friend toward the stairs.
"Why aren't we taking the elevator? Granted, it's not that far, but it was like a ritual or something."
"I want to stop in the breakroom first and it's a straight shot from the stairs rather than having to turn back from the elevator."
"Scully, don't tell me you've gotten lazy since you were last here? What's a couple of extra feet?"
"Will you stop grousing and go. Geez! You change one little thing in five years and somebody darn near has a conniption."
They continued down the stairs and into the breakroom where the petite agent started pulling out several trays of fruits, veggies and finger sandwiches."
"What is all of this?"
Scully glared at him and sighed. "Do you remember Janna Peterson from Fraud, well I got a call last night telling me they were throwing her a shower and that they were going to keep the food stuff down here. They wanted me to bring it up around 9:00 or so and help them set up. I'm just getting everything ahead of time and taking it to the office to cut down on my running around." Nodding toward the trays. "Would you mind?"
"I suppose not." He grabbed two of the trays and waited for her to get the door. "How do you get mixed up in this kind of thing your first day back?"
She shrugged as they made their way to their office. "Just lucky, I guess. Here, let me get that." She pulled out her keys and opened the door. "After you, Mulder."
Ever since they had decided to do this, the four conspirators had worried that the man they were conspiring against wouldn't be able to handle the sudden celebration. They had feared not enough time had passed for him to accept their plans, but, in the hopes that he was finally ready and deserved this, they continued. As everyone else leaped from their spots, four pairs of eyes watched and waited.
Choruses of, "Welcome back, Mulder" and "Surprise!," rose up and enveloped the softly shaking man still standing in the doorway. As he slowly perused the office space, his mouth fell open more from astonishment than fear. Several people from various departments that would always greet him no matter what they heard smiled at him and waited for him to join them. In the midst of this group stood Margaret Scully, Walter and Darren ... and, strangely enough, The Lone Gunmen.
"What's all this?" He asked as his partner gently nudged him forward.
Scully just shook her head as she lowered her tray to the table where the other snacks were. "Using my superior deductive skills, I'd have to say it's a welcome back party. Following my gut instincts, I'd have to take it a step farther and say the party's for you."
Walter walked up to his friends and took the trays from Mulder and set them down. He was alarmed at the fine tremble he detected from the agent and turned and whispered so that no one else could hear, "Are you okay? Do I need to get rid of everybody?"
"No!" The younger man seemed to be struggling to find the words. "I ... This ... This isn't because of fear. This ... is because nobody's ... ever done ..."
The AD nodded and placed his hand on his friend's shoulder in understanding. "I'm glad." Nodding his head toward the three men who didn't quite belong in the picture. "If only because you can't believe the hassle I had to go through to get *them* here." He smiled - something he'd beeen doing a lot lately. "You ready to enjoy your party? Your friends wanted to make today special for you."
"Everyday's special *because* of my friends."
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Three bodies waited silently as the woman sat behind the desk and opened the file in front of her. Three minds considered every last possibility as she turned the pages. Three hearts shattered as she uttered the few simple words.
"I'm sorry, Mulder. The test came back positive."
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---Laughter.---
---Wild, maniacal laughter.---
No! You haven't won! I won't let you win!
---Who has the last laugh now, Fox!---
---Laughter.---
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"So, how do you want to play it, Mulder?" The AD asked as he sat at his desk across from his two agents - his two friends.
"How long before I would be required to take a desk position?"
"That would solely be up to your and the Bureau's physicians. As long as you were asymptomatic, you could remain in the field as long as certain precautions were taken."
The voice of reason went straight to the heart of things. "What about his treatments? Will the Bureau be covering the cost."
Stone cold. "I will personally see that they will. Mulder incurred this fate from direct contact with an assigned case. If they so much as balk at an aspirin, I'll hang them out by the balls."
Surprisingly, Mulder laughed, startling his companions. "What? I *can* laugh."
"No one's saying you can't, Partner, it's just..."
"Dana, Walter, I'm not taking on the role of victim here and I refuse to allow you guys to put me there either. If nothing else, this has shown me that life's too short and there is no way I'm going to let a dead man have control over however much time I have left."
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---Laughter.---
---Deep, crazy laughter.---
---I told you, you were mine. I've got you now, Fox. Right where I want you.---
You have nothing. No power. No control. No life. Nothing.
---No, I have you and we're going to be together for all eternity.---
Fuck you!
You. Have. Nothing!
So, go to Hell! Oh, I'm sorry. You're already there. Enjoy, cause I have no plans on joining you.
Nothing!
The laughter stopped.
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Several weeks later:
It was just like old times. The three of them were conferring over the latest case report turned in by the X-Files team. As usual, the file read like either really good science-fiction or extremely bad science-fact. That didn't seem to deter the three though.
The discussions were in-depth and demanding and all the players were eating it up like they were starving. This was survival at it's best. The mundane - to a point. The everyday things - for them anyway.
It was all returning to normal - or as much as anything could be normal with the trio - which was a good thing considering what the day was.
One year ago that day, Fox Mulder's life had changed. Though he knew he'd never be the same as he was before, he knew he'd made it, no matter the obstacles.
So, for his anniversary, he had decided to join his two best friends in a wild discussion of their latest findings, after hours of course, and he was enjoying every passing minute of it. He was alive! Nothing could take that away from him!
The stench of cigarette smoke alerted them to the man standing in the door. He had been silently watching them for several moments debating on how he should approach. As their laughter and excitement died and their training kicked in, he found himself on the receiving end of three guns.
"Please, is this any way to greet an old friend?"
"Since when have you been a friend?"
He continued into the room holding a file. "Since I came bearing gifts."
Mulder rolled his eyes and lowered his gun. "We don't want anything from you. Nothing's worth the price we'd have to pay."
"Nothing, Agent Mulder? Considering what you're facing, I'd think you'd have a different attitude."
Scully refused to lower her gun and followed his every move. "What do you know about what he's facing?"
"I ... know everything."
Skinner had lowered his gun and placed it before him on his desk - close. "So, why are you here if you know everything? Come to gloat?"
"What happened to Agent Mulder a year ago was ... most unfortunate and I can assure you, if Agent Scully or you had been less than ... thorough in your justice, *I* wouldn't have been."
"Like I want you to do me any favours."
Ignoring the younger man. "I was able to convince my ... associates it would not be in our best interests to add to Agent Mulder's ... torment. I was successful ... until recently."
Scully couldn't resist. "Recently?"
"It would seem that some of my associates weren't too pleased with the bond you shared nor with the fact that Mulder was doing so well. They sought to ... avail him of that ... well-being."
Skinner's mind suddenly raced with his heart. "Avail him how?"
Taking a deep drag and releasing it ... slowly. "By inserting one of their operatives in a lab situation so that certain results could be ... falsified if they didn't turn out the way they hoped."
"Omigod!" Didn't matter who uttered it; it was shared by all.
Mulder stood and walked to the man until he was barely a breath apart from him. "How do I know you're not lying? How do I know you're not just playing with me like a puppet - pulling my strings?"
The man reached around the agent and handed the file to Scully. She quickly opened it and started reading. As the tension grew, her partner refused to back down and continued to hold the dark eyes. At Scully's gasp he turned confused eyes to tearful ones. "Mulder, according to this Hennessey was almost obsessive about getting tested. His last test, only a month before ... He tested negative! Your *real* results are also in here! They say you're negative too! Mulder, you don't have it!"
All the colour drained from the man's face as his trembling hands took the file from equally trembling hands. While he read, Skinner moved away from behind the desk to stand behind his agent which was a good thing as Mulder's legs suddenly gave out beneath him. The AD and Scully were both there to catch him and join in his tears and joy.
The man silently waited and watched as the three friends celebrated. A part of him wanted to be a part of what he was witnessing. Only a small part.
As he turned to leave, Mulder disentangled himself from the arms of his loved ones and with tears still streaming asked, "Why?"
He didn't turn back, but he did stop. "I didn't agree with their methods. There are better ways of getting what we wanted."
Without thinking, "Thank you."
At the door, the man paused. "Don't thank me yet, Fox, because now, ... you owe me one."
THE END!