Title:   Daddy's Story 
Author:  Abigail
Rating:  PG 
Category: MSR, M/S/O-f
Classification:  Angst, Character Death
Spoilers: Yeah. S1-S9 is fair game. 
Summary: Years after 'The Truth,' Scully tells a story. 

Author's Note: This story was created in response to Neox's challenged 
to write a bedtime story under 1000 words long. In fact, I just barely 
made it with 996 words. :D

Dedicated to Neox. 

Xxxxxxx 

"But Mama!" The high-pitched voice filled the bedroom of the house. 

"I *know* you don't want to go to bed, Annamarie, but it's late ... " Dana 
trailed off as her daughter whined incessantly, making her way towards 
the bedroom. 

She came upon the tiny child sitting in bed, her brown hair curling around 
her face.  She hugged a small, blue teddy bear tightly in her arms. "I 
want a story," she quietly demanded in her best whiny voice. 

Dana smiled softly.  Her daughter was seven and a half, but she still 
loved to hear her mother's stories.  Dana often told her of the adventures 
she'd had while in the FBI, and sometimes from after she left.  Of course, 
she always made the stories sounds more upbeat than they actually 
were, and in them, they always triumphed without a scratch. 

The other part of her stories, the grim details, were always left out.  
Because, on one hand, her daughter was so young.  The more important 
reason was because her father had *never* left them out.

She cringed at the thought of Fox Mulder.  The fact that he was gone 
and had been gone since before Annamarie turned six, wouldn't be 
changed.  That was something she would have to live with.  

She sat down on the bed.  "What story would you like to hear tonight?" 

The pretty, blue-eyed child scrunched up her downy eyebrows in 
concentration.  Before Dana could say 'liver-eating monster,' she 
whispered, "I wanna hear Daddy's story." 

Her heart dropped into her stomach. *Why* did she always want to hear 
that one?  Resigned, she allowed Annamarie to open the covers and let 
her in. 

Exhaling deeply, she started to speak.  "Once upon a time, there was a 
man named Fox Mulder. He liked to hunt down aliens and flying saucers, 
even though everyone said he was crazy. He was very smart, and 
handsome ... but he was all alone.  Then one day, a woman named-" 

"Dana Kath'rine Scully," Annamarie interrupted proudly, her slight 
Southern accent showing through. 

Dana smiled. "Dana Katherine Scully came to his basement office and 
said she wanted to help him.  But really, she was sent to spy on him.  
After she got to know him, though, she knew that she really DID want to 
help him.  After a long time, almost seven years ... " 

"She realized she was more than his friend. She liked him!" Annamarie 
exclaimed, smiling up at Dana.  She pulled the comforter closer to her 
thin arms. 

"Something like that," Dana replied.  "A long time after that, Dana and 
Fox decided to get married and have a baby."  She always purposely left 
out Mulder's disappearance, working with Doggett and Reyes, and 
William's birth, along with fleeing the States.  After all those events died 
down, they'd settled in the lower part of Texas where they weren't 
noticeable to the military's eyes.

She also didn't mention the excruciating work that had gone in to 
conceiving a child.  They'd tried everything.  In vitro, artificial 
insemination, and any strange fertility offers that had come across their 
email inbox.  Sex almost became a chore as it was their nightly try at 
getting pregnant.  She even remembered a point when she couldn't 
enjoy it, for the weight that each of their actions held was so great. 

Finally, something had clicked after nearly two years of desperate trying. 
"They were so excited when Annamarie came, they both cried.  They 
named her," she paused, waiting for her daughter to finish. 

"Annamarie Elizabeth Mulder!  That's me!"  she squealed. 

"Yes, and when she was born, her daddy was so happy that he gave her 
a very special present," she continued, gesturing towards the tattered 
teddy in Annamarie's hands.
 
Annamarie,' in turn, proceeded to hug it tightly. 

"They lived a very happy life for awhile and Annamarie was growing up 
to be so beautiful, but then something sad happened."  Dana's eyes 
turned downcast to the floor.  

"Can I finish it, Mama?" Annamarie asked with pleading eyes.  

 "Sure," she whispered.  Dana wasn't sure she could finish it herself. 

"Okay..." she said, inhaling deeply.  "One day, when Daddy was drivin' to 
work, he c'lapsed head-first with a really big truck.  And he died.  We 
went to the fun'ral but they wouldn't lemme look at him.  I cried a lot.  
Daddy always told me the good parts of stories that you wouldn't, Mama.  
He always talked about the bad monsters and the scary places and the 
little boy he said he didn't know. 

"He told me about his friends, how they helpeded him when he needed 
helpin', and how much he missed them.  He told me how much he loved 
you, and how I was lucky to have a Mama pretty as you. 

"I miss Daddy lots, Mama," she finished, looking up at Dana. 

Dana refused to look up from the floor.

"But right now he's up there in heaven watchin' me and you, and makin' 
sure we're all right.  I know you don't like that, Mama, but," she paused.

"That's the way it is.  Thanks, baby.  Now it's time to sleep," Dana 
instructed, swinging her legs off the bed and standing.  She turned to 
tuck Annamarie in. 

"Mama?" she asked after the covers were pulled up to her chin. 

"Yes, baby?" 

"Do you really believe that Daddy's in heaven?" 

She answered quickly. "Yes. Now, hug your teddy and think of him up 
there telling you stories like he used to."  She patted Annamarie's hair 
and left, shutting the door as she went, as a single tear slipped down her 
cheek. 

After the door closed, Annamarie tried to sleep.  She closed her eyes, 
but rest wouldn't come.  A thought tugged on her innocent mind. 

How could her Daddy be in heaven when he was sometimes in her room 
with her?  How could he be in heaven if he sat on her bed and told her 
stories at night when she was lonely?  And how come he never 
comforted her Mama when she cried? 

She hugged the blue bear tightly and kissed it goodnight.  She whispered 
aloud to herself in the empty room. 

"That's just the way it is." 

END