Reply To: FatCat926@msn.com
Title:  Happy New Year's Scully
Author:  FatCat 
Feedback: FatCat926@msn.com
Thank you very much.
Rating:  G
Category:  V, MSR (Noromo's run like hell!)
Spoilers:  Not a one.	 
Archive:  Take it home, folks, but let me know where it's 
appreciated.
Summary:  While Mulder was abducted Scully gets a 
belated 
Christmas Gift (No, unfortunately, it's not Mulder.)
Disclaimer: Look folks, they aren't mine nor anyone's 
except CC, Fox, 1013, DD & GA's.  The poetry belongs to a 
man long dead-Robert Browning and no financial 
transactions will ensue whereby I will in any way receive 
anything that faintly resembles remuneration.  One can only 
contemplate writing for dollars.  For now, just enjoy.
Please read Author's Notes at the end for an important 
announcement.  (At least it was important to me.)



Dana Scully moved through her apartment as quickly as her 
pregnant body would allow.  There was someone at the 
door.  A sharp thrill ran through her.  Maybe it was Mulder.

A quick glance through the peephole doused her brief joy.  
It was Byers.  She tiredly rolled her eyes and unlocked the 
door.

'I wish they would quit hovering.'  She thought snappishly.  
'Frohike, Langly, Byers, Skinner, and even Doggett all seem 
to think that just because Mom's in San Diego with Bill and 
Tara I need constant watching.'

"Byers, what a surprise," Dana said, with no small amount 
of sarcasm in her voice.

"Dana, how are you?"  Byers chose to ignore her testiness.  
He had read every book he could get his hands on about 
pregnant women and realized her moodiness which was 
normal was multiplied by a factor of a million when 
combined with Mulder's disappearance and an indomitable 
need to be strong.

Dana sighed, sorry already for the inhospitable remark.  He 
was a good friend and had stood by her through a lot lately.

"John, won't you come in?" she asked with a small smile of 
contrition.

"No, actually.  I'm just here to make a delivery."

"A delivery?  On New Year's Eve?"

"Yes, a belated Christmas present."  He reached inside his 
jacket and pulled out a clumsily wrapped present. "This is 
something Mulder had ordered for you through a mutual 
friend of ours.  He apparently had a hard time filling the 
order and it just arrived.  He had it sent to us to make sure 
someone would be home to sign for it."

Dana stared at the small package as if it were alive, but did 
not reach for it.

"Dana, I'm sorry, but I did the best I could with the 
wrapping.  There was a note from Sid, the dealer, that seems 
to bring some light to Mulder's thoughts about the purchase 
enclosed in the box."
John blushed and pushed the package into Dana's hand and 
turned to leave." Let us know if you need anything before 
your next doctor's appointment."  He offered a small smile 
and left.

Dana Scully moved to shut and relock the door.  She walked 
back toward the living room, but changed her mind at the 
last minute.  She headed for the bathroom, rubbing her baby 
belly and speaking aloud to the little one. "I might as well 
just spend my day in the bathroom when you choose to lay 
on my bladder like this, sweetie.  Wouldn't you like to move 
up and give Mommy a hard time breathing for a change 
today?"  She had to smile as she spoke. Last year at this 
time was the first time Mulder kissed her. Who would have 
thought she would be talking to their unborn child a year 
later? 

This last year had held many firsts.  First kiss, first "date", 
first passionate night of love, first quickie in the office, first 
long-term abduction actually witnessed by an Assistant 
Director of the freaking FBI, first pregnancy of a previously 
sterile woman.  Yes, a lot of firsts.  And now this-a 
Christmas gift from Mulder just in time for New Year's-
shows up out of the blue.  

She picked the package up and turned it over.  She smiled at 
the Garfield Christmas wrapping paper.  She never figured 
the guys to be dog people, but Garfield? She quickly 
finished in the bathroom, washed up and walked into the 
bedroom to curl up on her bed.  She examined everything 
about the exterior of the package.  The golden glow of the 
lamp beside the bed made the gold tinsel on the bow glisten.  
She slipped her finger under the ribbon and pulled it off-
next came the paper.  She folded the paper and placed it 
with the ribbon on the side table.  The box was a plain 
brown shipping box that she could tell had been opened and 
re-taped.  The label of a prestigious courier from DC was 
prominent on the side. She gently pulled the flap of the box 
open and was surprised at how well the slim red leather-
bound volume inside was wrapped.  She ran her hand over 
the book and turned it over to see the title.  A collected 
works of Robert Browning.  Poetry Mulder?  She drew the 
note out of the box and opened it, hoping to find a clue to 
Mulder's thoughts when he ordered this for her.

December 21, 2000

Fox!
What a surprise to hear from you!  And you're in love!  She 
must be very special to deserve a gift like this.  I took the 
liberty of replacing the ribbon place marker.  I believe this is 
the poem you were looking for specifically. Sorry it took so 
long to get it to you.  The previous owner was slow to 
decide on selling this volume.  I have never come across 
another of this quality.  Sorry about the price, old man, but 
it is a first edition with some signed letters included and you 
did say cost was not a problem.  I believe the words were 
"Only the best for my Scully!"  The binding is done in 
leather and gold by one of London's finest publishers of the 
time.
I hope your lady appreciates it.  Don't forget the wedding 
invitation after you set a date.  From your description she 
must be a real beauty and a doctor to boot.  Don't tell Mum, 
I'll never hear the end of it. Let me know if I can help in the 
future.

Sid

Dana ran her fingers over the leather binding of the book 
with a new perspective.  Mulder had actually planned many 
months in advance for this gift.  He told his friend he was 
going to marry me.  'Did you hear that, Little One, Daddy 
wants us.'  The depth of caring touched her lonely heart and 
made her cry. The book fell open at the ribbon marker.  She 
read the poem by Robert Browning.  By the end of the poem 
she was openly sobbing.  She read it again, aloud:

 Summum Bonum
All the breath and the bloom of the year 
in the bag of one bee:
All the wonder and wealth of the mine 
in the heart of one gem:
In the core of one pearl all the shade 
and the shine of the sea:
Breath and bloom, shade and shine, --wonder, wealth, 
and--how far above them--
Truth that's brighter than gem,
Trust, that's purer than pearl, --
Brightest truth, purest trust in the universe
all were for me
In the kiss of one girl.

'Oh, Mulder, you never fail to surprise me.  Come back to 
me my Love,' she thought.

The words had such depth of meaning for them.  The 
loneliness she had been feeling lately was gone.  She felt 
surrounded by love.  Mulder was her truth-the only person 
other than her mother that she truly trusted.  Mulder's 
thoughtfulness had given her a new insight to the depth of 
his commitment and love for her.  If it were humanly 
possible he would find a way to get back to her.  She had a 
baby on the way-further proof of that love.  She was 
surrounded by good, caring, if over zealous friends and 
family.

"We're going to be okay, little one," she said as she smiled 
through her tears.  She decided a trip to the bathroom was 
again in order.  This time when she was done she bathed her 
face in cool water and put on a some make up-just an old 
trick to make herself feel better.

The book of poetry had not left her sight since she had read 
the poem.  She glanced at the clock and realized it was 
almost midnight-New Year's Eve 2000.

She walked into the living room and switched on Dick 
Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve.  She picked up the phone, 
holding the book to her heart as she dialed.  She had an 
apology to make.

"Hi!  It's me; turn off the tape.  Happy New Year!  Is Byers 
home?"



Author's Notes, December 2000: This story was inspired by 
the poem quoted here.  It came from a newspaper article I 
read in The Sacramento Bee.  The Bee article is a true story.  
It was about a woman named Lulu who is 96 years old and 
mourning the death of her husband of one year, Paul.

Lulu fell in love with Paul when they were both in school.  
Paul graduated and left to teach school in eastern Idaho and 
Lulu quit school and got a certificate that allowed her to 
teach school in a small town 80 miles from Paul.  For 
Christmas in 1924 he gave her a book of poetry--"101 
Famous Poems".  The poem quoted above is the one that the 
thin red ribbon marked as his special feelings for her.

This sounds like it should lead to a life-long commitment 
and it did-kind of.  After two years of a long distance 
relationship Lulu was confused by Paul's intentions and 
eventually started dating, assuming Paul was doing the 
same.  She met and eventually married a man named 
Laurence.  They lived a long happy life with children and a 
large extended family.  But Lulu never forgot Paul, her first 
love.

A few years ago Laurence died and Lulu thought more and 
more about Paul.  

A little over two years ago Paul found Lulu.  He had been 
hurt by her marriage because he LOVED her deeply and had 
planned to marry her when he was able to offer her a better 
life, but he was extremely shy and insecure.  Years after 
hearing of Lulu's marriage, he met and married another.  
When his wife died, he began to think more and more about 
Lulu.  He decided to take action.

He found Lulu and swept her off her feet.  At their ages, 
they decided they had no time to wait and married 
immediately.

They were as much in love as during the days of their youth 
and their first year of marriage was sheer bliss.  

Unfortunately this beautiful story of love lost and reclaimed 
doesn't have a happy-ever-after ending.  Paul and Lulu were 
driving one day and a drunk driver crossed the line and hit 
them head on.  Lulu was paralyzed and Paul suffered 
multiple injuries.  They both seemed to be on the mend 
when Paul's vitals suddenly crashed and he died before Lulu 
could say goodbye.

Lulu is now 96 years old and has a lifetime of memories.  I 
like to think that the year with Paul, while not the only 
happy memories she has is the one that shines brightest in 
her mind.

When I read the story and the poem, it seemed to scream 
Mulder and Scully-thus this little story.  On the cusp of a 
new millennium I would like to make a toast: Here's to love.  
And here's to you, Lulu.  May you remember all the love of 
your life in your final days and may the memories of pain 
only make the love seem sweeter.

Hope you like it.  HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!
 
FatCat