Title: Postcard From Fanficland III: Scotty's Father

Rated: G

Category: Angst, Alternate Reality

Spoiler(s): None

Summary: Mulder and Scully practice a little grief
counselling in Fanficland, outside of The X-Files.

Feedback: patfiler2016@outlook.com

Archive: Gossamer. Anyone else please ask first,
and I will likely agree.

Author's Note: A tribute to James Montgomery Doohan,
March 3, 1920 - July 20, 2005, Canadian WWII Veteran,
father and loved by many, many people.


In Fanficland, characters from so many books, films, TV
shows, even cartoons exist not only together, but together
with younger and older versions of themselves. I know
I may have neglected to mention that previously, and Mulder
and Scully are often written from different perspectives,
and different ages. They can be happy, sad, feverish,
boisterous, angry and loving all in the same Fanficland,
and have their own little points in existence.

Remember that scene in the X-Files? Mulder remembering
himself young, running around dressed like Mr. Spock, with
a phaser in his hand? Mulder remembers. When he's not
looking in on us with Scully as we write about them, he
tries to spend time ESPECIALLY over at the Star Trek
Section of Existence. Don't ask me why, because I'm not
Mulder! He just... he does.

Today, I felt the pull toward Mulder and Scully again, and
there they were looking at a very sad, old Star Trek
character. He was wearing an engineer's vest, white pullover,
and black pants, but he wasn't carrying himself with the
usual self-assurance he had held for decades. That was very
un-like the proud Scot, Chief Engineer and Miracle Worker
for the Enterprise.

Scully felt for the poor man right away. "Mulder? What's
wrong here?"

"I don't know, Scully. He looks like he just lost his best
friend."

"You mean Uhura?" She figured it had to be due to a fanfic
story plot.

Mulder took Scully gently by the arm and steered her over to
the gentleman. "Excuse me, Scotty. Are you all right? I mean,
you appear as if you've lost someone special to you."

Scotty folded his hands behind his back, his head still low. "I
guess ye could say that," he whispered. "Ah, never mind me. Go
off with the lassie and solve a haunting. I'll be all right."

Scully wasn't going to leave him in that state. "No, no. If
something's wrong, we're all friends here. You can share with
us. Here. You can even sit in Mulder's chair. I'll just put
this magazine that isn't his away." She shoved the desk drawer
closed, and pulled the chair back.

"Thank you both. You're so kind. What's a nice red-haired
lassie doin' watchin' over a retiree like me?"

Mulder stood in front of the desk. "She likes more mature,
authoritative men. Captain Scott, you look like you've just been
through the ringer. Would you like to talk about it?"

Scotty twirled a pencil around on the desk. "My father. He died,
rest his soul."

"We never saw your father on the show. I'm so sorry... " Mulder's
words were curtly dismissed.

"No, not my father in the show, ya blinkin' idiot! The man who gave
me the commanding voice, the Scottish accent and the loving smile!
Dammit! Do ye not know Jimmy Doohan!?" Scotty's eyes were ablaze
with anger and swollen from mourning. "Bloody hell, someone get the
man a script!" He realized his words had been way too harsh even for
hot-blooded Scotty. "Ya must forgive me. I've... never been without the
man... James Doohan made me into flesh and blood! Eighty-five years
old. Alzheimer's is not fair to even a stocky man like him, and the
damned pneumonia... Ya still haven't a cure for that when ya want it...
in yer own home."

Scully knew Scotty wasn't himself. How could he be, when his birth
father had died? "We all have actors as our parents, here in
Fanficland. And you were here before we were even a gleam in our
creator's eye, Scotty. I know you've been here since 1966. It says so on
your registration record. Every form of you, in every fanfic. No one can
take your screen presence or your essence here away."

"I know I'm still a fan," Mulder whispered. "I think you're the best
engineer in all science fiction. Believe me, no matter what happens to
David and Gillian, where they are, or what they're filming, we are always
around. In fact, I can take you to look in on our Philedom some time. When
you're up to it."

"We'll miss James Montgomery Doohan very much, Scotty. He gave us you, and
you can't change that. We have a law in Fanficland, and I think you know
it. It's in the clause under the heading 'The Big No-No.' Remember?"

"Aye, Lassie. It states that no character is ever really dead in Fanficland,
and to say otherwise is The Big No-No. Ach, ye hear that? There's a red
alert! I'd better get to my station. Thanks. Thanks to both of you. I know
Jimmy's finally at peace, wherever he is." Scotty's eyes twinkled, he shook
hands with Mulder and Scully, and was off to his station like a shot.

"Hey! No running and yelling, Scotty! William's asleep!" Scully turned to
Mulder and smiled. "Well, I don't mind telling you I'd rather not play grief
counselor again, Mulder. That man made a lot of people smile in his time."

"Yeah, he did, Scully. Isn't July 20 also the anniversary of the Apollo 11
lunar landing? Remember the medallion?"

"Of course I do. I still have it some place in time." She reached into
nowhere and dangled the shining trinket in front of Mulder.

"Nothing's ever lost here, is it?" Mulder smiled and sat on the desk.

"Of course not. It's Fanficland. Now, put the pendant around my neck
and we can celebrate the fact that a much-loved Fanficland character lives
on."

END







Disclaimer: Chris Carter, Ten Thirteen Productions and Fox Studios own
the characters, The X-Files, and I gather no money and intend no copyright
infringement. Paramount Studios owns the wonderful character we're going to meet
here, as well as another, and the whole Star Trek Franchise.