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Rated: PG-13 for graphic imagery, a modicum of violence,
and a child bearing perspective that youngsters are not
ready for.
Category: A, Kidfic, Adventure, Alternate Reality.
Spoilers: Essence and Existence
Summary: What if it had been Mulder driving Scully to
Democrat Hot Springs, and he ended up delivering the baby?
He might have spotted the Game Warden's metallic vertebra
earlier on, for one thing...
Feedback: patfiler2016@outlook.com
Archive: Gossamer, The Nursery Files. Others please ask
before posting.
Author's Note 1: Passages marked with "**" have been taken
from the original Existence script.
Author's Note 2: Written for The Nursery Files in answer
to a challenge for a story about Mulder delivering the
baby, Scully's long and painful labor with Mulder calling
Scully "Sweetie" or "Honey" during the event, and Mulder
talking to the unborn baby as his head lies on Scully's
abdomen.
Author's Note 3: In my mind, this story falls into the
Alternate Reality category for two reasons: It steers out
of series canon, and doesn't fall into any category on
my web page. (Well, not yet). Also, since it does veer
from series canon into AU, Mulder can be out of character
and use terms of endearment, so I am taking my anti-flame
medicine right now, saving the flames to heat my apartment.
WASHINGTON, DC
It had been decided Scully could not conceivably deliver her
baby safely in Washington, Georgetown or even her mother's
place of residence. Mulder would have to drive her to a
place where no one would find mother and child-to-be.
As Reyes and Skinner watched warily while Mulder and Scully
drove out of the parking garage, Agent Crane was also
watching. Or WAS he Agent Crane? Unbeknownst to all, this
"man" had a familiarly out of place bump on the back of his
neck.
The piece of metal that arrived at the pathologist's office
was supposedy all that had been left of Billy Miles, and
the pathologist thought the whole matter totally ridiculous.
There was a small amount of human tissue on the thing, and
there was very little with which to work on to formulate a
cause of death theory. He shrugged off any testing on the
vertebra-shaped object, deciding the matter could keep.
However, apparently it could not "keep", and began a mitosis-
like growth and division when the doctor was out of sight.
Speaking of growth, full-term Scully found it difficult to
stay comfortable for long, strapped into a car and being
driven for what seemed an eternity. Eventually sleep took
over, a habit which had become easier as the pregnancy had
progressed.
They had been driving till dawn, at least 9 hours when
Scully opened her eyes. "Oh God, I was hoping this was all a
dream. When did the sun come up?" **
"About six hours ago," Mulder said with a grin, accented by
five-o'clock-plus shadow. "Somewhere back in North Carolina."
Scully felt a bit guilty for sleeping so long, leaving
Mulder with no conversation. She also felt a bit disoriented.
"Where are we?"
"We just crossed into Georgia. How are you feeling?"
"Well, under the circumstances, I'm safe, the baby is safe.
It's a bit cramped in here, and my belly is as tight as a drum.
Don't worry, Dad. It's what happens when the baby is full
term and ready to be born."
"It is that close, isn't it? Just in case, we packed a full
complement of wardrobe before leaving. Let's just hope we
won't need it until we can find a suitable place for our son
or daughter to be born." Mulder bit his lower lip and kept
his eyes on the road as he took a deep breath.
"Are you all right, Mulder?" In her mind, he seemed nervous.
"Yeah." He tried to sound upbeat, convincing, but he knew
he couldn't hide anything from his long-time partner. "Well,
considering the circumstances, the danger we're in... and...
Well, from what I've heard of our destination, there isn't
much in the way of... birthing facilities... Well, you know!
I've never delivered a baby before."
"Well, I've never had one, so we're even."
Mulder's shoulders seemed to loosen and he smiled slightly.
Little did they know that Billy Miles, or a very good copy
of him, had had a rebirth of sorts back in DC. Now, it was
up to Skinner, Mulder and Doggett to do their damnedest to
see to it that he didn't get to Scully and her child. Not
only that, Knowle Rohrer had made an appearance at the Hoover
Building, in search of Doggett on an urgent matter.
DEMOCRAT HOT SPRINGS
NIGHTFALL
Mulder parked the car and turned off the headlights in an
abandoned, run-down, deserted former resort area. "End of
the road. Business isn't that great, but it'll have to do,
Scully."
So this was where she could end up giving birth? She could
even understand the place as a hide out, but the conditions
were too appalling to undergo any medical treatment there,
let alone bring a new life into the world. She looked around
and wasn't so sure about giving birth there, but at least
they would be safe. "So, where are we exactly?" *Please
tell me it's just a stopover,* she silently pleaded.
"Democrat Hot Springs. Doggett told me people used to come
here for the healing waters, until things dried up. He was
born here."
"Well, that's comforting." She didn't really mean that. It
was said more for Mulder's benefit. "So, where do you want
to set up?"
Mulder peered at the buildings and made a decision. "Over
here. My instincts tell me this is the spot. I just have
this feeling... "
"You're acting on a feeling, Mulder? That's spooky."
"My middle name. Besides, there's just something about
this place."
He was right. The edifice he led Scully to had the words
"Water from the rock, Exodus 7:16," painted on the front
window. It was a dusty, dark place, with a daybed in clear
view. The image of Moses extracting water from a rock would
have been reassuring anywhere else, but any onlooker would
have been hearing the song "It's Impossible."
Scully started inspecting the place, and the prospect of
having a baby here seemed more gloomy with each item she
saw. She tried a faucet, and nothing dripped out of the
spout. "I'm getting a feeling myself," she managed to say.
Her thoughts were better kept to herself; not polite, she
felt. She needed to remain calm. "Well, there's no water
from this rock. We're going to need water, a place to boil
it, and medical supplies."
"We have a few," Mulder confessed. "I need to get some fresh
air, get the kinks out." He handed Scully, who was still
inspecting the dusty room, his flashlight. "Okay."
Mulder took in the fresh air, stretched, noticed a hand pump
which yielded water, and walked around a bit before he noticed
something that set off an alarm in his head. In the night sky
he saw a bright object that could have been a bright star. It
was unnerving.
He decided to go back inside the makeshift hotel.
HOOVER BUIDING
WASHINGTON, DC
In his year working with Agent Scully in the X-Files,
Doggett had been exposed to some unbelievable sights and
stories, but the talk coming from old Marine buddy Knowle
Rohrer had to take the cake.
He could understand there were some projects the military,
in conjunction with the government, needed to keep a few
secrets from the general public and even other sectors of
government.
Rohrer's incredible story about the creation of self-
replicating super soldiers, and that fantastic explanation
for Billy Miles' great recovery from the garbage compactor
not only threw him for a loop, but scared the hell out of
him. He would be shaking his head in disbelief for a long,
long time.
It became clear to Doggett and Skinner that Scully and her
baby were in extreme danger now, and so was Mulder.
Agent Crane didn't seem like Crane, and Knowle Rohrer didn't
seem like the Knowle Rohrer Doggett knew. Nothing was right
here. Everything was wrong, and he, Skinner and Krycek
had to act fast if there was to be a stop to the pursuit of
the 'special' baby. Doggett endured the wild ramblings of
Knowle Rohrer,(who may not have been Knowle Rohrer), about
Billy Miles and others like him being new super soldiers
designed to repopulate the earth and fend off aliens who
were coming to fight other aliens over the earth. William
was supposed to have been created out of that program. The
chip on her body had supposedly allowed her to become
pregnant. Yeah, right.
When he told Reyes of this, she questioned whether Rohrer
could be trusted and to what extent all of this was true
or false. She preferred to believe that something or
someone out there had allowed Fox Mulder to be that baby's
father -- that this whole business was another cover-up
to explain the previous lies.
*So they're looking for the baby as either some sort of
messiah or enemy,* Doggett mumbled to himself. *I'd rather
believe Jack and the Beanstalk.*
As if that conversation hadn't been the news of the day,
there was one more thing which would get Doggett's
adrenaline running full speed: Billy Miles was in the
building, locked, loaded and ready for bear.
And of course, Krycek. The man of a thousand lies. He was
telling the same story. What the hell was he really up to?
Which side was he on this week? The name Krycek had become
synonymous with with the phrase 'two sides of the same coin'
among the denizens of the Hoover Building. Duplicity seemed
an appropriate middle name for the man.
Just the sight of the guy left a bad taste in Skinner's
mouth, and Doggett didn't have to hear a word from the man
to know that.
It was time to clean house.
DEMOCRAT HOT SPRINGS
NEXT DAY
Scully waited patiently outside while Mulder readied the
building for the impending birth of their child. Of all the
places to have a baby, this had to be the most remote,
primitive location. Could this baby wait until they were all
out of danger? Probably not. Any day now MEANT any day now.
There was no place left for this child except the birth
canal, and its head was down near the cervix.
She was leaning against the car when Mulder came out of
the healing center. He was smiling. That was a good omen.
Mulder took her hand, knelt on the ground, and pressed his
head to her abdomen. "Now, I've made a nice delivery room
for you and your mother, so whenever you decide to arrive,
don't give your Mom too hard a time. Are we agreed? I
think our little uber-Scully said 'Yes'." Scully's smile
was worth a million words. Mulder stood. "Come see the
place."
Scully was very pleased with what Mulder had done. The
sunlight streamed through the window, showing a high gloss
on the floor. The old iron bed had clean sheets, with spare
ones piled on top, and there were candles placed around the
birthing bed. She gasped in surprise.
Mulder was quite proud of himself. Not that he had previously
been the most dedicated housekeeper before now. "I found them
folded up in a cabinet upstairs. And a nice procelain basin
and a box of candles."
"Do we have matches?" Scully asked.
"I have a lighter Reyes gave me, Honey."
Scully sat carefully on the bed. " 'Honey' ? You're either
coming down with something or you are not Mulder. Can I see
your I.D.?"
"Yes, I said 'Honey', Scully. This baby is a special gift
between us... Stay here. I saw something outside the
window."
Mulder pulled his gun and ventured carefully outside. Warily,
he walked up and down the street, and then a green SUV tore
around a corner. He maintained his stance and it stopped
a few feet from him. Scully peered out to see Mulder in front
of the SUV.
"Federal Agent!" he shouted. "Identify yourself!"
A woman in her forties slowly got out of the vehicle. "I
don't care who you are. Let's start by putting that weapon
away. Just point it down now." **
Mulder repeated himself. "I'm a Federal Agent!" **
"I heard you the first time. Just let me see some
identification." ** Her voice was a calm monotone, and the
woman sounded professional, but Mulder didn't want to take
any chances.
Mulder led the Game Warden into the building. "Scully?"
Scully raised her badge. "I realize this looks a bit untoward
but my life is in danger. And so is my baby's. We're being
pursued by an dangerous man, and it's important he not find
us here." **
"We get hunters in here taking deer and game off-season. I've
heard every excuse in the book, but this one's far too
original. You don't, uh, plan to have it here?" **
"It's not as crazy as it sounds," Mulder replied. "I mean, I
hope it's not. She's a doctor; she can coach me." **
The Game Warden explained she had a basic first aid kit in
her trunk, and that she'd return with towels and proper
swaddling. As she left, however, Mulder noticed a suspicious
looking bump on her neck and pressed his gun to her back.
"Don't bother. Do as I say, and you won't get hurt." His
voice was calm and even.
The woman veered around to hit him, but Mulder shot her,
and she immediately fell to the floor. He felt for a pulse.
"Dead."
"Mulder!? Did you have to do that?" **
"Look there... "
"My God, no... Another one?"
"I'm taking her out of the game. You stay in here and don't
worry. I have a feeling that barn out there is a good place
to put her until we can get through this."
Thankfully, Scully was unaware of what was happening at that
moment in Washington. It was almost 3:00 AM.
FBI PARKING GARAGE
Doggett and Reyes were parked in the FBI garage and engrossed
in an argument as to just how trustworthy this Knowle Rohrer
was.
"How the hell do you know what he says is the truth, and
what is a bunch of lies?" Reyes asked angrily. "I bet you're
not getting the whole story! First he comes looking for you
in desperation, but when you want to talk to him, he's
nowhere to be found. I find that an unreliable source, even
if he is an ex-Marine."
"I don't know. Maybe he's chickened out. Maybe he's heard
something. I don't know if it makes the least bit of
difference."
"John, you said he knows how to stop these... super soldiers.
Are you saying now you think he's a liar?"
"He is or he isn't. What the hell difference does it make?"
"A big one," Reyes cautioned, "If you want to save Scully and
her baby... " **
"Krycek. Let's get going!" Doggett shouted. Reyes slammed
her door shut.
Krycek's car pulled into the garage and he headed for the
next level. There was a passenger in the car.
Doggett floored the accelerator in pursuit. The passenger
was Knowle Rohrer. Things could only get worse from then
on.
Was Rohrer really Knowle Rohrer? Crane really Agent Crane?
For that matter, was Krycek really Krycek? The things that
were to transpire in that bulding were nothing in comparison
to the miracle that was about to happen in Democrat Springs.
One thing was certain about this Alex Krycek: He was the
real deal. After everything would come to light, at the end
of all things that happened in the Hoover building in that
time, one Alex Krycek would end up dead on the pavement,
his artificial arm the indicator that he was the real McCoy.
No replicant bore that prosthesis.
DEMOCRAT SPRINGS
NIGHTTIME
Candles burned as Scully sat next to them and patted her
face with a cloth. Mulder brought her more water in a bucket,
and she thanked him for that.
He smiled at her, noticing the radiance the expectant mother
wore.
"What's that all about?" she asked.
"You just look so... beautiful, Scully. There's something
about you that I've never seen in such a powerful way until
now. The glow, the serenity... It's very beautiful."
"So what are your insticts, Mulder?"
He looked around the room for a moment. "I don't know... "
He donned his jacket and said, "Maybe it's just my normal
state of mind, but right now I feel even more paranoid.
I'm going to get some more water."
Mulder carried the bucket outside, and noticed that light
in the sky again. He was taken aback for a moment, then
headed for the old-fashioned pump. It hadn't been paranoia
after all. As he began to pump water, Billy Miles grabbed
him from behind and threw him against the barn. Mulder
drew his gun, shooting Miles in the chest, then began
dragging him to the barn where he had previously put the
Game Warden.
Scully had heard the shot and went out to see what had
happened. She knew the face was that of Billy Miles.
"It's okay, Honey. He's dead. Go inside."
"Honey?"
"Honey."
*Okay," Scully thought. *He can be all warm and fuzzy. It
isn't everyday Mulder delivers his own child.* What upset
her was the thought that Miles could have come all this way,
and been killed by Mulder. She wasn't so sure the man was
dead. In fact, she wasn't so sure he was alive, either,
after all she'd heard in the past couple of years. "I
thought he couldn't be stopped!"
"It's okay. Just go inside. Go on."
"It's not okay... " **
"What do you mean it's not okay? He... "
"I mean I just felt a contraction." **
That statement made it all the more important that this
body of Billy Miles' be locked up with that of the Game
Warden's.
Mulder rushed back into the building as quickly as possible.
"You're sure?"
"Yes," she smiled, with trepidation. "This is it."
"Then, uhh..." Clearly the man was nervous. "You should lie
down."
"I have a shirt I want to wear for this... "
"That's okay."
"It's yours, Mulder."
"Sure. Anything. I'll get it for you."
"Thank you. Ohh... Ooohh... And this is just early in the
game for one of this magnitude. That was a strong one. Looks
like somebody is gonna be a real fighter! You know, the
average birth of a first child can take fourteen hours or
longer... There's no getting out of this now... "
"This is no average child, Scully. This is our child. Okay.
Shirt present and accounted for. Let's... Let's get this
show on the road. Did you say fourteen hours or longer?"
As Scully proceeded to pull on the shirt and discard her
other clothing, there was another contraction. "Ooo... I
need to do some breathing here. Look, Mulder. You need
to boil some water, because we'll need to... sterilize...
And who knows what happened to me when I was abducted? Maybe
this child will be a fast runner, too... "
Mulder nodded. "The basics. Scissors, string and towels."
"You DID read the booklets... Aaaah! Mulder, looks like
there's no hope of an epidural here... Please get the
water!"
He ran to the door. "Right away! Don't worry!" The bucket.
Where was the bucket? Beside the pump. Of course. And he
would have to get a fire going to boil water. Boil water
for what? The birth. Water to sterilize things for the
birth. Was he ready for this? He decided he'd better damn
well be ready, because he was also damn sure Scully wasn't
going to be stone-faced and stiff upper lipped. He knew
they would both have to find strength in each other.
Scully continued to blow off the pain of the contractions
for several hours. What was happening there was the only
concern for them. No one, and no thing would stop it from
happening. It was good they didn't know what Doggett, Reyes
and Skinner were going through in Washington those very
same hours.
Six hours passed with Scully groaning, alternating with
slow, deliberate deep breaths, and the grand game of word
association that had seen them through miles of driving
during investigations now playing a role in Scully's
labor. Every so often, Mulder massaged her back and urged
her to relax between contractions.
Mulder looked at his watch. "Eight minutes apart, and from
what you instructed me to do... really, Scully! You're
going to have to wait a while. You have six centimeters to
go before I can officially... "
"... Authorize me to push. I know. Mulder, I think you need
to... keep me focused. Did you ever imagine in your wildest
dreams you'd be out in the middle of nowhere delivering this
baby?"
"No. God, no. I thought we'd be in a regular maternity
ward, playing word association between nurses and doctors
checking in on you, and before that, I hadn't dreamed this
would even be possible. Word association seems to be the
best thing right now."
"Then let's do that. Let's play... Ooooh... Ahhh!! Why the
hell can't men ever go through this? Are they too weak!? And
don't look so damned smug!" Scully took a deep breath and let
it out slowly. "Say anything to anyone about what I just
yelled and I'll make sure you can't possibly father another
child in this lifetime!"
"Gelding."
"Exactly."
"That's your word association? Surely you can do better than
that, Scully Honey?" He was in doubt as to whether that was
sufficient charm or excessive paternal overbearance, and
realized that it was actually a true representation of his
affection for the mother of his child. On the other hand, if
she had taken it as teasing, his manhood could be in
jeopardy.
*He called me 'Honey'.* That warmed Scully's heart. The
rapid change in emotions was to be expected, but she hadn't
imagined herself going through them in this way. "Gelding.
Castrated horse. Keep going, Mulder. And don't take anything
I may say personally." Tears welled up in her eyes, then
streamed down her face. "I'm sorry, Mulder. I didn't want
to put you through all this... "
Mulder blew out for both of them and accepted the onerous
task of being calm for both of them. "That was a seven
minute contraction. Okay. Car wash."
"Jim Croce."
"Jim Croce?" Mulder laughed.
"Yeah. One of his songs. 'Workin' At The Car Wash Blues'?
Can you get me a sip of water?" A small smile crossed her
face, as sweat trickled down her neck. "I'm afraid if I
laugh I'll feel it full force, but please, take over for
me in the joke department."
"Sure." As Mulder handed her a glass, he decided to
sterilize the materials he needed for the delivery. "Five
minute boil, right Scully?"
"Yes. Thank you for doing this for me. I hope I have longer
than five minutes, because the water hasn't broken yet. I
may need you to break it to speed things along."
"Oh... " Mulder felt absolutely frantic inside, and took a deep
breath, hoping Scully wouldn't notice his fear. Once again,
he put his head on her abdomen, and this time she held it
there. "Now listen, little one. You take your time or hurry
it up, but don't be so hard on your mother and father. I'm
right here to meet you, and you're going to arrive when
you're supposed to arrive, in the order that the labor
books your mother and I read described. Got that? And I
can't wait to see you!"
Scully laughed. "Mulder, I don't think he or she read those
through my belly, and I'm fairly sure he or she didn't hear
me say any of the details aloud."
"Well, laugh! Go ahead, laugh. I know this kid is smart!"
Mulder stood and supervised the pot of hot water. "A couple
more minutes, but I'd leave them until we need them."
"Wise decision. Okay... suspenders... "
"The Office of Professional Conduct, because they threatened
to suspend us. I'll give you one... "
"Oh my God! Ooohhh... I think you'd better check, Mulder!
And I mean NOW! I think that contraction was big enough to
blow down the Empire State Building... "
"Okay. Breathe and blow it off. Do not push... Let me
wash my hands here... "
"Well HURRY!" The pains were becoming more frequent and
with a greater urgency. "Aaaaagh! PLEASE HURRY!!!
"
"Coming. Don't worry." As Mulder ran back to Scully's side,
her water broke. "How are you doing?"
"I'm so sorry. I really am... " Scully began to cry. "My
water broke, you're here to help me with your baby, and I'm
yelling... "
"Hey. You yell. Congratulations! Welcome to the human race.
Hey! You're fully dilated. I know you'll want to push, but
we have to... "
"I READ THE BOOK AND I'M THE DOCTOR HERE ANYWAY!" Scully
screamed, then alternately apologized. "Sorry. I really am
sorry. I know... oh my God... we have to make sure the cord
isn't wrapped around it's neck, that the baby isn't breech,
shoulder first, or stuck. And I don't know it all, Mulder.
I'm just as much in the dark as you are, even if I did
deliver the baby in Florida. This isn't something I've done
before."
"We're both scared, Scully, and that's perfectly normal.
You can do this. I can do this. You're about five minutes
between contractions." He mopped her forehead with a cool
cloth.
"Aaahhh!"
"Make that three minutes... Let me just check here... I
feel what seems to be a head, but not crowning just yet.
Don't worry. I'm right here, Honey. And when you get that
next urge to push, do it just until I can see the head. I
have to make sure the cord isn't wrapped around the neck."
"Okay. I need to get a few deep breaths here. My mouth's
dry... "
Mulder held the water glass up to her lips. "Just sip,
okay? I need to get my instruments."
"OkayyyyyyyyyEEEEE! AHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhh... I need to push!"
He put the glass aside and knelt between Scully's knees.
"Okay... Blow it off. All right! Push! Almost there.
Breathe. Push again... "
As he uttered those words, several people, including the
Game Warden and Billy Miles, appeared in the doorway. "THIS
IS MY BABY! It's MY baby! DON'T... DON'T TAKE IT AWAY FROM
ME! DON'T... "
"Ignore them. Think of the baby and picture it coming down.
I'm here." Mulder surprised even himself with the calm that
overtook him. It was as if all that crisis training at the
Academy had prepared him to deal with anything that came his
way.
All stood there in silence, awaiting the birth of the child.
"Push, Honey. Push!"
"Ahhhhh! Ooohhhhh.... ARGGHHH... I don't care WHAT or WHO
you are, or WHAT or WHO you see MY BABY as! I AM KEEPING
THIS BABY!" Scully clenched her teeth hard as the urge to
push grew stronger. She was now experiencing the 'rim of
fire' she had heard of: That burning pain at the end of the
birth canal which meant only one thing -- the baby's head
was coming out, and there was nothing for her to do but
push with all her might.
Mulder grabbed the scissors and string. "Breathe, and push...
That's good... Looks like the cord's not wrapped... push...
PUSH!" He readied a couple of sheets at the end of the bed.
At that moment, helicopters were landing, with Doggett and
Reyes emerging and running into the area. Police cars and
FBI agents also gathered near the healing center, as a
small cry went out for all to hear.
Mulder beamed as he carefully wrapped the baby and handed it
to Scully. "It's a boy. We have a son!" Tears of joy ran
down his cheeks. "He's perfect."
Scully smiled and gazed at the baby in adoration. "Hello,
you! And thank you," she told Mulder. "Thank you for
everything."
Outside, Doggett could be heard yelling that there was a
woman needing medical attention, and all the on-lookers,
Billy Miles and the Game Warden moved away from the area.
Perhaps this child wasn't such a messiah or threat to them
after all.
SCULLY'S APARTMENT
TWO DAYS LATER
Doggett and Reyes, armed with presents, knocked on Scully's
door, then let themselves in when they realized it was
unlocked.
Inside were The Lone Gunmen, marvelling at the newborn.
Mulder was at Scully's side, and he was wearing a coat.
"How is everybody?"
"It's a miracle," Frohike declared. "That's our cue to leave.
Get some rest!" He, Langly and Byers passed the agents on
the way out. Frohike stopped and asked, "How did you know
where to find them?" **
"We saw a light," Doggett answered. "We followed it." **
"That's our headline," Langly said with a smile. **
"I'm wondering," Frohike said. "Why did they go all the way
out there, then just leave?" **
"Maybe he wasn't what they were looking for," Mulder
replied. **
After the Gunmen had left, Mulder turned to Doggett and
Reyes. "I need another minute with Scully, if you don't
mind... "
"Sure," Reyes said with a gleam in her eye. "We'll just
leave these for you, and we have to get back to the office.
John?"
"We have a bone to pick with Kersh," Doggett added.
Mulder said his tender goodbye to Scully knowing one thing
for certain: This was one event no one could ever take away
from them. He would see to that. Even if it meant leaving
mother and child for a while, there was still a major truth
yet to be found. It was bigger than the disappearance of
his sister, and somehow this child was part of a bigger
plan.
END
DEDICATION: To the person who requested this type of story. It
was a pleasure to write, and I am sorry it took so long.
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