Rated: PG

Category: Post-Ep., Missing Scene

Spoilers: Christmas Carol
 
Feedback: Great! patfiler2016@outlook.com
 
Archive: Gossamer, After_the_Fact.  All others please ask.
 
 

US NAVAL STATION
SAN DIEGO, CA
BILL SCULLY'S HOUSE
2:05 A.M.

Ever since her arrival five days ago, Dana Scully had had
little rest, little peace of mind, and a few big surprises.
There she was in the nursery that would soon be her
nephew's.  She had been there lying awake for two hours,
tossing, turning, asking God for answers, remembering things
from Christmases past when all she had to worry about was the
arrival or non-arrival of her father from the sea, and the
shortness of time until school resumed. She was remembering
the exciting Christmas mornings, the church services, and the
spirit of mischief she, Melissa, and their brothers often had
during all the excitement. Most of all, she was reliving her
feeling of emptiness during what was a happy time for Tara
and Bill, and the shocking news that little Emily Sim was her
biological daughter, bearing a striking resemblance to Melissa
at that age, yet having been proven her daughter. Who was
involved? Why did this happen? Why in the very same town she
was visiting at Christmas?
 
The restlessness was making her edgy. She needed to talk
to Mulder.  Even mentioning all the things that had been
happening to her mother was not an option at this time. Her
mother had had enough stress this year. Bill would not do
as a confidant. He'd say these were coincidences, and that
Mulder had finally converted her to The Outer Limits,
where Mulder and the rest of the weirdos belonged.
 
Mulder.  Mulder would understand. There was definitely
something going on besides the usual surrogate motherhood
theory, in-vitro fertilization or sheer coincidence. No,
she decided, the house phone was out of the question. She
quickly dressed and grabbed her cell phone, not even
daring to dial until she was outside the house. It was
around 11:00 in Alexandria anyway.  He'd be awake.

2360 HEGAL PLACE,
ALEXANDRIA, VA
11:20 PM EST
 
Mulder lay on the couch flipping channels when the phone
rang.  "Mulder."
 
"Mulder, it's me.  Did I wake you?"
 
"No.  So, how was your Christmas, Scully? Was Bill
surprised I didn't call you away on some alien hunt?"
 
"No, no. Although your name did come up. Listen, I need
to talk, and I can't... I don't want to make things any
more complicated for my family right now."
 
Mulder frowned.  "Something's wrong... "
 
"Well, I don't quite know how to say this... something's
right and at the same time terribly wrong. Christmas Eve I
got the strangest call... It sounded like Melissa, and ... "
 
Mulder's eyes narrowed.  He sat bolt upright.  "Melissa's
dead, Scully."
 
"That's just it.  She's dead, but the voice on the phone
sounded just like hers.  I had the San Diego Office trace
the call, and it came from a house where a suicide had just
occurred, her husband confessed to injecting her with a
drug, and the little girl living in their house looked
amazingly like Melissa at that age, and before you interrupt
me, Mulder... " Scully was by now crying, "I had some tests
done.  A little girl named Emily Sim is my daughter."
 
He couldn't find words for a moment. As he rubbed his eyes,
he tried to say something, but he knew her eggs had been
taken and that she hadn't been pregnant four years ago, or
even ten. "Scully, stay put.  I'm coming down there. We
need to find out what's been going on."
 
"I know.  Mulder?"
 
"Yeah?"
 
"Merry Christmas.  I'm sorry I didn't get in touch with
you earlier."
 
"That's okay. I mean, this... this is a big shock for 
you, for everyone I guess. I'll be out there as soon as I
can. Get some sleep."
 
"Thank you. It means a lot.  I know you don't have to
work... "
 
"Never mind. I was getting bored, and there's nothing
else happening. See you tomorrow." Mulder knew he didn't
have to say any more. There was an understanding trust
between them that went beyond friendship, and Scully
had gone very far for him. His voice betrayed his
worry.
 
"Good night, Mulder." Scully went back into the house
more at ease. She could count on Mulder, and she knew
this fit somehow into his search for his sister,
Samantha. She prayed she could raise this little girl
who was her miracle, and feared the pain her mother's
death had caused her.
 
"Good night." After the shock wore off, he packed some
essentials. His mind flashed back to everything he had
discovered about the abduction, the extraction of
Scully's eggs, along with those of the other women, and
the clones they had stumbled upon. Clearly, the picture
was disturbing. What were they doing across the country,
or for that matter, across the world? How was this
affecting Scully?
 
                                 ***
 
SAN DIEGO
NEXT DAY
 
Mulder wasted no time in renting a car and finding a motel
room. He threw his bags on the bed and called Scully, who was
getting ready to leave her brother's house. "Scully."
 
"I just got in.  Are you okay?"
 
"Mulder, there've been a few things happening here. I have
a very sick little girl.  Apparently, she was part of an
experimental treatment program. Transgen Pharmaceuticals in
Chula Vista was treating her for a rare blood disorder,
autoimmune hemolytic anemia. Apparently her father was being
financially compensated as part of the program. The mother,
Roberta Sim, was found dead in the bathtub. She'd been
injected with dortriptan, but someone slit her wrist to make it
appear to have been a suicide. The father confessed to the
murder. Mulder, what bothers me most is that Emily is not doing
well under this Dr. Calderon she's been seeing, and I want to
adopt her, take her home with me. It doesn't look like this is
going to happen the way it should. Emily was going to be in a
temporary children's home, but now she's deteriorating. I don't
like this."
 
"I don't like the sound of any of this. Where's she now?
I'll meet you there."
 
"She's at the San Diego Children's Home, Special Needs
Ward. Mulder, she is absolutely beautiful."
 
"She has to be. You're her mother. I'm heading out there."
 
Tears streamed down Scully's cheeks as she started for the
door. She knew there were no guarantees in this life, but
she wasn't going to let anything or anyone keep her from her
daughter. If she faltered in her efforts, she knew Mulder
would give her the strength and help to continue. After all
she had been through, she had been given a gift, and for ever
how long she could hold on to her, she would make sure they
weren't separated.
 

                           END