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Title: Parting Is All We Know of Heaven Summary: It is Christmas 2008. Mulder stands in front of the door to Scully's house, reminding himself again that he must not call her that, her name is Dana. Dana Scully O'Neill. It is Christmas 2008. Mulder stands in front of the door to Scully's house, reminding himself again that he must not call her that, her name is Dana. Dana Scully O'Neill. Before he has a chance to even knock, she is at the door. "Uncle Fox!" She is nearly as tall as her mother, with the same eyes, but hair that has turned a dark auburn as she has grown. She throws her arms around him and pulls him into the entry, before he has a chance to protest. "Eeeew. You smell like smoke, Uncle Fox." He doesn't know what to say to that. "Hey, Fox, come on in," Scott O'Neill calls out from the kitchen. "Dana's not home yet. She called to say she's running late." "I can't stay anyway. I'm going to Diana's parents' house. She's waiting there already." "Why can't you stay? Call her and tell her you want to eat with us instead." She smiles, with a mouth full of hardware. "Come on, you know you want to." "Emily. That's enough." Her father comes in from the kitchen, smiling indulgently. "Dana will be sorry she missed you." Mulder smiles in return. Sometimes he stays until she gets home. Mostly he goes on his way. He wishes he could stay and never leave. He thinks he is a selfish bastard who managed just once to do the right thing, and in doing it lost what was most precious to him. Every year he comes here, at Christmastime, to remind himself of why he did it. Of who he did it for. "Tell your mom I stopped by, okay? Wish her a Merry Christmas." He plants a kiss on the girl's forehead, shakes the hand of the lucky man, who loves his wife, and her daughter, who gets to wake up with his wife every day, and kiss her every night. It was the right thing, he reassures himself. He did it. He gave Scully the means to cure her daughter, and to keep her safe. He had made Scully happy. As happy as she was truly meant to be. The End End Notes Written for the AU challenge at xf_drabble at Live Journal Please drop by the archive and comment to let the author know if you enjoyed their work!
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