Title: 2032 Author: Erin M. Blair E-Mail: eblair@sonic.net Classification: SRA--Story, Romance, Angst Content: Mulder/Scully Romance. Scully/Other Romance. Alternate Universe Time Span/Spoilers: Tithonus. Reqiuem. This Is Not Happening. Rating: PG. Distribution/Archive Statement: OK to Gossamer, Ephemeral, MSR Fanfic Cheerleaders, etc. Other archivists - please ask me first. Disclaimer: The characters of Fox Mulder and Dana Scully belong to Chris Carter. Summary: After Mulder's death in 2001, Scully suffered the effects from not being able to age properly after touching the pieces of the ship. She suffers years of heartache when she (who's immortal?) finds love. Who is he? Is he...Mulder? ------------------------------------ 2032 Written by: Erin M. Blair ------------------------------------ X-Files Basement FBI Headquarters March 6, 2032 Dana Scully was waiting for her new partner to show up. After Fox Mulder's death in 2001 and John Doggett's death that same year, Skinner (and several other Assistant Directors since Skinner's passing) had been trying to find her a new partner. But it was Mulder who stole and took her heart. It was Mulder's death which broke her heart. She knew Agent Doggett had tried to fill the void, but it could never be. Mulder, was, in effect, irreplaceble. Scully frowned as she remembered it was the anniversary of her partnership with Mulder and his death. *I miss him so much.* She looked at the picture and put it back. Scully heard a knock on the door and wondered what this person will be like. *I have to tell AD Tracy to stop sending me new partners. After Mulder, forget it.* She never got along with all her partners because they could be spying her because she hasn't aged after Mulder's death. The first partner after John Doggett's death, Linda Cassidy, seemed to be suspicious of her for no reason. She told Skinner to go find someone else. Her second partner fared no better. It seemed to dawn on Scully after the third partner that she was being spied on. She thought it was ironic considering that she was originally assigned to spy on Mulder. After awhile, she became so paranoid that she accepted every partner they gave her. When her son, William, joined the FBI - she made sure that they were never assigned to each other. She wanted her son to rise in the FBI, not to be in the X-Files unit, where his career would surely go downhill. David Miller peered into the office. "Agent Scully?" Scully looked up from looking at Mulder's photograph to watch her new partner walk in. She noticed that he looked similiar to Mulder with his brown hair, hazel eyes and a tall, slim build. She knew that there something about him that made the doubts and the fear escaping from her, that this partner is different from her previous partners, Linda Cassidy and Michael Connell. When she gazed into those hazel eyes of David's, she knew she could trust him. "Hi. You must be Agent Miller." David nodded. "Agent David Miller. I have always been interested in the paranormal." "Really? How so?" *So AD Tracy sent me a Mulder lookalike? A clone, perhaps?* She paused. "Are you here to spy on me?" David's face turned sad with his lips formed in a frown. "My sister was abducted and I've found out that she died from her injuries." He paused. "I'm not here to spy on you. In fact, I requested a transfer from AD Tracy and it was accepted." "My name's Dana Scully," replied Scully. "I'm sorry about your sister. It's just that I've had many partners before you who spied on me because I..I haven't aged for a long time." "Thank you, Dana. I understand completely about your concerns, but I'm not like your other partners." "Do you believe in extraterrestrials?" "I would have to say yes," said David. "Do you?" Scully wasn't sure what to say. She was always the skeptic to Mulder's beliefs. They were like yin and yang, the sun and the moon, because they completed each other. Here was a man who claimed to believe the same thing as Mulder did. Scully thought the man looked exactly like Mulder when she first met him in 1992. "I have seen things that made me question my own beliefs." David nodded. "I know what you mean." David noticed the skepticism across her face. "Dana, you can trust me." "I hope so," muttered Scully. "I'm sorry. I had so many partners after Mulder died." "Cause they're not Mulder," finished David. "Were you in love with him?" Scully nodded. "Yes, I was." * * * Scully wasn't sure what to call David - David or Miller. She always called Fox Mulder - Mulder but she wasn't sure what to call her new partner. "Agent Miller, um...call me Scully." She wasn't sure if her new partner would want to call her Scully like Mulder did. "Why?" "I have always been known to people, especially to Mulder, as Scully. I was never Dana but Scully." "That must have been tough," David commented. "I want to call you Dana if you don't mind. I love the name Dana." He paused. "And I want you to call me David." Scully knew David wasn't going to be exactly like Mulder, especially with the names. "Fine. You can call me Dana." "I notice you still have Fox Mulder's nameplate on the desk and on the door. I was confused if this was right office," David said sheepishly. "I never took them down," said Scully. "It didn't feel right." "Can I ask...how did Fox Mulder die?" Scully closed her eyes; She didn't want to relive that day. "I don't want to talk about it. Maybe later." She paused and went to the computer. "I want to tell you about our case." "Sure, that's what I'm here for." Scully showed him a slideshow about the latest trend of abductions in Oregon. She was reluctant to do this case because it reminded her of Mulder's abduction. Then losing him when she needed him most because she was having his baby. She named him William Fox Mulder after Mulder and Mulder's father, William. Her new partner, David Miller, was born in the same year as her son, William. "There are three people recently abducted by unknown means," said Scully. "I thought you don't believe in that type of stuff," said David. "Let's just say this case brings back old memories..." "I understand," said David. * * * William walked into his mother's room and noticed Scully was packing her suitcase to go somewhere. "Mom, is this another case you're going on?" "William, I know we talked about this many times. I'm still an FBI agent and it's my job. AD Tracy assigned me another partner yesterday," said Scully. She couldn't get over how William inherited the best features from both her and Mulder. William had the same hazel eyes and brown hair from Mulder,but he inherited Scully's nose, mouth, cheekbones, and complexion. However, William had inherited his father's height and his profiling ability, but he was his mother's son -- he had always been a skeptic. "Really? Who is he?" "David Miller." William grinned. "Oh my...not David Miller. He's so weird, Mom. There's a rumor going around that David's sister was alien abducted." "He told me, William. Anyway, your father was alien abducted...and so was his sister, your Aunt Samantha." "Mom, you had never told me about that." "Because you would have been so upset, William, of trying to change something that happened years ago." She paused. "William, have you met him?" William shrugged. "He was a classmate of mine in the FBI Academy. He's the same age as me..." "So? I already told you I can't age and none of the doctors I've visted could ever figure it out," said Scully with a sigh. "I know, honey. You're worried, aren't you?" William nodded. His hazel eyes looked concerned for his mother. "Don't be, William. I will be OK." "I hope so, Mom." William pulled his mother into a tender embrace. He sighed. "I wish I can go with you..." "You know I don't want you to." "Why?" "Because I worry about you," said Scully. The doorbell rang and William went to answer it. It was David Miller. "Hi David." "William, what are you doing here?" "I live here." "Are you Dana's boyfriend?" William laughed. "No! She's my Mom." David's jaw dropped. "Your mother?" "I know it's hard to believe, but it's true. My Mom's been the same age ever since my father, Fox Mulder, died. I have no idea why. She went to several doctors and no one can explain why she can't age." Scully walked into the living room where David and William were talking. Her suitcase was packed with the clothes she needed for Oregon. She even included some outfits that she still had when Mulder was still alive. She didn't know why she packed them, but this case gave her the creeps. The problem was --- she didn't know why. "Mom, I - uh, we were talking. I found out that David lives in the same apartment as my Dad used to when he was alive." "For some weird reason, I thought Apartment 42 has a certain familiar sense of comfort," said David. * * * "Did Mulder ever find out about William?" David and Scully were now in the car headed to Bellefluer, Oregon. "No, he...passed away before he was born." "I'm sorry," said David. "He never knew his Dad?" "No. I did tell him about Mulder." She paused. "It was tough being a single mother, but I did it." "If he had known about William, do you think he would still be alive?" asked David. "I don't know. He didn't even know I was pregnant before he was taken away...uh...abducted." "He was abducted?" "Like your sister." They arrived at the hotel in Bellefluer and asked for two adjoining rooms. The receptionist remembered Scully from the previous two cases in Oregon. As the receptionist handed the keys to David and Scully, she remarked to David. "You really do look like Agent Mulder." David didn't say anything to her about the resemblance until he was away in ear shot from the receptionist. When they arrived at the respective rooms, David turned to face Scully. "Do you think I look like him?" "Who?" "Mulder." "There is a resemblance, David, but you're not him." *** Scully had a sense of deja vu all night long as she tossed and turned in her bed. She didn't know why this case bugged her but then she appeared in front of David's door. David opened the door to face Scully. "Hi, Dana. What's wrong?" "I had a nightmare." David led Scully into his room. "Come in." He paused. "I did too." They sat down on the bed together. "Do you want to talk about it?" "I understand why this whole town gives me the creeps." "You too? I thought it was me." Scully felt, for the first time, that she could trust David. Sure, he might have looked like Mulder, but she knew that he was a unique person. It has been a long time since she could trust anybody, but she felt happy whenever she was with him. However, there was this sense of care in David's hazel eyes that reminded her so much of Mulder. She couldn't understand why there was so much familiarity about him. "This is the place where Mulder was last seen. You see, I dreamt of him last night. The last time I saw him was when he boarded a plane for Oregon with AD Skinner. He didn't want to go without me - he told me not to go because I was sick. He was afraid he'd lose me. Unbeknowst to Mulder, I was pregnant with William. He never knew that I was pregnant with his child." She paused. "When he came back from his abduction, he was already dead. Skinner and my then-partner, John Doggett, excavated him when they learned that Billy Miles, a fellow abductee, had turned out to be alive. Mulder didn't make it..." "And you gave birth without Mulder by your side," finished David. "The alien replacements tried to take William away from you but they found out that he's a normal but a very gifted child." "How did you know that, David?" asked Scully. "William told me," said David. "At least - you have William." "He helped me so much dealing with Mulder's death," said Scully. "What was your nightmare?" "Losing you all over again," said David. "I know that we just met but I felt like we had always known each other. I feel that I can trust you and you can trust me." "I understand completely, David. I feel like we had known each other too, but we just met a couple of days ago! How could that be?" "I don't know," said David simply. "I think I should go under regression. Everything is familiar here in a weird, but spooky way." "You want to find out about your past life?" "Yes, I do. I want to know why I feel this way towards you." "For the first time since Mulder died, I feel...as though I can love again, David." David wiped the tears away from Scully's face with his thumb. "I'm glad, Dana." *** David went to see Dr. Michelle Lang, a psychologist, to help him go under past life regression therapy. "Are you sure about this, Agent Miller? You know the risks, right?" David nodded. "I have a degree in psychology. I know what I'm doing." "I want you to go into your safe place to view everything. Nothing will harm you in this safe place. I want you to try to relax and view everything that you'll see as a third party. Where are you?" "I'm at my apartment, packing my clothes to go on a trip. I see Scully, standing, at my side. I am leaving to go on a trip but I'm worried about her. She's been sick this week, having dizzy spells. I am afraid they'll take her again...that I would never see her again." "I want you to remember your life before you became David Miller. What's your name?" "My name is Fox Mulder. I'm a FBI Agent and I work on the X-Files with Dana Scully. We have been in love with each other since we became partners. We haven't really revealed what we meant to each other until four months ago. I'm in Oregon with AD Skinner. I step into this field and my hand spins. All I know is that I'm standing amongst the abductees. It hits me that they weren't after Scully but me. The last memory that I have was when they were drilling into my body and I was screaming for her - for Scully. I wanted to be with Scully so much but my body couldn't take the pain any longer. I could see myself floating away and then becoming David Miller." "Now I am going to count to three after that you will return to yourself. One. Two. Three." David opened his hazel eyes and looked at the psychologist. He was given a tape of the session. "I hope this answers your questions." "I hope so too." David went to his hotel room and he listened to the tape. "Oh my God." The door to his past life's memories swung open and he remembered everything that he went through as Fox Mulder. He also knows that Fox Mulder's son is William. He heard a knock on the door. It was Scully. "David, there has been an abductee returned in the woods. Detective Hoese is already there." She paused. "Are you OK?" David nodded. "I'm fine, Dana." He gazed into those blue eyes of Scully's and noticed the concern for him. "I went to see the psychologist this morning." "I tried to call you on the cell, but you seem to be away." "I guess I forgot to charge it this morning, Dana." David picked up his trench coat, his car keys, and his wallet with his FBI badge. He walked out of the door with Scully. They were in the car when Scully broke the silence. "Are you going to tell me about the regression?" "Let's just say that I remember my memories of my past life," said David. "I understand why everything's so familiar. Did you ever had your past lives regressed?" "No, I never did." "Why not?" "I didn't have to. When Mulder and I were on a case, we met a girl who was supposedly Mulder's soulmate. It seemed like every life Mulder and I were either friends or relatives, but never romantically involved. I remembered thinking how I was looking forward to another future life where I can be romantically involved with him," said Scully with a sigh. "But Dana, you were involved with him." "I know. In this life, the girl was just a person on a case. I was his partner, his touchstone." "His soulmate," David finished. "If he hadn't died, Mulder would still be with you." *And I wouldn't exist,* he thought. *** William arrived in Oregon because he was curious about his mother's new partner and he never liked any of her partners. William always wished that his mother would leave the X-Files and the Bureau but she always said, "that I wanted to protect your father's memory." What he had heard about his father made him believe that he would have wanted her to leave the X-Files behind. For some reason, she wanted to remain there and to put up with partners who never trusted her. He arrived at the hotel in Bellefleur and asked the woman on duty, "Do you have any rooms available?" The hotel receptionist nodded. "Yes, I do. It's a non-smoking room. Do you mind?" "I don't smoke," said William. The woman gave him a form to sign. "Hmm. William Mulder. Are you related to Agent Fox Mulder and Agent Dana Scully?" "They're my parents." "Do you know your mother is with someone who looks just like your father?" *This person is rather nosy,* thought William. His hazel eyes narrowed curiously at her. "Did you know my parents?" The woman sighed. "They took rooms here a few times. I've been working here for years. Your mother already left with the man a few hours ago. I think they were heading to the woods." "Thank you," said William. He got out his cell phone and called his mother. *** "Who was that?" "William." "Is he here?" asked David. "Oh, he's here all right. He didn't even like the idea of me coming out here. William thinks that I'll disappear like his father did. You know, lose me forever. I assured him that I wouldn't. Every single case that I had, William usually threw a temper tantrum or come out to the case and watch over me. He's very territorial of me. If I had known he was going to be that way, I probably wouldn't accept this case, David. Mulder usually acted territorial about me, but he at least respected that I was careful. When William decides that I'm being threated or going to be hurt, he makes sure it doesn't happen. It's not like he's my partner...he's my son." "He loves you, Dana. I'm sure he doesn't want his mother to get hurt," said David. "If I was in his shoes, I would act the same way. You're all he has left." "I know, David. I just don't want him out here," said Scully. "You don't want to lose him like you lost Mulder." Scully nodded. David read her like a book. "How do you know me so well when we've just met?" "I'll tell you why later," said David. They were walking on a trail to meet Detective Hoese and they saw him approaching them. "Detective Hoese, I'm Special Agent David Miller and this is my partner, Special Agent Dana Scully. We're here to talk about the abductions in the woods. According to the file, these abductions have been occuring off and on since 1989." Detective Hoese nodded. "My parents were abducted in 2000, but they came back alive." "I remember," said Scully. "I was out here last with my partner." "Wow, you look young for 68 years old," said Detective Hoese. "Why is that?" "My aging process stopped," shrugged Scully. "Doctors are totally baffled. I look exactly the same as I did in 2000." "My parents said that your partner was there with them," said Detective Hoese. "I know," said Scully. David was getting rather uncomfortable at Detective Hoese's inquiring about what happened to Agent Mulder so he decided to change the subject back to the case at hand. "So where did you find this young couple?" "It was in a clearing out in these woods." "Was there any bumps on the back?" asked Scully. Before Detective Hoese could answer Scully's question, there was a bright white light in the distance. David and Scully both had a feeling that someone or something was returning so they decided to run after the light. However, they became separated. David went near the spot where Mulder went into the cloaked ship in 2000 and Scully entered the clearing where she saw William running up to her. "William, why are you here?" William sighed. He knew she needed to hear a better explanation. "Mom, I became so worried about you that I wanted to be with you." "This is dangerous, William. I don't want anything to happen to you. I have to look for my partner." "I'll look with you, Mom." Scully and William looked for David and they could hear him calling out not for "Dana! Dana!" but "Scully! Scully!" They found him in a clearing where he was taken - when David was Fox Mulder. Scully gazed at David with curiosity while William looked at both his mother and David with concern. "Mom, David, what happened?" "All I know there was a bright light out in the clearing, and I went towards it. It was so familiar that I couldn't explain it. I know I had seen it before...." "I know. I remember seeing it before when I was with Mulder. It was our first case together," said Scully. "I was afraid of losing you all over again," said David. "I'm glad you are all right." There was a huge amount of caring in his voice. He now remembered everything that happened to him when he was -- and is -- Mulder. "Back there, you yelled out 'Scully!' and the only person who did that was Mulder." William coughed. "Mom, I think David is Dad." David nodded. "Let's go to the hotel and I will explain everything." *** Later, at David's hotel room, Scully and William were sitting at the table while David's getting the tape ready. He pressed play so they all could listen. Afterwards, there were tears in their eyes. It was an emotionally charged atmosphere surrounding Scully, David, and William. The revelation that David was really Fox Mulder brought numerous feelings to the fold: confusion, pain, love, and hope. David was the first one to speak. "I went to the psychologist's office to go under regression. I wanted to recover my past life's memories because there were so many things - like you, Scully, that I wanted to remember. I'm really Mulder, Scully. And William, I know this is odd considering we're the same age." "But how is this possible?" asked Scully. Her blue eyes were filled with tears that were threatening to break. "Past lives, Scully. After the regression, the flood gates of my memory opened, and I remembered everything as Mulder," said Mulder. "I wanted to be with you so much but it was too late. I was already David Miller. However, it's different now." "I'm trying to grasp my brain on this, Mulder. Few minutes before, you were dead and I had David as my partner. Now you're back. We've have a lot of stuff to talk about." "Like William." William was looking at his parents reunion with interest. He had never seem anything like this before where a man remembers and becomes his past life self. He wondered what the odds of that happening. Still, it was another case for the X-Files. "I'm way too old for a custody fight, Dad." "No, what I meant was that I knew you in school and now I found out that I'm your father. Now this is a case for the X-Files." "I was just thinking that," said William. "I wish that I had known about you, William. I didn't want to go to Oregon that night. Much like how Scully never wanted to come here again. She told me as David Miller, her new partner, about how you didn't want to lose her. I didn't want to lose her either." "Dad, you don't have to explain. Mom told me," said William. "I think I better go to my hotel room. Both of you need some time together." "I'll see you in the morning, William," said Scully. When William left the room, Mulder turned to Scully. "You raised William well." "Thanks. It was hard for me, not having you there when I was pregnant." "I know. Scully, why were these alien replicants after you and William?" "Some of the people who were abducted with you became alien replicants - Super Soldiers, if you will. They saw both of us as a threat because we were immune to the alien virus. William has natural antibodies of the vaccine because you were exposed to the vaccine in Russia." "I guess the alien replicants are all dead now." "Yes," said Scully. "It took awhile to come up with a vaccine, but everyone in the world has been inocculated against the alien virus. The date was set - December 22, 2012. It came and gone because it was thwarted. No alien colonization." "I was eleven at the time. Nothing did happen," teased Mulder. "How come you can't age?" "I know I look the same as I did when I saw you off at the airport when you were boarding the plane with Skinner in 2000. The doctors never gave me a good explanation why my age wasn't advancing normally. Technically, I am supposed to be 68 years old, but ... I look more like 36. I never told you this but when I was exposed to death in New York, I closed my eyes so I wouldn't look at it. That saved my life. I was supposed die that day, but --" "You were spared. I remember sitting by the side of your hospital bed. You don't think you're immortal?" "No, I don't. I just can't age normally. I think when I was in Africa, looking at the artifacts, something happened to me. The artifacts gave you the power to hear people's thoughts and for me, my fertility, my health, and my youth, in that order. I didn't think of it at the time until I became pregnant with William that something must have set something off especially since the IVF treatments didn't work." "Maybe you can age now considering I'm back in your life, Scully?" suggested Mulder. "Is that your theory, Mulder?" asked Scully. "Yes." "You don't know how much I missed you..." "Oh I think I do," said Mulder. "Will you still be David Miller or will you be Mulder?" "According to the FBI, I'm Special Agent David Miller, but with you and William, I'm Fox Mulder. Besides, we have to be careful, Scully. The FBI has been very suspicious about you." "I don't care; they have always been suspicious about me for years." "I understand. You know, I never been a darling at the FBI either. It's just hard for me to picture you in the same position as I was." "I know," said Scully. "What are we going to do?" "Scully, I very much like for us to be partners in every sense of the word. However, I know there's a lot for us to digest. I want William to have a father. With us being the same age, I'm not sure how that's going to look." "But I do want us to be a family, like we're supposed to be." "I know this is very quick: Will you marry me?" "It took you long enough to ask me, David," teased Scully. "Of course, I will marry you. Will I be Dana Miller or Dana Mulder?" "Both." *** William wasn't sure what to think of his mother marrying David Miller. He knew David was actually Fox Mulder and he knew that from hearing the recording of David's regression. Still, he wanted what's best for his mother. Her happiness meant the world to him as she suffered from loneliness. "Are you all right about it, William?" asked Scully. They were all back home in Georgetown at the apartment. "David is so young for you. It's like marrying me," muttered William under his breath. "No, actually it's not. David has been very wonderful to me, William. He respects and loves me for who I am." "Would you marry him if he didn't remind you of Dad?" "We would still be having this talk, William. Your father died a long time ago, and I know he would want me to go on." "But Dad came back through David." "I know." "However, I was attracted to David before he told me about the regression. I don't know why but I knew he would be the one who could gain my trust." "All I want for you, Mom, is to be happy," said William. He gave her a hug. "You suffered enough through the years." "I am happy, William. Look, just because I'm getting married, it doesn't mean that I won't be there for you, William." "I know that, Mom." *** "How is William taking it, Scully?" Scully looked up to see Mulder looking at her with concern. She didn't get enough sleep last night because she was thinking about William. "I think he's OK with it but I get the impression that he's not excited about it." "Give him some time. It's a lot to deal with, with me coming back and all." "I know. I just wish he could be happy for all of us." "He will be. Don't worry, Scully." "I hope so, Mulder." She paused briefly. "I think that I have fallen in love with you even if you didn't discover who you were. It seems so natural for us being together like the years suddenly melt away." "I feel the same way, Scully. This would be a new chance for us," said Mulder. He put his arms around her waist and his lips formed into the brightest of smiles. For the first time in a long time, he felt content to be back where he should be. Mulder and Scully were finally home, in each other's arms. --- the end --- Feedback: Much appreciated. Send to: eblair@sonic.net I always love hearing from my readers. Author's Notes: Originally, this story was going to be about Mulder and Scully's souls finding each other again in 2032. However, I decided to write about Scully's immortality and finding Mulder again in a 'new' body.