TITLE:        All Things Bright and Beautiful 13/13 THE END
AUTHOR:       dlynn
FEEDBACK:     dlynn1550@my-deja.com
CATEGORY:     post episode, MSR, x-file/thriller
DISTRIBUTION: Xemplary, Gossamer, 2000 Spooky's and 
              Clinique's Hidden Gems, yes. 
              link for 2000 Spooky's:
              http://home.mpinet.net/laster/bright13.txt
              Everyone else, just let me know, please.
SPOILERS:     All Things, in particular, but everything  
              through season 7, including subtle spoilers 
              for Requiem.
RATING:       R for language, violence, and adult  
              situations
SUMMARY:      "Scully, have you ever asked yourself what  
              kind of man would quit his job, leave his
              family, follow you across the country, and 
              never contact you the entire time he was   
              here. Never once, in ten years, did he     
              call you, or write you, or contact you in 
              any way. What kind of man is that, Scully?"
DISCLAIMER:   I'm playing with CC's kiddies again, what        
              can I say, but I still don't get any      
              money.


AUTHOR'S NOTES and rose petals will follow this last 
chapter.

My other stories can be found at 
http://home.mpinet.net/laster


All Things Bright and Beautiful

Chapter 13 
THE EPILOGUE:

Scully nestled into a white whicker chair. A soft downy 
comforter, pulled from the bed, was thrown casually across 
her lap. Her bare toes peaked out from beneath the 
blanket's edge where she placed them upon a small 
whicker stool. She wiggled her toes, delighting in the 
feel of the fresh morning's breeze on her feet.

"Scully?"

"Out here, Mulder," she replied.

"Thought I'd find you out here. Feeling any better?" 

"Yes. I don't know what it was. Must have been 
something I ate last night, just didn't sit well with me I 
guess. I feel fine...now that I-"

"Prayed to the porcelain God?" Mulder chuckled, handing 
Scully a warm, steaming mug.

"Exactly. What is that? Please, tell me you made me tea," 
she murmured, bringing her nose to sniff at her mug.

"Yep, no cup of Joe for you this morning, Scully. I don't 
know if I ever mentioned it to you, but I don't do throw 
up."

"No problem, Mulder. The stomach seems to have settled 
down, although, I think I'll skip breakfast."

Chuckling, Mulder padded over to the railing where he 
leaned into it, looking out at the sunrise. As he sipped 
from his mug, Scully found herself admiring him instead of 
the panoramic vista in front of her. Nothing like having a
wet, half naked Mulder in the morning she thought as 
she observed the way his faded blue jeans hung low on 
his hips, and how his bare back glistened. The morning's
rays were catching the water droplets he'd missed after 
drying off from his shower, creating tiny prisms of color
down his back. 

He was truly beautiful, especially since that ugly cast 
had been removed. It wasn't so much the plaster that had 
bothered her, but all that the brace signified, how very 
close she'd come to losing him. 

Bending his knee and lifting one bare foot up onto the 
stool, Mulder wiggled his toes against hers. Breathing 
deeply, he inhaled the crisp, clean salty tang of morning.

"As much as I've loved this weekend away, Scully. Hasn't 
this brought up painful memories? We could have gone to 
any Bed and breakfast along the eastern seaboard. We 
didn't have to come back to Bethany Beach.

Setting her mug down on the little glass table beside her, 
she shoved his leg off the stool so that she could get up. 
Without her shoes she felt even smaller next to him as she 
sidled her way in between Mulder and the railing. Leaning 
back against him, she looked out into the fresh dawn. 

Shorebirds soared through the sky, the fresh colors of the 
day streaked the sky, and a young family walked along the 
beach, directly out from their porch. A man, a woman, and 
two small children played on the sand, collecting 
seashells, and tiny sand dollars that had washed ashore 
during the night. 

Scully smiled as she watched the couple interacting with 
their son. They grabbed hold of the little boy's hands, 
swinging him along between them as his sister ran on ahead 
dancing with the waves.

"That's what I want to remember about this beach, Mulder. 
I want to remember all that's bright and beautiful, not 
how depraved it all became."

"I understand, Scully," he murmured, resting his head upon 
her own, her copper strands tickling at his chin.

"I got a postcard yesterday, from Maggie."

Mulder sighed, shifting his stance and drawing her in more 
closely. "What did it say?"

"It says that she doesn't blame me for all that happened 
with her dad. She understands I wasn't a part of 
his...illness. She didn't want me to feel guilty."

"Sounds to me like she's grown up a lot."

"Yeah, bullet wounds tend to do that to you, Mulder. She 
and Mark got married...a small civil ceremony in the 
hospital chapel. She's rehabilitating nicely. And Mark has
convinced her to get counseling. He's been a Godsend, and 
she thinks they will do just fine."

"Good for them."

"Yes, very. I think they'll make it. They love each other 
very much."

"There's a lot of that going around lately," Mulder 
chuckled, tightening his hold on Scully. 

Placing her hands across his, she wrapped his arms 
around her middle. Silently, they stood there, each 
contemplating the morning glow.

Finally, Mulder broke the silence. His voice betraying his 
displeasure as he said, "Scully, Skinner called while I 
was making your tea. We have some meeting scheduled for 
Monday, one not on our schedule. Apparently, we are being 
audited."

"We? There's no 'we' here, Mulder. You're the head of the 
division. I'm just your lowly subordinate," Scully 
giggled, more from Mulder's actions than from the humor of 
her words. He had managed to slide his hand up under her 
pajama top, and was not so subtly inching his way up her 
stomach to her breasts.

"Hey, wanna hear a good one, Scully?" Mulder asked, his 
hand finally reaching its target.

"Sure, Mulder. Seems like a perfect time," she murmured, 
thinking that there were much better things she'd rather 
do with him then telling jokes.

"The auditor's name is Chesty Short."

"You're not making that up?" she murmured as Mulder's lips 
pushed aside her collar, and began nibbling up her neck.

"Nope. But it seems kind of apropos doesn't it." he 
chuckled, running the backs of his fingers against her 
breasts, teasing at her nipples. "Gotta love a man with a 
name like that."

"Hmmm...ok...Mulder, but that's Monday's problem. Right 
now let's see if you can handle the two you already have."


~*~*~*~*~*~*~ THE END ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


AUTHOR'S NOTES: I know a lot of people thought I must be 
crazy with the idea I had of Daniel as some deranged 
stalker. For those of you that made it all the way, thanks 
so much for reading...and for giving me the chance to go a 
little insane. The time line for this is a little funky; 
I've taken some poetic license. The chronology of events 
goes with the episode guide. I just didn't pay too much 
attention as to how much time elapsed between episodes. 
I just knew I wanted to finish up with spoilers leading 
into Requiem. That somehow seemed to make this all the 
more bittersweet in my mind... sigh....

If you've been lurking, I'd love to hear from you...HINT, 
HINT... 

As with every story, there are several people I'd like to 
thank. Rose petals are scattered all around:

Carol: You sat on a park bench with me the day I decided 
to write this story, and hashed out the beginnings of a 
plot. You've come a long way baby since the beginning of 
the year, when you didn't even watch the show.

Paige Caldwell and Shelby Parker: You ladies inspire me. 
Your friendship and encouragement has kept me sane, and 
we're not only speaking of the writing. Thanks for letting 
me bend your ears with my insanity.

Exley_61: The chica beta'd chapter three before she headed 
off to Europe. Great timing, Ex...LOL

Galia: Thanks, honey, for making such a nice book cover
for the story. And thanks for your patience with my
computer ineptitude.

Nlynn: Thanks so much for the information you gave me 
about Bethany Beach, Delaware. I hope I got things right.
It sounds like a place I'd love to visit.

My stalkers from the Haven Spoiler Board: Thanks so much 
for your words of encouragement. I can't tell you how much 
they meant to me. YOU GUYS ROCK!


Those who've sent feedback: I'm grateful to each and every 
one of you who have taken the time to tell me how much 
you've enjoyed the story. I'm wall papering my bedroom 
wall with the whole lot of it. ?

However, for my special stalker, Erlybird. Thanks for the 
colorful, creative, inspiring e-mails. I looked forward to 
them as I would a WIP.  And thanks for the gentle critique 
and grammar advice. Erly beta'd chapter 10, and gave me 
some nudges in the right direction. Thanks for helping 
teach this older dog new tricks, luv.

I had a blast with this, folks. I hope you enjoyed reading 
it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

~~~~ dlynn June 3, 2000