| Primary Characters: | Scully, Mulder, the gennaia |
| Rating: | K+ |
| Spoilers: | Some (season 7) |
| Warning: | |
| Description: | Scully can’t help wondering if |
After the gennaia had disappeared, Scully couldn’t help wondering if she would have done better than Mulder. She knew how it easy it was to be wise after the fact, but – she had one or two ideas. Naturally, that gennaia wasn’t to be trusted, she’d noticed that right away and was frankly surprised – not at the two moron brothers – but at Mulder’s lack of insight. Not that she’d ever judge him.
Over the next few days, she found it hard to let go of the idea, once she’d thought of it.
In retrospect, it wasn’t that hard to guess why she had the dream.
When the gennaia offered her the three wishes, Scully took the time to think. She could tell that the gennaia was getting impatient, but she had asked and she had been told she had the right to a certain amount of time to think, so she would make sure she got it.
The gennaia became more and more edgy and looked as if she would add some impossible condition to the deal, so Scully realized it was time to make her wishes.
”Alright. I wish that Mulder’s sister Samantha was never abducted and that everything is exactly the way it would have been if that hadn’t happened. That is, I want her back and safe and nothing wrong.”
The gennaia stared at her, looking annoyed, which Scully interpreted as a sign of success. She must have put the wish in wording that would be hard to twist and poison.
”Fine.”
The gennaia muttered.
”There. Done. Next?”
”I wish my sister was still alive and well and that nothing will be wrong connected with that situation either.”
The gennaia’s eyes shot sparks at Scully. Again, Scully guessed that she had succeeded in putting the words of the wish as foolproof as possible. If there was such a thing. She thought she detected a sly expression in the gennaia’s eyes. Hopefully, that was connected to the third and final wish. Scully had had time to think over that quite extensively and had an idea of how she could make the gennaia so happy she wouldn’t bother twisting the wishes after they were done.
”Ok. Done. Next?”
”Right. I wish that you were free of the carpet and could live your life as a normal person. That all this would be over, but my two wishes will still be valid.”
The gennaia stared at Scully for so long, she was beginning to worry that she’d somehow made a mistake and that she’d failed to take something important into account.
”Really?”
The gennaia sounded incredulous. Scully heard Mulder draw in breath somewhere behind her, to say something, she couldn’t guess what, but she waved at him to silence him. Had he been hoping she would wish for three more wishes? Surely the gennaia was prepared for that and would act to put a stop to any such clever tricks.
”Yes, really. Go on.”
”Uh – that was – actually pretty good. Smarter than I gave you credit for. Just one thing – what you wished for – doesn’t guarantee anything about the future. Your sisters will have to take their chances just like you and your pretty boy over there.”
”Yes, I thought as much. Thank you. Enjoy your life.”
”Thanks, I will.”
In the blink of an eye, the gennaia and her carpet were gone. Mulder and Scully stood alone feeling as if this might have been too easy.
Scully reached for her phone and began to punch in Melissa’s number. She almost broke off, worrying that she would only get her sister’s answering machine and unlike many other people, Scully did not wish to hear her dead sister’s voice as if from beyond the grave. That would only hurt more. Instead, she heard the signals ring and ring but no one picked up. She made a face, a sinking feeling in her stomach.
”What’s wrong? Isn’t she picking up?”
”No. I’m beginning to think that that gennaia managed to put one over on me anyway.”
”Try again. Maybe she’s busy. Or you could call your mom. If – Melissa really is alive, she’d know, wouldn’t she?”
”Yes.”
By now, Scully didn’t believe in the wishes anymore. Of course that old gennaia had managed to sour her wish somehow, but she couldn’t at the moment think of how. All she was knew was that her sister still wasn’t back and safe. She’d failed.
The signals rang on and on, but no one picked up.
”Ok, I’m calling mom now.”
”Yes, do that. I’m wondering -”
Scully began to punch in her mother’s number, but faced Mulder anyway.
”Samantha obviously didn’t have a cell phone when she disappeared. And by now – I doubt if she’d still be living with mom so -”
”You call your mom too, then. Hold on, she’s picking up.”
”Hello, mom. Yes, I’m fine. Mulder too. Listen, I was trying to -”
She broke off uncertainly, not wanting to sound like an idiot. How could she ask her mom who knew as well as she did, that Melissa was dead and gone, if she knew how to reach her on the phone? But that was what she needed to find out so she forced herself to go on.
”I was trying to call Melissa -”
She couldn’t go on. When her mom paused, as if filled with pity, then went on telling her again how things were – how could she bear it? But her mom only paused briefly, then went on with something Scully hadn’t expected at all.
”But honey, don’t you remember? Melissa went off on a retreat. She wanted to meditate and – you know -”
”Oh, right. Of course.”
She finished the call as fast as she could. The relief made her feel weak at the knees.
”What?”
”Oh, she’s away on a retreat. Clearly not answering her phone. It must be turned off.”
”That’s wonderful news. So you beat her then? The gennaia?”
”Seems that way. Go on, call your mom now.”
”Yes.”
Mulder picked up his own phone and was just about to punch in his mother’s number, when a phone call came in. Wide-eyed, he studied the text appearing on the screen. From Samantha.
”Hey, Fox. I’m sorry to disturb you at work, but – I was hoping you could come over this weekend. Bring Dana. No, it’s not one of those matchmaking things. I promise. Besides, you have Dana, I know. But I hardly ever see you these days. You’re so busy at work. Please say you’ll come.”
”Ok. Yes, I’ll ask her and let you know. Bye, sweetie. Looking forward to seeing you.”
”Aw, thanks, Fox. You’re a sweetie too. I’ve missed you so. Great. Tell Dana we miss her too.”
”Ok.”
”Ask who?”
”You. Samantha wants us to come over to her place this weekend.”
”Oh. Where is that?”
”I – uh – couldn’t really ask.”
”Ok, no problem. We should be able to find out.”
”Exactly. What sort of FBI agents would be if we couldn’t find one woman’s address?”
Scully smiled. A warming feeling of contentment took over and –
Then she was waking up, to the dull realization that it had all just been a dream. Melissa was still dead, and Samantha was still missing, presumed dead. Nothing had changed, and she had never expected any miracles. Still, if she had been the one to make the three wishes – maybe –
FIN
© Tonica