Ok, S. Anderson, here is my answer to your Next Life challenge.  Hope 
everyone enjoys it.  You can e-mail me at YRLD43A@PRODIGY.COM.  I am 
having a lot of fun with these and I would REALLY appreciate feedback.
  

Classifications:  R,S,A
Spoilers:  None
Ratings: G
Summary:  Answer to Next Life Challenge - They have thirty five years 
to find each other, will they make it?

Disclaimer:  The characters and situations of the television program 
"The X-Files" are the creations and property of Chris Carter,  Fox 
Broadcasting, and Ten Thirteen Productions, and have been used 
without permission.  This uses an idea taken from a movie I don't 
remember the name to.  It is also used without permission.  No 
copyright infringements are intended.  This work is not to be 
forwarded or distributed to any newsgroup, FTP, or WWW site without 
the permission of the author.

I do give permission for it to be put on atxc.

********************
The Last Chance
By Patty Hayes
April 27, 1997
********************

The bullet did what it was supposed to do.  Special Agent Fox Mulder 
was dead.  He watched his body from somewhere above.  Scully was 
holding him in her arms, sobbing violently, rocking him.  "No!"  She 
was screaming at him.  "Don't leave me now!  Hang on.  Please God, 
don't let him die!"  The siren from the ambulance was nearing.  
Mulder felt her pain, he didn't want her to be in pain.  "Mulder, I 
love you, I never told you.  Don't leave me.  Please don't die."  Her 
voice was softening as she knew she was losing the battle.  

Mulder gasped.  She loves him?  How had they gone a lifetime without 
either saying it.  He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned around.  
A man with a clip board stood next to him.

"This way, Mr. Mulder.  I'm here to help you along."  He said.  The 
man was dressed in a white suit,  a pale blue shirt with a dark blue 
tie.

Mulder looked him up and down, then turned back to the scene.  It was 
fading.  "Wait, wait, I want to see more!"  He faced the man.  "Bring 
it back, I want to see her again."

"You will see her again, Mr. Mulder.  In time."

"Who are you, where am I?"  Mulder looked around.  He was aboard a 
cruise ship with the sparkling blue water just over the side.

"You're at a cross station right now, Mr. Mulder.  In a little while, 
you'll be moving on were you'll await another life."  He began 
walking away.

"Another life?  What is this, some kind of joke?"  Mulder stepped up 
to follow him.

"No joke, Mr. Mulder."

"We get a second chance?"  Suddenly there were lines and lines of 
people.  Mulder saw them but he was only concerned with getting back 
to Scully.

"Many people get five or six chances, sometimes more.  You see, you 
are paired with one person, for all of eternity.  Sometimes you think 
it's a certain one, when it's actually the one you'd least suspect.  
But they are always near you."

"I have to go back now, you don't understand.  She loves me and we 
never had that chance.  I have to go back now."

"Soon, Mr. Mulder, be patient."

"No!"  Mulder was becoming impatient.  "Who are you, anyway?"

"You can call me Elmo."

"Well Elmo, I want to go now.  How do I get off this tub?"  Mulder 
started walking away, leaning over the side of the ship.

"Wait, Mr. Mulder, wait!"  Elmo called after him.  He caught up to 
him and grabbed his arm.  "You have to go in your turn."  He turned 
and spread his arm across the hundreds of people in lines.

"All of these people are waiting to go?"  Elmo nodded.  Mulder shook 
his head.  "I can't wait that long, she needs me now.  ' I '  need  ' 
her '.  We need that chance, we could make it work.  I have to go now.
"  Mulder pleaded with him.  "You have to help me."

Elmo looked at Mulder.  'This man has had his share of heartaches.  
If anyone deserves happiness, it's these two.'  Elmo took a deep 
breath.

Mulder saw him weakening and went for the clincher.  "Please, Elmo, 
I've been a loser all my life.  In every life, it'll be the same.  
This is my only chance."

"All right, Mr. Mulder.  I'm bending the rules here.  Don't 
disappoint me.  If you don't find her by your twentieth birthday, you 
will never meet her in any life.  Do you understand?"  Mulder was 
smiling, excited to get back.  "I'm serious, if you haven't found her 
by the time you turn thirty you'll lose her forever.  Keep that in 
mind, thirty five, the day after your thirty fifth birthday, she'll 
belong to someone else forever."

Mulder nodded.  "Yes, thank you.  Thank you."

Elmo called to him as Mulder's form faded.  "Don't disappoint me, Mr. 
Mulder."

Elmo watched from above as new baby boy was being born in Johnstown, 
Pennsylvania.  They named him Mike.  Michael William Fox.  He was 
perfect.  Son to Margaret and Allen Fox.  Their only child.

*****
One Year Later

Maggie sat in the park with Mike in the baby stroller.  She was 
cooing her son, he was smiling and cooing right back.

Dana Scully sat on 'his' bench.  The one where Mulder had always sat 
when he contemplated the inevitable.  It had been one year today 
since he'd been killed.  In the line of duty.  Duty.  She sighed 
heavily.  Why did everyone die?  Tears ran down her face.  'I miss 
you, Mulder.  I really miss you.'  She looked over at the mother, 
playing with her baby.  'It could've been me.  I want it to me be!'  
She became angry and the tears fell faster.

The woman stood and pushed the stroller to the sidewalk.  As she 
neared, Scully had dried her face and looked up enviously.  "Hi."  
Scully said.  "Is this your first child?"

Maggie smiled, "Yes, he is.  And the only I'm afraid, I'm not able to 
have any more."  She lifted the sun visor for Scully to see the child.


Scully looked down into the face of an angel.  Something about the 
mouth looked so familiar.  "Hi there."

The baby smiled and cooed at Scully, taking her finger in his little 
fist.  "He doesn't usually take to strangers.  You must have a way 
with children."

Scully just nodded.  "He's beautiful.  You're very lucky."  She sat 
back.

"Thanks.  Have a good day."  Maggie moved on.

Scully took a deep breath and headed back to the office.  She worked 
mostly in forensics these days.  Taking the walkway, she moved slowly,
 still thinking about Mulder.  All noises seized to exist.  She 
didn't hear the people around her, she didn't see the hoards of cars 
streaming along the main avenue.  She didn't notice the sign when it 
changed to 'no crossing'.  And the car didn't see Dana as it sped 
toward the intersection.

Elmo waited for her to arrive.  His assistance came to him the minute 
she was on board.  "Send her back before she knows anything.  Put her 
on the east coast."  The assistance walked away.  "At least they'll 
have a better chance."  Elmo said out loud to himself.  

He watched as a new baby girl was being born in the women's hospital 
in Georgetown.  They named her Daniella Katherine Smith, daughter of 
Helen and George Smith.

*****
Eight Years Later

Dani was going to her first out of town Brownie function.  As part of 
the Girl Scouts, she was active in all the participations as was her 
mother.  They were going to a small town in Pennsylvania.  The first 
conference she'd ever been to.  It was so exciting for her, she just 
couldn't wait.  She and her mother were taking the bus, it would take 
about 4 or 5 hours to get there.  Dani was a beautiful little girl, 
with long shiny red hair, sparkling blue green hazel eyes and a soft 
round face.  Helen kept a tight reign on her, as she was a bit 
nervous being alone on the road.  

When they arrived at the center, it was hard to keep Dani on that 
invisible leash.  She wanted to explore, she wanted to see everything.
  Another bus pulled up behind theirs and a group of Boy Scouts 
unloaded, all rambunctious boys ranging in age from 7 to 14.  Dani 
noticed one shy boy, about a year older than herself, standing by 
himself, looking alone.  another older boy was picking on him.  She 
couldn't tell what they were saying, but she didn't think it was good.
  "Mom?"  she whispered to Helen.  "Should we ask him to join us, he 
looks like he's by himself.?"

Helen looked over at the boy, a tall gangly boy with dark hair and 
light eyes, just as the Scout leader came up to him and ushered him 
off.  "No, he's all right, honey.  Come on, let's get to our group."  
Her daughter was so trusting, so compassionate.

Dani had forgotten about the boy for the morning as her time was 
spent singing and learning new crafts.  At noon, however, everyone 
met in the cafeteria for lunch.  Once again, Dani noticed the boy.  A 
couple of the bigger boys were teasing him again, as he stood in line 
waiting for his lunch.  Dani looked for her mother and found her 
talking to a couple of women there to help with things.  She decided 
to take things into her own hands.  Dani walked up to the tall boy.  
"Hi."

The boy didn't reply.  He was dumbfounded that she would speak to him.
  He'd seen her earlier in the day and thought she was the most 
beautiful thing he'd ever seen.  Mike was nine, he didn't like girls 
yet.  But this one was different.  She was an exception.  The two 
bigger boys stepped back, stunned that anyone would pay any attention 
to this gangly boy.

"Would you sit we me for lunch?"  She asked simply.  "I have a place 
right over there."  She pointed as they entered the area to pick up a 
tray.

"Yeah, sure."  He answered.

She walked along with him, her hands clasped behind her back.  "Do 
you like meatloaf?  It's pretty good here."  He ordered the meatloaf. 
 In fact he ordered everything she suggested.  Then he followed her 
back to the table.

"Dani!  Where were you?  I told you not to go off, I was worried!"   
Her mother glanced at the boy nervously.  He stood a good head taller 
than Dani.

"I'm ok, Mom.  I was getting some milk."  She quickly picked up the 
carton off of the boy's tray showing her mother.

"Ok, well, sit down and eat your lunch."

Dani sat down and motioned for the boy to sit next to her.  "Hi, I'm 
Dani.  We're from Washington DC."

"I'm Mike Fox, I live here in Johnstown."  He replied and dug into 
his meal.

They didn't speak much during the meal, but she would smile at him 
every once in a while and he would return the smile.  When he was 
finished, he got up to leave.  "Well, I'll see you around."  And he 
took off.  Dani just nodded as he rushed away.

*****
Ten Years Later

"Hey Fox!"  Mike turned around as his buddies called to him.  
Everyone called him Fox, for some reason he preferred it.

"Hey Randy, what's up?"

"We got a new class of freshman coming in.  Thought we'd go check out 
the babes.  Want to come?"

Fox grinned, "No you guys go ahead, I got things to do."  

"Yea, you got babes checking you out, we don't need the competition 
anyway."  Randy and the guys took off.  Fox was the best looking man 
on campus, the envy of every one.  He dated occasionally, but did his 
best to fend off the girls.    His friends were better off not having 
him near when they wanted the attentions of the fairer sex.

Fox went on his way to the library, he had a number of years ahead of 
him.  He was going to be a lawyer, a district attorney to be more 
specific, then eventually a judge he hoped.  He wanted to make a 
difference, help change the laws, keep the scum off the street.  
Bring truth and justice forth.  That was his mission and he believed 
he was born to do just that.  Nothing was going to stop him.  He'd 
begged his parents to let him go to Washington, DC.  That's were the 
action was.  That's were the laws were made.  They struggled, but he 
was an excellent student and his grades were good enough to earn him 
a scholarship.

Georgetown University.  Dani would spend her first two years there, 
then transfer to the medical college nearby.  She wanted to be a 
pediatrician.  Kids were special to her, not having any siblings, she 
wanted to be around a lot.  Her mother had been a nurse before she 
came along and Dani thought that was so admirable.  But she didn't 
want to be a nurse, she wanted to be a doctor and nothing was going 
to get in her way.

Fox went straight to his special table, in a quiet corner of the 
library and laid out his books.  He was moving so fast, he'd be able 
to advance quickly.  It seemed he remembered everything he read.  He 
didn't know where that had come from.  Both his parents were 
intelligent, but never aspired past high school.  He had a drive that 
exceeded any that they new of.

Dani returned from gathering a book and sat at a table in the corner. 
 She glanced at the handsome young man that had just arrived, sitting 
one table over, his face buried in his books.  But she only glanced 
once before delving into hers.  A moment later, Joanie came up and 
sat next to her, plopping her books heavily on the table.  Several 
people looked up at the noise, including the handsome young man.  
"Joanie!"  Dani whispered.

"Sorry,  hey, come on.  It's your first week here, we have time to 
have a little fun. Come on.  I hear the upperclassmen are showing us 
'freemies' around.   Could be some cute guys."

"Joanie, I hate the word, 'freemies'.  We are freshmen, not 
'freemies'.  Besides, I have work to do.  I want to get out of this 
place and start on medicine."

"God, Dani, you are so serious.  You need to live a little,  you'll 
be a doctor, but you won't have any kids because you're to serious to 
get a date!"  Joanie left in a huff.

Dani sat there turning a bright red, noticing the boy across from her 
staring at her.  She turned back to her books, ignoring them both.

Fox watched the exchange, trying to remember where he'd seen this 
girl before.  He was drawn to the long red hair.  She was beautiful.  
Another noise drew his attention and before he knew it, his head was 
back in his books.

For the next two years, they sat across from each other.  Each never 
approaching the other as they were too wrapped up in their studies.  
Fox had advanced a half year so far and was well on his way to law 
school.  He'd go to Harvard in the fall.  His dream was advancing.  
But he was alone.  He'd dated a few girls, but none was the one he 
wanted.  He didn't know exactly what he wanted, but he knew what he 
didn't want.  A dance was coming up and the guys talked him into a 
blind date.  God, he didn't want to do this, but he couldn't take the 
pounding from his friends any longer.  What could one date hurt 
anyway?

Dani could've killed Joanie.  "Who is this guy anyway, Joanie?  Why 
am I letting you talk me into a blind date?"

Her roommate grinned.  "Dani, it's time you get out.  This is your 
last year, next year we'll be in med classes, no time to socialize.  
Live a little, have one night of fun.  I heard he's very good looking.
"  She teased her.

The hour was upon them.  Any minute there would be a knock on the 
door and she would find her prince charming.  Or so Joanie had said.  
Dani looked more beautiful than ever.  Dressed in a dark royal blue 
strapless gown, with her red hair pinned up and a few strands left 
hanging.  Well, the knock came, but there was no prince charming on 
the other side of the door, the house mother, Mrs. Parker, stood in 
front of her.  "Dani, I got a call from your mother, your father is 
ill.  She thinks you need to go right away.  They're at the medical 
center."

Dani's heart fell.  Her dad had been ill on and off for the past year.
  It had been hard on everyone.  She had hoped that this last 
diagnosis of good health had been the end of it.  But it wasn't.  She 
quickly stripped herself of her gown and threw on jeans and a blouse, 
grabbed her keys and headed out.  "Joanie, tell him I'm sorry.  I 
have to go."

"It's ok, I'll explain, he'll understand.  Go on and I hope 
everything's ok."  She hugged her tightly, then pushed her on.  
"Drive carefully!"  She called after her.

Fox was getting out of his car as Dani came running out of the house. 
 He caught a glimpse of red hair and she flew down the stairs heading 
for her car.  Their paths only crossing once again.

*****
Seven Years Later

Dani flew through Med school,  she had two more years before her 
residency.  She had jumped ahead in her classes and was doing quite 
well.  Her father had passed away seven years ago and unbeknownst to 
her, she'd met her future husband.  Jonathan Pendagrass.  He was not 
overly handsome but not bad looking.  A few inches taller than her, 
red hair and freckles, he was smitten with Dani the minute he'd laid 
eyes on her.   He was an intern at the hospital where her Dad was.  
After the funeral, he came by to see her several times, to make sure 
she was all right.  They went out quite a bit, he helped her with her 
studies and encouraged her drive to become a doctor.  Now she was 
getting married.  

Her mother was ecstatic, her only child finally taking the plunge.  
Dani thought she'd never been happier.  They married on a sunny day 
in June.  The honeymoon trip would have to wait as her studies came 
first.  She didn't take time off for anything.  During the summer she 
took advanced classes, not wanting to waste the time.  After her 
father died, she threw herself into her studies.  There was an 
underlying urgency that she didn't realize.  Something was pushing 
her along a line toward a single end.  Like someone else was pulling 
the strings.

Elmo watched from above.  She'd made a beautiful bride.  But he 
worried about Mulder, would he find her over the next seven years?  
That's all he had left.  Seven years.

Fox worked for the county's district attorney's office.  He was an 
amazing attorney.  He'd been practicing now for two years and had not 
lost a single case.  He enjoyed his work, he was disgusted with the 
judges who put the criminals back on the streets, so when it was his 
case, he made damn sure everything was by the book.  There was no way 
a judge could find fault with his work.

But he wasn't happy.  Several bad relationships haunted his lonely 
nights.  His work was everything, the women didn't understand.  There 
were times when a case was so intense that he worked twenty hours a 
day on it.  You couldn't have any kind of relationship with those 
hours.  For some reason he chose women that had no substance.  
Someone he could spend a few hours with, fill a need, then move on.  
After a while, Fox accepted the fact that there would be no one 
special, no one just for him.  Not now, not ever.

Over the next four years, Dani finished her residency and established 
herself as a damn fine pediatrician.  But her marriage to Jonathan 
was not working out.  He was jealous of her career and her devotion 
to it.  He wanted her to quit, to stay home.  They separated amicably,
 but not without a broken heart.  She was thirty one years old, Dani 
didn't want to go through it all again.

Her practice was settled in Washington with her home in Alexandria.  
Her mother was not too far away.  She had a few friends that she kept 
close.  Dani still kept in touch with Joanie who was working for the 
forensic lab at the FBI of all places.  She went about her day to day 
duties and wrote several papers for the New England medical journal 
that she was very proud of.  But she wasn't really happy and had no 
clue as to what would make her happy.

*****
Three Years Later

Mike Fox had just finished one of the worst cases of his career, but 
he had come through it with flying colors.  A double murder trial.  
Fox did a lot of the investigating himself.  Had the guy dead to 
rights and got a conviction.  But he also got death threats, 
character assassinations, the worst public coverage of his career.  
But he did the right thing.  He did what it took to put a murderer 
away for good.  He went home and sacked out on the sofa.  He spent a 
lot of time sleeping there.  The bedroom hadn't been used in a long 
while.

Fox was not doing too well.  Tears ran down his face as he thought 
about his life.  He had only his mother left, his father passed 
several years ago.  He had no brothers or sisters.  He was going to 
be thirty five years old tomorrow and he had no life.  The work he'd 
done was good work, his goals were being accomplished, but it wasn't 
enough.  It didn't make him happy.  He thought about a little red 
headed girl he'd met when he was nine, a girl that had rescued his 
ego and made him feel like somebody.  As he drifted off to sleep, the 
image of the girl's face came to mind.

Elmo shook his head.  By tomorrow night, he'd have to pull Mulder 
back.  He'd given them several opportunities, but there was always 
something coming between them.  Had he been wrong?  Were these two 
not destined to be soulmates?

Fox dreamt that night.  A beautiful woman with shining red hair 
holding him in her arms.  The same woman with laughing eyes as he 
watched her from across a room.  He felt so warm, so complete with 
this vision.  Then a voice invaded his dream.  "One more day, Mulder, 
that's all you have left.  One more day.  You've failed.  You'll lose 
her forever."

Dani was up early the next morning.  She had several patients in the 
morning and a speaking engagement in the afternoon.  Then she was 
meeting her mother for dinner.  It was her thirty fourth birthday.  
She looked at herself in the mirror and noticed the tiny wrinkles 
around her eyes that widened when she smiled.  She hadn't noticed 
them before mostly because she rarely smiled at herself in a mirror 
lately.  Her dream had been realized and she was beginning to think, 
is this all there is?  

She decided to get away at lunch time, several appointments had 
canceled so she headed for the park near the Potomac.  Washington was 
a beautiful city with all the historical landmarks.  Dani often sat 
here to think things through.  She had a special spot on a bench 
overlooking the river.  As she neared the bench, she noticed a man 
sitting on the other side, in her spot, well this side was free and 
she could see the river just as well from this point.

Fox took a deep breath as he felt someone sit down behind him.  He 
didn't turn around but leaned forward, placing his elbows on his 
knees, clasping his hands in front of him.  The wind was cool and 
blew through his hair, his overcoat opening slightly.  He'd taken the 
afternoon off and just wanted to spend his birthday alone.  Alone.  
As he'd always been.  The dream from the night before haunted him.  
He didn't remember much of it.  Just the overwhelming feeling that 
something should happen today and if it didn't, the rest of his life 
would be meaningless.  He gone all morning waiting, but nothing was 
going to happen.  He was a failure.  Not in his career, just with his 
life.

The two sat on the bench for over an hour before they stood 
simultaneously and began moving apart.  Both with their heads down 
and their hands in their overcoats, fighting off the wind.  Then the 
wind spoke to them.  They stopped and listened.  ' Turn around.'  It 
said.  Dani raised her head and looked to the sky, the wind blowing 
her hair around her face, her overcoat whipping around her ankles.  
Fox looked to one side.  Had he actually heard that?  Slowly he 
turned around.

A woman was standing with her back to him.  A woman with red hair.  
In a rush, visions began filling his mind.  They all included this 
woman.  She'd saved his life, she'd risked her own for his.  She'd 
suffered for him wordlessly.   He heard the words finally, 'I love 
you'.  Fox held his breath as the woman began to turn around.

Dani felt the eyes staring at her.  She wanted to run, but an 
overwhelming urge to stay, to turn around filled her.  Something was 
going to happen today.  Something she'd waited a lifetime for.  
Slowly she turned to find a tall, handsome man facing her.  Tall, 
dark hair, soft, haunted hazel eyes that stared a hole in heart.  He 
was about ten feet away and began slowly coming toward her.  She 
stayed still, anticipation building within her.  She knew him, didn't 
she?  He was so familiar.

Fox released the breath and began walking to her.  She was so 
beautiful, he knew her, didn't he?  Suddenly he was inches from her, 
looking down into the intense hazel eyes, the luscious lips.  A word 
came from his mouth.  "Scully?"  His heart was filled with warmth and 
he finally felt complete.

Why did it sound familiar to her?  What was this word she felt 
compelled to say?  "Mulder?"  She suddenly felt safe, she was filled 
with of love as she searched those haunting eyes, the full heart 
shaped mouth.

Gently he took her in his arms and softly kissed her.

Elmo smiled.  Why did they have to cut it down to the wire?  It was 
done at last.  They'd found each other.  Nothing would ever separate 
them again.  He'd see to that.

THE END