Title: Bubble Gum
Author: Heather Horn
Category: MSR
Rating: G
Summary: Scully throws a surprise birthday party for Mulder and her third-cousin's niece, Tara, is staying with her for the week. At the party, Tara is abducted but has no memory or signs of abduction when she is returned moments later. The next day, Tara dies of a broken heart for Mulder and Scully.
Disclaimer: Fox Mulder, Dana Scully, Skinner, and The X-Files belong to Chris Carter, 1013 Productions, and FOX. I am not making any money off this story.
Archive: Sure. Fine. Whatever. J/K! I'd really appreciate it if you'd archive my story! Just credit me and, oh yeah, tell me where you're putting it so I can link you. (Unless you don't like free publicity, either. *g*)
Notes: As my stories progress, I hope for them to get better and more shippy. I hope you all enjoy this one, I consider it to have an overall shippiness for the most part!
Feedback: I'd love to hear from you! Drop me a line at actingislife@chickmail.com
Agent Dana Scully put up the final decorations for Mulder's surprise birthday party just as she saw Agent Fox Mulder's car pull up.
"Everybody get down!" Scully whispered as she flicked off the lights. "He's coming!"
Scully had invited many of the agents from the FBI, including assistant director Walter Skinner. She also invited the Lone Gunman, and her twelve-year-old third cousin's daughter, Tara, who was staying with Scully was there as well. Scully had spent months planning the party, and she rented a big party room for the event. Just then, Mulder entered the room. Scully had called him saying they were investigating a possible alien sighting.
"Scully?" He called.
"Surprise!" Everyone cried as they jumped out from behind tables and cabinets.
"Happy birthday, Mulder!" Scully cried. She and Tara ran up to him and Scully gave him a hug. "Tara, I'd like you to meet Special Agent Mulder."
"FBI. F...B...I..." Mulder said, jokingly flashing his badge.
"Is this your boyfriend?" Tara asked, smugly. Scully and Mulder blushed deeply.
"No, Tara, this is my partner." Scully explained.
"You're married?" Tara exclaimed.
"FBI partner, Tara, not life partner." Scully said, loosing patient. "Go get yourself a soda, Tara."
"K, I'll leave you two love birds alone." Tara shrugged, and walked off.
"That kid sure knows her stuff." Mulder said. "Who is she?"
"That's Tara Holmes, Mulder, she's my third cousin's daughter and I'm watching her for a week while her parents are away. She's a good kid, just a little too nosy at times." Scully told him.
"You got that right. But I'll take into consideration what she said. That big mouth of her's may make some sense."
Mulder said simply and walked off into a sea of people wishing him a happy birthday.
A little while later, Mulder, Scully, and Tara found themselves outside since it was such a nice night. The DJ was playing fast rock and roll songs most of the time as they cleaned up. However, as the end neared, Tara stood by the turntables and slipped a dollar to the DJ. A moment later, a slow, romantic song came on. She watched in awe as Mulder walked up to Scully and asked, "May I have this dance?" Scully didn't answer, she just smiled and allowed Mulder to lead her on to the dance floor. At the end of the song, Mulder and Scully looked deep into each other's eyes.
"Oh my gosh! They're gonna kiss!" Tara thought to herself. Their lips came closer and closer, when all of a sudden; a bright white light invaded and interrupted it all. Mulder and Scully clung on to each other and Scully shouted,
"Tara! Get over here!"
But before Tara could reach the safe, protective arms of her third-aunt, whatever you wanted to call it, a beam of light fell upon Tara and she was lifted into the sky.
"Help! Aunt Dana! Help me! Somebody, please!" Tara cried.
But despite Tara's pleading, she was lifted away into the clouds.
"Oh my God!" Scully cried. "Mulder what are we going to do? I was supposed to take care of her! Oh my God, oh God, oh God, oh God, oh - "
"Scully! Calm down!" Mulder said, embracing her. "It'll be okay." Before Scully could beg to differ, Tara was dropped down from the sky to the exact spot she had been before. Scully and Mulder ran over to her.
"Oh my God! Tara, honey, are you okay?" Scully asked.
"Huh? What are you talking about? I'm fine!" Tara exclaimed in confusion.
"She doesn't remember." Mulder said. "Let's get her to the hospital."
"What's going on?" Tara demanded.
"You were abducted." Mulder explained.
"Right, uh-huh, are you guys sure you're feeling alright? Maybe you should go to bed. Mr. Mulder, why don't you come over to Aunt Dana's and sleep in her bed. There's extra room. I think you've had too much to drink." Tara said sarcastically.
At the hospital, Scully told the ER doctor, "She may have eaten an some bad cheese. I want to make sure she's okay. Run a check on her, okay?"
"Will do," said the doctor, and motioned for Tara to come with him. Tara looked confused, but for once in her life, she kept her mouth shut.
"Bad cheese?" Asked Mulder when they were gone.
"What was I supposed to tell him, Mulder? That she was abducted by aliens and we want her checked for protein codes?" Scully yelled impatiently. Then she sighed, "I'm sorry Mulder. It's just first Emily, and I don't want to lose Tara, too. Some way to spend your birthday. I'm so sorry. You can go home if you want."
"That's okay, Scully." Mulder said, putting his arm around her. "Even if it's in a hospital, all I want is to spend my birthday with you."
An hour later, Tara was out and the doctor noted that she was fine. It was one o'clock, and Mulder's apartment was nearly an hour away, so Tara, kind, generous Tara volunteered to let Mulder sleepover in Scully's motel room.
"Hey Mr. Mulder," She said. "Why don't you come sleepover at Aunt Dana's?"
"Tara!" Scully said warningly.
"Come on, I just got abducted. Spoil me a little. Do what I say!" Tara begged, looking as innocent as a baby.
"Well, Mulder, at this hour of the night, and your drunk, maybe Tara's got a point. You shouldn't be off on your own." Scully said.
Mulder nodded.
The next morning, at six o'clock in the morning, Tara crept into Scully's room. There was Mulder, sleeping next to her aunt in the spot that was usually empty.
"Oooooooh!" Tara exclaimed, awakening them. "Did we have fun last night?"
"Tara, whatever you're thinking in that little mind of yours, stop thinking it." Scully snapped.
"We wouldn't think of doing anything fun without you, Tara!" Mulder said teasingly. "What'll it be? The movies, the mall, the circus... Look Scully, I gotta get going. I have a meeting with Skinner."
"'Bye! Happy birthday!" Scully called.
"Yeah," Tara echoed. "Happy, happy birthday."
Mulder let himself out, and Scully looked at Tara with annoyance.
"Tara, must you always embarrass me in front of Agent Mulder?"
"You like him, don't you?" Tara accused Scully.
"Tara, I'm not going to discuss my personal life with you-" Scully said, exasperated.
"I don't blame you. He's hot!" Tara cried.
"You like him, don't you?" Scully mimicked Tara.
"First of all, I've got a boyfriend. Second of all, if I did like Mr. Mulder, I wouldn't be trying to set you up with h-" Just then, Tara fainted and fell to the floor.
"Oh my God! Tara! Tara!" Scully cried, trying to awaken the girl. Tara's eyes opened, and she croaked, "It's hot in here." Then she passed out again. Little pink bumps appeared all over her body, and then a big, pink bubble appeared in Tara's mouth. It looked like bubble gum. Scully remembered that Tara was a big gum chewer, and tried to pop it, but it wouldn't pop. It got bigger, and bigger, and bigger and bigger. Scully grabbed the phone and called an ambulance. By the time the paramedics arrived, the bubble covered half of Scully's bedroom. They loaded Tara onto a stretcher but couldn't fit her out the door. In shock, Scully called Mulder. He came right over, cancelling his meeting with Skinner. When he got there, the bubble had filled Scully's entire room and was beginning to cave in at the top.
"Hopefully it'll pop. But still, she couldn't have survived this long. It must have been from what happened last night."
"It'll be okay." Mulder said, wrapping his arms around Scully.
The bubble was caving in more, and it formed the shape of a heart. The heart stayed in full bloom for about a day, so Scully had to sleep at Mulder's. Which was very interesting, since they both had to sleep on the couch.
When the bubble finally popped, the girl was autopsied and the cause of death was unknown. She had no extraterrestrial substances in her, and there were no signs of other harm.
When Scully joined Mulder in the waiting room, she said,
"I know what she died from. She died of love. She died of love for you and me."
And then, right there in the emergency room, Scully and Mulder kissed for a long, long time.
"This one's for you, Tara." Scully thought.
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"Bubble Gum" Written By Heather Horn on January 1, 1999
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