Title: Destiny
by DaWtrBabe
Rating: PG for a bad word ::oooh how naughty of me::
Disclaimer: ::rolls eyes:: Mulder Scully Samantha and Mrs. Scully ::yawn:: aren't mine::stretch::there Chris Carters and 1013's::falls off chair:: and neither is SlowDance::falls asleep





"Destiny?Essie, honey, come on. It's time to go home."
Scully reached out and put her hand on her daughters' back, urging her forwards. As she did, Scully noticed how thin the child was getting and mentally reminded herself to make a malt when they got back to house. She shifted Kerry to her other hip so she could pick up Emma, who was dragging along. Up ahead she spotted Mulder with the boys. He said something suddenly and Jeff punched the air, making Scully smile. Her husband carried Roger, on his shoulders, and she could just see the top of his curly light brown head. He had her eyes-well almost; his had more green then hers. Her other son was Mulder straight through and through. It was her twins, Kerry and Emma, she didn't get. How in heck had they ended up with their beautiful gray eyes and amazingly white-blonde curly hair? It was oldest daughter who looked most like her- same clear blue eyes and dark red hair, though the child's fell down to her waist.
Scully looked ahead at the setting sun and was reminded how lucky they were to be blessed with such wonderful kids. Though they didn't make her life easy-not only was she an FBI agent, in fact head of the Bureau along with her husband, not only did she investigate the paranormal, but she had 5 children ages 18 mo, 18 mo, 3, 5, and 8. Whoa!


When they got home, Scully set about making dinner. Suddenly the kitchen door swung open and Destiny came in. "Mommy? I don't feel good"
Scully put down the potato she was peeling and felt her daughters' forehead. "Well you don't have a fever, sweetie. What's wrong?"
"My head hurts real bad, and I feel real dizzy" the little girl mummered.
Her mother frowned. "You've been complaining of headaches for a while. Well I'll give you some Tylenol and in the morning we'll go to the doctor. Why don't you lie down for now/'
"Kay"
After dinner when the boys and the twins were in bed, Scully called Destiny over. "Time for hair-braiding." This was a nightly ritual for them. She had just twisted her daughters' hair one final time when suddenly Destiny collapsed on the floor.
""DeeDee? DeeDee?! Wake up!" Scully cried, slapping her daughters' cheeks. "Mulder" she called, and her husband came rushing in. "oh my God, Essie!"
Finally after a few minutes they revived her, and Scully hugged her tight. "What happened, D-Babe" Mulder asked.
"I don't know, it got black." The child mumered drowsily.
Mulder picked her up and carried her to her bedroom, the smallest in the apartment since everyone else shared a room, and set her in bed. Scully tucked the frail little girl into bed and stepped into the hall.
"Mulder," she said. "I'm really worried about Destiny."
He nodded. "Me to. Well we'll take her to the doctor."

The next day Scully sat in the doctors' office. "What do mean, you have to run some MRI's she cried. "Why?"
"Dana please calm down" said the doctor, who happened to be Nancy, her friend from medical school.
"Look, I can't find any reason for the blackout, so we're just going to run a few tests. Okay?"
"Ok I guess."
"Mommy what's a MRI" Destiny asked.
"It's a special thing where they take a picture of the inside of your head to find out what's wrong."
"can I have ice cream after we're done?"
"Sure hon"


the MRI's took place the next day. Mulder had to take Destiny because Scully had a meeting with an agent who had lost his weapon. The scan went fine though Destiny was understandably scared. Afterwards they got ice cream.

But that afternoon, Scully received a call from the doctor who asked them to come right away. After dropping the younger kids off at Samantha's apartment, they took Destiny into the office and had her stay in the waiting room. The second they entered the office, Scully sensed something was wrong. She recognized another friend from med school, Kasey Holtz, who specialized in oncology..
"Oh shit."
"Hello Dana. Nice to see you again."
"Oh shit"
"Yes Dana, it's true. What you've already figured out is true. I specialize in oncology. Your daughter has a brain tumor. I'd give her a 3 months, maybe less.'

Scully felt all the breath seep out of her. She collapsed limply into Mulders arms, tears streaming down her face. His own hit the floor as he cradled her.
He glanced through the window at his daughter. Dressed in black warm-up pants, sneakers and a blue tee shirt with a matching headband, she looked perfectly normal. Yet she wasn't. she was dying.


When they got home, Scully and Mulder took Destiny for a walk. They bought ice cream and then went to the park, where they sat on a bench. "Honey we need to talk to you"
"okay..is it about what the doctor said?'
"Yes." Scully said and pulled the child into her lap.
"Baby there's no easy way to tell you this." Mulder said.
"you have cancer. You're dying."
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!"
sobbing Destiny buried her face I her mothers chest. Scully held her and rocked her, mummering over and over, "Shhh, it's okay, it's all right"
"Can't they fix me?" she asked later, when the tears had stopped.
"No honey they can't"
"When will I die?"
"About three months"
"Can we go to my ocean then? Till I die?"


and so they did. They rented a mansion right next to a Maine beach. Samantha came, as did Mrs. Scully. They swam constantly and they walked along the three-mile beach. They had picnics and looked up at the stars. And they talked, about death and about what it meant and what would happen.

Two and half months later, on a late night, they were out taking a walk. Destiny had been getting considerably worse, but that night, she seemed almost back to normal.

Then suddenly Destiny stopped. "It's time" she said softly. "Good-bye everyone."
Walking around she gave her grandmother and aunt hugs as well as her uncles. Then came her sibs. She picked them all up and hugged them. Then her parents scooped their baby girl up and hugged her, tears streaming down their faces. Destiny seemed calm as she faced them all and said "Live life to it's fullest everyone. You never know when it may disappear. And don't worry about me. I am in God's hands. The angels have me in their grip. God bless."
Then she undressed and lay down on the sand, wrapping herself in her special blanket, the one that every family member had added something to and helped sew. Her freckles were calm on her pale skin, and her clear blue eyes shone with magic. Her dark red hair spread around her like a cloak, keeping he safe. Then her eyes shut a final time. She was gone.


As Scully walked back to the house she remembered the day her baby had been born, and how much joy she'd brought into their lives. When the girl had come into the world, she had known that there really are miracles. Destiny, they had named her, and see where destiny had taken her?

She was cremated. They tossed her ashes into her beloved sea. Her parents talked about her love and laughter and kindness, her love for all things alive. How she had made their lives complete. How they had finally come full circle.

The stood at the brow of the ship, looking out over the water. Scully held Kerry and Emma and Mulder held Jeff and Roger as they stared out, wondering what destiny awaited Destiny in Heaven. Everywhere the image, the mirage of her reflection of her screamed at them , and then suddenly the reflection ahead of them winked, that famous trademark I'm-ok-it's-all-good-wink, and this wasn't a mirage. This was real. And they felt a peace spread over them, as Destiny, sweet destiny, filled their souls.




*Authors Note * this poem, supposedly written by a girl dying of cancer, fits in very well with the story:


S L O W D A N C E

Have you ever watched kids
On a merry-go-round
Or listened to the rain
lapping on the ground?
Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?
You better slow down
Don't dance so fast
Time is short
The music won't last
Do you run through each day on the fly?
When you ask "How are you?"
Do you hear the reply?
When the day is done,
Do you lie in your bed
With the next hundred chores
Running through your head?
You'd better slow down
Don't dance so fast
Time is short
The music won't last
Ever told your child,
We'll do it tomorrow
And in your haste, not see his sorrow?
Ever lost touch,
Let a good friendship die
'Cause you never had time
To call and say "Hi"?
You'd better slow down
Don't dance so fast
Time is short
The music won't last
When you run so fast to get somewhere
You miss half the fun of getting there.
When you worry and hurry through your day,
It is like an unopened gift....
Thrown away...
Life is not a race.
Do take it slower
Hear the music
Before the song is over.