Coming Across
LRuth

 Rating: G 

Spoilers: Forget the last season. 

Type of story: AU, in my world children stay with their parents, most dead people stay dead, and Mulder and Scully live mostly happily ever after. This is a crossover story with Crossing Over (well, that's confusing.)

Tuesday, 6:30 p.m., Georgetown

"Mulder, you are watching way too much daytime television."

"Aw, come on, Scully, it'll be fun. It's only one day, and Maggie already said she'd watch Will. Besides, do you know how hard it is to get these tickets?"

"Do you think it's a X-File, Mulder? Aren't we supposed to be leaving X-Files to Agents Doggett and Reyes?"

Mulder flopped down onto the couch and grabbed a pillow. Scrunching it up, he pouted, "Scully, just because I am off the X-files, doesn't mean I'm not interested in the paranormal. This is just for my . . , I mean, our, own amusement."

Scully studied him for a few minutes. Sighing, she sat down and kicked off her shoes. "Okay, Mulder, but you have to take me out to lunch at the Russian Tea Room while we are in New York."

Grinning, he tossed the pillow at her. "It's a deal. We leave Friday morning at 8:30 a.m."

**************************

Friday, 11:00 a.m., New York sound stage for Crossing Over:

Entering the room, Scully paused to look around. The seats were filled with a large crowd, from old ladies to young teens. She followed Mulder up the steps to the two seats he had spotted. Large white hangings softened the walls, and center stage was a raised round platform. She leaned over to speak to Mulder.

"Mulder, you don't really believe this guy communicates with the dead, do you? I mean, he's got to be throwing out general comments and picking up on whoever responds."

"I don't know, Scully. Sometimes he really hits right on the mark. I suppose he could be reading minds, but if he is, he's good at it. Here he comes - let's see what happens."

An attractive young man entered the room and rapidly strode to the raised platform. Taking a deep breath, he glanced around the room and began to speak.

"Hi, I'm John Edward. Welcome to Crossing Over. First of all, let me explain how this works. I will receive impressions of the first letter of a name, or how a name sounds. Above means older than you, below means someone younger, beside means your peer or someone your age. Please understand that what I say has some kind of meaning, even though it may not be clear to you at the time . . . "

"Covering his bases," Scully muttered.

"Shhh," Mulder hissed.

" . . . and, now I'm ready to begin. I'm getting an R name, maybe an R and an S together, like Ross, Rose, something like that. I think it's coming from this area . . . "

Scully watched with resigned interest as Mr. Edward led a sobbing woman through a list of responses. She had to grudgingly admit that he came up with some pretty specific facts. Leaning over to Mulder, she suggested, "Make a note to check out if he has someone investigate these people ahead of time."

"Shhh," Mulder hissed.

Suddenly he was standing in front of their section of the audience.

"I'm getting a strong reaction from this area. This is from someone beside, a sister or cousin, definitely a female. I'm getting an M name, an M and an L together, like Millie, Melinda, Melissa. Who has a sister Melissa that's passed?"

Mulder poked Scully in the ribs. She shot him a "don't you dare" look.

Two rows below, a woman answered. "I have a Mary Lisa who has passed."

John pondered for a moment. "Is there also a younger person who has passed who also has a name with M and L?"

The woman shook her head.

John looked around. "No, sorry, it's not for you. I think it's in this row," indicating two rows further up. He looked directly at Scully.

Surprising herself, Scully spoke. "I have a sister Melissa who has passed."

"Is there also a younger person with M and L, like Emil, Emily, that's also passed?"

Scully felt her heart drop to her feet. "Yes, I have a daughter Emily who has passed."

John nodded. "This is for you. Is Melissa your sister?"

Scully nodded yes. She couldn't speak.

"She wants you to know that she has your daughter with her. Did your sister pass first? I get the impression that she was there to welcome your daughter."

Scully felt tears welling up. "Yes, she passed first."

John pondered. "I get the feeling that you have lost a lot of family members in a fairly short period of time. There are a lot of personalities coming through. There's an older male, a father figure, a father, uncle, older brother. Do you understand this? Your father? Hold on . . . "

Scully could only nod. She faintly felt Mulder take her hand in his.

"Okay, Melissa is pulling back. I'm getting a military connection. Do you have family members in the military?"

Mulder answered for her. "Her father and both brothers. Navy men."

"The father has passed? Both brothers are still here? I'm getting the number four, like there were four children, or the fourth month."

"Four children in my family," Scully blurted.

"I'm getting a picture of Charlie Brown, like the cartoons."

"Her brother's name is Charles," Mulder answered.

"Okay, this is your dad's way of acknowledging that I have the right person. Your mother is still here? Why am I getting a picture of a white whale, like Moby Dick?"

Scully gasped. "My dad's nickname was Ahab, he called me Starbuck."

"Definitely this is for you. This is a strong reading. Okay, why is your dad telling me that the something about the dog is wrong, like it didn't fit."

Mulder let out a laugh. "She named her dog Queequeg, from Moby Dick."

"But the name didn't fit? Something about the name . . . "

"I can see him saying that. It was a Pomeranian." Scully smiled through her tears.

"The dog has passed also? He is showing me the dog."

Mulder answered, "Yes, the dog died."

"I'm getting a feeling of approval, like he wants you to know he approves of something. Did you not get a chance before he passed to know if he approved of something in your life?"

Scully felt Mulder slip his arm around her. She nodded, too overcome to speak.

"Did you almost lose a close male figure, someone your age, like a husband or brother, or close friend? Was someone gravely ill, near to death? More than one time?"

Scully looked at Mulder. "Yes, very near to death."

"He's letting me know he was aware of that. He's pulling back now. Thank you for coming."

John stepped back, began to turn away, and hesitated. Turning back to Scully, he stood a moment.

"We may not be through here. I'm getting another impression. Your mother is alive, right? Who is the older female, very strong, who passed recently? An aunt, grandmother, mother-in-law?"

Scully looked at Mulder. "His mother passed not long ago."

"And how are you related? You are the husband?"

Mulder smiled at Scully. "Close enough. Not officially."

The audience laughed. John grinned and shook his head. "No need to explain that. But you are close? Did you recently have a child together?"

Mulder grinned. "Yes, a few months ago."

"But you are not the father of the child that passed? This is strange, I don't see a father figure attached to that child."

Mulder shook his head. "Let's not go there, okay?"

John put up one hand. "Fair enough. I don't want to drag out personal stuff. I'm getting two older males, maybe a father and an uncle, or grandfather. Did two older males pass, both in a violent fashion? Maybe a father and another male who acted as a father to you?"

Mulder looked confused. "Two males? My father was murdered."

Scully gasped. She whispered, "Could he be talking about CGB?"

Mulder turned white.

John studied Mulder's face. "I'm getting two older males, both father figures. Do you understand this? We don't have to get into details."

Mulder nodded. Now it was Scully's turn to offer support. She squeezed Mulder's arm.

"They want me to acknowledge two younger males. They are showing them to your side, like two brothers or friends, who also died violently. Do you understand this? I'm getting the number four, like four children in the family, but only one is left. I guess that would be you."

Mulder shook his head. "No, I only had one sister. Maybe it's mixed up with your family?" He turned to Scully.

John thought for a minute. "No, it's definitely you. You didn't have two brothers? Or cousins, or close friends who were like brothers? You said you had a sister? Has she passed? Hold on."

John stood with a puzzled expression. "Okay, this is strange. I'm getting four children, but one is a blank, like no data available. Two males who passed, one male alive, and a great big blank. Do you understand this?"

Mulder passed his hand over his face. "Not exactly, but possibly."

John stood for a moment. "They are pulling back. I think we are done here. Let's take a break, and we'll be right back with another reading."

Scully looked at Mulder. "Do you want to leave now?"

Mulder shook his head. "No, I need to watch him work with someone else. I don't know how he got all that information. Why didn't Samantha come through? And who are the two younger males . . . unless . . ."

"What?" asked Scully.

"God, Scully, you don't think he meant Jeffrey? If one of the older males was CGB, it could be Jeffrey? But then who would the other one be?"

Scully looked at the floor. "You don't suppose he meant Krycek, do you?"

Shocked, Mulder stared. "You don't mean . . . he did call me brother more than once. I just thought it was a figure of speech."

Scully hesitated. "Mulder, it would explain where he came from, and why he didn't kill you when he had plenty of opportunity. But would this mean that CGB is really your father? I know he said he was, but I never believed it."

Just then a young man approached with a note. "Mr. Edward would like to speak with you after the show, if you are available."

Mulder looked at Scully, who nodded. "Sure, what do we do?"

"Just wait here, and someone will escort you to a room afterwards."

After the show, they were shown to a private office. As they waited for Mr. Edward, Mulder prowled around, reading the framed thank-you letters from previous clients. He was showing one from a famous movie star to Scully when John Edward walked in. Mr. Edward shook their hands and thanked them for waiting. They introduced themselves and all sat down.

"I know you are wondering why I asked for this meeting. I just wanted to say that I have seldom had as strong a reading as I got from both of you. There were many details I didn't reveal on camera, and I wondered if you would mind if I gave some of them to you now? I admit, some are simply for my own curiosity, just to see if I am reading this right. Do either of you work in law enforcement?"

Scully reached in her pocket and pulled out her ID badge. "I teach at Quantico."

John looked at Mulder. Mulder cleared his throat. "Retired FBI."

"But you were field agents? I'm asking because I picked up a lot of violence around you, a lot of violent deaths, and I didn't really know what I had at first."

Mulder spoke. "You could say that. We've been involved in trying to solve a lot of violent crimes. We specialized in particularly unusual cases."

"When your mother came through, I got the feeling that in some way she was responsible for her own death, but it was a case where she only hastened the death, like she was suffering from a fatal illness. Do you understand this?"

"Yes, my mother was a suicide. She had a very serious cancer."

"She wanted you to know that she is okay. Whatever issues she was dealing with are resolved now."

Mulder sighed. "Thank you."

John looked at Scully. "Your sister has a very strong presence. I almost feel like she is still hovering around, like she wants to tell you something. Was she psychic?"

Scully smiled, remembering Melissa's fascination with "new age" interests. "Yes, I'd say she was probably psychic. But I think all of us were to some extent. I know I've seen things I can't explain."

John studied Scully's face. "I would love to do a personal reading with you sometime. There are some very eerie things floating around you, but unfortunately, I have some other commitments right now and have to cut this short. Please consider scheduling an appointment with me."

"Listen, if you ever want to contact me, feel the need, here's my card. I don't ordinarily do this, but somehow I feel that yours is a special case, and I would like to know how the two of you are doing. Thanks for coming today."

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