From: k.morse@ntlworld.com   
      
   echoes part 3 (disclaimer in part one)   
      
      
   Scully wasn't sure what woke her up,   
   whether it was the worsening noises from   
   Mulder's chest or that odd dream she had   
   about a crack in the earth opening up   
   and swallowing her whole. A scream or   
   loud boom seemed to punctuate things at   
   one point and she jerked forward with a   
   start, her shoeless feet making contact   
   with soft carpet bringing her back to the   
   present. Where was she? ...oh yes. Ireland,   
   her aunt's cottage with its many eccentricities   
   and candles. Dream catchers and crystals   
   catching the sun, making dancing prisms on   
   the stucco walls. If it had just been a dream   
   why were her ears still ringing? Jetlag her   
   mind supplied, just jetlag and excitement   
   of the last day, weeks even. Probably the   
   prolonged flight that she wasn't used to   
   and that little pocket of worry about her   
   partner that was never far from the surface,   
   but there he was, safe right beside her on   
   the sofa.   
      
   Oh she knew it was silly to fuss and fret   
   over the fact he had a cold but each year,   
   now he was getting older and the accumulative   
   effects of more and more injuries meant that   
   before when he used to shrug it all off with   
   just a sniffle and a funny throat for a day   
   or so, now she had to keep a close eye on   
   him when it went to his chest. Since he'd   
   had that last bout of pneumonia the doctor   
   in her and the lover felt on constant   
   tender hooks. Scully rubbed her stiffened arms   
   and touched where he'd drooled on her, then   
   peered carefully at his flushed cheeks.   
   She couldn't help it when her hand reached   
   out to touch his brow anymore than she could   
   stop herself breathing. He was burning up,   
   heat radiating out of him like a pyre into   
   the air. It was when she bent over him to   
   undo his shirt a little more that she saw it.   
   A little black furry face peered out from   
   under his right arm. Scully couldn't help   
   but smile. She'd often told him he had animal   
   magnetism and this just proved it.   
      
   "You're okay with cats aren't you Dana? Forgot   
   to ask your Ma. Not allergic or anything?" Scully   
   turned on hearing Katherine's voice and smiled,   
   shaking her head. The old lady put down another   
   tray of steaming tea and best china. Tea seemed   
   a panacea for everything just like her Mom used   
   to say but there the similarity between her and   
   her great aunt ended, except for perhaps the eyes.   
      
   "I'm fine with cats; I love all animals, so does   
   Mulder. No allergies... we're fine thanks." She   
   got up to help her with the tray and cutting   
   yet another delicious looking cake.   
      
    "That's good then. Seamus was always a man's   
   cat." She gestured to Mulder's sleeping form   
   with fondness as they set the small table with   
   the tray. "Ned found him in a quarry as a small   
   kitten and brought him home. They were inseparable   
   ..."  Scully watched her aunt's eyes cloud slightly   
   until they resembled the grey sky outside, but   
   only for a few beats. "I think he still misses him.   
   The scent of a man and the way Ned would pet him...   
   Looks like he's found a new friend there."   Her   
   aunt's eyes lingered out at the sea landscape   
   through the windows, momentarily lost in thought.   
   Eyes fixed on an imaginary spot in her memory   
   only her aunt could see. Scully turned away and   
   let her have her privacy. Seamus opened one   
   languid green eye and blinked at her watching   
   her intently, when Mulder started coughing.   
      
   The cat, sensing his warm sleeping spot might   
   move at any minute stretched his claws across   
   his human cushion's chest,  jumped down and   
   shimmied a few rotations around Scully's legs   
   before mewling and bolting off in the direction   
   of the kitchen where gorgeous smells were emanating.   
      
   Mulder stirred and didn't wake but Scully, the   
   doctor never far from the surface went to check   
   on him, placing her fingers gently on his wrist.   
   Observing how his pulse jumped about in his   
   throat. Oh Mulder.   
      
   "He should be in bed for sure. Looks all done in.   
   You look after that man.... love like that is a   
   precious thing. Redwood among sprouts, think   
   I heard that expression once."   
      
   "Yes, yes he is ...." Scully agreed, smiling at   
   the old woman's expression, but her touch   
   never leaving Mulder wrist, wondering where   
   she had heard that before too.   
      
   "Aye, I put you in the big room.Nice big satalite   
   Tv in case mulder doesn't feel well enough to get   
   up. There's an open hearth up there too so you   
   will be nice and warm. Mild for March I know but   
   nights can be glacial."   
      
   " Mulder will appreciate the Tv, beleive me. I   
   hope we're not putting you out of your bed."   
      
   "Eh, No, it's a big house but since I have   
   to be up at the crack of dawn to tend to the   
   animals and birds I don't want to disturb you.   
   I sleep down here mostly. I also snore enough   
   to wake the dead. I wouldn't wish that on me   
   worst enemy. Like sucking porridge through a   
   straw, it is. Besides, don't want to disturb   
   you young folks if you want a ..erm, lie in   
   when I have to get up at the crack of dawn."   
   Katharine gave her a knowing wink on her way   
   back to the kitchen. Scully bit her bottom   
   lip as brushed Mulder's hand with her own   
   before standing to follow her.   
      
   "Thanks. Oh I'm sorry katherine, my manners.   
   Can I help, do you need me to do anything   
   in the kitchen?"   
      
   "Eh,no dear. Got it covered."   
      
   Once in the kitchen Scully reached into her   
   pants pocket and took out her cell phone.   
      
   "I just looked at the time; I better call my   
   mom and let her know we got here in once piece.   
   I never meant to sleep that long. All that heat   
   pouring off Mulder made me doze off. " She   
   frowned when it came up 'no signal'. She put it   
   away again.   
      
   "Oh I'm sorry Dana," Katharine turned to her   
   while she stirred something on the stove. " I   
   forgot to mention, you can't get a cell phone   
   to work for love nor money up here. The house   
   phone too is a hit or miss affair if it has a   
   tantrum and won't work. One of the joys of   
   living in the sticks. But.."  she grinned as   
   she waved her cooking spoon in the air   
   suddenly,  " we have  the internet as you know.   
   A godsend out here and keeps an old woman company   
   when the nights are dark and lonely. Why not   
   email your Ma and let her know you've arrived.   
   I'll just go fire up the lappy for ya. I'll   
   be in the study, you stir? " She handed her   
   niece the spoon and wiped her hands down her   
   apron.   
      
   "Thanks I will." Scully took over the cooking   
   duty and startled a little when she heard someone   
   behind her.   
      
   Mulder came yawning into the kitchen as Katherine   
   vanished into another room somewhere. Arms   
   stretched above his head, he let his back and   
   sore muscles reach some semblance or normality,   
   his spine noisily clicking into place before   
   yawning again. Scully thought he looked like hell,   
   all bleary eyed and red nosed.   
      
   He grinned goofily at her. She loved him all   
   the more then because he looked so cute with a   
   tuft of hair sticking up like a Peruvian guinea   
   pig and rucked up socks working their way off   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)