From: char@chaffin.com   
      
   WISH FULFILLMENT   
   By Char Chaffin   
   Post ep for "Je Souhaite"   
   MSR, R, first-time MSR   
   Vague Spoilers: FTF, seasons Six and Seven   
   Disclaimers:  Clones on Loan   
      
   Special Dedication:  To Lidia, whose kindness, thoughtfulness and   
   devotion within the fandom knows no bounds   
      
   Thanks:  To Tess, Sallie, Robin and Carol for excellent beta and   
   preview, thumbs-up... and friendship!   
      
      
   Summary:  Sometimes there are four wishes.  One final gift...   
      
      
   "Wish Fulfillment"   
      
      
      
   When I made my final wish I was looking directly into the eyes of a   
   Jinn many, many years old.  I made it without hesitation; I made it   
   with generosity and unselfishness.  In fact, it may have been one of   
   the single most unselfish acts of my life.   
      
   I could see by the way her eyes widened, by the sound of her   
   startled breath catching in her throat, that she never expected,   
   couldn't have seen that one coming.  I'd surprised a Jinn.   
      
   How...surreal.   
      
   Her reply in turn surprised me, for she laid a hand on my arm and   
   murmured, "Are you sure?  It's something I could have only dreamed -   
   are you SURE?"  Her eyes were searching mine as carefully as she'd   
   presented her question.  And I figured by offering me a moment to   
   think about it, she was in fact trying to convince herself she'd   
   heard correctly.   
      
   I took a deep breath, and my voice came out firm and strong.  "Yes.   
   I'm sure."   
      
   She seemed stunned.  "Well...well.  In all of the years I've endured   
   this burden; this 'gift', nobody has - even in a joking manner -   
   spoken of setting me free.  The human race is greedy and in that   
   greed, forever predictable.  But you, Agent Mulder...you've knocked   
   my socks off.  That is, you'd have knocked my socks off, if I'd been   
   wearing any.  Socks, that is.  Not that I go around barefoot.  I   
   don't.  And I'm babbling.  I never babble.  Until now, it would seem."   
      
   As I said, I'd surprised a Jinn.  My grin probably filled my face   
   from ear to ear as I realized anew what I'd done - what I'd offered.   
      
   For a moment we stood, fairly close to each other, face to face.  We   
   locked eyes and gazed unblinkingly, Jenn unsmiling and me grinning.   
   She still had a hand on my arm; without thinking about it, I'd   
   covered that small hand with one of my own.  When the corners of her   
   mouth finally turned up in a smile that raced along her cheeks and   
   then lit up her entire face, I squeezed her hand, and I murmured   
   three decisive words to her.   
      
   "Take it, Jenn."   
      
   She nodded, almost dreamily.  "I will.  You can be sure of it.  But   
   before I do; before I grant myself my heart's desire, Agent   
   Mulder...I think I have one small boon left.  I know if I look hard   
   enough I can find a final wish.  You just gave me something   
   priceless, and a gift like that entitles you to one more wish.  It's   
   mine to give, you see.  Never, ever have I given more than three   
   wishes at a time. You'll be my exception."   
      
   Now it was my turn to stare, to be taken way off guard.  I could   
   feel my jaw drop.  Another wish.  Holy -   
      
   I started mouthing the exclamation and indeed almost uttered it   
   aloud, but thankfully before I did, Jenn slapped a palm over my mouth   
   and her eyes snapped a warning at me.  "Careful, Mr. Mulder.  This is   
   a very tricky gift.  It comes with conditions.  Anything you say   
   could be deemed a wish and could happen...even something as   
   ridiculous as a 'holy cow'...or worse."   
      
   She removed her hand and I let out a whoosh of shaky breath.  I   
   nodded soberly to let her know I understood, and she nodded back.   
   She crooked a finger at me and obligingly I bent down, a bit taken   
   aback when she curved a hand around my neck and pulled me close   
   enough to whisper in my ear. What she told me almost brought me to my   
   knees...   
      
   ***********************   
      
   We clinked beer bottles in a vague salute to nothing more than the   
   comfy feeling of being together on a regular evening in a not-so-   
   regular week.  Scully looked relaxed, in fact this was the most   
   relaxed I'd seen her in awhile.  It wasn't the first time we'd shared   
   popcorn and a beer over a guy-flick, and I knew it wouldn't be the   
   last.  It was normal and had the makings of fun; an evening just   
   typical enough to send a little shiver of anticipation up my spine.   
      
   What gave me the real shivers was knowing that so very soon,   
   everything would change between us.   
      
   I hoped.   
      
   We settled in to watch the movie, one we'd both seen several times.   
   I hitched myself a little closer to Scully; she curled her feet   
   underneath her and leaned a coppery head against my shoulder.  I   
   dropped an arm around her and snuggled her; it seemed like the right   
   thing to do.  There was silence between us but it was easy.  It was   
   comfortable.   
      
   It made my heart pound like mad, for all I could think was that I'd   
   finally been given my heart's desire by a grateful Jinn, and this was   
   the one gift I'd never want to return.  Ever.   
      
   I could still hear Jenn's soft whisper in my ear, could still feel   
   the way my pulse had sped up when I received my wish.  It had   
   actually touched me - deep inside almost as if a hand had been laid   
   over my beating heart - and that was how I knew this time, I'd really   
   gotten it.   
      
   Talk about shivers...   
      
   "Heed this gift, Agent Mulder.  Listen well.  As you have given my   
   heart's desire to me, so I give yours to you.  I give it as a kiss to   
   your cheek and a blessing on your soul.  You have five seconds to   
   think it; say it aloud - and then the kiss and the gift...are yours."   
      
   I didn't hesitate.  I was in a kind of shock, but my heart spoke for   
   me; my heart knew what I most desired.  As if in a dream I found   
   myself rasping out an emotional, "My heart's desire is the love of   
   Dana Scully, if she's ready to share it with me, and if her love for   
   me can equal mine, for her."   
      
   I closed my eyes in sudden panic when I felt the cool brush of   
   Jenn's lips over my cheek.  When she pulled back to look at me, her   
   eyes were bright with unshed tears.  She nodded once, then turned and   
   walked away...but she glanced over her shoulder before she walked out   
   the door, and her last words to me were sweet.   
      
   "You're a very nice man, Agent Mulder.  A very nice man."   
      
   ****************   
      
   Well, as wishes went, it sure wasn't earth-altering, for anyone but   
   me, that is.  My wish wouldn't stop wars, create peace among enemies,   
   make criminals give up their evil ways or help control global warming   
   and big-city pollution.  I wasn't naive enough to think a few well-   
   meaning but ill-worded wishes uttered to a Jinn could solve all of   
   that.  Believe me, I'd tried.  And I'd failed, much to my bitter   
   disappointment.  After all, the human race is just that - all too   
   human.   
      
   But this final wish was something very special.  This final wish was   
   a 'thank you' like no other I'd ever received.  The generosity with   
   which it was given just blew me away every time I thought of it after   
   Jenn and I parted company.  The hope that it would come true, and the   
   happiness that hope instilled in me, far outweighed any suspicion   
   that Jenn-the-former-Jinn didn't have the power to grant a fourth   
   wish to little old me.   
      
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)