THE X-FILES
"AROUND THE WORLD IN TWELVE MONTHS"
PART FIVE
"A Party in Paris"
By Alien Girl
comixgirl@juno.com

Rating: PG

Classification: Adventure, Mulder/Scully romance

Spoilers: none

DISCLAIMER FROM PART ONE APPLIES TO PART FIVE AS WELL...what a
surprise!!!

Song Disclaimer: This part's song is "Kiss Me", by Sixpence None the
Richer. Very nice song, wish I could actually play it! I'm sure several
of you have actually heard of this song, it's rather popular...so you may
get some clues as to what this one'll be about...:)

Summary: The group spends an exciting...if not paranormal...holidays in
Paris, France...where Christmas and New Years are not the only things
being celebrated...

Author's Notes: Okay, by this time I'm not going to repeat myself with
what you need to read before, if you're this far you must *really* like
my stuff! Congats and thanks! I know there hasn't been major shippiness
the past few, but in this one things will finally get going...and I think
several people will be very pleased with this one! Paris should be easy
to describe...I've been there twice! Nice city, just don't breathe the
air there too much...and if you eat lunch, be prepared for the waiters to
expect you to stay there two hours or so! Also...my french spelling isn't
that wonderful (whose is?) so forgive me for that!

On with the show!!!!

------------------------------------------------------------------
**************"AROUND THE WORLD IN TWELVE MONTHS"*****************
......................'A Party in Paris'..........................
************************By Alien Girl*****************************
------------------------------------------------------------------

"Kiss Me"

(Sorry...the song is going to be changed to "Paris Holds the Key to Your
Heart"!! :))
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_


	12:30 P.M.
	Monday, December 13th, 1999
	Seine River
	Paris, France

	"I wonder what sort of psychopath actually decided to call this
the 'Seine' river..."
	A very crowded 'Skeptic' moved briskly through the dark and
clouded waters of the Seine River, carrying it's six occupants and plenty
of provisions for several weeks. 
	'The Believer' had spent about a month or so at sea, with
occasional stops along the western coast of Africa and Europe. At first
they had wanted to go through the Mediterranean Sea up to Paris, but then
Maggie had concluded that they could take a much easier route simply by
going up around Spain and through the English Channel to where the Seine
River emptied into the sea and took them straight to Paris. Although it
would be a hastle for them to go all the way back down the Spanish coast
and then through the Mediterranean to get to Venice and Egypt, they had
all finally decided that it would be the best way to save time.
	Although The Seine was definitely large enough for 'The Believer'
to pass through, the group had decided that it would be too much of a
problem to navigate the very large houseboat down the already-crowded
French River, and that it may draw too much attention to them when the
last thing they wanted was a fan club following them. So instead they
decided to take 'The Skeptic' and all of their provisions they would be
needing to the place they would be staying in Paris. The smaller
speedboat, although crowded, was still just as comfortable and convenient
as 'The Believer' itself.
	There had been a bit of adjusting to consider when they had
arrived in France...for one thing, they went through a very drastic
climate change. It was the second time they had crossed the equator on
the trip, and they went from it being a very hot and humid summer in the
dry serengeti of South Africa to a very cold and foggy winter in the
crowded streets of Paris. Maggie found herself often flipping through her
translator for directions and communication...not to mention trying to
decode the odd French spelling that seemed a foreign language in itself.
Nonetheless, the small party of six was determined to have their share of
a good time while staying in the ancient...not to mention romantic...city
of Paris.
	"Well, for one thing Troi, "Seine" doesn't mean the same thing in
French as it does in English," Scully answered Troi's sudden question. It
was the first time anyone had talked in a long time, since everyone was
basically too busy staring in awe at all the surrounding architecture to
carry much of a conversation. Most of the buildings were exactly the same
way they were from hundreds of years ago, the streets were all dark
cobblestone, the buildings made of wood and stone and covered with
lichen, and the air filled with the smells of outdoor shops and
cigarettes and the river...the whole place was intoxicating.
	"Whoah!!!" Samantha exclaimed suddenly, bringing her SamCam to
bear. The group turned...and realized that she was looking at a large
building looming up in the distance. It was a cathedral, with twin towers
looming at the top and a circular glass window in the center, near the
top. Lining the entire cathedral were larger-than-life statues, possibly
of saints. The entire cathedral looked very old, but at the same time
somewhat shiny, suggesting that it had been restored recently. The entire
cathedral was on a large island in the middle of the river, and was
surrounded by trees and a few other buildings.
	"I know what that is...it's the Notre Dame Cathedral," Scully
said with wonderment. "One of the major landmarks of Paris...there's all
kinds of myths and such surrounding the cathedral...including the
Hunchback of Notre Dame. I had to read that book in High School. Very
depressing."
	"Sanctuary.....sanctuary...." Samantha said in a mocking tone as
she filmed the approaching cathedral.
	"It's certainly beautiful," Maggie commented, gazing at the
intricate spiral designs lining the monstrous cathedral's exterior.
"Makes you wonder how they could have built the whole thing back
then...so much stonecarving and engineering and even putting the stained
glass windows together. Sometime we *have* to have a look inside..."
	"Our dock's coming up," Tina warned. A small crew was waiting
near the edge of the river to tie up 'The Skeptic' and help unload
supplies. From there they would take a taxi to their hotel. 
	Mulder waved to the waiting crew, and they set out a small
gangplank as 'The Skeptic' slowed to a crawl. Soon the boat was up
against the small stone dock and tied -somewhat insecurely- to the post.
Four frenchmen instantly began to climb aboard their vessel and lift the
boxes and bags onto the deck where they could be put in a taxi. The group
themselves struggled to get past the overzealous dock assistants and back
to dry land. 
	Scully helped Troi over the small wooden gangplank to land, and
Samantha followed, still recording. 
	But as Mulder started to cross the narrow walkway, one of the
assistants accidentally swung a bag over his shoulder, striking Mulder in
the side.
	"WAAAAAAUUUUUUGGGGGGG!!!!"

	**KER-SPLASH**!!!

	When Mulder's head bobbed above water again, the only thing that
met his grimy vision were his five friends laughing their heads off.
	Mulder struggled to stay on the surface, his entire body soaked
to the bone, his hair plastered to his head with a piece of alge stuck
behind his ear like a seaweed pen. He spat out a mouthful of dirty, mucky
Paris sewer water and stared up with contempt at Scully's laughing face.
	"I suppose you thought that was *funny*?" He sputtered.
	"Well Mulder..." Scully snickered, "I always said you were
'In-Seine!!!'"
	Samantha collapsed against a stone wall for support as she was
overcome by hiccups of hilarious laughter as her older brother swam
disgustedly to shore.

	2:35 P.M.
	Sunday, December 19th, 1999
	Paris, France

	Nearly a week had gone by since the party of six had arrived in
Paris, and already they had gotten much accomplished. 
	But at the moment it was up to Samantha, Troi, Mulder and Scully
to accomplish the task of bringing back some baghettes and vegetables for
their dinner that night.
	"So why *is* your mom making us go out and buy food for tonight,
anyway?" Scully asked Mulder as they tread slowly down the cobblestone
streets that twisted in and out of the maze of old buildings. "I wanted
to go to that one place..."Horse's Tavern" or something like that."
	"I guess my mom is trying to get us a night where for dinner they
don't offer us 20 different kinds of alcohol," Mulder winked back.
	Samantha leaned in closer to Troi so that Mulder and Scully
couldn't hear. "And it also gives us an opportune time to do a little
holiday shopping while they get the grub..." 
	Troi almost whooped with excitement. Throughout the course of
their staying in all the foreign countries and basically losing track of
time, she had almost forgotten that Christmas was rapidly approaching.
And, now that she realized it...it would be the first Christmas that she
had ever spent with Dana, Fox, Samantha and the rest of them. The first
Christmas Dana and Fox had been doing something by
themselves...investigating a haunted house or something...so she had gone
and spent Christmas with Maggie. She also remembered how the holidays at
the Home had always had a sort of depressing undertone, no matter how
hard the volunteers running the place would try to make it cheerful. The
presents were always very cheap, and never anything she wanted...they
didn't bother to *find out* what you wanted for Christmas. And you always
had to share your Christmas tree with a dozen other girls...some nice,
and some annoying. Sometimes the others there would save up enough to get
each other presents, but this was somewhat rare. So now Troi was
especially looking forward to this new Christmas. She wished it would
snow, but apparently Paris wouldn't be expecting a white Christmas this
year for some reason. 
	"Hey, maybe we can stop by the Eifel Tower today..." Scully
suggested to Mulder. "We haven't been there yet!" 
	"I don't think *either* of our moms would like that if we went
off the the Tower without them," Mulder reminded her. "Ever since Africa
my mom had been determined to follow my every move."
	"...Unfortunately," Scully added.
	"Oh boy! Another fountain!" Troi exclaimed.
	"Here we go again..."
	Mulder and Scully sighed as Troi rushed up to a large fountain,
with four lions on the sides and some important man standing at the top
of a large pillar. Troi eagerly reached into her pocket and pulled out a
dime, flipping it into the dark water. Troi had made a wager with Mulder
that she could flip a coin into every single fountain in Paris. And so
far she had marked 14 different fountains with her coins.
	Mulder noticed the four stone lions that cornered the pillars on
the fountain, with water squirting out of their mouths. The lions
reminded him of South Africa. "At least there's no deadly animals all
over Paris to attack me..." He said in a relieved voice, positive that he
was cursed to be attacked by some creature or other at every place they
stopped.
	They wandered deeper into the city, passing by old shops with
brick walls, while occasionaly more modern buildings were scattered
throughout. Paris was obviously as modernized as it was ancient, and a
lot of the buildings had lost their old enchanting look in being replaced
by more sophisticated architecture. 
	"I *still* don't see any small stores..." Mulder complained as
they rounded a corner. They found themselves in the middle of a bustling,
crowded street. There were no cars, it was simply a pedestrian walkway.
It was obvious that there were plenty of shops here, and now they were
certain they would find what they were looking for.
	"Oh, here we go," Mulder exclaimed as they came upon a somewhat
crowded outdoor food store. There were carts full of vegetables, fruits,
and the bahgettes that they were looking for. There were also less
appealing foods...pig's feet, and canned crickets...not to mention
escargo.
	Scully turned around, only to discover that Troi and Samantha
were no longer behind her. "Where'd Troi and Sam go?" She quired as they
tread into the store.
	"Weren't they right behind us?"
	"Yeah...but I don't see them now."
	"They're proabably around here somewhere," Mulder said, trying to
remember what his mom and Scully's mother had requested for their dinner
that night. He picked out a few random fruits and vegetables that were at
least recognizable to him, and several baghette sticks. And just for
added interest...he picked up a can of escargo.
	He went to the counter to pay for the food, pulling out the
francs that were necessary for the price. It took him awhile to get out
the words to the store attendant what he was saying, since he was without
the translator. He had learned Spanish, and Scully was fluent in German,
but neither of them knew a word of French. He turned to get Scully's help
carrying his supplies.
But she was nowhere in sight.
	"Scully?"
	He could see a bunch of other people...some merchants, some
Japanese tourists, and some normal Paris residents. But he couldn't see
Scully anywhere.
	(Great...now all *three* of them are missing!)
	He went outside the store, and gazed about the crowded streets.
It was very noisy, and hot with so many people moving in a small area.
Mulder's eyes scanned the bustling crowd, trying to search out a familar
face. Still nothing.
	"Scully! Sam!!! Troi!! Where are you guys?"
	He began to walk through the crowds, around carts, and under
overhangs, searching attentively.
	(Where could they have gone?)
	He was certain that they couldn't have gone far. He hadn't been
in the store for more than 15 minutes. And Scully had been behind him the
entire time...hadn't she?
	"SCULLY! HEY, SAM!!"
	There was no response to his yelling, and several people turned
to him with irritation. He wasn't panicking...just *anxious*. Still he
searched, not sure of where to look. The bag in his hand was heavy,
though, and he didn't think he could carry it much farther without help.
The hotel was not that far away, and he could drop off the food there and
then come back to see if he could find them...but the last thing he
wanted to do was to go back and tell the two older women that he had lost
Scully, Sam and Troi in a Paris crowd...
	He decided to do it anyway. He couldn't look for them well when
he was carrying all this stuff.
	"WHERE ARE YOU GUYS??"
	There was still no response as he walked nervously back to the
hotel. 

	20 minutes later, he was right back on the street looking for
them. 
	Luckily neither of the two mothers had been home to demand what
had happened to the other three. (I just hope I can find them before they
get home themselves...)
	He went right back to the place where he had bought the food. It
was somewhat less crowded now, and he could actually move freely through
the streets, but he still could not see Scully, Samantha or Troi. 
	*Now* he was becoming more than just anxious.
	(They must've just gone off by themselves. Shopping or
something...)
	Mulder decided that that's what he would do...look for them in
different shops. They couldn't have just vanished into thin air...not
with so many people around. 
	(What if someone captured them or carried them off? There are
still those radicals who are upset about the whole Base 3 raid
thing...they could've just grabbed them and stowed them away somewhere
without anyone noticing...or what if they got lost themselves, all three
of them? And they're wandering around not knowing what to do...)
	(No. They probably just stopped at a store or something...) he
forced himself to think.
	He stared around helplessly at the somewhat crowded streets,
trying to plan out his next move.
	(If I were three young women in the middle of Paris...where would
I go?)
	There were several shops surrounding where he was...the food
store, a more modern place that sold designer clothes, another place that
sold out-of-date tourist T-shirts, an old antique shop, and a jewelry
store.
	Mulder decided to try the jewelry store. He walked inside, and
stared at the few people that were peering through glass cases at
necklaces and rings...but none of them were Scully, Samantha or Troi. 
	Still somewhat curious, he walked past the glass cases filled
with jewelry made of gold, sterling silver, precious stones and other
unidentifiable metals. He cast his eyes over the articles carefully,
seeming to forget his mission to find three missing persons. Mulder never
had been very interested in jewelry at all, and neither had Scully.
Samantha had her ears pierced all over, but there were no earrings for
sale. Troi didn't wear that much jewelry, either. But even so, he found
himself suddenly becoming interested in the metallic objects that shined
within their cases. Slowly, slowly yet surely, an idea formed in the back
of his mind...
	Mulder stood over one particular glass case for a long time,
trying to think. He stared at what lay within the case, then looked at
the walls, then back in the case. He appeared somewhat nervous, if not
unsure. His mind wandered, as he thought over what would be the best
thing to do.....
	"Pouvoir moi aifer vous?" An attendant asked him in French.
	Mulder appeared startled. "I...don't speak French..."
	"Can I help you?" She repeated in English. 
	Mulder cast one last glance at the article in the glass case.
"Actually, there is something you could do for me..."

	Awhile later, Mulder reemerged from the jewelry shop, clutching a
bag, feeling very calm and pleased with himself. 
But as he gazed around the cobblestone streets, he realized that he was
still no closer to finding the missing three as before.
	"SCULLY? SAMANTHA? TROI? WHERE ARE YOU??"
	There was no answer. Mulder stared at the sky, and saw how the
sun had begun to dip low in the horizon, indicating that it must have
been a few hours or so since they first came to the marketplace. Looking
at his watch, he realized that it was almost 4:45. 
	*Now* he finally began to panic. They had been missing for almost
two hours...too long for Mulder. What if something really *had* happened
to them? Where could he go for help? He didn't even know where to look
for them anymore. The still-crowded cobblestone streets through the
packed buildings were like a maze, a labyrinth that there was no way out
of. He began to run, casting his eyes left and right and all around,
searching, desperately searching...
	"SCULLY!!!"
	"What, Mulder?"
	Mulder almost leaped out of his skin he was so surprised. He
turned around fast...and there stood Scully, Samantha and Troi.
	"WHEW!!!" Mulder let out a loud sigh of relief. "There you guys
are! I was looking for you for the past two hours...where on *earth* have
you been??" 
	"What's wrong, Fox?" Samantha questioned.
	"I just...I was...forget it."
	"We were just looking around some shops, Mulder," Scully came up
to him, indicating a bag she was carrying. "I thought you heard me say
where I was going."
	"No, I..." He stopped, noticing that they all had some sort of
bag or other with something inside. So they *had* been shopping the
entire time!
	"What...did you think that something had happened to us?" Scully
said, cocking an eyebrow at his still-recovering expression. She noticed
the bag that Mulder was also carrying. "Looks like you did some shopping
yourself."
	"Well...yeah. I was just worried that..."
	"What? You thought some evil thugs had carried us off? Thought
we'd been abducted? Or gotten lost?" She said, almost snickering.
	Mulder shrugged half-heartedly.
	Scully smiled and put her hand on his shoulder. "Mulder...." She
sighed, casting a glance at an observant Troi and Samantha. "Really! You
should learn to relax a little bit." She looked into his face, causing
him to smile. "We're not going to encounter something paranormal in
*every* place that we go..."
	SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!

	Before anyone could say anything else, a sound like a broken
siren and a blinding white light burst forth from the sky, plunging all
of Paris into invisibility.

	Mulder forced his eyes open again, blinking away the spots that
danced before his eyes. He was lying flat on the cobblestones, and
completely unaware of anything around him.
	"Mulder!"
	He came alive at the sound of Scully's voice. Mulder slowly
forced himself to his feet, and his head spun with an intense dizziness.
After his vision cleared, he instantly checked to make sure he was on the
same planet in the same time period in the same dimension and in the same
*body*. It didn't seem as if anything was wrong...
	"Mulder! Are you alright?"
	Mulder quickly turned to Scully. It looked like nothing was wrong
with her, either. He nodded vigorously, and then looked around for Troi
and Samantha. They were also alright, and he helped them to their feet.
	"What happened?" Samantha said in a dazed voice.
	All around them, people were picking themselves up off the
ground, trying to figure out what had caused their sudden collapse.
Mulder looked dizzily around the streets, expecting giant black oil
aliens to come out at any moment and start attacking everyone. Except for
the fact that everyone was *very* confused, everything seemed to be
alright...
	"So, Scully..." Mulder turned to her with both eyebrows raised.
"Paranormal stuff *doesn't* happen everywhere we go?"
	"Mulder...don't start with me..."
	"What *happened*?" Samantha repeated with earnest. "There was
that sound, and then the light..."
	"A UFO, maybe?" Mulder suggested with a familiar look in his eye.
	"Mulder, NO," Scully shook her head. "NOT UFOS. You can have
killer dolphins, and angry Amazonian tribes, and dimension doors, and
even guys who morph into animals...but I *refuse* to have anything more
to do with UFOs! Completely out of the question!!"
	"You *don't believe* in UFOs?" Mulder said, surprised.
	"Mulder...of *course* I believe in UFOs! And that's EXACTLY the
reason I really don't want to hear anything about them! You know that!"
	"I didn't *say* it was a UFO," Mulder reminded her. "I just
*suggested* the possibility. Don't you want to find out what that was?"
	"Yes, but..."
	"Well, then...let's go!"
	Scully let out a loud groan as Mulder headed off into the streets
for some more effective transportation. "Wait for us, Fox!" Samantha
called as she and Troi struggled to catch up with him and Scully. She
leaned over to Troi and added, "THIS should be interesting....."

	Two short subway rides later, Mulder, Scully, Samantha and Troi
found themselves near the river, close to the Eifel Tower. The
magnificent metal monster stood over the roofs of the nearest buildings,
looming over them like some giant eavesdropper. Mulder pushed his way
through crowds of people towards an area next to the river where French
police were marking off the site with black and yellow tape. Mulder's
automatic FBI authority drove him past the tape to the front of the
crowds. One of the French guards glared at him angrily.
	"Tu besoin vers avoir derrie're l' ligne!!" He snarled.
	"Do you speak English?" Mulder questioned.
	"Small bit," The guard said roughly. "You need to go...away," He
said, stumbling over the foreign language.
	"I'm former FBI, can you at least tell me what happened here?"
	"An airplane lost...albi...altitude and crashed."
	"Is that what caused the flash of light?"
	"I do not know. But I do not need the help of you to find out."
	"Are the people in the plane alright?"
	"I also do not know that."
	"Can I have a look at the crash site? Where did the plane land?"
	"In the Seine'. I would like it much if you were to go now..."
	"I just wanted to know if the crashing plane is what caused that
light we saw..."
	"Well, I can not tell you, so..." The officer stopped
mid-sentence. "Say...are you not...FBI Agent Fox Mulder?..."
	"Whoops, sorry, gotta run!!" Mulder yelped, then scrambled back
into the crowd to Scully and Sam and Troi.
	"Mulder, what's going on?" Scully quiered with her arms crossed.
	"They say that a plane lost altitude and crashed. But I'm not so
sure..."
	"Mulder, what do you mean?"
	"How could a crashing plane create that burst of light and that
siren? It doesn't seem possible to me..."
	"Of *course* it doesn't seem possible, Mulder!" Scully
interrupted him. "There are *no more* UFOs! We blew them all up...and
dang it, I intend for them to STAY blown up! It was just a plane...and
the worst thing that could have happened here is someone got hurt or
killed. So I suggest that we stop worrying about it and get back to our
hotel!"
	Mulder cast one more uneasy glance back at the blockaded river,
where officials were now combing the river for where the plane had
crashed. It would have had to have been a small plane...or else it
would've been much more evident in the river. Something still didn't seem
right about the whole thing...
Seeing Scully's earnest face made him decide that he would worry about it
sometime later. "Alright...we'll go."








	7:02 A.M.
	Saturday, December 25th, 1999
	Paris, France

	"Troi....Troi!"
	"Mmhuh?"
	Troi opened her eyes to a fuzzy blur of a world. She felt
unbelievably tired, practically half-dead. She had stayed up way too late
last night, too much of Tina's cookies...she must have had at least four
that were shaped like Christmas trees...
	Christmas trees?
	"Hey Troi! You awake?"
	Troi sprang up so suddenly it made her head hurt.
	It was Christmas morning!
	"Oh, yeah! I'm awake!!"
	A hundred memories drowned down Troi's system...all that had
happened during the past week since Mulder had thought they'd seen a UFO.
They had gone to EuroDisney, shopping in Paris many times, inside the
Notre Dame cathedral, to the Arch of Triumph, many of the famous
monuments and buildings...hadn't gone to the Eifel Tower yet... But today
was the day she was most excited about. Last night she and everyone else
had stayed up till about two or so celebrating Christmas Eve. Because of
the Scully's religious faith, they had obviously spent some time reading
the actual Nativity story out of the Bible and a few other things...but
they'd also gotten to do many fun things as well...drinking way to much
coke and eggnog (which Troi found revolting) and practically gorged
themselves on cookies and brownies that Tina and Samantha had baked. 
	But now...it was *really* Christmas morning!
	Still in her pajamas, Troi rushed down the small hall to their
basic living room, where there were several couches, a small
fireplace...and a small but lively Christmas tree in the center,
decorated with what few decorations they had brought along from 'The
Believer' and that they had bought in Paris. And *under* the tree was a
host of beautifully -and strangely- wrapped gifts!
	Mulder, Scully, Maggie and Tina were already waiting, as Samantha
ushered a very exicted Troi in next to them. Even Mulder and Scully
appeared thrilled by this annual event...Scully squirmed on the floor
like a little kid, eyeing the presents with anticipation. 
	"Alright," Maggie sat on the couch, acting as the head of the
gift-giving operation. "Each person opens up all of their presents at
once...that way everyone when they're getting their things will get all
the attention at once." She stopped, and smiled. "So...who'd like to be
first?"
	"I think Troi should be first," Scully said, and she and Mulder
exchanged glances. 
	"Hey, good with me!!" Troi exclaimed, almost jumping up and down
with excitement. 
	"Okaaay..." Maggie knelt down to the sparkling gifts in their
places beneath the branches of the tree, and pulled out a somewhat large
box. "This is for Troi...from Fox and Dana!" 
	Troi grasped eagerly for the package, and when she finally got it
from Maggie's grasp she almost dropped it. "Shoot...this thing is
*heavy*!!" The rest of the group -and especially Mulder and Scully-
watched in eager anticipation as Troi fumbled with the tape holding the
wrapping on, tearing it off in huge chunks, revealing what lay within...
whatever it was, it was flat, and black...
	"A LAPTOP!!!!" Troi whooped like a cheerleader as she flung the
remaining scrap of paper away, lifting up her precious present...a
brand-new laptop computer. She opened it and stared at it's crystaline
screen, and the black keys and tiny mouse. Literally overcome with joy,
she beamed with happiness at Mulder and Scully. 
	"We thought you'd like that..." Scully said, smiling.
	"Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you!!!" Troi
stuttered, looking over her gift fondly. "I can't believe you guys got
this for me...it's too cool for words! I absolutely love it!!"
	Mulder and Scully smiled at each other, exchanging a wink. 
"So...what's next?"
	
	An exhausting 40 minutes later still found them in the middle of
their Christmas morning. Troi had "absolutely loved" all of her presents,
which included a leather-bound diary, her own camera for taking pictures,
a copy of "The Lion King" and a bunch of candy, which came with
everyone's gifts anyways. Tina and Maggie had gone through their gifts,
mostly of which were clothes, but also a few other items they regarded in
some way special, or at least with some future sentimental value. Mulder
had given his mother a sterling silver necklace that he had obviously
bought while in Paris, and Scully assumed that that was the thing that
Mulder had had in the bag when they had met up with him. Samantha had
been the next to go through her gifts...her favorite of which was a
special waterproof case that she could fit around her camera...so that
she could film underwater! "Now there's absolutely no escaping her..."
Mulder warned, even though he was the one who got it for her. She had
also recieved a new silverware set and some special items that would be
very useful in the kitchen, a very nice brown leather jacket to replace
the one that she'd lost awhile back, and a few other things. 
	Mulder was almost finished with his turn...his gifts had been the
most interesting to discuss. Troi had given him a book called "Paranormal
Occourences from Around the World", which he had appreciated
greatly...just so that he could show that all things supernatural were
not limited to the US alone. Samantha had given her brother a brand new
special edition "Stratego" game...one with gold-plated pieces. That had
obviously caused a bit of a ruckus, and Tina even appeared to be
sniffling a little. Troi had given him a 3-D puzzle of a UFO, which
Scully began complaining about. Maggie and Tina had both given him ties
so that he would at least have a tie that didn't shout to the world that
Mulder was red-green colorblind. Scully was the last one to give him her
gift. 
	"Here, Mulder...this is mine for you," Scully said, somewhat
nervously, handing him her present. It was wrapped with paper that was
covered in little aliens wearing Santa Claus hats, and Mulder grinned at
the sight.
	But the paper wasn't enough to hold him back, and he immediately
-if not anxiously- tore away the paper to get at the gift inside. The
entire room had fallen silent as Mulder opened Scully's present...it was
as if the silence was respectful to whatever Mulder was about to recieve
from his partner.
	"You got me a box! How thoughtful!" Mulder said, staring down at
a large, taped shoebox before him.
	"Come on, Mulder, that's an old joke!" Scully laughed, sitting
cross-legged and staring at Mulder and the present intently. "Just open
it!"
	Mulder cut away the tape, and struggled to lift the lid from the
adhesive's grip. "And *don't* say that I got you tissue paper!" Scully
warned as he tore the lid away.
	Mulder's hands trembled as he carefully lifted the light blue
tissue paper away...and finally discovered what he had been looking for. 
	There were *two* separate gifts inside the box, and he stared at
them both for awhile, not saying anything.
	"What is it?!" Troi pressed, absolutely unable to stand the
suspense any longer.
	Mulder lifted out the larger object. It was a strangely-shaped
apparatus, looking like a windchime, only more elaborate. There was a
large wire design in the center, and the thing was bound with black
leather and christened with gold, silver and some precious stones, along
with some black and white feathers in braid-like strands. Mulder held the
thing aloft, gazing at it with wonder. Attached to the thing was a card.
	"What *is* it?" Troi muttered in awe.
	"It's a...dreamcatcher," Scully said, looking at Mulder. "You
hang it over your bed at night, and it's supposed to catch your dreams."
	Mulder turned the thing around between his fingers, observing it
from all angles. A smile spread across his face...appreciative, and yet
sad. He looked at Scully, and she appeared to have the same expression on
her face. Mulder opened the card, and he read it to himself silently.
	"What's it say?" Troi quiered again.
	Mulder didn't answer. He looked at the card, then back at the
dreamcatcher, then back at Scully. It was apparent that what she had
given him was nothing that the others would understand...it was a secret
that only they shared. Something sad, yet at the same time honest and
loving. Mulder put the dreamcatcher down and said, "Thank you," to Scully
softly.
	"What else did you get, Fox?" Samantha urged. 
	Mulder stared for a moment, then lifted the second item out of
the shoebox. It was somewhat small, shiny, and circular...
	"A compass!" Troi announced. 
	It was indeed a compass. Although it's outer coat was shiny and
gold, it was dented and bent in some areas, and there was a small crack
in the glass pane the protected the needle pointing north, indicating
that the compass was not new. The present, although nice, did seem a bit
odd...
	"I got it at an old antique shop," Scully said as she watched
Mulder's curious face. "The shop owner was very reluctant to give it up.
And it's because there's a very interesting story behind it...
	"It was said that an old, experienced captain had the compass
with him wherever he went sailing. He trusted that compass more than he
trusted his crewmates, and wherever the ship went, it was guided by that
compass. There was one night when the ship was caught in a horrible storm
when they were sailing across the Atlantic. The ship and all it's crew
survived, but they now didn't know where they were or how far they were
from land..."
	"Boy, does *that* sound familiar..." Samantha said, rolling her
eyes. 
	"But when the captain looked at his compass, he discovered that
the needle was pointing South-west instead of it's usual North. The rest
of the crew determined that the compass was broken, and that their ship
was doomed to be lost in the Atlantic. But the captain was so faithful
and trusting with the compass that he ordered them to use it anyway...and
the ship ended up sailing by South-west instead of familiar North. They
sailed straight by that 'broken' compass...and within less than a week
they found the shores of their homeland."
	Mulder looked at the compass carefully, and it felt very familiar
and inviting in his hands. He looked back up at Scully, who appeared
rather pleased with herself and her gift...despite her story's somewhat
'paranormal' nature. 
	"Thank you, Dana," Mulder said, lifting the compass up for him to
look at. Light glinted off it's polished surface, making the object shine
with some hidden radiance. "I love it!"
	"Boy, would *that* thing have ever been useful a few months
ago..." Samantha added in again.
	Mulder observed the carefully-tuned pointing needle as it lay
across the calligraphy letter 'N'. "Hey, Scully...it's pointing straight
at you!"
	Scully smiled at Mulder, and shook her head. "Don't get any
ideas, Mulder."
	"Merry Christmas, Scully," He said back.
	"Just *please* don't add 'And a Happy New Year' and put a gun to
your head!" She giggled.
	The others exchanged confused looks, and decided to ignore the
comment. "Okay...and last but not least...it's Dana's turn to get her
presents!" Maggie announced.
	"Alright!" Troi whooped excitedly. "You're going to love your
stuff, Dana! It's sooo awesome!"
	"This first is from...Tina!" Maggie said, handing Scully a
nicely-wrapped package. Scully, who had been anticipating her moment of
glory and gift-unwrapping since their Christmas morning had begun, ripped
away the tightly-wrapped package and threw aside the shining paper in
shreds. The size and weight of the box indicated that it was some type of
clothing...
	Lifting away the lid, Scully discovered the familiar sight and
smell of black leather. She lifted the object out of the box...and found
herself holding a small and yet comfortable leather jacket to match
Mulder's. Secondly, she noticed a small card lying on the bottom of the
box. Inside it read:

	Merry Christmas Dana. Thank you for bringing back my family.
	
	Love, Tina

	Scully smiled, holding back tears, and thanked Tina gratefully
for her gift. Mulder studied the jacket and observed it's black leather
sleeves carefully. "Yep...I'd say that qualifies for a matching outfit
that will embarass us both!"
	Everyone laughed at the comment. Scully carefully folded the
jacket and laid it aside. "So...what else to I get to be embarassed
with?"
	Maggie stiffled a small chuckle. "Well...I *do* have something
for you, Dana...but I'm afraid I'm not quite done with it yet...
	Scully raised one eyebrow quizzically as her mother darted away
to the hotel closet. And what she returned with almost made Scully's
heart stop.
	It was a large dress, made of white silk and soft material, with
pretty and yet simple frills on the edges. The top half appeared done,
but the bottom half still needed to be sewn up and have the decorations
added. The dress practically shone as brilliantly as the lights and
tinsel on the Christmas tree. And then it became perfectly obvious what
the dress was for...
	"You're making me a WEDDING DRESS??" Scully said in obvious
shock. 
	"Yes," Maggie said, feeling some pride as she held up her
half-finished project for all to see. "I've sewn it together myself...the
bottom half just needs to be completed." She stared with a delighted grin
at her *very* surprised daughter. "I started making it after Fox came
back!"
	Mulder choked back something between a laugh and a shout of
surprise. Scully sat on the carpeted floor of the hotel, staring at the
beautiful wedding dress her mother held. Her jaw moved up and down a few
times before any words actually came out. 	"Uh...mom...we
haven't...um... made any....PLANS...for...yet....."
	"I know, honey," Maggie insisted, gazing with obvious delight at
the two dumbstruck partners. "But I figured that I should start it now so
it'd be ready...when...I mean *if*...you *do* decide to do something..."
	Samantha saved Mulder and Scully from further shock and
revealment by saying, "That's very lovely, Maggie! Why don't we see what
else Dana's getting?"
	Maggie caught on, and retrieved the wedding dress to the closet,
noticing the familar glances that were exchanged between Mulder and
Scully...and firmly believing that she had definitely given her daughter
a suitable Christmas present.
	"This one is from Troi!" Samantha announced, as she retrieved the
next present from under the tree. Scully finally forced herself out of
her potential shock so that she could take the present and then begin to
tear away the wrapping paper. The object was square, and very light...
	"It's a book!" Scully exclaimed as she noticed the familiar chunk
of pages beneath the paper. It appeared to be an old book...the pages
were slightly torn and yellowing. Scully flung away the rest of the shiny
cover...revealing the title "Moby Dick" scratched with old,
slightly-smeared ink into the leather cover of the book. The book was
bound with thread and sewn together. She fingered the title carefully,
and opened it's yellowing pages. The writing was a beautiful, clear
calligraphy instead of it's normal print, and the corners of the book
cover were lined with copper and some silver. 
	"It's an original copy of the book," Troi said, squirming with
pride. "It's been passed down through bookstores and other people for
quite some time now...probably hundreds of years old."
Scully beamed with recognition and wonderment as she eyed the familar
words that her father had read aloud to her so many years ago. She closed
the old book carefully, letting her fingers feel it's delicate pages.
	"Thank you, Troi...this is probably the greatest Christmas gift
you could ever give me!"
	"Merry Christmas, Dana!" Troi replied, pleased with Scully's
sincere enjoyment of the gift. "Now you can read it whenever you like!"
	Mulder carefully observed the leather covering and thread binding
of the ancient book. "That's *definitely* what I call a Christmas
present!" He said with awe and respect.
	"Now it's *my* turn..." Samantha said, practically jumping with
excitment. "But I have to go get it...it's in the other room."
	"Let me guess...a wedding tux for me?" Mulder said, rolling his
eyes. Scully eyed him carefully, and he suddenly lost interest in his
intended joke.
	YAP! YAP! YAP! YAP! YAP!
	Scully's eyes opened wide as she saw a tiny little ball of fluff
and fur come running from the next room into the living room. It tripped
over a present, but picked itself up again, and flung it's slobbery self
into Scully's arms.
	"Aw, no, not another one..." Mulder sighed.
	"A POMERANIAN!!!" Troi squealed at the tiny dog in Scully's arms.
"How cuuuuuuuuuuute!!!! That has got to be THE cutest dog I've ever seen
in my life..."
	The frisky Pomeranian was very small, and it was obvious that it
was still a puppy. But nevertheless it was too cute for words as it
snuggled up to Scully and yipped in her excited face. Scully rubbed the
thing's fur, a huge grin spread across her face.
	"Samantha...where did you GET this?!" 
	"Ohhh...just around. I figured now that everything is back to the
way it should be, you might need another dog."
	"He's wonderful!" Scully said with happiness, lifting the puppy
up under his arms as he wriggled. The pomeranian puppy barked at it's new
owner, eager to get down and play with the torn wrapping paper. "He's
absolutely the best, Sam...but how are we going to take care of him on
the boat?"
	"I've already got food and water and a bed for him," Samantha
beamed. "I came prepared."
	Even Mulder, who never had been a fan of Queequeg (or any dog for
that matter) appeared pleased with Scully's gift, and he pet the dog on
the head carefully.
	"What's it's name?" Troi questioned.
	"I don't know," Scully replied, setting the little puppy back on
the floor. "We'll think of one later."
	"Oh, yeah! Fox has to give *his* present to Dana!!!" Samantha
cried.
	All eyes turned immediately to Mulder. However, he seemed to
shrink back into himself, a nervous look coming into his eyes. Scully's
grin disappeared as she saw Mulder turn away.
	"Do you have anything for me, Mulder?" She asked quietly.
	"Yes...well...not now. I...haven't really gotten it yet." He
stopped as he saw Scully's face drop. "But I'll give it to you soon...I
promise. You'll get it before New Year's, okay?"
	"Okay," Scully muttered to herself, a sudden dark wave of
misunderstanding and disappointment sweeping over her and drowning out
her Christmas spirit. 
	(Why wouldn't Mulder have gotten anything for me for Christmas?
...Is there something I did wrong, something he's not feeling right
about?...)
	There was a long silence as the same wave that had overtaken
Scully washed up upon the other people. Mulder looked away, trying to
hide his embarassment to everyone else. Even the puppy stopped barking as
he noticed a bitter somberness coming from Scully.
	"Well..." Samantha broke the cold silence. "I guess the Christmas
presents are done. What do you say we go and get something really good
for breakfast?"
	"Sounds good!" Maggie replied, trying to perk up Dana and make
her feel better. "Why don't you go into the kitchen, Sam, and get it
started?"
	Samantha nodded, and headed for the kitchen. Scully sat for a
moment then followed her, carrying the puppy in her arms. 	"Wait,
Sam, I'll help you..."
	"Scully?" She heard Mulder's small voice from behind.
	She turned around. "Yes?"
	"Merry Christmas."
	"Merry Christmas, Mulder."

	4:16 P.M.
	Monday, December 27th, 1999
	Paris, France

	"*Finally*!!!" Troi exclaimed as they exited the subway entrance.
"I can't believe it's taken us *this long* to get to the Eifel Tower..."
	"I know," Scully agreed. "I wish we could've gone sooner, but at
least we're finally going."
	The group of six walked from the exit to the subway station up
the crowded sidewalk to what lay not very far in the distance...the Eifel
Tower. It was early evening, but the tower was already lit up from top to
bottom, making it stand out like a jewel amongst the other, smaller
buildings. Troi could not keep her eyes off of it, which proved
disastrous when she almost walked into the street.
	"Looks crowded," Tina remarked as they neared the entrance fee
booth. "I hope it won't be too hard to get in..."
	"It's *always* crowded, Maggie replied. "It'll be fine...everyone
else has to deal with it too, you know."
	Mulder, who was heading the group, stopped at the entrance fee
booth. After a few minutes of waiting in line, he was able to get their
tickets...which cost 200 francs each. After getting the tickets, they
squirmed through the ticket checking booth and then to the elevator that
would take them up the tower.
	"There's three floors on the tower," Scully read on a sign next
to the elevator. "Which one are we going to?"
	"The TOP one!!!" Troi answered for everyone.
	"Well, we're in luck," Scully answered. "The thrid level is open
tonight! Usually it's too windy for anyone to go up there."
	"You mean you could get blown off the top?"
	"I...guess so. If you weren't careful..."
	"Wow, scary!"
	The elevator doors opened, and they stepped inside, slong with 50
or so other people who were trying to get a spot in the elevator. Since
they were one of the first ones in, they got to be next to the large
window on one side of the elevator that allowed you to look down from
where you were going. At first it seemed that they were lucky they got
the window seat...but once the elevator started up they noticed their
mistake.
	"Ohhhhhhhh.........shooooooooot......" Troi groaned as the
elevator lifted off the ground at a *diagonal* angle since they were
going up one of the legs of the tower. It was if they were hovering over
the ground with nothing below them, and the elevator was only going
higher, and higher, and higher, and higher....
	"I think I'm gonna be sick." Samantha muttered, her face pressed
against the thick glass of the window.
	"Please don't, Sam. I'm standing right next to you."
	"You just *had* to pick window seat, didn't you?"
	"I thought'd be cool!"
	"Pardon me and my *un-coolness*, but I think I'd rather stand
somewhere where I felt safe!"
	"This *is* safe. It just doesn't *look* safe from this angle."
	"Exactly!!!"
	Higher and higher and higher and higher....
	"I think we're at the second level now."
	"Can we just get off here?! It looks high enough..."
	"No! We *have* to go all the way to the top!!"
	Higher and higher and higher and higher......
	"Why does that car look like a beetle?"
	"That's a *car*? I thought it was a *bus*!!"
	"I think we're almost there....."
	"We'd better be..."
	Higher and higher and higher and higher until.....
	DING.
	The elevator reached the top floor. The group of six ran out of
the elevator as if Flukeman, Donnie Pfaster and Tooms were all after them
at once. Several other people got out with them, but most had stopped at
the first and second floors.
	The top floor was *much* smaller than the other two floors since
it was on the top of the tower. Beyond the top floor there was only the
radio antenna and other tower tip that were about 10 or 15 feet above
them. The entire floor was surrounded in a wall of thick glass so as to
prevent any injury whether accidental or intentional.
	"Alright!!!" Troi rushed up to the metal edge to gaze out at all
that lay beyond. "I bet you could see the entire *country* from this
high!"
	Indeed, the tower did seem to make everything else seem like
minatures. The Seine was just a sliver of silver that snaked through the
backdrop of lights and shadows. There was no picking out individual
buildings, all you could see was their lights. Even beyond the places
where it was most crowded you could see the lights thin out into
countryside and beyond. 
	"It certainly is beautiful," Maggie remarked as they all found
comfortable spots on the railing. "And very peaceful."
	"Do you think Moby will be alright by himself in the hotel?" Troi
asked suddenly.
	"I think he'll be fine," Scully reassured her, remembering how
they had kept arguing over names for the Pomeranian puppy until they had
finally decided to stick with "Moby". 
	Maggie and Tina wondered off by themselves to look at the
surrounding tranquil scene on all sides. Mulder and Scully stood together
in one corner, gazing out at the flickering lights and shadows from all
of Paris. 
	"Oh, ewww!!" Scully cried suddenly, backing away from the railing
suddenly.
	"What happened? Did you step in bird crap or something?"
	"No..." Scully wiped her hands off on her coat disgustedly.
"Something liquid. It felt like oil..." She stopped and sniffed her hand.
"But it smells like *antifreeze*." 
	"You must've put your hand in that," Mulder said, indicating a
puddle of dark liquid on the railing. "It was probably just oil or
something for the elevators that someone spilled."
	"Disgusting," Scully sighed at her stained hand. "Well, there
goes my whole evening."
	"Yeah right," Mulder grinned, turning his attention back to the
view. He stared out into the blinking lights of the city with awe,
sighing with content. 
	"Beautiful," Scully said, coming up to rest her head on his
shoulder. "And so romantic..."
	"Hey, um...Scully?"
	"Yeah?"
	"Do you want to...um...do something tomorrow night?"
	Scully backed away from Mulder carefully, appearing confused.
"What do you mean?"
	"You know...just a night out. For the two of us. I saw a lot of
cafe's around here, down by that fountain beneath the tower...we could
just go there, get something to eat, watch the tower, and talk...you
know."
	Scully's eyebrows raised as she looked Mulder up and down.
"Mulder, are you asking me out on a *date*?"
	"No, I'm not!" He said in retialation, looking back at her with a
smile. "Just a night out for us, not a date. Ever since the trip started
we've been doing everything with someone else. I just thought it'd be
really nice if we could go out and do something for ourselves for a
change...see?"
	Scully's surprised look slowly changed into a smile. "Alright...I
accept. Tomorrow night?"
	"Sounds good to me," He said, smiling back. 





	8:46 P.M.
	Tuesday, December 28th, 1999
	Paris, France

	Scully felt her heart thumping nervously in her chest as she and
Mulder walked up to the empty cafe' table. The cafe' sat outdoors very
close to the Eifel Tower and the large rectangular fountain that
stretched out past the intricate gardens. Several of the tables were
alreayd taken, but they decided to head for one close to one of the
delicately-trimmed bushes that surrounded the outdoor eating area. Only a
little ways away, the Eifel Tower sparkled in all it's glory as it
overlooked the intriguing scene below.
	Scully had never felt so self-conscious in her life. The hour
before she and Mulder had left, she had practically turned her tiny
wardrobe inside out searching for an outfit that would be suitable...not
too plain, but not too flashy; not too boring, but not too suggestive;
not too glamorous, but not too casual... Finally she found a two-piece
outfit that was a nice dark blue cotton, and over it a white coat. She
wasn't sure if Mulder had been as anxious to look good as she had been,
but she decided that he looked great no matter if he tried or not.
	Scully smiled somewhat nervously as Mulder pulled the chair out
for her to sit down. She accepted his gesture of courtesy, and sat down
on the cold metal seat. Mulder went around to the other end of the table
and seated himself.
	"So...now we just wait until a waiter can show up so we can get
something to eat."
	Scully sighed, shivering from a chill winter breeze. There had
been a chance of snow earlier, but apparently they still weren't going to
get anything. There were no clouds out tonight, and even the normal Paris
smog seemed to be lessened, so all the stars and the full moon could be
seen. 
	Scully glanced down at her left hand, and noticed how her skin
was still a slight grayish color. "That oil stain or whatever it is is
still on my hand," She commented. "I haven't been able to wash it off."
	"I don't care, you can hardly see it," Mulder replied, gazing at
Scully with his chin on one hand. 
	She noticed. "Why do you keep *looking* at me like that?! You've
been doing that since last night at the tower! I thought you said this
wasn't a date!"
	"It's not! I mean...I'm sorry! I mean, I..."
	"It's fine," She said reassuringly. 
	Just then, a waiter with a tiny French mustache came up to them
and handed them some menus. "Quel ferait tu a' avoir ce soire'e?" He said
in thick, full French.
	Mulder scanned the menus, thankful that the waiter hadn't
recognized them as who they were. Luckily, the foods were listed in
English as well as French. 
	"Um...." He looked carefully over their choices, as he noticed
that the waiter was not going to leave until they had decided. "I think
we'll have the soup of the day, and the Napoleon chicken."
	"Anything to drink?" He asked, this time in English.
	"Uhh..........." Mulder smiled craftily. "I think we'll have the
imported German red wine."
	"Excellent choice," The waiter nodded to them graciously, and
trotted off.
	"Getting pretty exotic with the food, aren't we Mulder?" Scully
said with raised eyebrows. 
	"Do you like it?"
	"Sure. I think it sounds good."
	There was silence for a good few minutes.
	"So...what do you think of the trip so far?" Mulder suddenly said
out of the blue. 
	Scully stuttered for a moment. "I...what kind of a question is
that? You *know* that I've loved every moment of it so far!"
	"I'm just trying to start a conversation!"
	"I know, that's fine...I've liked it so far. The Caribbean was
very nice...very relaxing. The Amazon was...too hot for my tastes," She
smiled. "And I'd have to say the opposite for Antarctica. South Africa
was nice, if not somewhat *strange*...and I've thoroughly enjoyed Paris
so far."
	"Yeah," Mulder said, the glazed look coming into his eyes again.
	"Mulder..."
	"Sorry, sorry!" He muttered his apology and fumbled with his
hands. Scully was watching him, smiling as he tried to correct imaginary
mistakes. 
	"It's late evening, and it appears that they're engaged in some
sort of conversation..."
	Mulder looked up with surprise. "Did you say that?!"
	"Huh? No, I didn't say anything. Why?"
	"I thought I heard something..."
	"Yes! It appears he's going to kiss her..."
	"What the..." Mulder got up from his chair, eyebrows furrowed. He
cast his eyes around the outdoor cafe', apparently searching for
something...until they came to rest on the bushes that were right behind
them.
	"SAMANTHA!"
	The startled eavesdropper burst forth from the clump of once-nice
bushes that stood on one side of them, a few leaves stuck in her hair. 
	"Oh.....hiiiiiii, Fox!" She said with the biggest grin on her
face, trying to hide her SamCam behind her back.
	Scully burst out laughing.
	Mulder rolled his eyes at his trying-very-hard-to-look-innocent
younger sister. "Samantha...what *exactly* do you think you were doing?"
	"Filming."
	"Don't start *that* again..." Scully groaned from the table.
	"I wish you would've *left* that thing in South Africa!" Mulder
exclaimed. "Samantha...go back to the hotel! This is for Scully and I
only...and we'd like to be left *alone*!!!" 
	"Aw, Fox...."
	"SAM....."
	"Oh, okay," Samantha said, as she freed herself from the bushes
and moved away from the cafe'. I'll see you all later, okay?"
	"Just get out of here, Sam, before I have to do something
drastic..."
	"Bye!!!" She shouted as she left sprinting down the street.
	Mulder groaned and seated himself back at the table. He looked at
Scully, and she looked back at him. He tried to hide a smile, but then he
began snickering and then laughing under his breath.
	"You do have to admit, Mulder..." Scully giggled, "That *was*
pretty funny!"
	"I know, I know..." He sighed, a big grin spread across his face
as he stared into the eyes of his partner.
	Their eyes would have been locked longer if Scully had not
suddenly looked up and noticed the waiter approaching. "Mulder...I think
the food is here..."
	"Alright," He sighed again and turned to get their food.

	20 minutes later found Mulder and Scully still at their cafe'
table. The soup had been fine, but both Mulder and Scully had both
determined there to be too much mushroom in the sauce for the chicken, so
they hadn't eaten much. 
	*However*, the bottle of strong wine was almost empty as Mulder
and Scully had decided to fill themselves up with that. Now the effects
were starting to show through as Scully was laughing uproariously at
every move that Mulder made. They were not drunk...but they were still
*very* giddy.
	Scully said something, And Mulder leaned forward over the table,
doubled over with laughter. Scully was laughing too, slapping a hand
against her knee and attempting to take another sip of her wine. She
missed somewhat, and spilled a few drops on her white coat.
	"Mulder!...you shoulda ordered the weaker wine, you know..."
	"My fault, my fault," Mulder giggled back. "I thought you'd like
it."
	Scully ran her fingers through her hair, a huge smile plastered
to her face. "I wonder if Samantha's still taping us..."
	"Don't think so," Mulder said, casting a quick glance around at
the surrounding bushes.
	"This is wonderful, Mulder," Scully sighed, resting her chin on
her hand. "I mean it. Thanks for taking me out here tonight. I had a
great time...I know that I wasn't sure at first, but I...I'm really glad
we go to do this."
	Mulder didn't answer. he just smiled, smiled broadly, revealing
his teeth. He reached forward, and his hand knocked over his fork and
spoon.
	Scully broke into a fit of bubbling laughter, brought on partly
by the wine. She started to get up from her seat. "Stay there, Mulder,
I'll...hehehee...I'll get it..."
	"No, I'll get it, don't worry," Mulder snickered, lowering
himself beneath the table to retrieve the fork and spoon. She giggled as
she he chanced to tickle her ankle.
	"Mulder..."
	He didn't get up right away. He had his dropped utensils, but it
appeared as if he were searching for something else...
	"Mulder, what are you..."
	Mulder, who was in front of her on his knees, stared up at her,
and their eyes locked. Scully suddenly became very still. In Mulder's
hand he held a small, black velvet box.
	She watched, unable to move, as Mulder slowly opened the box.
Inside, nestled in the soft, black velvet, was a ring.
	It was a gold ring. The ring was in the shape of a band, with two
hands holding a heart with a crown. The ring was new, polished, elegant
yet simple, and seemed to glow against the black velvet.
	Mulder stared straight into her eyes.
	"Scully.......will you marry me?"

	For a long time, Scully could not speak, she couldn't even move.
She stared at the ring sitting innocently in the box, unable to find
words that made sense. Her mouth slowly dropped open, as if it were too
heavy for her to support, as her eyes moved carefully from the ring to
Mulder.
	He was still on his knees, staring up at her expectantly, the
little black box suddenly feeling very heavy in his fingers. He could
feel sweat building up on his forehead, desperate tension. He felt
frozen, yet at the same time extremely hot, hoping, hoping that Scully
would somehow awaken from her trance and answer him soon......
	"Mulder........" Scully whispered.
	Mulder suddenly felt a desperate need to talk, to say something,
anything. "It's a Claddah symbol," He said, indicating the ring. "It's
Irish. It represents loyalty, friendship and love..." He stopped as he
saw he lower lip tremble. 	"Scully....please........"
	He waited.
	Her trembling lips slowly curved upwards, larger and larger,
until it changed into a large, definite smile. 
She leaned in close to him, very close, so that he could feel her breath
on his lips. He could feel his heart pounding out every other beat in his
chest.
	"I'm going to kiss you, Mulder," She said softly. Mulder's eyes
widened with surprise as she continued. "One kiss means yes. Two kisses
means no. Now close your eyes."
	Mulder stuttered, then let his lids fall down, causing his vision
to go black. He felt her lips on his cheek.
	She kissed him once...
	A heartbeat of hope...
	She kissed him twice...
	A heartbeat of terror...
	...She kissed him three times.
	Mulder opened his eyes again, seeing Scully's broad smile, his
expression filled with confusion. "What does three kisses mean?"
	"It means...kiss me again, I'm yours for life!!!"
	She launched herself into his arms as he stood, and they kissed
again, only this time it was longer, fuller, passionate. Mulder pulled
away from her with something between shock and pure bliss and laughed.
Scully laughed as well, as the sudden realization of what they had just
permitted overtook them both in a tidal wave of happiness. He hugged her,
lifting her right off her feet, and she laughed again.
	"Is this a good enough 'late' Christmas present for you to wait
for, Scully?" Mulder said, grinning from ear to ear.
	"Good enough to wait six years for!" She laughed back.


	9:38 P.M.
	Tuesday, December 28th, 1999
	Paris, France

	"Fox, that's WONDERFUL!!!"
	Samantha hugged Mulder tightly, almost squeezing the breath out
of him. He choked, and pulled his little sister away. 	"You see
why I *didn't* want you barging in with your camera, Sam?" He whsipered,
smiling.
	Maggie was downright ecstatic, and continuously boasting on how
she had been right to start making the wedding dress in the midst of
congratulating her daughter and Mulder over and over again. Mulder and
Scully were both overwhelmed with praise and adoration as they struggled
to keep from being stampeded by excited family members. 
	Troi was especially filled with excitement. *Now* she would feel
like she had a *real* mother and father...before it had simply been Dana
watching her, and Mulder had been the legal father, although they lived
apart. But now she could feel like she was belonging to a family again,
with two actual parents. "So when's the big date?" She questioned with an
enormous grin spread practically all the way around her face.
	"We were hoping it could be soon," Scully responded, looking at
Mulder. "As soon as possible...maybe before we leave Paris!" Mulder
nodded his head in agreement.
	Maggie's thrilled look suddenly vanished. "Dana...I think you
should wait a little bit."
	"Why not, mom? We're both ready...and I think that we've been
patient long enough to do something about it."
	Maggie was not to be convinced. "I don't think you should have
the wedding yet...it's probably a good idea to wait. Besides, I'm not
even done with your dress yet!"
	"How long should we wait?" Mulder asked.
	"I think you can have the wedding once we get back to D.C...after
the trip is over. I think it'd be a bit too overwhelming for everyone
back home if you came back already married...plus I think a few people
would be upset that they missed the wedding. You can have it as soon as
we get back to Washington."
	"That'll be in July..." Scully sighed regrettingly. "Seven months
from now."
	"You know what, Fox, I think Maggie's right," Samantha commented.
"It's absolutely wonderful that you've finally decided to do this...but I
think it's also a bit overwhelming to put everything together right this
instant. The best time would be once we get back home." 
	Mulder looked at Scully, and then sighed. "I guess that is the
best thing to do." He looked at Scully for approval. "We've waited seven
years...I guess we can wait another seven months." 
She nodded. Then he lowered his voice, adding..."And until then, we
promise not to do anything until the wedding night. I want to save it
until then...I want it to be right for us. Promise?"
	Scully nodded again. "I promise."
	Samantha noticed the couple's reactions. "Cheer up, you guys.
You're enganged! That's practically as good as married!"
Mulder smiled at his little sister's honest remark. "Alright then. We're
willing to wait."
	"It'll be hard...but we can wait," Scully added with a grin.
	"And until then...I think there's something else besides an
engagement that's soon to be celebrated..."




	11:40 P.M.
	Friday, December 31st, 1999
	Paris, France

	New Year's Even in Paris was one gigantic celebration. The entire
Eifel Tower had been decorated during the last few days with sparkling
lights and the three floors were crowded with visitors and locals alike
to join in the celebration. A giant sign that had been posted on the
Eifel Tower several years back had been counting down the days to the new
millennium...and now the sign had gone from several hundred days to just
one. Even the streets around the Eifel Tower, the Arch of Triumph and
Notre Dame cathedral were packed with millions of people anticipating the
ultimate countdown...with only about 20 minutes left to go. 
	Mulder and Scully were in the thick of it all. They were
somewhere near the Eifel Tower, stuck in a crowd of thousands upon
thousands of people as they stared at the overwhelming bright lights and
colored streams that covered the city in a sparkling film. Samantha had
suggested that there was probably more beer in Paris at the moment then
there was in all of the rest of Europe put together, even in Germany.
Mulder and Scully had simply settled to a few glasses of wine for the
celebration, since they were determined to actually witness the dawning
of a new millennium when they were *not* passed out. The crowd in which
they stood in was packed with electricity and excitement and was so loud
you couldn't hear yourself shout into a megaphone. But Mulder and Scully
and the rest of their friends didn't care as they all had their attention
on the clock, patiently ticking down the seconds until the beginning of a
brand new second, minute, hour, day, month, year, decade, century...and
millennium. 
	"This is it, Mulder," Scully said with excitement as he held her
next to him to shield her from the pressing crowd. "I remember having all
sorts of ideas when I was younger on what a New Year's eve party for the
next millennium would be like...and there've been a few times when I
thought I'd never get to see that party."
	"You're telling *me*," Mulder laughed back. "Y2K bug or no, I'm
definitely going to enjoy this."
	"What if the Y2K bug is all a conspiracy against the world to
shut down the computers so higher forces can take over?" Scully joked.
	"All the conspiratists are in prison," He reminded her. "I was
thinking more an extra-terrestrial conspiracy."
	"All the extra-terrestrials are in tiny pieces," She reminded him
with a giggle. 
	Samantha was videotaping the New Years party, although she was
having difficulty imputing her usual exaggerating comments from the
incredible din the mass was shouting up, and it wasn't even the countdown
yet. Troi wondered how many people were two miles underground in their
hideaway caves, certain that the Y2K threat would destroy the world,
watching the proceedings with rising fear instead of rising excitement.
(Boy, they don't know what they're missing...)
	The minutes passed, and as they did, the giant mass of bodies
grew more and more antsy and more and more roudy. The shouts and screams
and whoops were beginning to multiply, and several times they heard the
sound of gunshots echoing off into the banner-filled skies. French
policemen were everywhere to make sure the mob didn't get out of hand,
but it was obvious that they were more interested in joining the
festivities instead of controlling them. Flags from all different
countries...although mostly European...were being waved all around the
city to proclaim which nations had come to the city of lights for New
Years. There was a flag from practically every nation around the world in
just the area around the Eifel Tower alone, and it was overwhelming how
much had been done to get to this point in history.
	Although the minutes moved by slowly, they moved soon enough.
Several groups of people began counting down at 60 seconds, but they were
scattered and hardly heard above the ruckus. But their voices rang out
and suddenly the entire collection of millions of different people fell
quiet as the clock slowly, slowly, slowly ticked down.....
	And then the final countdown began. It began loudly at first as
each person chanted, but then grew louder and louder and louder until it
was enough noise to make a person deaf for life.
	10..........
	Mulder clutched Scully to him close with excitement, grinding his
teeth to keep from whooping with pure axiety and anticipation.
	9.........
	Samantha stopped talking about the party and joined in on the
countdown as she focused the camera on the Eifel Tower and the thousands
of people waving from it's three levels.
	8........
	The crowd became one voice instead of many, amplified thousands
of times, reverberating off the buildings and the metal bars of the
tower.
	7.......
	6......
	Someone from nearby fell over, nearly knocking Scully down.
Mulder lifted her up in his arms just in time to avoid her falling, and
she let out a reverberating laugh.
	5.....
	Clutching Scully in his arms, Mulder felt so alive, so full of
excitement and joy and wonderment that he thought he would burst out of
his own skin, feeling her arms around him.
	4....
	The mass, which had been disorganized and chaotic, was now moving
like one being, everyone reacting at the same time, raising their arms
with each number as if hailing some foreign god...
	3...
	The clock ran by the atomic clock in New York, and everyone knew
that it's needle was anything but incorrect as it chunked up another
notch...
	2..
	There was something like a giant intake of breath as the last
number was exclaimed....
	1!


	*************2000!!!!!!!!!****************


	A massive, unstoppable, uncontrollable outburst of noise rose up
from the millions of people among the streets of Paris, a sound that had
only been heard once before...on a Memorial Day earlier that year. It was
one word instead of a wordless cry, and it proclaimed the number of the
New Year...Two zero zero zero. 
	Mulder and Scully screamed out the number at the top of their
lungs along with the millions of other people present, and Mulder nearly
lifted Scully above his head with the strength of pure joy. The word
blurred into a mixture of all different kinds of noise...screaming,
shouting, hollering, bellowing, screeching, exclaiming, cries, shouts,
gunshots, clangs, crashes, booms, and all manner of unstoppable
noisemakers. But there was one noise that was quickly heard above all the
millions of others...
	SHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!
	
	From the star and streamer-filled heavens dropped a blazing
fireball, red and yellow and spinning like a rocket set off by the teens
by The Seine. The enormous burning globe screamed in terror as it
descended. 
	And pretty soon everyone else was screaming in terror, too.
	The burning fireball spun out of control and crashed through the
very top part of the Eifel Tower, splintering the top radio antenna and
tower tip into a million metal shards surrounded by flaming sparks. The
people on the third level of the tower let out a massive horrified
scream, many people even jumped from the top of the tower through the
glass plating. The people in the streets were screaming, all pointing to
the sky. Someone in the crowd shouted above the rest, "E'TRANGER!!!!"
	And then a little bit later someone shouted the English
translation: 
	"ALIENS!!!!!"
	The fireball didn't stop. It spun some more before spiralling
downwards and landing in the river, splashing up a tidal wave of dark
water and drenching those standing near the river. It seemed to bounce
out of the water for an instant, then crashed back in as the fireball was
extinguished by the waves in the river it had caused, and it's fearful
scream of terror was reduced to a wounded hissing.
	Within milliseconds Mulder and Scully found themselves in the
middle of one chaotic mass panic.
	Mulder held Scully as he was enveloped by something like one
gigantic black beast, moving everywhere at once, trying to escape from
whatever it was that had descended upon them in all it's burning wrath.
He let out a cry of panic as Samantha, Troi, his mother and Scully's
mother were lost somewhere behind giant masses of terrified people.
	"SCULLY!!! WE GOTTA GET OUTTA HERE!!!"
	It was like being back in the stampede in South Africa. People
were shoving, kicking, biting and punching each other in an effort to get
away. All manner of screams and cries echoed from the panicked mob...it
was Y2K, and it's destruction had descended upon them, it was the black
oil aliens returned to induce revenge upon their pitiful planet, it was
the universe ending and collapsing on top of them, it was the apocalypse
the Bible had mentioned, it was a catastrophic hurricane mentioned in the
National Equirer, or it was all of these things at once. And it was clear
that no force on earth could stop the enraged mass of fearful bodies. 
	Mulder decided to take action. Hefting Scully up in his arms, he
leaped on top of a nearby table to try and get his bearings. All he saw
was a moving throng of panicked persons charging left and right and
everywhere. People were firing their guns in all directions in some form
of self-defense, and the flying bullets were wounding and killing people
left and right. Just then, Mulder spotted something that would be useful
for them...
	"OVER THERE!!!"
	Scully shouted in surprise as Mulder clutched her tightly and
charged headlong into the mob. He didn't have time to look for the others
right now...he was only concerned with Scully's safety. What he saw was
one of Paris's public bathrooms...a circular tower with an automatic
flushing toilet and sliding door. Troi had used one of them before, and
she said it had reminded her of something out of Star Trek. Right now the
bathroom was empty as everyone was attempting to get to their cars or
subways.
	Mulder ran as hard as he could, protecting Scully's body with his
arms, throwing aside other people with the weight of his body and kicking
at anyone who got in his way. He stumbled over a plastic chair but picked
himself up again, *still* carrying Scully as if she weighed nothing at
all. 
	Just then, a large, burly looking Frenchman holding a large rifle
burst in front of Mulder. In a blind panic at seeing some giant thing
holding a struggling woman, he aimed his gun and fired.
	BRAM!!!
	Mulder jolted as another bullet from a different gun hit the man
in front of him, and watched in shock as he gave a gurgle and fell to the
ground, only to be trampled by heedless screaming humans.
	Mulder regained himself and continued on. He managed to gain a
spot by the bushes where he could actually move, and maneuvered himself
through the moving crowds to where he estimated the public bathroom to
be. He dodged around a giant metal beam that had fallen from the top of
the tower, still smoking and spitting sparks. After what seemed like an
eternity, Mulder and Scully reached the tiny circular structure in the
middle of the sidewalk rippling with people.
	He pounded on the outside button, and the sliding door slowly
slid open. He shoved Scully inside and threw himself in along with her,
and the door slid shut behind them.
	It was completely dark in the tiny bathroom. He helped Scully
gain her composure, and held her to him in the cramped little bathroom.
Outside the sounds of chaos continued onwards, with the gunshots and
screams and yells echoing each other all around. But all Mulder and
Scully heard were the sounds of their own exhausted breathing.
	
	It wasn't until daybreak that they dared to venture out of their
sanctuary.
	Mulder slowly slid the sliding door open and peered out of their
hiding place. The streets of Paris were now completely silent. There were
no panicked gun-toting Europeans running around, no mothers clutching
their babies, no fanatics exclaiming that the world was ending. There was
definitely no sign of the imposed disasters that were supposed to have
descended on them last night. 
	Instead the dark, damp streets of Paris were littered with
bodies. There were people who had been shot in the confusion, those who
had jumped from the tallest floor of the tower, other accidental deaths,
and those who had been trampled to death by the human stampede. The
street was also busy with the living, too...Paris police and paramedics
were everywhere checking to see who was still alive. Onlookers and those
who had returned from wherever they had gone had come to see what was
left of the disastrous party. And then there were a few drunks hanging
around wondering what they had missed.
	They stared at all there was...the beams and pieces of twisted
metal from the tower, broken lights and streamers and noisemakers, used
firecrackers, shell cases from bullets, wounded and dead bodies, the
remains of a burnt tree, policemen wandering around trying to figure out
what do to, and smoke rising from the street and twisting in the air.
	"Happy New Years, Mulder."

	7:47 A.M.
	Wednesday, January 5th, 2000
	Calias, France

	"Well Mulder, I've been doing a bit of research...and I must say
this does put an interesting twist on things."
	Mulder glanced up from the magazine he was reading. It had been
almost a week since the incident at the New Year's Party in Paris. The
confusion had been cleared up, everything had been worked out, and
*somehow* everything was fixed. Luckily, Tina, Maggie, Samantha and Troi
had managed to find a hiding place underneath a bridge to avoid the
disastrous company of the mob and had made it out unharmed, if not a
little bewhildered. They had decided to leave Paris that day after being
in the beautiful city for about half a month. Maggie had determined that
since what had happened they probably wouldn't have that much luck doing
some normal touristing, anyway. After a trip back up the Seine in 'The
Skeptic', they had arrived back at Calias near the English Channel, where
they had left 'The Believer'. After a bit of loading up and saying
goodbye, they would continue down the Western coast of Europe until they
reached the Mediterranean.
	The cause of the deadly undertakings at the New Years Party had
finally been determined...a low-flying plane going over Paris when the
party was going on had lost altitude, caught fire and dived straight into
the Seine, taking a piece of the Eifel Tower with it. The frightening
appearance of the plane in such a way at such a time had simply caused
the entire company of people at the party to go wild with panic...and
that there had really been no cause of alarm. It almost seemed a shame
that so many people had died over one accident...the police tolled 358
deaths out of the thousands around the Eifel Tower alone. Most had been
from accidental gunshot wounds, the next part from those that had fallen
from the tower...and ironically enough, 27 of those people had died from
being too drunk. The Paris police had demanded to find the owners of the
plane. However, there was one problem...the pilot of the plane was not to
be found. Police questioned people for days, but no one stated that they
owned the crashed plane. After a long time of searching people gave up
and assumed that the pilot of the aircraft had died in the plane, even
though no body had been recovered. Mulder accepted this statement on what
had caused the fireball and panic...but he was still unsatisfied on the
whole. For one thing, no one ever found out exactly *what* had crashed
into the Seine the first time around, when the blinding light overtook
all of Paris. 
	Moby the puppy tugged playfully on Mulder's pant leg as Scully
held up the information. "You know that stuff that I got on my hand when
we were at the Eifel Tower?" Scully asked with raised eyebrows. "I took
the time to look through police reports, and I found out what it
is...it's *liquid electromagnet*. Very rare, very new, very expensive
stuff. The police found the entire selection of beams that formed the
last level of the tower to have their hollows FILLED with it.
Electromagnet is something you find in the Earth's magnetosphere...not in
the Eifel Tower." 
	"So...what *is* it doing in the Eifel Tower?" Mulder asked
quizzically as he picked up Moby to pet him. 
	"They're not entirely sure," Scully sighed. "But there's evidence
that people have planted it there for a purpose. French police are right
now tracing the liquid electromagnet to a major company that has recently
bought truckloads of the stuff...Bio-e'toile Labs."
	"Don't think I'm familiar with it."
	"It means "Biostar"...it's the French division of a major company
in America that invests in biological and astronomical study. It's a very
competitive business."
	"So why would a French biological company plant ten tons worth of
liquid electromagnet into the Eifel Tower?"
	"I had to do some extensive research to find out this," Scully
said. "But one of their rival companies, LifeLabs Inc. in Sweden, had a
plane that was flying over Paris soon after New Years with some
top-secret research materials. That liquid electromagnet is strong enough
to attract a large metal object almost 500 miles away. Apparently the
French Bio-e'toile Labs had found an ingenious way to crash that
plane...and perhaps sabotage it's cargo."
	Mulder nodded, finally understanding. "And it just so happened
that other planes flying overhead got accidentally caught in the
electromagnet's pull and crashed themselves."
	"Exactly," Scully cocked a smile at Mulder. "See, there's
absolutely nothing paranormal about it. I *told* you that every place we
went wouldn't have something paranormal about it..."
	"I don't know..." Mulder said with a familiar smile. "We never
did manage to explain that flash of light...or *what* type of aircraft
fell to Earth the first time it happened. And nobody ever *did* find the
people piloting the plane that crashed on New Year's Eve..."
	"Dream all the paranormal dreams you like, Mulder, but I think
that the book on this place's case is closed."
	"I don't know...I think us getting engaged is pretty paranormal,
wouldn't you say?"
	Scully laughed and plucked the slobbering Moby out of Mulder's
arms, cheerfully scratching the Pomeranian on the head. "I'd have to
agree," She paused and looked at Mulder. "And Mulder...thank you."
	He shook his head. "Thank *you*."
	"I suppose Sam and mom are right about waiting until we get
back...it would've been rather disastrous if we'd had the wedding on New
Year's eve like we wanted to have."
	Mulder had to laugh. 
	Just then, Samantha entered the small lobby of the hotel they had
stopped at. "'The Believer's ready to go!" She exclaimed excitedly. "Get
ready to head aboard!"
	"Oh boy...back to sea life..." Mulder groaned.
	Troi, who had been eagerly copying down all of the events that
had happened on the trip so far into her new laptop, closed the computer
and followed Sam out the door to where their faithful boat was waiting.
Scully grabbed Moby and stood up from the seat, and Mulder stood beside
her.
	"So...you ready to get moving again...moi fiancee'?"
	"As always...moi futur mari!"

------------------------------------------------------------------

THE END OF PART FIVE

------------------------------------------------------------------


	Author's Notes: Hey! That's the end of part five...hope y'all
liked it! Not much of a case-file, I know, but I figured the rest was
worth it! :) I think a lot of you are very happy now...but don't you
worry, *worse* things are to come! Like the French translations? Bonus if
you can figure out what "futur mari" means! 
	Allllllllllllllrighty then, since this part is over, you can
expect more coming soon...then we'll be halfway through the series!
Yay!!! Expect much more shippiness (of course) and more involved plots.
And also...there's a surprise waiting for everyone in the next one! Hope
you like it!
	Once again...it's time
for.......FEEEEEEEEEDBAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!!!!!! Send me 2046534K worth of it
and then some and I will be eternally grateful and give you free tickets
to Paris! (Not really, but oh well.) But I will love it and I'll write
back to whatever you send! So send it on over for poor feedback-less
me!!! :):)

	-Alien Girl