TITLE: LADY OF CONSTANT SORROW (1 of 1) AUTHOR: DAVID HEARNE CLASSIFICATION: Post-ep for "Provenance" RATING: PG SPOILERS: Provenance, Orison Send feedback to ottercrk@sover.net Website is located at XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX You allow a saint certain privileges, even when she's telling you that all religions are lies. I've always been in awe of Dana Scully. She has this amazing strength which persists in spite of the horrible things done to her. How many of us would simply crawl into a corner if we had half of her experiences? Sometimes I wonder if she's human. I don't mean that literally. I mean... I don't know. What is the meaning of anything nowadays? I kneel before these words taken from an ancient spacecraft -- words which demand new theologies and new beliefs. Even she has trouble facing these words. I know she's Catholic -- sort of. What can she believe now if God's word came from an alien? Yet she's kneeling with me, daring to read these words. She's doing this for William. Her beliefs have narrowed down to the safety of one infant. And my beliefs are narrowing down to her. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX This isn't the first time Scully shot somebody in her apartment. I know; I've read the files. After I found about Donnie Pfaster, I got an odd feeling about his death. The Bureau ruled the murder an act of self-defense, but they only had Mulder's word for evidence. Then again, maybe there are some truths better left alone. But I can't deny what I see with my own eyes. Scully is on the floor, grabbing a man she shot, screaming in his face. She's completely unhinged, and I should get her out of here. Yet I just stand still. What if it had been my son in the crib? Wouldn't I be shoving my foot into this guy's wound right now? Shouldn't I make the same allowance for Scully? I would do a lot for this woman. I have done a lot. She has earned my respect and God knows she's entitled to some payback. After all the crap she's gone through... Does that mean I should just stand to the side and let her go mad? If I do care for her, shouldn't I pull her away from all this? How far should anybody have to go for a cause? I once came across this George Orwell quote -- "All saints should be judged guilty before proven innocent." Maybe that quote should be, "All saints should be judged insane before proven sane." XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX My daughter is not a saint. She's just a woman who was given the gift of a child. Why does William have to be more than just my grandson? I believe in a generous God. I believe He answers our prayers. I'm not sure what my daughter believes. I know she had regained her faith once. Has she lost it again? I've experienced the pain of losing a husband and a daughter. I've seen the agonies experienced by Dana. I wanted to believe that William meant the end of that pain; that only God and love could have created him. Instead it's all falling apart again. My daughter is falling apart. I pray to God for help. If He doesn't provide, will I turn away from Him as well? Who will help us then? XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX "We should get to babysit more often," Frohike said. "Yeah," Langly said. "I mean, Scully and her mom already needed some time off. Why do we have to wait for emergency situations before we get the bambino?" "No offense," Byers said from the back of the van, "but we're not exactly baby-sitter material." "What are you talking about?" Frohike replied. "I'm great with kids." "Well, you're both about the same size," Langly observed. "Yeah, and the girls would just love to run brushes through your hair." Before Langly could respond to that, Byers said, "Will you two keep a look-out?" The van was silent for a few moments, then Langly said, "Remember when we first met Scully?" "Of course," Byers said. Frohike said, "Yeah, she was..." He stopped himself. "Hot?" "Well, okay. She was. She still is. You guys noticed how she's letting her hair grow long again?" Both Byers and Langly looked at Frohike. He squirmed. "I'm just sayin'..." "What I remember," Langly said, "are the bets we used to take about when she and Mulder would...you know..." "Hmm," Frohike said. "We never figured out who won that." "The situation is far more complicated than that, gentlemen," Byers noted. "Ain't it always?" Langly said. "Christ, the shit that woman has to go through..." "Don't worry," Frohike said. "She's a survivor." "Yeah, but what will she survive as?" "What are you saying?" Byers asked. "Between aliens and kids with super-powers and the rest of it...what does it make Scully? Or William?" Byers looked down at the soft face of William Scully. "Our friends," he said. "That's all we need to know." XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX