Title: Nova

Author: Angel

Feedback: Please! I love every but of it!

Classification: MSR, Colonization fic.

Rating: NC-17 (for some parts-very mild consensual sex- but to be safe!) Others are probably PG-13 or so for naughty words and implied naughty stuff =).

Summery: The inevitable happens. Mulder has planned ahead and now does everything in his power to keep Scully safe.

You MUST read all parts to understand! Available at Ephemeral and my home page.

Disclaimer: You know the drill. Characters are property of Fox, 1013, ect. No money is being made. No infringement is intended. A few poems and songs are used without permission, names of authors are given. Prayers which I did not write, and I don’t know who wrote are included in some areas.

Homepage: (to find missing parts and sooner or later the completed version, also posted at Ephemeral)

A HUGE thanks to Evie my beta reader! Nova would never be doing this well, or going as fast, without her help! Thank you thank you thank you thank you! Umm… one more! Thank you!

Note: Want Nova updates in the mail? Just let me know!

EVE OF DESTRUCTION
Barry McGuire

The eastern world it tis explodin',
violence flarin', bullets loadin',
you're old enough to kill but not for votin',
you don't believe in war, what's that gun you're totin',
and even the Jordan river has bodies floatin',
but you tell me over and over and over again my friend,
ah, you don't believe we're on the eve of destruction.

Don't you understand, what I'm trying to say?
Can't you see the fears that I'm feeling today?
If the button is pushed, there's no running away,
There'll be no one to save with the world in a grave,
take a look around you, boy, it's bound to scare you, boy,
and you tell me over and over and over again my friend,
ah, you don't believe we're on the eve of destruction.

Yeah, my blood's so mad, feels like coagulatin',
I'm sittin' here, just contemplatin',
I can't twist the truth, it knows no regulation,
handful of Senators don't pass legislation,
and marches alone can't bring integration,
when human respect is disintegratin',
this whole crazy world is just too frustratin',
and you tell me over and over and over again my friend,
ah, you don't believe we're on the eve of destruction.

Think of all the hate there is in Red China!
Then take a look around to Selma, Alabama!
Ah, you may leave here, for four days in space,
but when you return, it's the same old place,
the poundin' of the drums, the pride and disgrace,
you can bury your dead, but don't leave a trace,
hate your next-door-neighbor, but don't forget to say grace,
and you tell me over and over and over and over again my friend,
ah, you don't believe we're on the eve of destruction.

Note: I like that song… decided to throw it in here for the heck of it. Slightly fitting, right?

(20/?)

Day 113

Scully placed jars on a shelf with one hand, the other resting lightly on her belly. "Where have you been?" She asked over her shoulder as Amanda walked in.

"Oh… I went to see Walter, today is his first day working." She stepped up next to Scully to help with the jars.

Scully nodded. "How is he managing?"

Placing the last jar on the self, Amanda sat in a chair with a slight smile. "Just fine."

Scully joined her at the table, stretching her arms over her head. "You were gone for a while."

Amanda shrugged, answering slightly defensively but mostly in teasing. "You visit Mulder all the time."

"Yes I do." She said with a slightly embarrassed smile. She should have been ashamed of the way she missed him, even if they were only a part for a few hours, but she was too happy to care what others thought. "Is that the same situation?" Scully had been trying, for a few days, to work the question in nonchalantly. It was a lot harder then she expected.

She smiled a little. "I wouldn’t say that… yet."

Scully nodded. "At the risk of sounding parental," Amanda immediately cringed. "Isn’t Skinner a little old for you?"

"He’s only ten years older."

Only. That was a shock to Scully. She wouldn’t have used the word only in this context. "I guess…" Scully looked down at her hands for a moment, slightly embarrassed. "I guess I just see you as younger then you really are. You don’t really behave like a thirty five year old woman"

Amanda bit the inside of her cheek to stop the harsh comments that wanted to come out. She leaned forward towards Scully with her elbows on the table. "For the first time in my life," Amanda spoke softly, slowly, honestly. "I am with people who are listening to me. I have always been a child. To my father, to his girlfriends, to the few people who came to Nova. I am just now getting past that. Forgive me, I have twenty years to catch up on."

Scully sat back in her chair, trying to regain her personal space. Some of her control. She nodded in as much understanding as she could for Amanda’s life.

"I haven’t really had a life. Look at you." Scully’s head shot up. "Moving all over with your family when you were young, medical school, an FBI agent, you have this amazing relationship…" Amanda trailed off with a jealous frown.

With a short sad laugh Scully shook her head. "My life hasn’t been perfect. Trust me."

Amanda met her eyes and shrugged. "I guess no one has a perfect life." She glanced over her shoulder as Benjamin walked in the open door. "Speaking of which." She mumbled.

"Hello, Dana." He greeted with a smile. "Amanda." He said as an after thought, not looking at her.

"Can I do something for you Benjamin?" Scully asked with her professional politeness intact.

He sighed softly then glanced at Amanda. "Could you leave us for a moment, I need to speak with Dana alone."

Amanda looked shocked for a moment. Then shook her head and walked, almost stomped, from the room.

Scully noticed, the moment Benjamin walked into the room, Amanda turned from an intelligent women to a obnoxious child. She watched in an interested silence as Benjamin shut the door after Amanda and sat in her vacant chair. After smiling at her for a moment her spoke; "I was wondering how were are feeling?"

"Just fine." She watched him, waiting for the reason he needed to speak with her alone. He didn’t say anything, just continued to stare at her. "What was it you wanted to talk about?"

A displeased frown crossed his face. "It’s about Mulder."

The only thing that stopped Scully from shifting comfortably in her chair was her years of practice with higher ups in the bureau. "What about him?" She asked coolly.

Benjamin sat back in his chair, arms crossed over his chest. "He seems to be acting strangely, I’m worried he will take it out on you."

Scully was confused, it was that simple. "I don’t know what you are talking about?"

With a frown he leaned forward, too close. Scully hadn’t let a man, other then Mulder, come so close to her in years without stiffening. She shifted back in her chair as much as possible. "He seems… agitated. And I think that there are things maybe going on with you two that you are hiding. That night we were I met you in the hall. You were so upset and I noticed Mulder had a cut on his cheek."

Scully’s detective mind unsolved his puzzle of words and it was all she could do not to laugh. Settling on a smile and shook her head. "Mulder wouldn’t hit me if that’s what you are trying to get at. He never would, he couldn’t."

Benjamin nodded, leaning back in his chair. Scully’s smile had thrown him off. She wasn’t the least but upset by the conversation, she was amused. "You’d be amazed what a man will do to a woman if he is encouraged the proper way."

Her smile slowly faded as she pondered his words. She shook her head again. "Mulder would never hurt me. You don’t understand him-or me."

Benjamin stood quickly. "Well… I just wanted to voice my concerns."

"I appreciate that." She said still seated.

He nodded. "I’ll see you soon, Dana." Benjamin exited the room, pulling the door closed behind him and was met by an angry looking Amanda. "You can go back in now." He said trying to side step her.

"Your hold is slipping." She said in an eerily calm voice as she blocked his path.

He let out a breath. "What?" His tone was tired and impatient.

"Don’t you see the way people are looking at you? They don’t fear you. They don’t respect you. Those are to two things you thrive on, you don’t have either anymore."

Benjamin glared at her. "Where do you get off with this attitude? Ever since you started running around with Walter you act like your some big hot shot."

She pointed a finger at him. "You leave Walter out of this. He doesn’t have anything to do with it."

"Oh yes he does." Benjamin shook his head. "Don’t you see he is using you?" He looked her up and down. "What would a man want to with you? You’re losing your hold on reality."

Amanda shook her head, amazed. "Me? Now way, Dad. I’m finally figuring out what is real and what is not. You are the one that has lost touch with reality. You don’t realize how slack of a hold you have on Nova. One little thing." She held up a finger for emphasis. "One thing that you can’t control and you are going lose it all."

He crossed his arms over his chest. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Amanda shook her head in amazement. "You think we are done here? We aren’t safe. No one is safe." Her voice was nearing a yell. "You are lost in this happy little world were everything is going to be ok. Well it’s not." Suddenly she dropped down to a whisper. "Something is going to happen, sooner or later, and it will be all over for you." A sick smile came over her face. "I can’t wait for that day." Taking a large step around him she went back into the Medical Room, leaving Benjamin to notice for the first time the few on lookers to their discussion. The worried looks, shocked expressions, and tense murmurs were duly noted.

Day 116

Mulder rubbed his chin against the top of Scully’s head, his stubble catching on the soft strands.

"There was so much blood." She whispered. Her trembling hands ran over his arms wrapped from behind her. His only response was a sleepy kiss on her ear. "Why do I keep having this dream?" She asked desperately.

He shook his head against her hair. "I don’t know." He spoke softly with his lips against her ear again. "There’s an unconscious reason, or cause. I hate to say it but I think we will just have to wait it out." He paused in thought for a moment. "Was there anything different about it this time?"

"I don’t know." She said shaking her head.

Mulder rubbed his palm up and down her arm. "Talk it out."

With a soft breath Scully closed her eyes and for the first time she relived her dream by choice. "It started off the same. I was alone in bed, on my back. I was weighed down and I knew someone was in the room. I struggled and called for you. But it didn’t matter. I couldn’t move and you weren’t there. Suddenly the man was touching me, only for a moment. Then there was the blood. Everywhere. So much. And it was over, I woke up. Everything was in slow motion it seemed." She shook her head, frustrated with herself. "I don’t know anything more. I’m probably forgetting some details."

"That’s ok." He said soothingly.

Scully rubbed a hand over her belly. "Maybe it is just one of those dreams pregnant women have." Mulder tensed at the topic, but quickly recovered to try to keep Scully calm. "Doesn’t that happen often? Women have nightmares about losing their child. It’s common right? Didn’t you learn about that at Oxford?"

"Yes it is." He whispered. Mulder didn’t have the heart to bring up the fact that she most likely wasn’t pregnant. The thought, the rationalization had calmed her. "Try and sleep." He ordered gently. The dream had become so common-every few nights-that they had both learned to put it out of their minds as well as they could and go back to sleep.

Scully nodded slightly and pulled his hand from where it rested on her hip, intertwining their fingers she pressed their joined hands to her belly and sighed contentedly.

Note: So… what do you think? Amanda and Skinner… good idea? Bad idea? Thanks for reading!