Fairy Tale
by Audrey Cooper
xf_writer@geocities.com
October, 1996

Summary: A short scene set in Scully's childhood. Dana's beliefs 
clash with her sister Melissa's.

Classification/Rating: V. G.

Disclaimer: Ok, guys and gals, you know the drill... Scully and 
Melissa don't belong to me. They are the creations and property of 
Chris Carter, Fox Broadcasting, and 1013 Productions, and have been 
used without permission. 

I would appreciate feedback in any shape or form! 
********************************************************************
Fairy Tale
by Audrey Cooper
xf_writer@geocities.com


Dana was enchanted by the moonlight on the snow. She secretly 
believed each little sparkle and glint was a fairy. The only person 
she told was her big sister, Missy. Missy had laughed and said, 
"Munchkin, there's no such thing." So even though Dana still 
believed in the fairies, she didn't tell anyone else.

She skipped along the swept sidewalk, a small figure in a white 
snowsuit, her red hair a bright spot of color in all the whiteness. 
Held tight in her right mittened hand was the silver star she made 
in class that afternoon out of tin foil and cardboard. She hoped 
Mommy would let her put it on top of the tree they had picked out 
yesterday. Her other hand was in Melissa's.

Missy's hair was just as red as Dana's and her black down coat 
puffed out around her, making her look much fatter than she was. 
Dana knew that Missy was thinking about Jim by the silly look on 
her face. She jumped up and down while imitating her big sister's 
moony expression. 

"You're pulling my arm out of its socket, you rug rat," Melissa 
said. "Stop jumping."

"I want to show Mommy the star," Dana said. Her words came out in 
little white clouds. She pulled Melissa along faster.

Melissa dug in her feet and made tracks on the thin ice covering the 
sidewalk. "You'll fall if you don't _slow down_." She emphasized the 
last two words with jerks on Dana's hand. Dana's mitten came off, 
and, already overbalanced, Melissa flopped down into the snow that 
was piled next to the sidewalk.

Dana started laughing. She couldn't help it. Missy's red hair was 
twisted around her face and her black coat was powdered with white. 
Her face was close to matching her hair, and she floundered in the 
snow, looking like a beached whale. "Well, give me a hand, don't 
just stand there like a hyena," she got out, gasping.

Then it struck her how silly she must look. She pictured herself 
from Dana's point of view and hiccupped with laughter. Dana wasn't
helping any. She was bent over double holding her stomach, her star 
clasped to her side. Giggles came out of her in small strings.

Dana's giggles finally hitched off and she reached out her bare hand 
to Missy. "Here," she said, and grasped her sister's hand. Melissa got 
up to her knees, then to her feet.

"Wait, let's make angels," Melissa said. She plopped her butt back 
down into the snow and lay down flat, moving her arms and legs. The 
snow was cold and got down the back of her neck. Dana watched her, 
her eyes growing wide and very blue. The fairies might get angry if 
Missy hurt them.

"Come on, Missy, let's go." The words came out a little shaky. 
"Hurry up, I want to show Mommy my star."

"What's the matter, Munchkin, still afraid of fairies? I told 
you--there's no such thing. Make an angel." Melissa's coat was as 
white as her sister's snowsuit by now. "Oh, all right," she said 
when she saw Dana was trembling. "We'll go right now."

"The fairies," Dana whispered, tears shining in her eyes. She could 
see little spear points sticking up through the sparkly snow. Tiny 
white caps bobbed up and down. There _were_ fairies, she knew. And 
if Missy didn't get up now, she probably never would.

"Help me up, Dana." Melissa reached out her hand to Dana again. "I'm 
sitting on a branch or something. Hurry up." Her hand waved in the 
air.

Dana got hold and pulled with both hands, the star dropping, 
forgotten. Melissa came up about three feet and had almost made it 
all the way before she lost her balance, pulling Dana with her. 
"Oomph!" She started laughing again. "Boy, we're a pair. Come on, 
Dana, get up." Dana got up lightly, easily, and gingerly walked out 
of the snow onto the swept sidewalk. Melissa had gained her feet and 
was following her when her hand flew to her leg. "Must be pine 
needles," she said under her breath.

"It's not pine needles, it's the fairies," Dana said wide eyed, 
pointing at the sparkles. "You smooshed them, and now they're mad."

Melissa turned and looked into the whiteness. The moonlight was 
bright, glinting off the snow. She didn't see a thing.

"That's silly, Munchkin, don't get yourself all worked up." Icy 
sharp teeth bit into her ear and she clapped her hand to her head.

"What is it?" Dana asked, holding onto Missy's other hand with a 
death grip.

"Nothing. My ears are just cold, that's all." Melissa bent down and 
picked up Dana's blue mitten. "Put this on. Mom'll have a fit if you 
lose any more mittens. Let's go."

The silver star lay where Dana dropped it, and she was about to pick 
it up when Melissa's tug on her wrist pulled her away. "Leave it. 
I'll help you make another one tonight."

"Can I put glitter on it?" 

"Sure, we'll make the prettiest star ever."

Behind them, the fairies picked up the star and held it up, fascinated 
by their reflections in the mirror-like surface.

_____
End

So, please, let me know what you think... comments to me or to the
fictalk list.

Audrey Cooper
xf_writer@geocities.com

M: "Dana...after all you've seen...after all the evidence...why can't
you believe?"
S: "I'm afraid. I'm afraid to believe."
The X-Files, Beyond the Sea