Title: What He Knew

Author: Gillian Leigh

Disclaimer: Please see an earlier chapter.

Author's Notes: Okay, everybody, this is it. The end of this story! Hard to believe, but here it is!!

April 4

3:27 p.m.

The church was quiet except for the words of the priest. The mourners sat in the pews, murmuring the Lord's Prayer. The group was small for the enormous church, barely filling one row. Closest to the two tiny caskets were Mulder and Scully. She was leaning heavily against his shoulder, and his large hand practically swallowed her smaller one. Beside them sat Scully's mother, and her two brothers and their wives, and then came Skinner and Kim, Doggett and Reyes, the Lone Gunmen, and finally Dr. Rosenthal, whom had been asked by the grieving parents to attend.

The service was short, and as the mourners rose to give their condolences and leave, no one noticed the lanky, gray-haired man slip out the door and into the hustle and bustle of midday traffic.

Inside the church, once all of the mourners had gone, Mulder and Scully had a conversation somewhat like the one they'd had years before when Emily died.

"I don't want to believe that they're really gone," Scully said, as they two stood before the small, white caskets. There should never be a need for caskets so small. Mulder sighed, and wiped away a tear with the back of his hand.

"I don't want to believe it either.... I keep thinking... I keep hoping that I'll wake up and find out that all of this was nothing but a terrible nightmare," he said, rubbing her back. She nodded. There was a moment's hesitation before she spoke next.

"I--I'd like to see them one last time," she whispered, looking to her husband for approval. He nodded.

"Of course..."

Slowly, Scully stepped over to the casket with pink flowers on top-Nora's- and undid the latch. She slowly opened the lid, and practically leapt backwards. Her cry was strangled, half caught in her throat. Alarmed, Mulder rushed over and looked in the casket.

Empty. Nora wasn't inside. Feeling his heart racing in his chest, he rushed to the other casket and opened it. It too was empty. Reaching her hand inside Nora's casket, Scully found only sand and the cross, her cross, the one she'd insisted that Nora be buried wearing. Tears stung her eyes. Practically knocking Mulder over to get to Adam's casket, she found the same thing. Sand and the other cross, Missy's cross.

Holding the two identical crosses in her hand, Scully turned to face Mulder, her face awash with tears. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came as she buried her face in his chest and sobbed. Mulder stood unmoving as his wife clung to him, soaking the front of his black suit jacket with her hot tears. In the air he noticed the faint scent of cigarette smoke.

-THE END-

Additional Author's Notes: Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed this story! Your input was greatly appreciated. I know most people didn't expect an ending like this from me... the self-titled Queen of Storybook Endings. I thought I'd give this a more X-Files-ish feel, at least in the ending, and BTW, this means that I left it open for a sequel. Perhaps with enough persuasion I might write one, and answer your questions. Well, if you loved it, hated it -whatever- just leave me a review (or send me an email!) and let me know. Your input matters either way!

Thank you soooooooo much!

Au revoir,

Gillian Leigh