Nom de guerre
by Maria Nicole

She glows with William, softened and happy. Doggett and Reyes call
her Dana now, as does Mulder in the daytime. 

In the night, he thinks of a Montana field, of Duane Barry, of Billy
Miles. He thinks of William. In legend, true names grant power, and
Rumpelstiltskin falls. In the Bible, God changes identities and
essences: childless Sarai becomes fertile Sarah and Jacob wrestles out
of God the name of Israel. And Dana too practices naming magic, drawing
the line of descent from his maybe-father to his maybe-son, shield
against the mystery of William's birth. 

It will not be enough. 

Something is coming, a bullet whose trajectory is already set: Scully
on another bridge, himself in another field, William a hunted pawn.
Something has already begun, and so he breathes "Scully" into her skin,
her hair, her breasts each night. He whispers his battle cry, and waits
for starlight and war to reach the earth.  

End (1/1)