The house at the end of the long dirt driveway did not attract many visitors. It was rather rundown and unassuming, some may even say unremarkable. The house however, held within it a family. It was a rather new little family, still learning the ropes. At the moment, just before sunrise, there was only one lone light shining in the downstairs window, all else was dark and quiet.
Inside the aforementioned unremarkable house, Mulder shuffled quietly around the room, putting on his zip up hoodie and a beanie. He was on a mission and nothing could deter him. He glanced at the stairs and listened. He heard nothing and so he continued his task.
"Okay, little bean, just lie still," he whispered as he dressed Faith in a long sleeved shirt and some pants. "I know it's almost time for a feeding and you're getting a little cranky, but let's give your mama a few more minutes okay?" Socks and a little pink beanie with silver stars completed the outfit.
He wrapped her in a blanket, the way Karla had shown them in the hospital, and she stopped her tiny amount of fussing. She loved being swaddled. The feeling of being held secure the way she had been in Scully's womb.
He glanced up and listened again, but still no sounds came from upstairs. He smiled as he scooped up his girl, and grabbed a warm fleece blanket. He opened the front door and quietly closed it, not wanting to wake Scully or let the cold air inside.
He paused on the porch and held Faith to his chest as he wrapped her in the fleece blanket. He held her in his arms, bundled against the cold, and he continued across the porch and down the stairs.
He walked with her around the yard and told her about the stars that were beginning to disappear in the growing morning light. The names of the them rolled off his tongue, as he looked down at Faith. Her eyes were open, as if she was listening to every word he said. He kissed her cheek and smiled.
Once more around and the sun was beginning to rise in earnest, the last remaining spots of darkness, being chased from the sky. He went back toward the house and sat on the porch swing. He moved her to his chest as he rocked her, the blanket tucked around her to keep her warm.
She lay against him, but began to fuss a little. He hummed to her and she settled down. He stroked her back and a song came to mind and he smiled. He began to sing quietly to her as he held her close, putting his mouth close to her little ear.
If I needed you
Would you come to me,
Would you come to me,
And ease my pain?
If you needed me
I would come to you
I would swim the seas
For to ease your pain
He rubbed her back as she shifted around and made some noises. He had not thought of that song in years, but now it seemed perfect for this particular moment. He kissed her head, closed his eyes, and ran his fingers down her small back. He thought about the next words and continued his song.
In the night forlorn
The morning's born
And the morning shines
With the lights of love
You will miss sunrise
If you close your eyes
That would break
My heart in two
He looked out toward the sky as it became lighter. There would be many sunrises they would experience together, and for that he smiled. Thankful, especially on this day, that he had been given a second chance to get everything right. This little one though, he thought, she was so much more than he had ever expected. He pictured all the fun adventures they would have, and he closed his eyes as he held her, his chin resting lightly on her head. He hummed to her, and then finished the song.
The lady's with me now
Since I showed her how
To lay her lily
Hand in mine
Loop and Lil agree
She's a sight to see
A treasure for
The poor to find
If I needed you
Would you come to me,
Would you come to me,
And ease my pain?
If you needed me
I would come to you
I would swim the seas
For to ease your pain
He opened his eyes as the song ended. Scully was standing in front of him, a soft smile on her face, her phone in her hands, obviously taking pictures of them sitting there.
"Good morning," she whispered, stepping closer to kiss Faith on the head, then kiss him softly on the lips. He placed a hand on her neck and pulled her in for another kiss before she stepped back.
"We didn't wake you did we?" he asked her as she gazed at Faith tenderly.
"No," she said, placing her hands on her breasts. "These guys did. It's time for a feeding."
"Yeah, we were trying to give you a few more minutes, weren't we my love?" he asked Faith, as she began to fuss again.
"Sing to her, Mulder," she said, placing her hand on top of his, which was on Faith's back. "She calms down when she hears your voice, especially when you sing."
He scoffed at her, but she nodded. He began to hum and then sing the song again softly. She moved around a bit, but then settled and was still through the song. Scully smiled at him and raised her eyebrows.
"See?" she asked quietly. "And she doesn't seem to mind that the song was stolen from her mother."
He met her eyes, seeing the laugher there, and he chuckled. He remembered when he sang it to Scully. One rainy night in yet another hotel room, running from the very organization they used to work for, he had held her close and sung that song for the first time. She had cried as he stroked her hair, wrapping her naked body around his, holding him close. She had whispered how much she loved him and then shown him, in case he had not heard her.
She smiled at him, and he knew she was thinking of the same memory. "I suppose we can share the song," she relented, squeezing his fingers. He smiled and she moved her hand.
"Now, it may not be too cold out for you two, but I don't think my naked breasts could take it. Let's move this party inside," she said as she stepped back.
He groaned as he stood up carefully with Faith. "I don't think it's fair of you to mention your naked breasts in such a blasé manner, when they are absolutely off limits for awhile. For me anyway," he said, following her inside.
She laughed as she sat on the couch and reached for Faith. It was warmer inside, so he unwrapped her from the fleece blanket before handing her to Scully. As soon as she realized who was holding her, she began to root around for her breakfast.
Scully smiled and opened her pajama top and her nursing bra, helping Faith to latch on to her breast. She sighed as she began to nurse. Mulder watched her eyes close and her fingers stroking the baby's soft hair as she took off her pink beanie.
"What were you two doing outside on such a cold morning?" she asked as she opened her eyes and looked down at Faith.
"Hmm," he responded, watching them together. "Just taking a little walk, she likes being outside. Letting you sleep a little longer, before the lady demanded her breakfast."
She chuckled and looked up at him, thanking him with her eyes. He nodded and smiled back at her. He kissed her head and stepped back to start the coffee.
"What time did you say Skinner would be here?" she called quietly to him.
"Uh.. he said three, I think. He's bringing everything and he seemed pretty excited about it," he answered, as he poured water in the coffee pot. He added the coffee and turned it on, walking back toward the couch and sitting next to her.
"It was nice of him to offer a home cooked Thanksgiving meal. I was set on cereal and toast," she said, looking at him again. "And he's preparing all of it on his own?"
"That's what he said," he replied to her. "Said he had everything purchased and to not worry about anything." He stroked Faith's soft hair and kissed her head. She continued her feeding, her eyes closed.
Faith was so beautiful, sometimes it took his breath away, as he spent what felt like hours staring at her. He was mesmerized by her features, the way she moved, how she yawned, and the way she would hold onto his finger. He was astounded by how something her size, could so quickly hold so much of his heart.
She was a calm and content baby who was happiest when she was close to Scully's heartbeat. Scully could say his voice and his singing calmed her, but it was nothing like when she laid on Scully's chest and slept. The look of peace and relaxation that came over her was beautiful to behold.
Scully switched Faith to her other breast and Mulder stared at her again, as he came out of his reverie. He watched her settle her and get her latched on before he spoke.
"Can I tell you what I'm thankful for this year?" he asked quietly, as Scully adjusted her bra.
"Have we ever done this before?" she asked, glancing up at him with an amused look on her face.
"Yeah, we did at your mom's a few times when we went there."
"And you hated it. Every time. You would get all fidgety and you would clasp and unclasp your hands under the table," she said, shaking her head.
"Because Bill was always eyeballing me, when he was there, anyway. But I always did it because.. well because your mom asked us to and.. it was your mom," he finished quietly, thinking of all Maggie Scully had done for him. Scully leaned her head on his shoulder and they were quiet for a few minutes.
"So.. I want to tell you, and I want you to just listen, okay?" he said, putting his hand on her knee. She nodded against his shoulder and took a big breath. He followed suit and closed his eyes.
"I'm thankful for every second of my life that I lived without you. Every second I was alone before you opened that basement door," he said, as she exhaled and sat up, taking her head off his shoulder. His eyes opened as she looked at him, her eyes searching his face.
He stared back at her, holding her gaze. He shook his head and smiled. She really had no idea. No matter how many times he told her, how often he did, or the different ways he approached it, she would never know how much he truly loved her.
"I am thankful for those seconds, hours, days, years without you because as soon as you walked into my life, I knew. I knew that you were if for me. You had been sent to the basement to take me down, to cut me off at the knees, to shut me up. But, Scully, you saved me," he looked at her, at this woman holding his child and he felt overwhelmed with love for her. "I know I've told you this before, but you did, you saved me. I was not just physically in that basement, I was there mentally and emotionally. I had no redeemable qualities to offer the bureau, I was a laughing stock. If they needed me, it was asked grudgingly and always accepted with a touch of skepticism. "Spooky Mulder" was a joke. You came along.. and you became my saving grace."
"Mulder.." she said, shaking her head.
"No, just listen," he said. "You pulled me out of that basement. Maybe not physically, but in every other way. You were my redeemer. I was a pariah and you shined a light on my good sides, while you helped rebuild the bad ones. If you could stand me, and my crazy theories and ways, if you saw my worth, well..I must not be all bad, right?"
She was crying softly as she moved the baby to her shoulder and began patting her back. She leaned her head on his shoulder again and took another deep breath. He waited a minute and then began again.
"I was drowning, Scully, and I had no idea. I had been destroyed by former partners and I was a shell of my former self. My only thoughts those days were on finding Samantha, and proving I was right about aliens, monsters, and any other creature that went bump in the night. I didn't care what others thought about me, but from the moment I met you, I cared what you thought, how you saw me. No matter how crazy a theory, how odd I may have acted, you were always there. Standing beside me, or between me and a stupid idea," he said, his mind thinking of all the times and ways she saved him. "If I had met you before, I wouldn't have been ready. I would have looked past you, missed you, and missed out on the best part of my life."
Scully sniffled and again they were quiet for a few minutes. She continued lightly patting Faith's back, rubbing up and down, and patting again.
"So, I am thankful for the fucked up crazy life I lived before you came into it. I am thankful for the pain I suffered, because the pain allowed for the beauty to shine through. The flower that grows in the middle of a cement wall. Hard, unyielding, and a difficult journey- yet the flower is persistent and blooms where it seemed impossible," he said, turning to face her. She stared at him, her eyes wet with tears. "You brought sunshine into that dark basement, Scully. You brought me out of that dark basement. I can never hope to express the level of my thankfulness to you, but I will try and show you, every day."
He leaned forward and kissed her, his hand on her neck, his thumb stroking her cheek. She held his wrist with one hand and the baby with the other. He pulled back and smiled at her. He settled back on the couch, putting his arm around her, as she moved the baby into her arms and off her shoulder.
"Thank you, Mulder," she whispered, laying her head on his shoulder, once again. He hummed his response and rubbed her arm lightly.
"My turn now?" she asked, and he laughed softly, before squeezing her arm. She was quiet for awhile and he waited, curious about what she would say.
"I'm thankful for the past two years. Thankful for crazy cases, motel rooms that sucked, greasy all night diners, and rental cars that smelled," she said softly. "I'm most thankful for this past year. For the doppelgänger case, a crazy man named Reggie, learning the truth about William, robots and technology going haywire, and churches with prayer candles." She shifted and turned, placing a hand on his face, and looking in his eyes.
"I'm thankful for them because, while we were still in contact when we were separated, we weren't us. I missed us, Mulder," she said, her eyes filling with tears. "Working together again, it pushed us back toward each other, right where we needed to be. This past year, these cases, the time spent together.. I fell in love with you all over again."
She fell silent and he put his hand over hers on his face as he bowed his head. He raised his eyes to hers and her soft smile tugged at his heart.
"I'm thankful for you, Mulder. For the growth and change that we both went through during our separation, but mostly yours. I hated being apart, but if it's led to this point, this version of us, then I am thankful forever for it," she said, staring in his eyes.
He nodded at her and turned his head to kiss her palm. He closed his eyes and kept her palm at his lips. The feel of her hand, the scent of her lotion, and the sounds of Faith's small baby sounds, creating a forever memory. He opened his eyes and looked at her before kissing her forehead and sitting back with his arm around her again.
They sat cuddled up and quiet for a little while. He thought she had dozed off when she spoke up quietly.
"You need to start making a list for next year now, because I feel my thankful speech was much better."
A second of silence and then he laughed softly and she joined him. He grabbed a couple couch pillows, laid them on his lap and told her to lie down. She did, lying on her side, facing him, the baby in her arms. He stroked her hair and still he chuckled.
She sighed and closed her eyes saying she was tired. He hummed and then began to sing softly. She smiled and held Faith closer, their shared song pulling them both to deeper sleep.
He continued to sing softly as the sun began to lighten the little unremarkable house. As a day set aside for thanksgiving dawned, he sat with his ladies and his heart felt full.
Yes, the little house at the end of the long dirt road was unassuming and unremarkable to passersby. They did not know that the little house had more heart and character than the fanciest of homes. They did not know of the laughter and love inside its walls, nor of the tears and sorrow it held and hoped to never relive. They did not know any of that as they drove or walked past, and that suited the little house just fine. It suited it just fine indeed.