The man behind the counter in the convenience store was puzzled, but he didn't question why they needed to see the surveillance video and why they were so emotional about what they saw there. People were strange, he thought to himself, even people with FBI badges. The tall man asked him if he could take the recording with him and he granted promptly, after all, it was the federal government and he didn't want any trouble. The FBI man took the recording from his hand, thanked him and then turned around, walking towards the redheaded woman who was waiting for him by the door. The woman reached out her hand, the tall man took it and smiled at her. She smiled back.
Cute couple, the man behind the counter thought, before averting his eyes and continuing what he was doing when the pair barged in. What was it that he was doing again?
Mulder started the car and got them out of the gas station, feeling as if a huge weight had been lifted off his chest. It was good to know their son was alive. More than that, it was good to know he could take care of himself, that he would be somewhat safe because of his powers. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Scully shifting in her seat and reaching out for the radio. She didn't usually like music in the car because she thought it made her lose focus and attention, but sometimes, when her thoughts were too much to bear and her own voice was too loud in her head, she turned to music as a way of drowning them out.
He took his eyes off the road to look at her for just a few seconds. Her eyes were still wet, but she seemed less tired, less worried. He didn't need to read minds to know that she felt the same kind of relief he was feeling. He looked ahead again.
She worked on the radio for a few more seconds until she found one station that apparently had good signal. A song was in its final moments, so she sat back again, watching absentmindedly as the trees passed by. A new song started playing and he drummed on the steering wheel. He loved that song and it brought back memories. He was sure it brought her memories, too.
Jeremiah was a bullfrog
Was a good friend of mine
"Hey, Scully, remember that time when we were stranded in the forest and you sang that song to lull me to sleep?"
He laughed, teasing.
It took her a while to reply and he was almost turning to look at her again when he heard her voice.
"I wasn't singing it to lull you to sleep, Mulder, I was just letting you know that I was awake so that you could sleep without any concerns. And you also have to remember it was your idea. I told you I couldn't carry a tune."
Her voice was a little cracked, but she tried to appear cheerful, trying to hide her emotions. He cursed himself for not staying at that gas station a little longer to give her some time to process everything, especially because now there was nowhere for him to park. He looked at her briefly again.
"I know this is not the right question right now, but are you okay?"
She chuckled softly and he smiled, looking back at the road ahead.
"Yeah, it's just that… this song holds a special meaning to me. I used to sing it to William when he was a baby and I would replace Jeremiah with his name. It made him laugh every time and I never knew exactly why."
She took a tissue from the glove compartment and dried her eyes, but she had a smile on her face. He removed his right hand from the steering wheel and placed it on her thigh, squeezing it lightly in reassurance. She covered his hand with hers and caressed it a little.
"He's a bright kid, Scully. I mean, he shouldn't have two girlfriends and he should be reprimanded for what he did to those girls, but he seems like a nice kid overall."
She sighed.
"Would he have done that if I had stood by him? Would he have become a different person if I had raised him instead?"
He heard the guilt in her voice and his heart broke into a million pieces again.
"I don't think we can know, Scully. What we do know is that he's going to be okay. He knows how to protect himself, we both saw it."
He glanced at her again and saw her nod, a few tears streaming down her face.
"I hope you're right."
She squeezed his hand slightly and he knew she was thinking too hard again, trying to believe his words but also wondering if their son wouldn't be more protected if they were around.
"Why don't you try and get some sleep? I'll wake you up when we get to your apartment."
He didn't want to drop her off and just drive away, but he wasn't sure what she wanted right now. They were trying to work things out, but their relationship was still walking in baby steps and, although she spent a lot of time with him at their house, she still spent most of the time in the apartment she got when they broke up.
She cleared her throat.
"Is it okay if I go to your place instead?"
He smiled.
"OUR place, Scully. The house is ours. Maybe it's not your home anymore, but it's still our house."
She was silent for a while and he removed his hand from her thigh to place it back at the steering wheel.
"My home is wherever you are, Mulder."
With that, she rested her head on the window and drifted off to sleep.