Note: my french isn't perfect, so if a sentence is completely off - please, feel free to let me know. Or, if you know the correct phrasing message me/leave a comment. If you feel like there is a plot hole or something doesn't fit right with the language, message me/leave a comment.
Scully & Jade's House
One week later, Saturday
Scully held two ceramic mugs close to her chest when she came from the kitchen into the living room, the mugs were filled to the brim with a dark liquid, sloshing against the sides as her hands shook lightly from the weight of them.
"Okay, here is your hot mocha."
"You didn't put any marshmallows in it." Jay's lips formed into a pout.
"We were out. I put it on the shopping list on the fridge."
A pause, Jay's index finger traced the rim of the ceramic mug, coating foam onto the digit before placing it into her mouth, "You know we'll never look at that."
Scully shrugged, "The thought is what counts."
Maggie enters with a bowl of caramel popcorn and a bowl of macadamia nuts.
"What are you two hens clucking about?" She asked, placing the food down on the carved wooden coffee table in front of Jay and Scully.
"We were just discussing the pros and cons of being a groupie," The brunette's tone was derisive.
Scully pinched Jay's skin below her elbow playfully, subtly, a wry smile crossing her lips at her daughter's dry humour. Who then elbowed her in the ribs gently an almost knee jerk response.
"Actually, something came for you in the mail." She told her.
She gently squeezed Jay's wrist to try and gain her attention, currently staring down at the chessboard in front of her with a furrowed brow, trying to decide whether she should sacrifice her Queen or if there was another move she could make.
The brunette waved in the air at nobody in particular, "Just put it on the desk in my room and I'll look at it-"
"No. I think you misheard me," Scully lifted the envelope, repeating herself "Something came for you in the mail today and I think you'll want to look at it right away."
Jay paused for a moment, her fingertips hovering above a black bishop, going through a list of reasons that her mother may have suddenly lost her mind and then-
She sprung up, curls spilling haphazardly across her shoulders as the liquid in her white ceramic cup did a similar rendition.
"Whoa there, Bambi." Scully held her hand out, as though her sheer will could stop the coffee from spilling over the edge of it's hard edged prison.
"I thought they weren't turning up for another week? Oh my- did it? Is it what I think it is?!" She plucked the letter from her mother's hand, bouncing excitedly on spindly legs.
Scully jumped out of her seat as well, a small smile on her lips tampering down on the nausea that was bubbling just underneath the surface of her skin. She could feel her heartbeat in her neck, in her ears, she dry swallowed nervously.
"Oh my god - it's thin. But, it's not too thin I mean-" Jay started rambling, her fingers clasping the edges of the envelope as she spun it around to feel the weight of it.
She moved the letter higher to see if she could read it without opening it; holding it up to the warm glow of the light dangling above them.
"Jade…" Scully spoke softly, calmly, pressing her hands reassuringly to her shoulders.
The girl spun back around; her complexion was paler than usual, red spreading across her cheeks and the bridge of her nose, her eyes a dark indigo - revealing the struggle deep within.
She breathed out a slow shaky breath, squeezing her eyes shut tightly. Her spine curved like a frightened cat, backed into the corner unsure how to get itself out.
"I can't do this right now." Deep indigo was now watery azure.
Scully nodded, opening her mouth to say something when the shrill obnoxious sound started coming from behind her. She looked at Jay with big puppy dog eyes, turning back towards the couch to grab the unpleasant device.
Maggie placed a reassuring hand on Jay's shoulder, squeezing softly until she turned towards her, a faint smile flickered across her lips before pulling her into a hug. The younger woman was stiff for a few moments before settling into the comforting embrace, a pale cheek resting against the deep emerald adorning her shoulder.
With a quiet grunt Scully finally managed to pull her phone from in-between the cushions and the couch.
"Mrs Scully? It's Miss Welch." The voice on the other end of the phone prompted.
"Uh, it's Miss-" She cleared her throat, "Dana is fine."
"I'm sure Jade has mentioned The Oasis Charity Ball that the school is hosting a month from now." It was a question but the way the woman phrased it made it clear to her that it was anything but.
She turned back to face her daughter to find that her and her mother had both left the room, she could hear their quiet voices coming through the open door of the kitchen.
"Uh, yeah of course." Scully replied, squeezing her eyes shut already not liking where this conversation seemed to be going.
"Good good. Well, you're a hard woman to pin down-" Scully was nodding despite the other woman being unable to see her, biting her bottom lip as she tried not to chuckle at her choice of wording. "- would be great if you could come in around then."
Wait, what?
Scully's index and thumb were now pressed at the bridge of her nose in an attempt to relieve the headache that was starting to form. The tension tight and pinching across the front of her forehead. The image of her bottom drawer in the kitchen that held the pain relievers flickered into her mind's eye.
"Uh- yes. I can try and make that I'll just have to write it down in my calendar." She was now pacing, walking from the television to the chessboard and back. "What time would be best for me to show up?"
There was a huff of annoyance on the other end of the line, "To sum it up: The OCB is a month from now but if you can come in Wednesday at 9am sharp for a few hours that would be very beneficial. For all of us."
Wednesday? Do I have plans then? Half the time I can't remember what I'm doing tomorrow much less a few days ahead.
She could feel the other woman losing patience, dropping sighs every few moments. I'll just wing it.
"Sure. That's fine, Miss Welch I-"
"Good. We'll see you then."
Before she could reply the sarcastic hum of the dial tone greeted her.
"You have a good day, too." Scully muttered sarcastically, locking her phone and placing it next to the chessboard on the coffee table.
Scully walked through to the kitchen, her shoulders slightly hunched already emotionally exhausted enough for one day. Grabbing an apple slice from the plate in front of Maggie, she popped the piece into her mouth.
Jay walked into the kitchen with damp hair, the brown deepening to an almost chocolate black, the flickering highlights of auburn brightened under the kitchen light. Her hair stuck to her neck and the purple sweater she was wearing had random darkened patches along her torso and back where she hadn't dried herself off properly.
"You're going to get a cold which will lead to a mild case of hypothermia which will land you in my ER where I will give you no special treatment because this could all be avoided if you just. Dried. Your. Damn. Hair," Scully pivoted on the spot to face her mother, "Sorry mum."
Maggie Scully just shook her head and took a sip of her tea sitting in front of her.
"No no. That one, dear, was warranted."
Jay rolled her eyes and made a beeline for her backpack to make sure that everything was in there; notebooks, 2 blue pens, 2 red pens, a highlighter, a muesli bar, her ID tag, wallet, Moby-Dick.
"What are your hours tonight?"
"I don't have to leave for quite a while," the brunette looked at the clock which read: 11.05am, "Shift starts at 5pm and ends at 10pm."
Scully's eyes followed hers to the clock, "So, we'll grab dinner at 8?" resting her hand on Maggie's shoulder, she asked Jay "How are you getting there?"
Maggie squeezed her hand with her own, a small comfort as though she knew what words were coming out of Jay's mouth before she said them.
She sighed, pausing for a few seconds, "Grandma is letting me take her car, she's going to Bill's and Tara's for dinner."
Scully's eyes widened, clucking her tongue in disapproval. "You know I don't like you driving at night."
The brunette nodded four times, having heard this a few times before. "I know. I know."
She decided to let it go and move away from the kitchen table, heading for the doorway opposite her, dreaming of a nice hot shower.
"There's no hot water left!" She called after her.
As though it were possible Scully felt her shoulders sag even further as if they wanted to detach themselves from their sockets.
Melissa & Raissa's House
Scully's work coat was draped across the back off the kitchen chair, her purse on the chair next to her as she watched Melissa rush around the kitchen; the kettle on the stove began to whistle as she strained and steeped the leaves. After she was done, she placed the tea and some banana bread at the centre of the table and took the seat opposite her sister.
"So, what tea do you have for me to try today?" Scully asked, her tone dripping with sass.
Melissa shook her head, her morello cherry lips twitching to hide the smirk that was forming
"It's just green tea with a little bit of jasmine but we're not here to talk about tea," She paused, "Are we?"
She stared at the liquid swirling around her mug, comparing methods of fight or flight to find the best way out of a particular conversation her sister was all too happy to discuss. Spotting Raissa enter the kitchen with a wet umbrella in one hand and her suitcase in the other, Scully's eyes lit up at the possibility of avoiding a particular conversational topic.
"I heard you just got back from France?" She inquired, "6 months abroad?"
"I visited my mémère a few times but I was mostly there for work." Raissa nodded, a tired smile adorning her lips.
"Comment était-ce?" ("How was it?")
"Tellement beau," She sighed, "Et bien, e'puisant." ("So beautiful," She sighed, "and well, gruelling.")
"E'puisant?" Scully pressed. (Gruelling?" Scully pressed.)
"Travael." Raissa sighed. ("Work." Raissa sighed.)
"Alright, enough you two." Melissa interrupted them, tapping a stirring spoon against the table.
Raissa laughed, "Well, Mon chérie, if you had finished up on your French you could've come with me."
Scully failed to tame the smile from appearing on her lips, the corners upturned, "She flunked French during school. Got all the pretty girls to do your homework, didn't you?" The redhead poked Melissa in the side, her body jarring away as her sister tried to tickle her ribs.
"Still do." She laughed, waggling her eyebrows at the brunette beside her, "But, I had classes to teach. Next time I'll come and be one of those annoying tourists with a massive translator book.
"Ne I'interesse pas. Elle a juste be suinde se mettre." ("Don't mind her. She just needs to get laid.")
Raissa gently stroked her thumb across her lovers bottom lip, a cheeky grin on her face, Melissa's eyes flashed knowing she had said something inappropriate when she took in Scully's beet red face; blotches heating across her cheeks and tracing along her ears.
She needs to get laid? 6 months is nothing, sister.
Glancing back up she heard the woman still talking, her shimmering eyes now trained on her "-did Mel talk to you about something at the party?"
Melissa's eyes widened, quickly darting down to the tea clasped in her hands to avoid any and all eye contact.
Scully shook her head slightly confused, "About what?," She paused, "Cerebus?"
Raissa laughed throatily, "Quelle?" ("What?")
Scully shook her head, a blush creeping across her cheeks when Melissa flicked her shoulder.
"Nothing. I'm sorry... you have news?" She prompted.
Strawberry blonde hair bounced across Melissa's shoulders as she shook her head, motioning between Scully and herself. "We got a little caught up trying to solve a problem."
Raissa raised an eyebrow, the action prompting Melissa to continue.
"I don't think we need to bring this up now. Especially with everything Dana's going through-" She cut her sentence short when Scully touched her shoulder, drawing her attention.
"Tell me. What's going on?" She paused, worry flickering in the deep hues of her eyes, "Is everything okay?"
Melissa let out a heavy breath, an unintentional laugh escaping her lungs.
"Yes!" She promised, reaching out and entwining her hands with the redhead.
"Then, what is it?" Scully asked, confusion shadowing across her face.
Melissa hesitated, navy seas flickering behind heavy lashes, she felt Raissa squeeze her free hand with her own before clasping it between both of her palms.
"We're-going-to-have-a-baby!" She blurted the words out in one breath, her eyes wide as though she was waiting for a storm to hit.
To say Scully was shocked was an understatement. Her mouth opened and closed a few times as she tried to piece together the simple sentence that her sister had just said to her. It was a momentary shock - and then it passed. She felt as though she'd drank a fizzy drink and the bubbles were spreading from her stomach to the tips of her fingers and toes, a warm toasty feeling spreading all over.
She stood up and wrapped her arms around Melissa's shoulders, squeezing her tightly to her chest, her heart fluttering when Melissa put her palms over her forearms and her back gently.
"So-" She dabbed at her eyes as she sat back down in her seat, willing herself to not be one of those people, "When did you decide this? How come I'm only hearing about this now?" Scully asked.
Raissa stroked Melissa's back reassuringly, a content smile resting on her face. "For months," She laughed, "Well, years now … she's been telling me stories about Jay but it's been a recent decision." She started.
Melissa opened her mouth to stop her but acquiesced, chuckling sheepishly. "We always had it in the cards but it just...we felt like it is the right time." She told her.
Scully nodded, looking down at her now cold cup of tea and shaking her head at herself. Tracing the orchid design on the outside of the cup, she was lost in her thoughts for a moment, thinking back over the years she had raised Jade.
A cheshire-like grin appeared, "So, what stories did she tell you?" Scully asked, curious as the cat itself.
Raissa laughed at her question, her mind filtering through hundreds of stories that had been told. During breakfast, Skype calls, did-you-know-this quizzes, random little factoids spoken over hot chocolate.
"There were a lot," She told her, shooting Melissa a wink, "But my favourite was the Halloween Debacle of 1995."
Raissa laughed again and this time Scully joined in with her, knowing exactly what story she was referring to.
Washington General Hospital
Later that night
The wind was strong causing the heavy coat wrapped around her to billow against her legs, she shivered despite having half a stomach filled with coffee. It had been a long day and she knew it was going to be an even longer night. Her stomach grumbled - from nerves or from lack of food, she wasn't quite sure. Lifting her arm that had been snugly wrapped around her stomach, she looked at the face of her watch to check the time: 7.08pm. She still had another hour until her daughter met her for dinner.
"Gotcha!" A hand squeezed her shoulder, bringing her back to the present.
"Jesu-" She stopped herself.
Her mother would have her head if she so much as attempted to finish that sentence.
A coffee was set down on the ledge in front of her.
Scully turned and met Beth's soft brown eyes, her olive skin shimmering in the moonlight.
"Rough night, babe?" The warm voice asked.
Scully put her cigarette out in the remaining liquid of her now cold coffee, nodding her head; wisps of hair falling into her eyes as she bent down to pick up the new one.
"I hate these damn things." She muttered, glaring at the cancer stick slowly drowning in her coffee cup.
Beth watched her worriedly, taking in her paler-than-usual complexion and worn expression. "What happened?" She asked, sitting to the left side of Scully's worn coffee cup.
The redhead rubbed her eyes, smearing the remaining coat of mascara under her eyes and deepening the circles that already laid claim there.
2 hours earlier
They were understaffed and she was overworked, She'd been working for only 2 hours and her legs already aching from the amount of power walking she'd done around the hospital. She didn't need to go for a run every day next week - she was sure of at least that.
What she hadn't been prepared for? Was running straight into a tall, broad shouldered man. One that smelled like home. The 2 charts she had been holding fell to the floor with a clatter, 5 people snapped their heads in her direction at the noise, 2 looked worried and 3 glared at her disapprovingly.
She squeezed her eyes shut, her hands automatically clenching into tight little fists, she attempted to keep her breathing in check. In and out. In and out. Slowly. Slowly.
When she opened her eyes she knew that this was a picture that she would never be able to erase from her mind, no matter how many times she willed herself to do so. It was burned into her mindseye, teasing her, taunting her, blaming her.
His shirt was drenched in blood; oxford blue eyes wide and bloodshot as though he hadn't slept in days, his skin a pale sickly green. She hadn't seen that particular look on his face before and she had been on the receiving end of a multitude of them. It frightened her.
Her breath caught in the cage of her chest, "Mulder...I…" She didn't know what to say.
As though he had just recognised her a look of relief briefly crossed his features, eyelashes fluttering over his gaunt face.
"It's bad-" His voice cracked, salty tears tracing along his cheek before dripping off of his jaw.
She temporarily forgot about everything in that moment. All she wanted to do was comfort him, help him, solve whatever puzzle that was being presented to her and fix it. She ignored the charts that were now splayed open, words glaring accusingly at her.
You're at work. Do your job! The muted words screeched at her.
Pressing a hand to his shoulder where the angry red splotches appeared to miss, she squeezed until tired eyes looked to her. I am.
"What happened?"
