DISCLAIMER: I, in now way own the X-files. However, if Chris Carter would like to cut me a share.... I have NO problem. (:
Pretty much the longest chapter I've written so far. More Elle drama is to come with this chapter and the next. You guys didn't think I would create her character and then just cut her out, right? Anywhoo, I hope you'll enjoy reading it. I love updating this story the most, but I will get to my other ones.
This chapter is for Brittney because she's sad right now. CHEER UP!
Oh, and thanks for all the reviews... that would be the reason I'm trying to be quick wwith my updates! I love hearing that you guys like it!
Chapter 11
Mulder sat at his desk at his usual early time, 6:30. Most –a vast majority of the students hadn't arrived yet. Of course, there were the sports teams that were almost always at school. Mulder himself knew it, having been head basketball coach the past years he was there. In order to relieve himself some stress, and to be with his daughter more often, Mulder had switched to just an assistant coach.
He took another sip of his coffee before moving on to his next and last worksheet. There he saw the elegant flowy script that was her name, Dana K. Scully. He chuckled at the irony of it all. She was probably the only female student of his who never drew hearts on her paper for him –and yet her heart was the only one he could ever imagine having. Maybe he was reading too much into it. It wouldn't surprise him. It was early, he was tired, and he was completely incapable at controlling his mind at the moment. Hopefully the coffee would help him soon. He propped his head up with his elbow and allowed his mind to drift. His fingers wandered near his collar bone and traced the cross necklace that lay underneath his black turtle neck. He knew it wouldn't be possible to wear her jewelry without someone noticing it, but he had to that day. So he came up with that brilliant idea. His mind wandered further.
It was last school year. The halls were filled with the hustle and bustle felt around mid terms. The hallways always had a distinguished feel at certain times of the year. It was mind January, and midterms were stressing out just about every student and teacher. The stress felt by them left its mark in the hallway; it lingered. Mulder was on hall duty and it was eighth period –a great escaped from the madness of midterms and the lunch smell that clung to his room.
He was just about to walk into the new building added to the school when he saw the back of a girl's head. She had shiny golden orange red hair –hair that he knew. She was sitting on the steps that led up to the left upper gym. Her back, which leaned up against the poles of the railing, was facing him.
"You know, Miss Scully, I could write you up for skipping class." Mulder called out with a comical grin playing on his lips. It took her a moment to respond, but when she turned around she gave him the iciest glare. It was in the teens outside, about 70 inside, but he swore it just grew colder. Other than the glare he witnessed something that reflected in her eyes –hurt. And when he realized he saw the pain and felt it. Pain was being inflicted on him. He could even feel his knees buckle at the intensity of it. "Scully?" Mulder called out gently in the lonely corridor. He was desperate to find what exactly was wrong with his greatest of friends, even if that meant having to pry through her stubbornness.
"Go away, Mulder." She shrugged him off, not turning to face him.
"See –I can't do that." He leaned up against the wall, pressing his face into the few inches in between each pole holding the railing. Her eyes still refused to meet his. "Scully, I-" But she cut him off.
"Mulder... I'm fine." She lied through her teeth. He gave her a dubious look, unsuccessfully trying to mimic her skeptic's cocked brow. "Are you seriously gonna pry?"
"Yes." She let out a shaky sigh, which made Mulder nervous, but not nervous about what he was about to hear, but because he was wondering if he could take it. He loved Scully –she was his favorite student to talk to –mostly because she wasn't one of the one's to drive him crazy. And it was just how she was when they were together. In a way he already knew what was bothering her. He had him for study hall. It would take all his strength to not hurt him. How he knew it was about Dan, he had no idea, but Scully's eyes were telling him so. That was another reason he couldn't see her as a student but a friend –they shared something –a bond of some sort. "Come on, let's go back to my classroom." She grabbed her black bag and hung it on her shoulder as they walked side by side to his classroom. Mulder draped his arm around her as they walked, Scully tried to conceal her snivels the whole way.
After Mulder unlocked his door he let Scully slip in before him and he closed the door behind himself. Mulder followed to where she was behind his desk, and just as she sat down in the yellow cushioned chair designated as hers, she had to make the point she felt was the upmost important.
"First of all, I wasn't crying," She said firmly as she stared down at her thighs, tracing a small circle on the right one. Mulder sat beside her, angled in her direction.
"I know you weren't." Scully had revealed to him early on in their friendship that she rarely cried. In fact, she was surprised he even remembered. "I can't let go what I saw. Why won't you just tell me?" He pressed gently. His heart broke when he saw her tough façade tremble, her lip quiver, emotions wavering. Her eyes that were finally looking into his hazel flashed back down to fixate on her leg again. Mulder sighed and turned his body in his swivel chair to face his computer. He began to sign on. If she didn't tell him he wouldn't pry any further. She was really hurting. Maybe she only needed her space.
"It's silly," Mulder's lips lifted into a slight smile, "Stupid really."
"I understand stupid. Though, I doubt it is."
"Oh it is."
"Let me hear it. I'll be the judge of that." She took a deep breath before beginning, obviously not wanting to.
"It's Dan." Mulder felt a surge of anger, sadness, and happiness, and the happiness was only there because he had guessed correctly. "I don't think I can take it anymore, Mulder. I can't take the fighting –what he says to me." She looked up into his eyes, and his hazel held so many questions. She thought she would begin with the first one. "He calls me a whore, a tramp, a slut, says I'm ugly, and stupid carrot stick –He means my hair, Mulder." Mulder couldn't fathom why anyone would say any of those things to her. She was so conserved, beautiful, and her hair was simply gorgeous. How could somebody refer to her hair as being a vegetable? "Basically, he thinks I'm cheating on him because I tell him I'm trying to focus on my grades. It's 11th grade, and I know this year counts. He doesn't understand that –so he resorts to saying I'm cheating on him. I heard some things around school that he was with Alexis, and he just denies them without explaining. He's constantly pressuring me to do things, and it's just adding onto the pressure of school. I've lost too many of my friends, because of him. We fight whenever we're together. He always puts me down. And I just can't take it anymore. But at the same time... I feel like I can't give up for some reason. I don't want to be one of those girls who just give up. It was good the first year..."Her wet glazy eyes were pleading for him to start talking.
"Scully, why would he call your hair a vegetable? I love the color."
"He knows I hate my hair color."
"You shouldn't. And it seems to me that Dan is just a little punk. You don't deserve what you're feeling." He was yearning to reach out and touch her, to soothe some of her pain with a different approach. "If he doesn't trust you he's not worth any of it... and," Mulder was struggling with his words, dealing with the anger rising in him, but he knew Scully could hear it all in his voice. "You are not a whore, a tramp, or a slut –and most of all not ugly. You need to look in the mirror."
"You need to get your eyes checked."
"You need to see yourself properly."
"Mulder, look at me! Dan introduced me to people. I was nothing until I was dating him I know it sounds ridiculous and immature, but it's the truth. Before him I only had a small circle of friends. He expanded on that."
"So maybe having a boyfriend got you to be more outgoing. There's nothing wrong with that. But I still don't see what that has to do about you thinking you're unattractive." Scully wiped her right eye and turned away. "In my opinion, you breaking up with him would be the best choice. You deserve so much more, and you're going to find a man who understands your needs and wants, and he'll treat you how you should be treated. He'll respect you, and that's something you don't have right now." Scully hung her head and swung her eyes up to meet his. She smiled, and he did the same.
"After I break it off with Dan, let me know when that guy comes along, because I won't be looking. I'm planning on being independent."
"I won't have to tell you. You'll know. You may find him tomorrow, next year, in the next twenty years, or hell you may already know him, but you'll know when it happens."
"When what happens?" Scully waited for an answer but she only received another smile. He squeezed her shoulder in reassurance. "They need a class for this stuff." Mulder chuckled and held his gaze on hers. He wasn't going to let himself tear his eyes away from hers. Her stare was far too intense. "And instead of me doing my final midterm I'm in here." She sighed. "And I'm waiting for you to give me an answer..." Then it hit him.
"You should be taking your midterm?!"
"Advanced Placement Trig... That's why I was CLOSE to cr-.... I just couldn't take everything that was going on. And now... and now I'm going to fail. Shit, my 98 in her class doesn't even matter anymore." She hung her head in defeat, pressing her palm to her eyes.
"I'll talk to Mrs. Banks. I'll handle it for you." Mulder looked at his watch. There were about five minutes left in the period. "I'll walk you over there. I'll stop in and tell her you were in my room for..."
"For...?"
"I'll just make something good up." The two of them stood up together and began to walk towards the door. Mulder stopped her in the room. He placed his hand on her arm, grabbing her attention. When she whipped her face around to see him, he felt his knees grow weak. Her scent went whirl-winding at him and it was intoxicating to say the least. Her blue eyes pierced him with her beauty and her Mona Lisa smile was captivating. He was sold right there. He was hers, but there was so much restraining him...
Mulder snapped back into reality when he felt his cell phone vibrate in his pocket. He pulled it out from the denim, seeing that it was Diana. He sighed and clicked to see what it was she wanted.
Her text read: "We need to talk, ASAP."
Mulder slouched in his chair and texted her back saying: "About what?" Putting his phone away, Mulder turned his attention back to the paper before him –Scully's paper.
He had to check three times to see that there wasn't anything he missed. Scully was brilliant, and even before he began grading the paper, he knew she would have a hundred on it, but he had to be sure. But like the greater majority of her papers, that one was indeed perfect as well. He capped his red felt tip pen after writing the word, "Perfect" in his messy, yet legible handwriting across the top of her worksheet.
---
Scully, dressed simply in a black sweater, grey scarf, dark wash jeans, and black uggs, carrying her black pea coat in with her, had come into AP Psych early, like she always had, but now she had brought Monica with her. Mulder was at his computer, typing away. It was most likely the test they had on Monday, but Scully didn't want to ask. He looked deep in thought behind his screen. He didn't even notice her or Monica come in, or maybe he did?
Mulder was determined to not look up and to just keep typing. He was so bothered by what Diana had to talk about. She still hadn't texted back, but in the pit of his stomach he knew it had to do with Cara.
"Mulder..." Scully said after she sat at her desk for a while. "Mulder?" She repeated. He looked up, and in his eyes, she could tell something was up. "Mulder, I asked if you finished grading our tests. Are you okay?" Concerned was layered in her voice, and was obvious in her eyes. He sighed, and decided she had the right to know.
"Diana texted me saying that we needed to talk ASAP, and I'm a little worried. I know it has to do with Cara." Scully heard the worry in his voice, and got up and sauntered over to him behind his desk, placing a hand on his shoulder. Without words, her eyes spoke to him, and he understood. He smiled in response, nodding. Their wordless communication never ceased to amaze either of them. Just then, from behind her, coming in the door way, Scully heard the clicking of heels. Still smiling, she turned to see Elle coming in through the door, clad in a pink v-neck tunic, white leggings, and black 5 inch heels. Needless to say, her smile faded when she saw that Elle also beamed a smile directly at Mulder. Scully quickly removed her hand from Mulder's shoulder.
"Hello, Mr. Mulder." Elle said, walking around to where Mulder and Scully were both behind his desk. She sat on the corner opposite from Scully.
"Good afternoon, Elle," Mulder smiled politely back. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't sit on my desk." What Scully would give for the desk to the break beneath Elle's fat ass, but Scully did a pretty good job at keeping herself composed. Elle smiled back and hopped off the desk, pushing her wavy blonde hair in the process. She grinned.
"So, did you do anything interesting on Halloween?" She crossed over to the blackboard behind Mulder's desk. She picked up a long piece of white chalk and begun to write her name in a graceful style, very different from her personality; Scully noted. Mulder didn't look back to the promiscuous teenager pursuing him behind him. Instead, he let his hand prop up his head as it rested in his hair.
"I took my daughter trick or treating." Mulder answered plainly as he looked over his lesson plans, not really reading them. Scully leaned her back side up against Mulder's desk, practically sitting on it. Elle, who was fixated on Mulder, turned to Scully, a shrilly laugh coming from her lip glossed lips.
"What?" Scully asked, now confused, but she was still keeping her composure despite the fact this girl was yet again, making a move on Mulder. It irked her in ways she couldn't describe. Behind her façade, she was becoming territorial. Elle laughed again, this time covering her mouth.
"Dana, Mulder just told me to get off his desk. You think you're lighter? Please, that desk will crumble under your fat ass." Mulder snapped his head up.
"Elle," He barked. "Now I don't see why you're in my room right now. You never arrive early before class. Did you come in here to just be rude and to mess up my chalk board? Please, erase my board, and take a seat –in your assigned seat." Elle only smacked her lips together, clearly upset with Mulder's response.
"Alright."
"Elle, are you serious though?" Monica asked looking up from her psych homework she was just finishing up. "We both know Dana is tinier than you. Your whole comment makes no sense." Elle rolled her eyes at Monica's remark, and walked past Scully, but just as she was doing something caught her eye –something silver peeking out from beneath her gray scarf. She had to take a double take. She brushed it off though, knowing that she would be doing something about it later. The bell rang, and Scully took that as a cue to take her seat.
The class went by quickly, just going over past worksheets and their recent tests. Then, Mulder showed a power point on their next unit, dreams. When it was over Scully grabbed her bag and followed Monica and John out of the room, but before she reached the door she felt a hand on her shoulder. She whipped around to see that it was Elle who had caught her. She reached her hand up under Scully's scarf, and before she could knock her hand away, Elle had her fingers on the chain around Scully's neck. She tried pulling it from out of Scully's shirt, but her hand was hit away from Scully herself. Scully shot her and evil glance.
"Funny," Elle murmured down into Scully's ear. "Looks a little like the chain Mulder always wears."
"Funny, I think you're paranoid." Scully remarked back, mocking Elle's soft voice. Elle stocked off, leaving Scully by the door.
"Miss Scully, can you come here for a second?" She turned to see Mulder erasing his chalkboard. She was hoping Mulder didn't see what had just happened. Scully was pulling her jacket on when had finally turned around. "I hate to ask this of you, but would you mind bringing Cara back to my house today?" Scully opened her mouth but Mulder went on. "You see, I have to meet Diana at the mall, as much as I don't want to I have to. My mother, who, for some reason or another, doesn't have her car, and she's at my house waiting for Cara. I don't know when I would be finished with whatever Diana wants."
"Mulder, it's fine... it's fine. You know how much I love your daughter." Scully smiled sweetly. Mulder's grin fell into a frown. Scully knew what he was about to say before he opened his mouth.
"What was that... that happened between you and Elle? What did she say to you?" Scully shoved her hands into her pockets and looked down at her feet. "Okay... well thanks for doing this for me." Scully nodded and spun on her heel to get out of the classroom.
---
When she opened the door to her house, Cara was already standing there, waiting for her with a smile, clad in a long pink and white sweater and grey leggings. Mulder –or Diana really knew how to dress their daughter. Scully smiled down at Cara once she cheered her name and scooped her up into a hug, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.
"Dana?"
"Yep, Mom?"
"How was school sweetheart?" Mrs. Scully asked as Scully came into view. She was sitting down in front of the TV with Charlie laying across her lap.
"It was –okay... what's wrong with Charlie? Why is he home already?"
"He has the flu." Cara said, her arms around Scully's neck, still hoisted on her hip.
"I can't leave him, Dana. Do you think you'll be able to go to the grocery store and get what I need?"
"I guess so –Mulder asked if I could take home Cara. He has to speak with someone about something."
"Ooh, a girlfriend?" Mrs. Scully raised her eyebrows. To that remark Scully scrunched up her face.
"No, not a girlfriend! His ex-wife..." She tried mouthing the last part.
"Oh."
"Anyways, I said I would. His mom's down there."
"Grandma!?"
"Yes, Cara... your Grandma. Apparently, she's all well now and wants to see Cara. I'll drop her off beforehand."
"Nooo, I wanna go to the store with you."
"Okay, we'll go to the store first." Scully made off towards the kitchen do get her mother's list."
"It's on the fridge," She called out.
"Go get your shoes and coat on, Sweetie. I'll be right down." Scully dashed up the steps to run a brush through her hair and grab her wallet.
---
Mulder walked into the almost empty food court at the mall. Right by the Little Tokyo, he saw his ex-wife Diana sitting at a table, texting away on her cell phone. Mulder pulled up a chair next to her. She put down her phone and looked up at him.
"Okay –I'm here. What did you want to talk about."
"Fox, I got a new job." Mulder was looking at her, searching for her point. "It's in Connecticut, and I'm taking Cara."
"Diana, you can't do that. We have joint custody."
"So, I'll get a lawyer. You don't exp-"
"No, I wouldn't ever try taking her away from you. You're her mother, but honestly, you don't think we could've both talked about this beforehand?"
"I don't see how it be any of your business though, or why we would have to."
"Why would we have to? Maybe because she's my daughter too damn it. Did you even speak to her about this?"
"Fox, she's four."
"Diana."
"She won't know what's going on."
"You're taking my daughter away from me... from all the family she has here, the people who love her."
"We'll start new."
"So are you trying to say you're going to try and get full custody of her?" She nodded. "That's my baby... Diana you don't get it. Cara is my fucking daughter! And I love her."
"Hah, you capable of love," Diana mumbled, but Mulder also heard.
---
"Okay, it's cold we better run," Scully told Cara as she unbuckled the toddler from her car seat. Cara had her little pink rain boots on in light of the dark rainy weather outside. "No puddle hopping, okay?" Cara frowned. "Alright let's run!" Scully took Cara's hand and together they ran through the parking lot and into the store.
---
"I'm not letting you have our daughter without a fight."
"She can always fly-"
"No, Diana. I do not want my daughter having to fly back and forth. Do you have any idea how confused she's going to get?"
"She's four."
"I know she's four. Don't think she's not beginning to understand things. I don't want her growing up like that."
---
"Alright, now let's–" Scully was interrupted by Cara pulling on her arm. "You want to sit in the cart?" Cara nodded excitedly and raised her arms to be lifted up. She sat in the front basket.
Scully and Cara finished their shopping in roughly 15 minutes. Scully did however, give in and end up buying Cara a big cotton candy blue lolli pop. But she bought one for herself as well. After loading the groceries into the trunk, Scully pushed the cart into the designated area for the carts in the parking lot.
"Cara you know what I feel like doing?"
"What?"
"I feel like jumping in puddles."
---
Scully pulled into Mulder's driveway. She turned off her car and made her way around to where Cara was, so she could get her from her car seat. She carried Cara in her arms up to the front door. Before she could knock, Mrs. Mulder was swinging the door open for her. She smiled warmly, and took note to the pouring rain. Cara was smiling vividly, saying hello.
"Hi, honey." Scully set Cara down in the house, where she hugged her grandma's leg. "Would you like to come in?" Scully bit her lip.
"Actually, I-"
"Oh, just come in." Mrs. Mulder insisted.
"Okay," Scully smiled. Mrs. Mulder stepped aside to let Scully in.
" I'm Fox's mother, but you can just call me Teena." She extended her hand, which Scully took.
"Uhm, Mulder told me you were sick. Are you feeling any better?" Teena lead Scully into the kitchen.
"I'm feeling a lot better. I had the flu. Thanks for asking."
"My younger brother has the flu right now."
"Charlie!" Scully smiled and ruffled Cara's hair.
"So what's your name dear?"
"Dana."
---
Mulder pulled into his driveway, and into the garage. He noticed that Scully was still at his house. Maybe his mother wasn't there and she was waiting for him to get home. At any rate, he shut his car off and closed the garage. He leaned back in his seat in attempt to calm down. Moments earlier tears were flying through his eyes as he drove which wasn't at all good in that type of weather. He was debating and contemplating on what he was to do. He figured that battling for full custody wouldn't work, seeing that the court usually sided with the mother unless there was seriously something wrong with her. Although Mulder thought there was something wrong with Diana, it wouldn't be enough to sway the judge. His eyes were stinging. He wiped them and he brought himself to think of his other option. He could move up to Connecticut, but that would mean leaving Scully. He sighed out loud and got out of his car.
When he opened the door to the kitchen, after trudging up the steps, he was shocked to find Scully sitting at the island talking to his mother, with Cara on the floor coloring beside them. All three heads snapped up, and only two of those three noticed the expression on Mulder's face. He was crestfallen, completely.
"Mulder," Scully said, her eyes panicking into his.
"Fox, what's the matter?"
"Hi, Daddy!" Cara attacked her father's leg. Mulder bent down to pull his little girl into a hug.
'Are you okay?' Scully mouthed with her lips.
"Cara, go into the front living room, please," Teena said, not taking her eyes off of her son. Cara groaned just like any child would, and she began walking into the other room.
"Fox, why were you crying?" She was direct, trying to get down to the bottom of it, not beating around the bush. Mulder shook his head.
"Scully, can I see upstairs for a moment?"
"Fox."
"Mom –just hold on." Scully followed Mulder out of the kitchen, into the hallway, and up the stairs, where he finally stepped into his bedroom. Scully perched herself on the bed, worry written all over her face.
"Mulder –what happened?" He was hesitant to begin speaking, worried that he would break down at the thought again.
"Diana got a new job. She's moving to Connecticut. She plans on taking Cara." Mulder's voice cracked at the end. He was picturing his little girl packed into a car, looking behind her out the window as she drove off. Scully pulled him into her arms and rocked him back and forth. "She's planning on getting full custody... or Cara would have to fly back and forth, which I hate the idea of." His voice has muffled against Scully's jacket.
"What do you think you're gonna do?"
"I've considered some things... none of which are great."
"Y-You could always follow her to Connecticut?" Scully offered, holding Mulder tightly, rubbing his back. It was something she would try to desperately avoid, but she didn't even want to picture him without his daughter.
"No," He shook his head and pulled back to look at her. "No, I couldn't do that. I thought of it. But there's just so much here. There's my family, my job..." He reached out to stroke her cheek, "There's you. I've considered it. I have."
"But it's your daughter, Mulder." Scully's eyes welted up with a few tears of her own, but she promised herself and Mulder that she wouldn't let herself cry.
"Scully if I were to move to Connecticut you know I would be driving down every weekend to see you. It would hurt too bad to be away."
"And long distant relationships are hard, but don't you think it's worth it?"
"You're worth everything."
"Then you'll go to Connecticut. Mulder –I can't... I won't picture you without your daughter." Mulder swallowed hard and nodded. "When does she leave?"
"Next month, and if I go I won't go until after school's over." Mulder was now sitting beside her on the bed. His fingers were linked with hers.
"Funny how that's actually the only time it'll be safe for us to be together." She said, scoffing at the irony of the situation while she looked down at their intertwined fingers. Her blue eyes looked up at his forest green through her eye lashes. He could see her tears, but she didn't care. It didn't matter to her in that moment. She was only thinking about the two of them, and how they would work, because they would work. She knew that much.
"Come here," Mulder took her face into his hands and pulled her forehead gently to his, so that they were resting against each other. With his thumbs he dried her cheeks that now had tears streaming down. She sniffed. "I hate when I see you anywhere close to crying."
"You started it." Mulder let out a slight chuckle and pulled her lips to his.
"We'll figure it all out, Scully."
---
Teena was doing the dishes from the dinner she just made. Mulder was at the island checking papers. Cara was sitting down at the TV watching an episode of blue's clues. Teena turned around as she dried a plate.
"Fox, who was that girl who dropped Cara off?"
"She's student of mine. Why?"
"She's a student of yours."
"Why?"
"Say I'm crazy, but I saw the way you were looking at her. You pulled her upstairs to give her babysitting money, and she walks downstairs with eyes just as puffy as yours?"
"She asked me what was the matter. I told her about how I may be moving to Connecticut."
"I saw the way you were looking at her, Fox."
"What does that mean?" Teena shook her head. She knew Mulder wasn't going to willingly tell her what was going on, but she was his mother so she already knew.
"Fox –I'm your mother. I know what's going on. Now, Dana's a nice girl –but..."
"But what?"
"I don't want you to end up breaking her heart, and I don't want this to end badly."
"End badly?"
"You know what I mean. Now, even if you think you know what you're doing-"
"Mom." She sighed.
"Fine," She turned around again to continue drying the plate in her hands.
---
Scully sat cross-legged on her bed and her older sister walked in. She knew something was up. Melissa, wearing black sweat pants and a blue camisole took a seat on the bed next to her.
"What is it?"
"What's what?"
"Danes, it's me... remember? I know when something is wrong." Scully sighed. She took a deep breath, ready to tell her sister the whole story, ready to tell her how scared and nervous she was. She knew they would make it work, but she couldn't help but to feel worried. She needed someone to confide in, and was glad that Melissa had just come home that evening.
Hoped you like it. Please review and make me happy (:
I'm gonna go watch Juno.
-A.