I know I should probably stagger chapters, but I couldn't help myself. It beats researching!

Enjoy!

Months into the school year, Mulder meets up with his partner at The Headless Woman's Pub.

"What did you want to see me about?" Scully questions when she sits down before ordering her food. Smirking, Mulder says, "I wanted to talk to you about Chloe's guardianship."

Scully swallows knowing she may not have a chance to ever be an real parental figure in her surrogate daughter's life. Fighting back any fear, the red head asks, "What did they say?"

"They want to meet you to determine if I'm lying or not," Mulder answers.

"They know you well," The woman teases just as a waitress comes by. Giving their orders, the woman asks, "I thought you were simply getting everything changed in your will?"

Shaking his head, Mulder answers, "I did, but then I called my lawyer and asked what to do if you wanted joint custody."

Too stunned to speak, the red head is quiet through their dinner.

"Are you positive?" Scully asks as she plays with her food unsure about anything anymore.

"Yeah. Only if you want. I want to talk to Chloe about it too though," Mulder answers giving his friend a meaningful smile.

After dinner, the partners find themselves talking about less personal matters when servers begin to sing to a customer. As the workers get to their table, Mulder smiles saying, "'Special Agent Dana Katherine Scully...'"

He is cut off by the waiters' singing before teasing, "I didn't know it was your birthday, Scully."

Wondering what her partner is up to, the red head states, "'Mulder... you have never remembered my birthday in the four years I've known you.'"

"'That's the way I like to celebrate them. It's every four years, it's like dog years that way'," Mulder jokes. Barely able to blow out her candle due to the smirk her partner's comment elicits Scully asks, "'Dog years? Thank you.'"

Still in a teasing nature, the man answers, "'You're welcome. Oh, I got something for you.'"

Wondering why her partner decides to get her something nice, the red head states, "'Oh, you've got to be kidding me.'"

Handing the small, neatly wrapped box to the woman, Mulder replies, "'It's just something that reminded me of you.'"

"'What, an alien implant?'" Scully jokes as she begins to open the present. Playing off her mood, the man remarks, "'Two, actually. I made them into earrings.'"

Finding an Apollo 11 key chain is her gift, the red head and her partner debate the gift until a woman comes up to them and asks, "'Excuse me, are you Scully? And Mulder?'"

Scully looks over at her partner hoping he is not pulling an elaborate prank before asking, "'Oh, promise me this isn't leading to something really embarrassing.'"

The woman sits down and introduces herself before explaining her story to the agents. Still confused about why the woman whose name is Sharon keeps talking about a brother, Scully finally asks, "'Excuse me, who are you talking about?'"

"'Max. Max Fenig.'"

Remembering the name from a previous case, the agents look at each other with wide eyes. Then, when the other woman explains how her brother's plane goes down two hours prior, the adults know they will have to investigate. Agreeing to meet her at the crime scene, Sharon leaves the table. Staring back at her untouched dessert, Scully sighs simply because what is possibly her last birthday is ruined by an alien attack. Mulder looks at his watch before getting up to leave. Holding out his hand, Scully stands from her seat before grabbing her belongings and following her partner who pays their bill. Both are silent except for mumbling their thanks to a waitress who tells Scully Happy Birthday in passing. Neither is too keen on taking the case they are given, but know its crucial nature.

"So much for that birthday," The red head complains as they enter the cold night air.

"To be honest, I was going to take you back to my place for cake and ice cream. Chloe had this whole scheme cooked up just for you," Mulder admits with a sigh as they walk toward their cars. Biting her lip, Scully replies, "If you want, I could just grab some clothes and stay at your apartment and still have the cake."

"Living dangerously, aren't we, Scully?" Mulder teases. His partner rolls her eyes saying, "Come on. We'll leave my car at your apartment when we leave tomorrow."

As tempting as the offer is for the man, the agent stops his partner from planning any further by saying, "Scully, I don't think that will work. We have to meet as soon as possible. I'll call everyone and tell them to postpone it until we get back."

Scully nods before asking if she can simply meet up at his place and leave her car. Mulder agrees before the pair head their seperate ways. Pulling up to her partner's apartment complex, Scully double checks she has everything in her purse before getting out of the car. Seeing her partner come down, the red head notices his upset expression.

"Are you okay?" She asks going around to her passenger side door and retrieving her suitcase.

"Yeah," Mulder answers with a sigh adding, "Chloe's a little upset. She went straight to her room once I told her you weren't coming. The Boys are upstairs and said they'd watch her."

"That's good. Maybe she can do this again when we get back," Scully muses as she locks her car door and heads over to Mulder's.

"Maybe," The man answers as he starts his car and leaves the apartment complex. Later in the day, he plans on calling his daughter to explain everything.

Parking outside his apartment complex a day later, Mulder leads his partner to his apartment door before blind folding her.

"Mulder, this is ridiculous," Scully announces as the fabric is placed over her eyes. Smirking, the man merely demands, "No peaking and act surprised."

Sighing, the red head agrees before being guided into the apartment. When her blindfold is removed, the woman smiles albeit her prior knowledge. The apartment is filled with balloons and a banner hangs in the entryway of the living room. Going over to Chloe, Scully kisses her on the cheek before saying, "Thank- you Sweetheart."

"Welcome, Mom," Chloe answers. The rest of the night, Scully laughs and jokes with her friends before sitting on the couch and being showered with presents. Upon getting a stuffed dog that looks suspiciously like a Pomeranian that sports a collar with a nametag, the red head looks up at her partner saying, "You got me a stuffed Queequeg."

Mulder shrugs saying, "I had to make up for the key chain somehow."

Chloe, noticing the long look between the adults eyes her friend from across the room who smiles at her. Then, the twelve year old hands another present over to her. Smiling as she opens the gift, Scully can already tell this present is special.

"Moby Dick," The red head says softly stroking the cover with her hands.

"Rachel took Anna and me to a thrift shop, and I thought you'd like it," Chloe replies softly.

"I love it," Scully replies adding, "Thank- you."

Not wanting his feelings of fatherly pride to seep through, Mulder claps his hands together before asking, "Who wants cake?"

"You just said the magic words there, Muldy. I'll go get a knife," Frohike announces before walking toward the kitchen.

With the festivities over an hour later, Scully relaxes against the couch cushions as Chloe comes to sit next to her. Wrapping her arms around the preteen, the red head says, "Thank- you for my gift."

"You're welcome, Mo- -"

Chloe stops short and is confused when Scully raises her eyebrow.

"That's the third time I've heard you call me Mom," Scully admits. Nodding, the brunette answers, "I won't if you don't want me too."

Confusion now covering her own face, the red head asks, "What makes you think I don't want you to call me Mom?"

Looking toward her father's computer, Chloe swallows. Tilting the girl's head to face her, the woman asks, "Chloe, what's wrong?"

Shrugging, the twelve year old says nothing. Wanting answers, Scully gently asks, "Do you want to call me, Mom?"

Chloe nods slowly with tears coming to her eyes. Hugging her to her, the red head mumbles, "Don't cry, Sweetie. You can call me whatever you want to, okay? I won't be offended."

The brunette nods against the woman before pulling away. Knowing she has to wake up early tomorrow to meet Anna for an overdue girls day, Chloe kisses Scully on the cheek before telling her good- night. Seeing Mulder when she sees the girl off to bed, Scully is a little worried she is unable to decipher her partner's facial expression. Instead of asking, the red head waits for her partner to talk.

"Thank- you for being here, Scully," Mulder sincerely states as he sits down beside her on the couch.

"You made me, Mulder," The woman jokes with a yawn. Noticing his partner's sluggishness, the man says, "Feel free to use the bathroom or something if you want to change. I'm going to finish cleaning up the leftovers."

Nodding, Scully teases, "Yeah, the boys can be pretty messy."

Shaking his head, Mulder smiles at his partner's care free attitude. He will never get tired of this side of her.

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