And for your reading pleasure, another update for Chloe Samantha!
Enjoy!
"Where are we eating?" Scully questions once the trio enters the parking garage before heading to their respective cars. Mulder gives his partner a smile answering, "It's your choice. This is our treat to you."
"Dragging Chloe into this? That's cruel Mulder," The woman jokes giving the nine year old a soft smile to show she is teasing. Chloe smiles back before her teeth begin to chatter in the night air. Seeing the younger Mulder is cold, Scully quickly makes a decision and soon the partner's part ways to meet at the woman's restaurant of choice.
Sipping their beverages half an hour later, Chloe tells Scully all she did at school with less energy than earlier due to the atmosphere of the restaurant they are in. Watching his partner listen with rapt attention, Mulder cannot help thinking his partner is the best person in the world, especially for his daughter. Chloe needs a mother figure and Scully stepped in no questions asked. Escaping from his reverie by the waiter, Mulder places his dinner order before turning his attention back to his daughter and work partner. The adults and child chat happily while waiting for their food. Silence setting in as they eat, no one says much until Chloe's eyes grow big.
"I left my toothbrush at your house," The child states with slight dramatics. As Chloe defends her mistake, the adults try not to smirk at the girl's sudden realization while simultaneously trying to have the child lower her voice.
"Chloe, it's fine. We can get one on the way home," Mulder reassures as Scully adds she will keep the toothbrush as a spare in case Chloe comes over again and needs the hygienic object. Sighing in relief, the nine year old nods before eating her food again. As she eats, she notices her father and Scully begin a conversation of their own. Eaves dropping, the child tries to hide a smile as she contemplates the ways her father and Scully can become a couple. Scully is the only figure Chloe can fathom being her mom and needs the pair to get together, just like in Miracle on 34th Street sans the house. She smirks a little to herself as she observes Mulder and Scully have the same hair coloring as Maureen O'Hara's Doris Walker and John Payne's Fred Gailey.
"What are you laughing about?" Mulder teases as he notices the smile that creeps up on his daughter's face. Dismissing her father's comment, Chloe asks, "Can we watch Miracle on 34th Street?"
"It's a little early in the year for that, don't you think?" Mulder questions curious about his daughter's sudden interest in the film. Scully, catching her partner's curiosity, questions, "When did you want to watch it?"
Mulder inwardly groans at his partner's ability to rope him into watching a movie he has seen at least a dozen times in the past few months. However, interested in his daughter's answer, Mulder waits for Chloe's reply. Surprised by the red head's question, the nine year old has no answer. The night is a school night and she knows she will go to bed soon after she gets home. Finally, the child answers, "When both of you don't have a case. I want you to watch it with us."
Mulder raises an eyebrow before silently asking his partner if she is okay with the proposal his daughter has formed. Scully nods as she turns to Chloe saying, "I would love to."
Getting the check fifteen minutes later, Mulder and Scully have a brief, verbal battle over who is paying the bill when Mulder reiterates that he asked Scully to eat with them as a thank- you. Relenting, Scully stands out of the way with Chloe as they wait for Mulder to pay at the front counter. Stepping into the night air, the trio exchanges good nights before Chloe's over night bag is put in Mulder's car.
"This feels like a custody drop off," Mulder jokes as he shuts the trunk of the car. Scully laughs slightly, yet tensely, and the adults exchange furtive glances. Finally, Scully answers, "Thanks for dinner."
"Thanks for taking care of my daughter."
"Mulder, being with your daughter is not a chore. I enjoy my time with her," Scully insists. Mulder smiles as he rubs the back of his neck.
"I know. It's just after the last week I feel like a crummy dad," He states knowing his daughter is listening to him. Scully puts her hand on her partner's forearm as she tells him, "You are far from a crummy dad."
After her words, Scully gives her partner a small smile before hugging Chloe good- bye. With each occupant safely in his or her respective cars, the agents drive to their respective homes.
The next few days pass with little to no interruptions, which all parties are thankful for. The trio falls back into their regular routine quite smoothly until Mulder drags both his daughter and his partner to visit the Lone Gunmen. Always excited to see the men she treats as her uncles, Chloe happily prattles about the men to a slightly confused Scully.
Entering the hideout, Chloe follows behind Scully in time to hear her father chastise the men for speaking out of turn with his daughter present. The Gunmen, excited for the youngest Mulder's arrival, enthusiastically greet the girl before answering Mulder's questions. As the visit continues, Chloe sees a hint of annoyance cross Scully's features, which thankfully eases by the end of the visit. Knowing the trip to see her "uncles" is not a social call, the nine year old asks as the trio heads back to the Bureau, "Are you two on a case again?"
Looking in the rear view mirror at his daughter, Mulder answers her in the affirmative. Nodding, Chloe picks up the third Nancy Drew book and begins to read while simultaneously eaves dropping on the adults' conversation.
The next week, the child finds she gets to stay at Anna's because her father will be out of town. The first couple times she stays with her friend, Chloe enjoys the interruption, but as the weeks continue, Chloe grows tired of her father's absences and finally breaks down after dinner with Anna and her parents. Rachel, seeing the child crumble proposes she call her father after dinner to which Chloe happily agrees.
"Hi, Dad. When are you coming home?" The child asks once her father answers his phone.
"Hopefully in the next couple days," He responds wanting to be home as much as his daughter does. Thankful he and Scully are relaxing in Scully's motel room at the moment, the male agent happily continues his conversation.
"Is that, Chloe?" Scully questions looking up from their case files. Mulder nods as his partner holds her hand out for the phone.
"Hey, Chlo? Scully wants to talk to you okay?" Mulder asks before handing the phone to the red head.
"Hi, Scully. Dad says you'll be back in a couple days," Chloe states hopefully. The girl listens as Scully answers positively before asking how her week is going. Chloe tells everything she can remember about the week until Rachel informs the child she has to go to bed. Saying her good- byes, Chloe leaves the agents to continue their work.
"Mulder," Scully questions once her partner puts his phone away. Looking up at her, Mulder questions the curious glint in the woman's blue eyes. Obtaining her cue to continue, Scully asks, "Who's Chloe going to stay with once Rachel and Adam have the baby? She can't come with us all the time."
Mulder shakes his head responding, "I have no idea. I've been trying to figure that out. I could hire a babysitter, but I'd feel awful. The person would be more like a nanny to her and I don't want to do that to Chloe or the babysitter."
Scully nods as she bites her lip debating on telling her partner what she wants to say. Taking a deep breath, Scully asks, "How would you feel if my Mom looked after her?"
"Scully, I can't drag your mom into this."
"She offered. I was talking to her the other day when we went to lunch and she stated how she wants to get to know Chloe more."
"That's not the same as babysitting, Scul, and you know it."
"No, but she's been alone these past few months and having Chloe around may do her well."
Giving his partner a pointed look, Mulder cannot disregard her proposition. Sighing, the man says, "Let me talk to your Mom first."
He can practically see a ghost of a smile appear on Scully's face before she returns to the case. As the next day progresses, the agents finally solve their case and head back to Virginia.
After arriving home, Mulder eagerly calls Rachel and Adam to tell them he is on his way. Not bothering to take his own luggage inside the apartment first, Mulder stops to pick up his daughter as soon as he arrives in his building complex. Ecstatic upon seeing her father, Chloe immediately grabs her belongings, says good- bye and thanks Anna and her family, before heading back to her home with her father. Letting her father put his suitcase away, Chloe proceeds to their VHS collection. Mulder comes into the room just as his daughter finds her intended movie. Raising his eyebrows at his daughter, Chloe defends, "You said we can watch it!"
Trying to conceal any tiredness from his daughter, Mulder nods but is soon confused when the nine year old picks up the land line.
"You just saw Anna," Mulder states taking a seat on his couch. Chloe rolls her eyes answering, "I'm calling Scully. She said she'd watch the movie with us."
"Chlo," The tired agent gently begins, "Scully may not want to come over. She just got home herself."
His words fall on deaf ears when he realizes Chloe is waiting patiently for his and Scully's phone lines to connect.
"Mulder," Scully begins once she picks up her cell phone. She smiles when she realizes who is actually on the other end of the call. At Chloe's request for her to watch Miracle on 34th Street with the girl and Mulder, Scully cannot disappoint the child. Besides, Chloe gives a firm argument that the red head promised a few weeks ago.
Half an hour later, Scully sits on the Mulder's sofa watching the promised Christmas classic with Chloe tucked neatly between the red- head and her partner. Engrossed in the movie, Chloe is oblivious to the looks Scully gives Mulder to keep the man awake. Both agents are tired, but are unwilling to fall asleep. If she is honest, Scully does enjoy the film and always has. Maureen O'Hara is possibly one of her favorite actresses besides Katharine Hepburn, granted she is slightly biased toward the second actress. They share a name. Feeling the weight of sleep encompass her, Scully decides closing her eyes for merely a moment will not end badly. Uninterested in the portion involving the annoying pseudo- psychiatrist, Chloe turns to see both adults asleep with their heads resting on the head of the couch. Smirking, Chloe cuddles closer to her father and his partner as she continues to watch the movie wishing Scully will come over more often, even if the pair does simply fall asleep.
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