This is spoiler free, and I promise that next chapter we will get back into the cases.
Disclaimer: I don't own Tamagotchi (but I did own one a Tamagotchi pet!).
Enjoy!
Months later, Chloe enthusiastically drags Scully to her room where Mulder is assembling the girl's desk. Watching the red head take in the now green sponge painted room with bead curtains on the window, the birthday girls asks, "So?"
Not wanting to tell the girl the room is not really her taste, Scully feigns a smile replying, "It's nice. Do you know what you're putting on your new desk?"
Shrugging, Chloe replies, "I'm not sure yet."
Remembering the best part of her room, the thirteen year old's eyes grow wide as she heads to her light switch.
"Chloe," Mulder warns just as his daughter turns out the lights. Smiling, Chloe tells her guardian, "Look at the ceiling."
Unable to suppress a smile noticing the glow in the dark stars on the girl's ceiling, Scully replies, "I like it."
In truth, the red head does like the stars and wishes there were some when she was young. Turning the lights back on, Chloe asks her father, "When will you be done with the desk?"
Placing the screwdriver down, Mulder answers, "Hopefully, soon."
Seeing her partner is rather upset by the desk he is assembling, Scully asks her daughter, "What do you think about not having a party this year?"
Chloe shrugs. She likes having a new room, but part of her wishes to have a party instead. However, the teen also knows she is not in the mood for another sleepover and is glad to simply have her father and Scully for her special day.
"I like my room, and I'm glad you're here to celebrate with me," The thirteen year old answers truthfully pulling her long brunette hair up with the scrunchie on her wrist. Smiling, Scully lets the girl decorate her room before heading into the kitchen.
Grabbing a bowl, Scully takes the cake mix she buys a few days prior from the top cabinet and begins to make the thirteen year old's favorite cake. As she stirs the batter, the red head notices her partner come into the room.
"Did you give up on the desk?" She asks him. Shaking his head, Mulder replies, "No, I just thought I would take a break for a bit. Maybe you could look at it while the cake bakes?"
Rolling her eyes, Scully answers, "Sure, Mulder. When are the boys coming?"
"I told them around six," Mulder answers excited to surprise his daughter for her birthday.
Nodding, the red head asks, "Could you get a couple cake pans? I told her friends to come around six thirty."
"Sounds good," Mulder replies as he places the cake pans on the counter before taking a quick taste of the batter.
"Mulder," Scully chides shooing the man's hand away just before he greases the pans. Sighing, the man says, "I can't believe she's thirteen."
"Neither can I," The red head comments as she goes to pour the batter into the pans. Placing the cakes in the oven, Scully asks, "You wanted me to take a look at her desk?"
Nodding, Mulder follows his partner into his daughter's room before taking a look at what she needs to do. Raising her eyebrow, the woman says, "You could've just gotten her a table."
"Yeah, but this was cool!" Mulder states noticing his partner's smirk as she takes a look at the instructions. Smirking, Chloe looks up from organizing her dresser to ask her father, "You getting Mom to help?"
"Finish setting up your room," The father replies trying to hide a chuckle at his daughter's comment.
Glancing at her father and Scully, the teenager leaves the room in search of something to drink. Coming back in the room with a soda, the girl takes a sip as she watches her father and guardian argue over how to set up her desk. Finally getting the object set up, Mulder smiles at his partner saying, "Okay, now we need to test it. Sit on it."
"Me?" Scully questions wondering what is wrong with her partner. "Why do you want me to sit on the desk?"
"It means it can hold weight, and you're just the right size."
Crossing her arms, the red head replies, "Mulder, that's stupid."
"Is it?" He asks adding, "Just sit on the desk?"
Rolling her eyes, the teenager leaves the room and hears the timer go off in the kitchen. Yelling, Chloe calls out, "Did someone have something in the oven?"
Pretty sure she hears the adults swear, the brunette soon sees her father and Scully enter the dining area before taking out the cake.
"I thought I wasn't going to get a party?" Chloe questions imitating her guardian's signature eyebrow raise. Shrugging, Mulder replies, "We figured your having cake and ice cream with us wouldn't be too bad."
The teen shrugs okay with the response. A grin playing on her face, Chloe asks, "Are there presents involved?"
"We just redid your room," Mulder answers flatly knowing he is still not going to buy his daughter an inflatable chair. Part of him sees the chair quickly being tossed away or covered completely in duct tape after it being in the apartment only a few days. Looking expectantly at Scully, Chloe sighs as she hears her guardian answer, "Sorry, Chlo. I guess you'll have to wait."
Dejected, Chloe goes into the living room and watches television just as Scully begins to frosten the cake. Turning on MTV, the teen watches music videos until she hears a knock on the apartment door. Eager to see who is visiting them, the thirteen year old quickly gets off the couch and heads into the entryway.
"Hi!" Chloe exclaims in surprise seeing her adopted uncles once she opens the door.
"Hey, Kiddo," Frohike states as he, Byers, and Langley walk into the apartment. Winking, the man says, "We got you a little present."
Curious, the thirteen year old follows the men to the living room. Unwrapping the present, Chloe's eyes grow wide.
"You got me a computer!" The girl practically screams. Nodding, Langly says, "We figured you'd like to instant message your boyfriends without your dad in the room."
Not paying attention much until his friend's comment, Mulder questions, "Boyfriend?"
"Relax," Scully says putting a hand on her partner's shoulder. Sighing, the man mutters, "It's a good thing we got that desk set up already."
"Dad! The Boys got me a computer!" Chloe exclaims eager to open the box.
"I see," Mulder says as he walks into the living room, "We can assemble it tomorrow."
"But–"
"Tomorrow," Mulder emphasizes. Sighing, Chloe asks, "Can I at least take it to my room?"
"Yeah," The father answers prompting his daughter to show her honorary uncles her room as well as take her computer with her. Scully looks up at her partner who still watches his daughter. Wondering what he is thinking about, the woman asks.
"Just that I'm the father of a teenager. When I turned thirteen, my mother was still coping with Samantha. I just hope Chloe can have a better year at thirteen than I did," Mulder comments more to himself than his partner. Shaking his head, the father asks, "What else were we going to do for her party?"
"Nothing. Rachel is bringing the party favors and I'm taking care of pizza later. The kids are arriving in fifteen minutes, so I'd say make sure the living room looks decent and we can take out the soda from the fridge."
Smirking at his partner's organization, Mulder goes back to the kitchen. Hearing a knock on the door, Scully answers it.
"Hi Rachel," The red head replies letting the woman and Anna inside the apartment. Nodding toward the bedrooms, Mulder tells the other teen, "Chloe's in her room."
"Thanks for helping," Scully states as she and Rachel walk into the kitchen. Shaking her head the other woman replies, "I'd do anything to help out. Besides, it would've been hard to hide party decorations from a thirteen year old. Why did you two decide to have the party here, anyway?"
"Who knows," Scully answers wondering if her partner even thought the party through before letting her in on the secret. Remembering Chloe's new present, the red head adds, "Hopefully The Boys will keep her occupied while we set up."
"I'll get the entryway if you get the kitchen?" Rachel asks as she pulls out streamers from the bag she has on the counter. Nodding, Scully takes the other streamers and asks her partner, "Keep Chloe occupied for us."
"As you wish," Mulder says with a grin causing an eye roll from the red head.
Smirking, Rachel says, "Which of you made him watch Princess Bride?"
"It wasn't me," The red head jokes as she grabs a chair to put up the streamers in the doorway.
An hour later, Chloe's surprise party is in fully swing as the teen laughs with her friends. Shaking her head, Scully says to her partner, "Poor, Kyle. He's surrounded by a bunch of girls."
Grinning, Mulder replies, "Trust me, Scully. There's nothing for him to be sorry about, unless he flirts with my daughter."
Rolling her eyes, the red head goes to open the front door and pay the pizza man.
Seeing everyone out the door a couple hours later, Scully looks at her daughter who sits on the couch playing with a toy. Sitting beside the girl, the red head asks, "How did you like your party?"
When the girl does not reply, Mulder says, "Chloe, Scully was talking to you."
Looking up, Chloe replies, "It was fun! Thank- you."
Noticing the teenager go back to the toy she is playing with, the adults give each other confused glances. Curious as to what the plastic toy on a key chain is, Scully asks.
"A Tamagotchi pet," Chloe replies as the toy makes a barking noise. "You have to take care of a pet and name it."
Smirking, Mulder decides he will not get his daughter a dog after all. She already has an electronic one now. Seeing the mess in the living room, Scully asks her daughter to put her presents in her room.
"Okay," The girl replies still looking at her toy and curling up more on the sofa. With an eyebrow raise, the red head replies, "Now."
When the child does not respond, Mulder states, "Now."
Sighing dramatically, Chloe gathers her presents and takes them to her room. The adults glance at each other before Scully begins to put away the remaining food. Stretching, Mulder begins to help his partner when her daughter asks, "Could you help me put my computer together?"
"Tomorrow," Mulder answers. Looking down, Chloe replies sheepishly, "I already took it out of the box."
"I'll help you set it up on the desk, but we aren't assembling it until tomorrow," Mulder replies realizing his daughter is beginning to sound a little spoiled.
Lying on the couch while his daughter assembles her computer, Mulder closes his eyes. Tapping her partner's foot, Scully watches her partner move his legs enough for her to sit down before putting them over her thighs.
"I think she had fun," Scully comments resting her head against the couch back. Her partner makes a humming sound before commenting, "I think I'm going to need to set up some ground rules with her regarding her computer."
The woman smiles at the father's comment before resting her eyes for a moment.
"Can you believe she's thirteen?" The red head asks. Her partner lets out a hum of agreement before the pair rests a minute. Looking over at her partner, Scully remarks "You've done a great job with her."
"Thanks, Scully," Mulder replies opening his eyes adding, "I didn't do it alone."
The woman catches his eyes for a moment before looking down at the man's pant leg. Curious, Mulder asks, "Scully, what's wrong?"
"Nothing. I just-"
"Just what?" The man asks wondering what is wrong with his friend. Taking a chance, he comments, "You've been raising her just as much as I have."
Scully does not reply as she plays with her partner's pant leg. Biting her lip, the woman tentatively says, "Mulder, I have something to tell you."
Taking his legs off the couch, Mulder sits up and waits for what she has to say. Finding her courage, Scully looks at her partner for a moment before saying, "When I was in the hospital that last day, my doctor gave me some bad news." She pauses before whispering, "Mulder, I can't have children."
"Scully," He says softly. Hearing her admission, Mulder wants to hold his friend and console her. He also wants to scream knowing another chance at a normal life is once again tainted especially with the knowledge he holds about her abduction. Not wanting to share any details of his findings, the man asks, "What can I do?"
Thinking, Scully asks a little embarrassed, "Could we watch some of Chloe's home movies? I want to see her young again."
Nodding, Mulder replies, "Whatever you like."
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