Thanks to everyone who sent feedback on the last chapter. You guys keep me writing! This chapter will explain what I meant by those last lines. I really enjoyed reading everyone's interpretations. I hope I do not disappoint! This chapter is also posted early instead of one next weekend, as I doubt I will have the time. I hope you like it!
Chapter 66 - Goodbye Charlie
It was two weeks after their morning in the charity shop, and two days before Charlie was due to leave to rejoin the Navy until his term expired in October. As this deadline approached, Scully had spotted both him and Christi become increasingly sad, although they did their best to put on brave faces in front of each other. But when Scully caught them by themselves, they were often staring sadly into space, plainly wondering how they were going to survive this eight month stretch.
Other news, however, was more positive. Among this was that it had now been six weeks since their return from the mountains. This concluded the period in which the doctors had warned them to make no big decisions, lest it should be the trauma talking and they would do things they would later regret, and it was also an estimated time of when they would have some idea of whether they would suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Scully had never expected they would escape this diagnosis, as what they had suffered was simply too great, but they were nevertheless recovering superbly well, and as far as the disorder went their cases were quite mild. Thanks to Deirdre, they were well on their way to being able to function in the everyday world. They had now even mastered a supermarket, though Monica, sticking to her strict vegetarian regime, had absolutely refused to walk down the meat aisle. But the fact remained that on the whole they had learned to shop as any normal person did. Deirdre's next step in her plan was to get them to do it without being accompanied by any family members, and then, slowly, each on their own.
In regards to their physical health, too, clear progress was being made. They had all gained weight, and thanks to the frequent long walks were gradually regaining their fitness. And now they had gained this weight, Dr Cheung on one of his twice weekly visits had given them the all clear to start exercising again in preparation to take the FBI physical test. They would soon be attending the local gym and fitness centre, and once their fitness strengthened they would move on to training in the gym of the FBI field office in Atlanta, which was not only a first class facility, but the place where they would be tested. In fact the only bad news was in regards to Monica's fingers. Her left ring finger and little finger had never entirely healed, and remained clumsy, weak and quite numb. But Monica, Scully was pleased to see, coped extremely well with this and the devastation Scully had feared would come when she realised never in fact eventuated. It seemed that she knew that considering what they had been through, and the damage she had done to her arm, she had escaped very lightly.
With the six week barrier now cleared, Scully and the others had finally agreed to hand out the money to their relatives. Their decision to do this had remained firm, and as they were convinced they would never regret it, they had decided to do it before Charlie left for San Diego. The actual process for doing this had been Monica's invention. Scully would have been quite content to just hand out the cheques as people came and went, or just electronically transfer the whole lot in to nominated accounts, but Monica wanted to do it more personally, and on that note they agreed to invite all the recipients over for dinner. This has included flying Tara over from San Diego, leaving Matthew and Lizzie in the care of their Grandma and Grandpa Mackenzie.
They were all gathered in the living room, having finished the elaborate meal the survivors had made for them. The excuse they had given for the celebration had been that they had cleared the six week barrier. And while Scully thought that Tara must have found it a little strange to be summoned all the way from the West Coast to partake in one meal, she never questioned it to their faces and smiled and interacted with everyone looking genuinely thrilled to be there.
"That was an incredible meal, Monica," Carol said gratefully, returning from the kitchen and sitting down beside her husband David.
"I second that," Jenny said sweetly. "It was absolute perfection."
"Thank you," Monica said, all smiles as she had been the entire evening. "But it's not over yet. We have something else for you."
Christi tilted her head up from where she was sitting in Charlie's lap. "I'm not sure I could eat another thing," she said apologetically.
"It's not food," Scully said, stopping beside Monica and exchanging glances with John and Mulder.
Monica smiled and went to the dining table, pulling a pile of slips of paper from the middle of a psychiatry book she had hidden them in.
"You look like you're up to something," Jack said with a smile.
"We are," John said, resting his hands on the back of the couch and surveying their family with a twinkle in his eye. "There's a reason we invited you here tonight."
"I wondered when you were going to come clean," Deirdre said, setting her glass down on the coffee table with a look like she was enjoying herself immensely. "I knew you wouldn't leave out Sophie without a reason. Or Carol and David's family."
"Or Matthew and Lizzie," Mrs Scully added with a wide smile.
"Well it wasn't to offend them," Mulder said, looking slightly worried that it might have had this effect. "And we hope you'll understand why once we've shared what we have to say."
"Go ahead," Anne said, looking intensely curious.
Scully moved to stand with Monica, John and Mulder. They all looked at each other, smiling nervously.
Monica took the lead. "Well I guess this is really a thank you. It's been six weeks now, and we're actually all feeling quite well. It has been a very painful journey, for you as well as us, but it is due to all of you that we're coming through this. Your constant support - never ceasing, your love that you hold us with every day, and to the extent that you were even willing to throw in your jobs to support us."
Her eyes lingered on Christi and Deirdre. Both of them smiled.
"And to open your house," Scully went on, looking to Anne and Jack. "Not just to John and Monica, but to Mulder and I, to my mother and my brother ... I can't express how that feels. And to all of you. The way you have opened your hearts and lives to us, is truly something that none of us ever thought of in our most wishful dreams. And I don't even know if there's even a way of making it up to you, of showing our gratitude, but I hope you know that we do feel it. And we will every day for the remainder of our lives."
"Don't be silly," Anne said, with a touched smile. "It was, and is, an absolute pleasure. I feel like I went into this with two children and came out with six. We love having you here, and you're more than welcome to stay here for as long as you like."
Scully smiled through her tears. "And those things are exactly what we mean."
John nodded, tears in his eyes, too. "We're damn lucky to have you."
"And that's why we had to thank you," Mulder said. "When we did that TV interview six weeks ago we agreed between us that we weren't going to do anything with the money until we were feeling better. Six weeks was always the cautionary time laid down by our doctors. But even then we were one hundred percent sure of what we wanted to do with it. And part of that is to secure our own financial future, and to look after several charities we deeply believe in, but a large part of it, too, has always been you. To thank you, to look after you, and to spoil you. And that's why ..."
Monica grinned, and to an audience of absolutely stunned faces, she handed out the cheques. One each to Anne, Jack, Mrs Scully, Christi, Charlie, Bill, Tara and Deirdre, and one jointly to Jenny and Brian, and Carol and David. Each cheque was for the sum of 5.5 million, the profits Monica had already made on their investments causing their initial estimate to go up.
"Oh, Monica ..." Christi said, staring at the sum.
There was a moment in which everyone was lost for words. They stared at their cheques as though hallucinating, and then their eyes shot up to the survivors again.
"You can't be serious," Jack said.
"We are," Scully said firmly. "A thank you from us to you."
Anne looked enormously touched, but after a moment she folded the cheque and held it out for them to take. "Look, I didn't do this for money. I did it because I love you. I'm not accepting payment for looking after my own family."
"We're not taking no for an answer," John said flatly. "You can accept your cheques now, or we'll just electronically transfer it to your account tomorrow anyway."
"John, look," Carol said, sitting up. "I'm extremely touched, and it's not that I'm ungrateful, but I really don't feel I've done anything to deserve this..."
"Yes, you have," Monica corrected. "When we slipped away to Rhode Island you helped us spread the story to the media that we were down here. And it's not even about what people have done. It's a present because you're our family and we love you, and now we've had some good fortune we'd like to share it."
Christi smiled, tears in her eyes. Charlie looked completely lost for words, still in shock.
Scully saw everyone was rapidly giving in, their shock turning to tear-filled gratitude.
"But we do have one condition," Scully said, remembering this last part they had agreed on.
"What is it?" Brian asked.
"Don't let it change you," Monica said. "We hope you'll continue to be exactly who you are. Equal with the rest of society, kind-hearted and loving."
"And we don't want it blown completely on materialistic possessions," John said.
"Spoil yourselves, but don't make it vulgar," Mulder said.
"Spend it wisely," Scully added.
There was a pause.
Jenny smiled. "We'll spend it wisely. Sophie's been talking about wanting to go to an Art College in the city after she graduates. We'll use some of this for the fees."
"Good cause," John said sincerely.
Scully agreed. They had seen Sophie's drawings during their trip out to Jenny and Brian's house over a week ago. Sophie had been at school at the time, but they had flicked through her portfolios, and had been stunned by the talent they hadn't even known existed in their own family.
Mrs Scully got to her feet, and without a word, crossed to hug her. Scully smiled as she took her overwhelmed mother into her arms, kissing her on the cheek.
"You'll be able to fly to San Diego to see the kids whenever you like," Scully said through her own touched tears.
They pulled away, and Scully smiled at her mother's touched tears. "Dana, I don't know what to say..."
"Neither do I," Anne said, getting to her feet. "But I'll start with a thank you."
Beaming, she then gave Scully a tight hug and a kiss, then moving on to Monica, John and Mulder. The rest of their relatives finally recovered from their shock, too, also rising and rushing to hug them all, expressing their thanks, swearing that they wouldn't let it go to their heads.
It was a room full of hugs and kisses, and beaming wide smiles.
"Are you sure you have enough for yourselves?" Jack asked. "This is a lot of money all added up."
"More than enough," John assured him. "Don't worry."
The hugging continued, but when Scully at last reached Tara, she tugged on her hand.
"I'd like a word," she said quietly, indicating the privacy of the kitchen. "You as well," she added, as she moved past Christi and Charlie.
She caught the eyes of Monica, Mulder, and John, and they gave her the slightest nods, knowing what she was going to tell them. Leaving her friends to deal with the tidal waves of enthusiasm in the living room, Scully walked Tara, Charlie and Christi around the corner into the kitchen.
"What is it?" Christi asked.
"Before you tell us," Charlie said. "Tell me honestly. Do you really have enough left over to look after yourselves? That's 55 million dollars you've just handed out. I know you got paid well for the interview, but even so ..."
"We have far more than we'll ever need," Scully said honestly, though not wanting to name the figure. "It's so outrageous I'm not even going to admit to what we have."
This seemed to reassure him, though she could see he was wondering at how large the exact figure was.
"But that's not what I wanted to talk to you about," Scully said. "We have some more news for you, but we wanted to tell you in confidence."
"What is it?" Tara asked.
"We're holding five and a half million each for Matthew and Lizzie. And your new baby. It's for when they're older, to be handed over when they're mature enough."
Tara looked shocked. It was a moment before she recovered her voice. "Dana, you don't have to. You're already covering their education. And between Bill and I this is eleven million already. It's more than enough."
"They're my niece and nephew," Scully said. "It's already agreed. This is merely a forewarning."
Tara was already overwhelmed by the initial cheques, and this new information was too much. Tears of gratitude fell from her eyes, and Scully found her again in her arms, holding her. She smiled thinking Bill's reaction the next time he called and Tara broke the news. Though at the same time she thought that it was probably a good thing Bill was at sea. Had he been with them she was certain he would have been a lot more stubborn than the Doggetts in accepting the money.
"Um, Dana ..." Charlie said. "Not to sound rude or anything, but I don't quite follow why you needed us for this."
Scully smiled. "Because the same deal goes for any children the two of you might have. Five and a half million, handed over when they're mature adults. And that's in addition to any and all educational expenses."
Christi and Charlie stared, Christi's mouth slightly open.
"But there's a strict condition," Scully went on seriously, talking to all three of them again.
"Anything," Tara said.
"They're not to know," Scully said. "Monica's worried - and rightly, I think - about the effects all this might have on them. We want them to have a normal childhood, to grow up with all the right values. We don't want them growing up expecting to inherit the moment they turn eighteen."
"I agree," Charlie said quickly. "It wouldn't be particularly character-building."
"We'll give them a normal life," Tara promised. "I'd like to use a bit of this money to look after my parents, my sisters and their children. But we'll all keep it normal."
"I trust you completely," Scully said honestly. Tara was not the type who had expensive taste and sought trendy possessions. She was a natural mother, just loved having her children around, a good husband and family. Scully doubted whether eleven million in their account would corrupt either her or Bill. But it was better to be said. Monica's experience taught them that money sometimes did some rotten things to people, and Monica had wanted these conditions clear from the outset.
"Dana, I don't know how to thank you," Christi said. "Your words out there were enough, and then the money, and now this ..."
Scully smiled. "We're a family," she said simply. "We look after each other."
"All the way," Christi said with a smile.
XXX
"Can I have a word?"
In the waiting area of the Atlanta airport, Scully sat next to Mulder, watching as Jack pulled Charlie aside and walked with him to a quiet seating area over by the far windows. The dreaded day had finally arrived that Charlie had to rejoin the Navy, and the entire family had come to the airport to say goodbye. Christi sat in a blue seat with Anne's arm around her shoulders. She already had tears in her eyes, and Scully had never seen her looking more miserable.
"Oh, God, what's he doing?" she asked with dread, as she watched her father haul her fiancé away to the private corner.
"Warning him to come back, I expect," Anne said, rubbing her back.
"Oh my God," Christi said, cringing.
"You're still his little girl," Anne said. "He's just looking out for you."
"I know, but ..."
Christi drifted off, watching through teary eyes as the men talked.
"He'll come back," Scully said quietly.
"There's no doubt," Mrs Scully said, trying to remain positive.
"I know," Christi said. "I just can't help feeling that October is a long time away. He might feel very differently by then."
"You won't be completely out of touch," Monica reminded her. "You'll still hear from him all the time via phone and e-mail. He just can't be here."
"And he put a ring on your finger," John said. "It's a lifelong commitment. And we all know how he feels."
"Stay positive," Anne told her. "He'll come back and marry you as sure as I'm sitting here. And you know this is incredibly hard on him too. He doesn't want to go at all, but he signed that contract and he has no choice. You need to stay strong for him. And then he'll be back in October - he's already promised to move here - and you'll get married and have many, many years together."
Christi took a deep breath, and hearing Anne's words she tried to wipe away most of her tears.
Across the waiting lounge, Scully saw Charlie give Jack a firm handshake. Jack clapped him on the shoulder, and then leaving Charlie there, came back to join them.
"Why'd you leave him there?" John asked, puzzled. "Is he in exile?"
"He wants a word with you, Dana," Jack said.
Mulder rubbed her back as Scully got to her feet. She was not as bothered as everyone had expected her to be. She had definitely gotten close to Charlie over the past six weeks, yet she was used to saying goodbye to family members as they came in and out of port. Her entire childhood she had watched her father do this, and then later both Bill and Charlie. And it was through this experience that Scully was able to maintain her composure. For she knew, as Anne did, that this was hurting Charlie far more than it was Christi. Christi had a family around to support her. Charlie was leaving everyone and rejoining a life in which he felt he no longer belonged, and had been miserable in for many months even before Scully's plane crash had secured his temporary release.
"Hey," Scully said, taking a seat beside him. The seats faced some wide windows, and Scully looked out to see a plane slowly moving along a wet runway.
"Hey," Charlie said. His head was lowered, his cheeks already tear-stained.
Scully reached over and took his hand, moving it to her knee and holding it in both of hers.
"I can't believe this is happening," he said miserably, watching the plane continue to slowly move. "That's probably my plane. I have to be on it in less than half an hour."
"Better you than me," Scully said, still vividly recalling the plane crash.
Charlie smiled and squeezed her hand. "I'll be sure to map out the emergency exits."
"Make sure you do that."
She rubbed his hand. Charlie sighed miserably.
"I wish I could stay," he said softly. "I'd marry Christi tomorrow if I could. And to stay here with you, with everyone ..."
"I know," Scully said sadly. "I wish you could, too."
There was a pause. Scully watched as the plane disappeared around the corner.
"We've come a long way, Dana," he said, taking a deep breath and looking into her eyes with his identical blue ones. "In just these six weeks. Who would've thought it could ever be like this."
"Yes, we have," Scully agreed. It was incredible to think that only six weeks ago their relationship had consisted of an annual Christmas card. "And despite all the death and the heartache, a part of me is glad. And to be honest I'm not sure I'd take it back."
"Maybe we've both learned something about what's important in life. Maybe we were both going nowhere."
"Going in circles," Scully said. "Until we got on that plane in Canada."
There was another pause as Scully reflected on all that happened to her, the rapid changes that had occurred in her life. It was such a strange feeling, looking back on it all through hindsight.
"Dana, I need you to promise me something."
"Anything," Scully said.
"Tell me you'll look after Christi for me," he said. "Never let her doubt how much I love her."
"She'll never doubt it," Scully assured him. "And I hope that you don't doubt her love for you, either."
"I don't," Charlie said, glancing over his shoulder to where their families were sitting. "It's just going to be so hard."
"I'll look after her," Scully promised. "You just worry about you. Just get through these few months, and come back here safely."
Charlie sighed again, running one hand wearily through his short red hair. "I wish I didn't have to go."
"You'll be fine," Scully said, rubbing his hand against her knee. "You're a Scully. We're not quitters."
"I know," he said with a smile. "I'm the son of Captain Scully, the brother of Dana Scully ... I've got a lot to live up to."
Scully smiled. "You've just got to get back here safely."
"Promise me you'll look after yourself as well," Charlie said. "You've come so far, done so well, I'd hate to see you slip."
"I'll be fine," Scully said. "I have everyone here. And things are going well."
"When you get your FBI badge back, pass that physical, make sure you take Doctor Cheung with you when you attempt the first autopsy. Don't get overconfident."
Scully almost laughed. "If it makes you feel better I'll assure you right now that it's going to feel like hell. But I will have Doctor Cheung with me. And I'll have everyone else waiting outside. And because of that I know I'll make it. And I'll get back my career."
"You can't miss," he said, pride in his eyes.
Scully squeezed his hand in thanks.
"Well I'd better say goodbye to Christi," Charlie said, glancing again over his shoulder. "Just take care of yourself, Dana."
Scully leaned over and shared a hug with him, kissing each other on the cheek.
"I love you," she said, for the first time in her life.
She could feel him smile as he held her even tighter. "I love you too."
And it was ten minutes later, after Charlie had shared a long, very emotional goodbye with Christi - both of them in tears and holding each other for all they were worth - that Charlie finally left for San Diego. The second he disappeared from view, Anne took Christi in her arms, and Scully felt Mulder's arms loop around her, holding her close.
"Are you okay?" he rumbled in her ear.
Scully leaned into his embrace.
"This sucks, Mulder."
He laughed. "Is that the official Dr Dana Scully analysis of the situation?"
"No, that's the analysis of Dana - the fool who took 37 years to realise she had such an amazing brother."
"Stay strong Scully," he said, kissing her temple and holding her tight. "It's all going to work out."
XXX
"Keep going, Dana," Monica encouraged, sitting on Scully's ankles as she passed thirty sit-ups.
They were in the gymnasium of the Atlanta field office, rounding off preparations for the FBI physical that would allow them to get their badges and guns back. They were progressing quite well and Scully knew they could take the test now and pass, except Scully did not want to simply pass. She was determined to pass it as well as she had before the accident, when she had fallen into the top tier for female physical fitness. Mulder and John had the same ambition - Mulder currently practicing his short distance sprints while Christi timed him with a stopwatch, and John doing chin-ups on a nearby bar. The remainder of their relatives - Anne, Jack, Deirdre and Mrs Scully - had settled themselves on some benches against the wall, watching.
"You're doing great, Agent Scully!" a male agent said as he walked past.
This was another reason why Scully preferred the FBI gym to a normal local one. She felt herself in the midst of a powerful comradeship now. It was as if she was a symbol of the FBI, its people and its ability to recover from this tragedy. Every agent who walked past was encouraging, hoping the four of them would recover as much as she did herself. And that was another why she wanted to do more than simply scrape through on this test.
"I think that's enough," Scully said, finally collapsing back on the blue mat, catching her breath.
"If there had been an instructor here you would've passed with flying colours," Monica said, beaming.
"It's not good enough," Scully said, annoyed with herself. "I did a lot more than that when I did my refresher two years ago. I think I'm getting old."
"You're looking great," Monica said dismissively.
Scully eyed Monica's enthusiasm beaming down at her and smiled. The truth was that Monica was looking incredible, too. She was still thinner than she had previously been, but it was no longer unhealthy, and she looked more like a model now. And it seemed that Monica was pleased by this, too, if the fact that she had graduated from a loose old Academy t-shirt to an adidas sports bra and lycra shorts were any indication. The look on John's face when she had sauntered out of the changing rooms had been priceless, and Scully knew that Monica was getting a lot of enjoyment out of teasing him - the result of which Scully thought was the determined chin-ups John was doing now, going on and on like a machine. It was hard to tell which of them was admiring the other more.
"Your turn," Scully said, pushing herself up and rearranging themselves so she was now holding Monica's ankles instead.
"Let me," John said, rejoining them, dripping in sweat but looking delighted with himself.
Scully shifted aside, letting John take her place on Monica's ankles. She watched ominously as Monica grinned up at him, as John smiled back, clearly still in full appreciation of Monica's skimpy outfit. Scully glanced up at the far end of the gym again, and found Mulder had stopped his sprints, was standing with Christi and drinking from a red sports drink. They made eye contact with her, and then began to make their way over.
Scully turned her attention back to her friends just as Monica completed her first sit up. But instead of rising halfway and going down again, she sat up all the way, took a handful of the front of John's t-shirt and kissed him.
Christi laughed as her and Mulder joined them. "Somehow I think you missed the whole point. You're supposed to go back down again."
"Oh, I will," Monica said, grinning at John so her words carried an unmissable sexual undertone.
"Monica ..." Scully said, willing her to control herself.
Grinning triumphantly at the look on John's face, Monica lowered herself to the floor again.
"Count for me," she told John, resuming her seriousness.
"I'll be back in a sec," Christi said, turning to head for the female change rooms.
"One, two, three ..."
John counted as Monica began her sit-ups. Scully got her feet and made her way over to the bar John had just left.
"You need a lift?" Mulder asked, stepping up behind her and putting his hands on her waist.
"Yeah," Scully said.
He lifted her up and Scully grabbed the metal bar. She adjusted her position, hanging there for a moment, and then slowly raised herself up to the bar, immediately feeling the pressure in her arms.
Mulder stood watching. "You haven't told us how your book's going."
"It's coming along," Scully said, steadily keeping going. "It's taking a little longer than I'd anticipated, but I want to get it right."
"Well there's no reason to hurry," Mulder agreed.
"I'd also like to get back my medical career before I seal it off," Scully added. "Every story needs an ending."
Mulder nodded, understanding this perfectly. "Are you going to set a date for the autopsy? Once we pass the physical?"
"Yes," Scully said, feeling a little nervous at how close this moment was getting. "The next time Dr Cheung's down."
Mulder nodded again, and then fell quiet, his eyes looking around the gym. Monica was still doing sit-ups on the floor while John had hit a count of 38. Deirdre, Anne, Mrs Scully and Jack were all engaged in a conversation, laughing with each other. Scully pushed on with her chin-ups, though her arms became increasingly sore. But as a few more moments ticked on, Scully saw that Mulder's eyes were not scanning idly, but as though something was wrong.
"What's the matter?" she asked.
"Keeping an eye out for Christi," he replied.
Scully glanced at the changing room door, but it remained closed. Christi was apparently still in there. But it had been several minutes now. Surely she should have come back. It was not like there would be a queue, with the overwhelming majority of agents around the gym being male.
Scully was at last exhausted, and she dropped back down to the mat, hands on her hips.
"You don't suppose they upset her," Scully said quietly, indicating Monica and John's intimacy.
"Well we know she's hurting," Mulder ventured.
This was true, although Christi was doing quite a good job of not showing it. She was as enthusiastic, light-hearted and committed to their care as ever. And it helped, too, that Charlie was calling regularly, and the two had long, private conversations, Christi often shut in an upstairs bedroom.
"I'll check on her," Scully volunteered, and after briefly squeezing Mulder's hand, headed for the changing rooms.
When she entered she found that the rooms, toilets and showers were all empty except for Christi sitting on a far bench, her head in her hands.
"Are you all right?" Scully asked kindly, approaching her.
Christi looked up, and in that moment Scully saw that Christi was not all right. But it was not heartache for Charlie, either. She looked distinctly sick. She was pale, and looked slightly dizzy.
"You don't look well," Scully said, sitting down beside her and reaching for her wrist to take a pulse. Christi leaned her head back against the brick wall behind her.
"I think I've picked up Georgia's bug," Christi said. "She had it when we went out the other night. I must've caught it from her."
"Well you look faint," Scully said, observing her symptoms. "And your pulse is weak. Do you feel nauseous at all? Have you had a temperature?"
She felt Christi's forehead. She was slightly warm, but it was not alarming.
"Yeah I feel like I'm gonna be sick," Christi said, taking a deep breath. "But it's not like I actually throw up."
Scully nodded, but she felt her nerves stand on end as a suspicion shot into her mind.
"And have you felt this consistently since you saw Georgia, or has it been intermittent?"
"I guess it comes and goes," Christi said. "I don't know. It's weird. One second I feel fine and then now ... maybe I just didn't have enough for breakfast. And then to be on my feet so long ..."
"Have you had any change in appetite?" Scully asked. Her symptoms did not sound like a traditional stomach bug. It was unlikely that such a bug would come and go at its leisure.
"It's a little lowered I guess," Christi said, sounding unsure.
"And on the whole when would you say these symptoms occur? Mornings, afternoons, evenings, at night...?"
"I don't know," Christi said, shaking her head. "Mornings, I guess. I'm not sure."
Scully paused, taking a deep breath. Her thoughts went to Charlie, who had rejoined his ship out off the coast of Australia, doing training exercises.
"When you were with Charlie," Scully said carefully, "did you use any protection?"
In a flash Christi's eyes opened fully, suddenly alert.
"You're not thinking I'm pregnant?" Christi asked.
Scully waited.
"I can't be," Christi said, but she sounded as if she was trying to convince herself. "He was a gentleman, we made sure. We used condoms."
"And did you use them in conjunction with anything else?" Scully asked. "The pill?"
"No, I -"
She broke off, still in shock.
Scully took her hand and gave it a squeeze. "Well you know they aren't a hundred percent effective. And it only takes one."
"Dana, I can't be pregnant," Christi said, worried now. "He's not back till October."
"When did you last menstruate?" Scully asked. "Have you had it since he's been gone?"
Christi thought. Then she looked shakily into Scully's eyes and said, "No ... and not for a while ..."
Scully nodded and gave her hand another squeeze. "Don't panic. We'll drop in somewhere on the way home, pick up a test."
At that moment the door opened again, and Anne, Mrs Scully and Deirdre sailed in.
"Are you two okay?" Deirdre asked, coming around the corner.
They all stopped when they saw Christi, and Scully holding her hand.
"Oh my God," Anne said, and hurried forward, sitting down beside her and clamping a hand to her forehead.
Christi pushed her hand back.
"Mom, don't. I'm okay."
"You certainly don't look it," Mrs Scully said, looking concerned.
"Why didn't you tell us you were feeling sick?" Anne asked.
"I'm not sick," Christi repeated. Then she took a deep, nervous breath. "Dana thinks I might be pregnant."
XXX
"Just relax," Anne said, her arm around her daughter and beaming as if all her Christmases had come at once.
Everyone else in the changing rooms was just as enthusiastic. Scully saw her own mother had not stopped smiling since Christi spoke the suspected diagnosis, and after having four children of her own and looking into Christi's eyes she declared that she was one hundred percent, without doubt pregnant, and even estimated the duration to be at around five weeks. Monica, too, sitting on an opposite bench, was all broad smiles. Deirdre was calm. She had hidden beside her the pregnancy test that she had rushed out to buy for them - everyone so eager and not at all willing to wait until they were back home - and now she kept it hidden as they waited the set duration for the outcome.
Scully had not had a chance to see how Jack, Mulder and John were reacting, having stuck to her promise to Charlie and being committed to looking after Christi, but she imagined that John at least, would be extremely anxious and was probably pacing as they waited.
The good news was that everyone's overwhelming excitement had lifted Christi's mood, and the anxiety-induced shock had disappeared into a nervous smile. Scully was holding her hand and could feel it trembling.
"You have nothing to worry about," Scully assured her. "If it's positive, it'll be good news. And Charlie will be over the moon."
"He'll make a great father," Monica said.
"I doubt he'll be over the moon," Christi said nervously. "He was so careful. And now he hates being away enough as it is. If he finds out I'm pregnant it's going to be hell for him. He'll miss the whole thing. He might even miss the birth. I'd probably be due around October. If it happened before he got back ..."
"If it happens before he gets back, it'll still be okay," Anne said. "You'll have all of us with you. And he'll still be back in plenty of time to change diapers, help with feeding, and love you both. Just relax."
"We'd have to postpone our wedding plans," Christi said. "And cancel my trip to Europe with Georgia this summer, too ..."
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Anne said calmly. "Just relax."
Christi made an effort to calm, and the hand Scully held stopped most of its trembling and the nervous smile appeared back on her lips. Scully knew she was delighted, yet the factor of Charlie being away and the two of them being unmarried made her anxious.
Deirdre pulled the test of its hiding place and looked at it.
"What's it say?" Scully asked anxiously.
Deirdre smiled. She looked up at Christi.
"Are you ready to know?"
"Just tell me," Christi said, looking like she couldn't stand the suspense any longer.
"Positive," Deirdre said, holding out the test for her to take. "You're going to have a baby."
There were shrieks of delight from every direction and it was a rush to see who could hug Christi first. Christi had her hands over her mouth, in complete disbelief, and utter elation. Monica headed for the door to give the men the news.
"We'll have to get you a doctor's appointment," Mrs Scully said.
Christi's smile faltered. "He will be glad, won't he?"
"Yes," Scully said firmly. "Don't worry."
Christi smiled again, flying through emotions at a hundred miles an hour. She held a hand to her abdomen.
"My God, I'm pregnant ..."
"Well I think one thing's for sure," Deirdre said with a smile. "This child is going to be the most spoilt child in history."
XXX
It was several days later when Christi broke the news to Charlie. She had first gone to the doctor to receive official confirmation, which had come two days later, and got other details she knew Charlie would want to know, amongst which was her due date of November 3rd. This date had calmed Christi's nerves, as Charlie's last day with the Navy was October 10, and so he was very likely to be back in time to participate in both the final few weeks of her pregnancy and also the birth.
She broke the news during his scheduled phone call, and disappeared upstairs with her cell phone to break the news in private. Scully waited in the living room with everyone else, exchanging nervous looks, wondering as time went on how Charlie was reacting. Scully knew he had wanted children with Christi, but this was certainly not quite how they had planned it. He had no doubt planned it to occur the traditional way, including a wedding, moving in with Christi, and then children after that. But knowing her brother extremely well, she was sure that once he got over the initial shock, he would be overjoyed, and the fact that he could be at least present for the birth would be comforting for him.
"I wonder how he's taking it," Monica said, as they waited on the sofas.
"He'll be fine," Scully said confidently, thinking also that the fact that there was no noise from upstairs was a good sign. But it had been nigh on half an hour now, and it was getting hard to stand the suspense.
"How did you take it?" Monica asked John. "When Barbara told you?"
"Luke was planned," John said with a shrug. "We were all thrilled."
"I remember when I told you," Anne said, with a grin at Jack.
"How did you react?" Monica asked curiously.
"He was petrified," Deirdre said, with a reminiscent smile. "Our father nearly killed him."
"We were both petrified," Anne corrected. "I was still only seventeen. But it all worked out. Jack was supportive, and I had a couple of very supportive sisters and a great mother. I walked up the aisle when I was eighteen, six months pregnant. And we've been incredibly happy."
She grinned affectionately at John. He took her hand as she walked past.
"I can't wait to have a baby," Monica said, smiling dreamily at John.
It was open knowledge now that Monica and John both wanted children and Christi's pregnancy had amplified this desire. John had his arm around her shoulders and gave her a squeeze.
"Your time will come," Mrs Scully said.
"Only make sure you get married first," Jack said. "At least one of us in the family should do things the right way around."
"We're not ready anyway," John said. "A child needs a place to live. A stable environment. Our lives at the moment don't quite fit that bill."
"A child only needs love," Anne said. "And we can all provide that in abundance."
"You'd need a place to live," Mulder pointed out.
"We could always extend here," Anne said. "It's not like we can't afford it."
"We could buy out the neighbours," Scully suggested. "Then you could live right next door, between here and Christi."
"What do you mean 'you'?" Monica demanded. "If we go anywhere, you're coming with us. We're not separating."
Scully smiled, quite touched. "No, we're not."
"Anyhow, we've gotta sort out what we're doing about our places in DC first," John pointed out.
"I've been thinking about that," Monica said. "I think we should retain ownership and rent them out. It's a sought after area and I think it's time we started moving into the property market. We could probably even do it through the FBI, you know there are agents moving in and out of Washington all the time."
"We'd still need a place to live down here," Mulder pointed out. "Somewhere to put all our furniture, set up base."
"Then maybe we should -"
But she broke off as they all spotted Christi coming down the stairs. She held her pink cell phone to her ear, and was smiling as though she was on top of the world.
"You can't have Charlie as a girl's name," Christi said with a grin. "Besides, he or she needs a name of their own. Not an inherited identity." There was a pause, and then she laughed. "No, that's no better."
She arrived at the bottom of the stairs and walked across to where they were all sitting.
"Okay, I've got Dana here," Christi said. "Do you want me to put her on?" There was another pause. "Okay. Yeah, I will. It's all going to be fine. I love you, too."
She smiled for one last moment and then held out the phone for Scully.
"He wants a word."
Scully took the phone. "Hi."
"Dana, I need you to go somewhere private."
Immediately worried by the seriousness in his tone, Scully got straight up and headed for the sliding door, walking out to quiet of the pool area and back garden.
"Okay, I'm alone," she assured him.
"All right, I only have a minute left so I need you to listen carefully. First of all, thank you so much for taking care of her, for recognising it and going to the doctor with her ... I'm really grateful."
"You don't need to thank me," Scully said, not liking how he made it sound like a chore.
But he barely heard her. "I need you to keep looking after her for me, for as long as you're in Atlanta. I want you to go to any medical appointments with her, make sure her and the baby are okay. And if they're not, if she miscarries, or something goes wrong ... take good care of her."
"I will," Scully promised.
"And you'll go with her to the scans, when she sees the baby on screen? I want you to be there on my behalf."
"I'll be there," Scully said. "And you know these days they give out DVDs. We'll be able to put it on the computer and e-mail you a picture. I'll even label everything for you."
"Oh, thank you, Dana," Charlie said, voice filled with emotion. "I knew I could count on you. You know I wish with all my heart I could be there, but as I can't ... I still want to stay as involved as I can. Christi's promised to send photos, you know so I can watch her stomach getting bigger, a bit of a photo log. And I want you to keep me informed of everything. Any sickness, any cravings, anything and everything, I want to hear about it."
"You won't miss a thing," Scully said sincerely. "We'll all make sure of that. We'll flood you with reports and photos."
"That'd be so great, Dana," Charlie said. "It'd make being stuck out here so much easier. And I need you to take care of anything they might need too. Anything Christi needs, anything the baby needs, anything for a nursery or maternity clothes or baby clothes ... just get it, keep a record of what you spend and I'll pay you back every cent when I get back."
"We have it covered," Scully assured him. "Don't worry about it, money isn't a concern."
"And if she goes into labour prematurely," Charlie said, "I want you to be there."
On this one Scully hesitated. "I think she'd want her mother with her."
"Then Anne as well," Charlie said. "Just be there. As a doctor, as my sister, as the child's aunt. Just get her through it, make sure nothing goes wrong."
"I will," Scully said. "But I wouldn't worry about that. I'm sure you'll be back in plenty of time."
"I hope so," Charlie said.
There was a slight pause as he seemed to finally run out of instructions.
"Tell me how you're feeling," Scully said. "Are you really okay?"
"I don't know how I'm feeling," Charlie said. "I just can't believe it, I feel like I'm in a dream. To think that I'm actually going to be a father, to have a child with Christi ... my God, it's incredible. It'll be like having a little Matthew or Lizzie of my own. If I could run on water I'd be leaping overboard and heading to Sydney right now so I can fly back."
"I don't think deserting and getting yourself thrown in jail will be of any great help," Scully said firmly. "Just stay put. Stay calm. And don't worry about a thing. We're all here to take care of things, and we'll send you regular reports. You won't miss a thing."
"Thank you, Dana," Charlie said. "Well look, I'd better go. I've been on here too long as it is, and I still have to make another call. One of my friends here has a number for flowers, I'm going to send some around to her house, and maybe a bear or something ..."
"Okay," Scully said. "Take care."
"Can you put Christi back on for one last second?" Charlie pleaded. "I want to say another goodbye."
"Not a problem," Scully said, turning and heading back to the sliding door, which she opened and then walked inside to where Christi was sitting, beaming, under Jack's paternal arm. "He wants to say goodbye."
She passed Christi the phone and Christi melted as she took it.
"Hey," she said sweetly.
"Is everything okay?" Monica asked quietly, looking concerned and almost mouthing the words.
"It's fine," Scully said.
"What's he doing, giving you some last minute instructions?" Mulder asked with a smile.
"He is the son of a Navy Captain," John pointed out.
"Yes," Scully said with a smile. "Not that he needed to."
She smiled at John, and knew he understood. It felt strange when she thought about it - absolutely bizarre that not only had their siblings fallen in love and gotten engaged, but were now having a baby that was the biological niece or nephew of both her and John. It was the child of two very powerful, very wealthy families, and one that Scully would lay down her own life for.