This is the second to last episode in Season 3. There is more to this episode though, so don't freak out.

Enjoy!

The next week Scully and Mulder receive another case and soon come to realize the nature of the assignment leaves Mulder's daughter without a babysitter. With decent weather that weekend, Rachel, Adam, Anna, and Ben decide to visit Rachel's family up state. Mulling over possible candidates, Scully looks at her partner offering, "My mom could watch her."

"I don't want to impose on your mother, Scully," Mulder admits as he sharpens a pencil at his desk. Shaking her head, Scully replies, "I'll call her and see. I'm pretty sure she'll be fine with it."

Ten minutes later, Scully is finishing up details with her mother on Chloe's staying over at the older Scully's house. Seeing the look her partner wears still resembles his bothered expression, the red head says, "Mom, can you talk to my partner and tell him that you don't mind watching Chloe? He thinks he's inconveniencing you."

Handing the phone off to the man beside her, Scully goes to the filing cabinets to put an errant file away. Hearing the phone slam in it's cradle, Scully teases, "See Mulder? That wasn't too hard."

Mulder all but sticks out his tongue at her before grabbing his keys to pick up his daughter. Coming back close to an hour later with both his daughter and dinner, the male agent lets his daughter begin her homework before the three eat. Just as they finish, Scully trades looks with her partner before looking at the eleven year old and asking, "Chloe, your dad and I have a case, but we're wondering if you'd want to stay with my mom this weekend?"

Nodding, Chloe asks, "When do you two leave?"

"Tomorrow after I drop you off at school. Maggie's going to pick you up after, okay?" Mulder answers wadding up his trash and seeing if he can throw the aluminum ball into the trash.

"Okay," Chloe answers happy to stay with her surrogate grandmother before asking what the adults' case is about.

"To be honest, Chloe, we aren't even sure yet. We just know the little they gave us," Scully replies hoping she is not crossing some sort of boundary with the girl. She is still unclear what her partner's parameters are regarding telling his daughter about their cases. Seeing a small, yet grateful look from Mulder, the red head easily responds when Chloe asks where the case is.

"Here in D.C., but it's going to take both of us working over the weekend to solve it," The woman explains before asking, "Are you sure you're okay staying with my mom?"

"Duh," Chloe answers before continuing her homework at her father's insistence. An hour later, the trio heads to their homes to get ready for their respective weekend.

"You got everything?" The father asks as he and his daughter leave the next morning. Holding up her duffel bag, the girl nods before she heads off to school. Entering the classroom, Chloe hands her teacher a note as she places her bag on the floor next to her.

"Why do you have a duffel bag?" Anna asks after she sees her friend stow the item at her teacher's desk. Sitting beside her friend, Chloe answers, "Maggie is picking me up today. Dad and Scully have a case."

"I wanna meet her. Does Scully look like her?"

The brunette shakes her head answering, "I think more like her Dad, but I only met him once."

Seeing Maggie after school lets out, Chloe goes toward her and gives her a hug. With Anna standing near her, Chloe introduces the girl to her surrogate grandmother. Smiling, Maggie says, "Nice to meet you, Anna. It's nice to finally put a name to the face. Chloe talks about you whenever she comes over."

Anna merely smiles before her mother comes up to her. Smiling at the woman in front of her, Rachel offers her hand saying, "Hi, I'm Rachel. I live a couple floors below Mulder and Chloe."

Smiling back, Maggie replies, "I remember. Maggie Scully. We met at Dana's coming home party a year back. It's nice to see you again."

As the women talk, Chloe and Anna trade glances that question how long they will keep standing while awkwardly being left out of the conversation. After five minutes, Rachel states, "I'd love to keep talking, but I left my husband alone with a one year old, so I should probably make sure the house isn't a wreck before we leave for the weekend."

Maggie nods with a smile on her face before looking down at Chloe, "Ready to go?"

"Yep! Can we get ice cream later?" The eleven year old asks eager to be spoiled. Smiling, Maggie replies, "Sure, sweetheart."

Chloe smiles back happy to spend time with her surrogate grandmother. After a moment of silence, the girl asks, "Did Scully say what the case was about?"

She is eager to get any information she can and refuses to place blame on any Nancy Drew books she currently has in her back pack. Shaking her head, the woman answers, "No, but knowing my daughter and your father, we'll most likely hear from them eventually."

Eventually ends up being the next day.

"Hello?" Maggie asks once she answers the phone Saturday afternoon. Surprised to find Mulder on the other line, the woman asks, "What is it, what's the matter?"

"I was hoping that you'd heard from Dana," Mulder replies. Now on edge, the mother asks, "No, has something happened?"

Soon hearing that her daughter is missing the woman questions her daughter's partner who answers, "Well, she ran off last night. Um... we, we, we're looking for her as best we can... but we are a little concerned."

Trying not to outwardly panic while wondering how her daughter can be missing again, Margaret Scully soon asks, "Fox, would you please tell me what's wrong?"

Hanging up the phone she weighs being mad at Mulder or simply worried about her daughter. The man's lack of response is highly unhelpful

"Was that Dad?" Chloe asks bringing her surrogate grandmother to the present. Maggie nods answering, "Yeah."

"Did he want to talk to me?" She asks hopefully. Maggie takes in a breath answering, "He said to tell you he loves, but he's busy right now."

Nodding, the eleven year old is sure to let the older woman do what she wants knowing something is clearly wrong. After an hour or so, Chloe finally asks, "Is Scully okay?"

Realizing she cannot hide everything from the girl, Maggie answers, "She's gone missing. Your father will call back though when he hears anything. For now, is there anything you want to do before we go see that movie you were asking about yesterday?"

"Do we have to go see it? I think I'd rather stay here instead," Chloe answers softly worried about the red head's well being. Maggie merely nods as she stands from the table and gives the girl a reassuring smile.

After panicking for a few more hours, Maggie takes her surrogate granddaughter out of the house to the zoo in order to keep their minds off of Scully's disappearance. Just as she and the eleven year old return home, the older woman hears a knock on the door and goes to answer it.

"Dana?" Maggie asks surprised to see her daughter at the door.

"Hi, Mom. Is Chloe here?" The red head questions.

"Yes, why?" Maggie asks wondering why her daughter has a crazed look in her eyes.

"I need her to stay in the back of the house. Mulder's after me," She answers in a daze. Confused, the brunette answers, "Dana, surely you don't think-"

"He lied to me Mom. Whatever you do, you can't let him in here," Scully warns. When she sees her surrogate daughter in her peripheral vision, the red head says, "Hey, Sweetie."

Knowing something is wrong with the woman, the eleven year old says skeptically, "Hi, Scully. Is Dad with you?"

"Not right now," The woman responds just as the telephone rings. Seeing her mom head for the phone, the red head calls out, "Don't answer it, Mom. It could be him."

Turning back to her surrogate daughter, Scully places the gun away from her knowing she is safe from anyone who will try to hurt her, her mother, or Chloe.

Playing a game with the eleven year old, the red head immediately leaves the table when she hears a knock on the door. Grabbing her weapon from the kitchen, Scully makes sure her hand is securely on the safety before directing her attention back at the eleven year old.

"Chloe, stay in the back room until I tell you to come out," Scully demands when she hears her mother open the front door. Scared by the red head's speech and demeanor, the girl does as she is told. Grabbing her book from her room down the hall, Chloe reads to stay distracted as Maggie tries to console her daughter. Hearing a knock on the door some time later, Chloe peeks around the corner to find her father asking to be let inside. Trying to piece together what is being said, Chloe tries to stay out of sight while eavesdropping from her hiding spot. Confused, Chloe begins to question her father's actions, until she hears him scream for Scully to drop her gun. Not expecting the silence that quickly follows, the eleven year old tip toes into the living room to find Scully sobbing against Maggie as they sit on the floor. Looking toward her father, she quickly goes to hug him when he motions her over to him.

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