I'm sorry, this chapter is one of my least favorite. I had a scene in my head and then tried to build a chapter round it. I don't think it worked, but here it is anyway. I'll try and make it up to you soon.
"Race you daddy!"
Mulder glanced up as William ran off in front of him. "Ok buddy, I'm coming," he called back, not moving from his spot on the beach. Next to him sat Scully and Ashley, while Ellie was sprawled out on a picnic blanket, having been slathered from head to toe in sunscreen, much to her disgust. They were spending a long weekend on the west coast after Ashley had expressed interest in attending the University of California. They'd spent a couple of days in Davis so the youngster could get a feel of the place and the family could have a well-deserved break, and were now in San Diego, having a day to themselves before visiting Bill and Tara on the way back to the airport. The morning had been spent chasing an excited William around the zoo and now they were enjoying some relaxation time on the beach, taking advantage of the hot summer weather.
"What are you doing?" Scully asked, eyeing Mulder accusingly.
"I'm giving him a head start."
"Have you met Will? He doesn't need a head start." Scully watched as William's lead increased, and the little boy headed towards the water. "Mulder, catch him before he goes in."
"He won't go in Scully. I'll catch him."
"You're not as young as you like to think you are. Mulder!"
"Ok!" Realizing he was fighting a losing battle, Mulder got to his feet and ran off in pursuit of his son. As he ran off into the distance, Scully clicked her tongue and shook her head.
Ashley laughed next to her as she watched her dad and brother. "I don't know who the adult is and who's the kid."
"It's debatable that's for sure." Scully didn't take her eyes off of her son, watching as he approached the water. "Come on Mulder," she murmured under her breath.
"Dad will get him."
Ashley was right – but only just. Mulder reached his son just as William's feet entered the water, and he lifted the little boy into the air, turning him upside down. From their position on the beach Scully and Ashley could hear William shriek as he was caught and then dangled upside down.
"He has so much energy," Ashley commented, before glancing down at Ellie. The little girl was concentrating hard, and Scully suspected she knew what her daughter was doing. Just two days before Ellie had rolled from her stomach onto her back – from her reaction it was accidental – and the four month old seemed determined to try it again. She was certainly an active baby although she was content too – most of the time. When she wasn't, Mulder and Scully enlisted Ashley's help by borrowing the teenager's CDs – it seemed that Ellie had inherited her sister's taste in music.
"You're one to talk. You were just as bad when you were his age, if not worse."
"I was not!"
"You were! Why else do you think your dad called you 'Tigger?'" Scully noticed the surprised expression on her daughter's face. "Don't you remember that?"
"I remember it, I just thought he called me it because I liked Winnie the Pooh."
"And because you couldn't stop bouncing."
Ashley laughed, shaking her head. "I can't remember."
"It was like you were on a permanent sugar rush sometimes," Scully recalled. "Although," she added, reaching down to tickle Ellie, eliciting a giggle from the baby. "If this little one is anything to go by, I think she might be even worse than you and William combined."
"Surely no one can be worse than Will?" They both watched as Mulder dunked William into the water, and heard the little boy shriek with glee. As Mulder lifted him back out, William reached out for his dad, trying to get him wet but to no avail. In he went again, this time splashing his dad.
"Oh, you'd be surprised."
Xxxxxx
"So…" Mulder and William re-joined Scully and Ashley in time for a picnic lunch on the beach. William had soon tired of eating however and had set about making sandcastles, giving Mulder and Scully the chance to talk to their daughter. "You've had some time to process the past few days. How are you feeling about California?" He asked casually but Scully knew that Mulder was more than interested to hear Ashley's answer. He was dreading the day that the youngster moved out – as was Scully – and was hoping she'd choose a college close to home. Ashley however seemed determined to spread her wings. "I like it," she answered.
"You do?" Scully could hear the disappointment in his voice.
"It was a cool place. The program they offer is one of the best too."
"It is."
"But it's only the first place I've looked at. I need to keep my options open."
"Yes," Mulder replied, relief evident. "You do. There are plenty of colleges out there."
"There are some good courses in Europe too."
"Europe?"
Even Scully looked up, surprised. Ashley hadn't expressed interest in traveling abroad before now. "That could be cool." Neither of her parents replied. After a moment her lips twitched and she began to laugh. "I can't do it, I'm sorry. Your faces."
Realizing their daughter was joking, both parents relaxed. "Very funny."
"Your expression was a picture dad."
"I'll get you back la –"
"William, no!"
All heads turned towards William, who was kneeling quietly behind them, building sandcastles – or so they thought. Suddenly Mulder realized just why Scully had called out. "Will, you don't bury your sister!"
William was playing in the sand like his parents thought, however sandcastles had been abandoned. Instead he had been piling mounds of sand over Ellie's tiny feet. And once again the baby wasn't protesting. Before anyone else could react, Scully had scooted forward and lifted Ellie up into her arms, brushing the sand off of her daughter. It was then that the little girl started to fuss.
"We were playing mom!" William protested, unsure as to why his game was interrupted.
"I know you were buddy, but Ellie's too little for that game. It's dangerous."
"She liked it."
"I know she did," Mulder answered, as Ellie let out a wail. He glanced over at his daughter, shaking her head. "Meatball, you have got to stand up for yourself."
"I don't get it," Scully murmured, trying to quieten the baby. The last thing she wanted to do was hum Britney songs in public, but if Ellie began to cry in earnest it would have to be an option. "He treats her like that and she lets him."
"She wants to play. I wanted to play," William sulked, and Mulder reached out, pulling his son onto his lap, tickling him.
"I know you did. How about you bury me instead?" He didn't look at Scully, not wanting to see the sorrow in her eyes. She'd already buried him once.
William wriggled out of his arms. "That will take me allllllll day."
"Well then you'd better get started, hadn't you?"
Accepting the challenge, William got to his feet in search of his bucket, ready to collect more sand.
"Crisis averted," Mulder commented. "Hey Ash, you could have invited Adam. Will could have buried him instead." When Ashley didn't respond, he figured he'd hurt her feelings. "It was a joke."
"I didn't want to invite Adam," she replied quietly.
"Don't tell me there's trouble in paradise?"
"We broke up."
"What?" Mulder noticed that Scully didn't look too surprised. "When did this happen?"
The youngster shrugged. "Last week."
"I'm sorry Tigger. Are you ok? Do you need me to go and have a word with him?"
"Oh it's ok, I broke up with him."
"You what?" Mulder clearly wasn't expecting her to say that.
"I broke up with him."
"You did? Why?"
"He was holding me back," she replied simply. "And I deserve better."
"Well…yes…you do."
Scully pressed her lips to Ellie's crown, trying to mask her smile. She knew what was coming.
"Besides, I want to go away to college and have fun."
"Of course you do. You're only young once, and…wait a second…" Mulder processed his daughter's words. "What do you mean by fun?"
Xxxxx
"Why are you hiding out here?"
Ashley stepped out into Bill and Tara's backyard, where Mulder was sat out on a picnic bench, keeping an eye on the younger members of the Mulder/Scully family. While Bill, Tara and Scully were inside, catching up and doting over a sleeping Ellie, Mulder had taken it upon himself to supervise Matthew and William, who were playing out on a jungle gym in the yard. So far Bill had been nothing but polite to him, but Mulder didn't want to tempt fate.
"I'm not hiding," he said, sitting up straighter as Ashley came to sit next to him. "I'm just making sure World War Three isn't about to break out. You know what your brother's like sometimes when it comes to sharing."
"That's bull and you know it."
"Language." Ashley grinned. "Did your mom send you to get me?"
"No, I think she knows what you're doing and is letting you do it."
"I'm not doing anything."
"Of course not."
"What are you doing here?"
She shrugged. "Maybe I want to hide too."
Mulder smiled. Sometimes he realized Ashley was his daughter in more ways than one. "What's going on in the house?"
"The usual. Mom and Tara are talking about babies, and Uncle Bill is about to come outside and start up the barbecue." She eyed her dad wearily. "And you can't go inside when he comes out because that'll look too obvious."
"I'm not going to go inside. But if your mom needs help with Meatball…"
"She doesn't," Ashley grinned back. "Meatball's fine. She's awake now and full of smiles for Uncle Bill."
"Traitor."
"I thought you guys were ok now?"
"We're fine," Mulder insisted, and it was true. "We tolerate each other. Well, Bill tolerates me, and I tolerate him tolerating me."
"You're weird."
"That's why you guys love me."
"Not Uncle Bill!"
"Touché."
"Thanks for doing this for me though," Ashley continued, leaning in towards her dad.
"Doing what?"
"Coming out here this weekend."
"We couldn't let you make such a big decision without seeing the place first."
"I know, and I also know this isn't your favorite place to come."
"I know I joke Ash, but it's ok. Bill is a part of your family. I knew these visits would happen when I signed up to this. I'm glad you and your mom get to spend time with your family."
"They're your family too."
Mulder scrunched up his nose. "Don't tell your Uncle Bill that."
"It's true though."
"You're my family. You and Will and Ellie and your mom."
"Can I ask you a question?"
"Sure."
"Did you feel bad when you left your parents and went to England?"
He shook his head without even considering the question. "No, not really. I was glad to escape."
"Why?"
Though Ashley knew a little about Samantha's disappearance and that Mulder's parents had separated, she didn't know much about his difficulties growing up. "Life wasn't great for me back then."
"Because of Samantha?"
"Yeah…After she disappeared my parents fell apart. It's like she was the glue that held everyone together. They argued a lot – a lot a lot – and then they separated and got divorced. I blamed myself for what happened to Samantha –"
"But it wasn't your fault."
"I was with her that night. I felt responsible."
"But surely your parents didn't blame you?" Suddenly Ashley didn't sound too sure.
"You never met my dad." He continued. "Anyway, I just felt like college was the perfect excuse for me to escape my sorry life."
Edging closer to her dad, Ashley bumped her shoulders against Mulder's. "You know that I'm not going away to college just to escape you, don't you?"
"I wouldn't blame you if you did." Mulder smiled to let her know he was joking, though Ashley could detect a hint of truth to his words.
"So I've been thinking today. About the University of LA."
"Oh?"
"Yeah. I've decided I don't want to go there."
"You have?" Ashley nodded. "But I thought you liked it?"
"I did."
"What changed your mind?"
"I couldn't put you through the agony of having to visit Uncle Bill every month."
Mulder huffed out a laugh. "He's not so bad."
"You're lying."
"I can take him."
"No you can't."
"You're probably right." Laughing, Mulder wrapped an arm around his daughter. "You know Ash, if you want to go to school in LA, your mom and I will be ok with that. No parent likes to think about the day that their kid will grow up and leave home, but we want what's best for you, and if you think you'll be happy out here, then you should apply."
"I don't think I will be."
"You don't?"
Ashley shook her head. "It just feels a little too far away from home," she admitted. "It's even a long way from Uncle Bill and Aunt Tara. I'll miss you guys too much."
"DADDY LOOK AT ME!" William shrieked, before launching himself down the slide head first. Thankfully he came to a stop before falling off the end, though it was a close call. Mulder's heart was still racing by the time William had got to his feet and was racing around the back of the slide to try it again.
"Even your brother?"
"Even him. I still want to go away to school, but I might look a little closer to home."
"I hear that Georgetown University offers some great classes," Mulder said with a grin, pre-empting the next few words out of his daughter's mouth. "I know, I know, they don't do what you want."
"Maybe not that close."
"I'll still miss you."
"I'll come and visit every weekend." Ashley paused, pondering her words. "Maybe every other weekend."
"No you won't."
"I will!"
"I know what college is like. You'll have so much fun that you'll forget about us back home. At least I hope you will. But not too much fun, remember?"
"I promise I won't have too much fun. And I'll try to go to class sometimes too."
Catching his daughter's sly grin, Mulder squeezed her tightly. "Just remember I'm getting older now. Don't go giving me a coronary with your behaviour".
"I promise I won't."
Out of the corner of his eye, Mulder caught sight of Bill walking towards them holding Ellie in one arm, and a beer in his other hand. He approached the bench where Mulder and Ashley were sitting and smiled awkwardly. "Ashley your mom's calling for you."
Ashley didn't look too pleased. "What does she want?"
"I don't know, she and Aunt Tara were talking about Ellen's wedding and girl things. I'm going to fire up the barbecue now, so make sure they don't keep talking for too long, ok?"
Ashley sighed, and Mulder knew his daughter was just seconds away from arguing that she didn't want to go inside. Before she could open her mouth he gave her a nudge and nodded. She looked reluctant, and Mulder realized she didn't want to leave him alone with Bill. "Go see your mom," he said, smiling reassuringly, although he wished she would stick around for back-up. As Ashley got to her feet and headed off back in the direction of the house, Mulder glanced up, focusing his attention on his youngest daughter. "Hi Meatball," he said in greeting; Ellie's lips immediately curving up into a beautiful smile. "Did you have a good nap?"
"She's certainly a happy little thing when she wakes," Bill commented. "Matty was such a good sleeper at that age. Too good. We often had to wake him and then we paid the price."
"She's a good sleeper too, most of the time." Mulder was surprised when Bill set down the beer on the picnic bench before transferring Ellie into her dad's arms.
"I thought I'd make a start on the barbecue," Bill repeated. "I brought you a beer."
"Thank you." Mulder immediately blew a raspberry on Ellie's neck, smiling as the baby giggled. "Would you like a hand? I mean, it's been a while since I've been in charge of a barbecue, but –"
"That would be great, thanks."
"Ok." Pressing his lips to Ellie's crown, Mulder stood up and followed Bill over to where the barbecue sat. He saw there was already a beer there waiting for Bill, which had already been started. Maybe he was drunk, Mulder thought. Maybe that's why he was being so friendly.
"She's a daddy's girl?" No, Bill definitely wasn't drunk. Maybe Tara and Scully had put him up to being friendly instead.
"She's a "I love anyone who gives me attention" kinda girl. Actually Will is her favorite."
Bill chuckled. "Dana was telling us about that. He'll come around one day."
"I hope so. It's cute and funny now, but when he's eighteen it might be a different story."
"He's a good kid."
"Yeah that's debatable. Let's not forget he's got half my genes."
Bill's smile faltered, and he glanced down at the ground. "Mulder," he began, clearing his throat. "I know we may not have seen eye to eye in the past, but –"
"It's ok Bill," Mulder interrupted, not wanting things to get too awkward. He cursed Ashley for leaving the two of them alone. "I didn't understand why you said the things you did at the time, but I've recently started to realize. Dana told me I acted in exactly the same way when Ashley brought her boyfriend home for the first time, so I can't complain."
Bill grinned. "I hope you gave him hell."
"I may have reminded him on several occasions that I knew how to fire a gun."
"I'm sure she appreciated that."
"Oh I got the silent treatment for a long time."
Bill laughed. "I'm grateful we just have Matty. I don't think I could keep my calm if I had a daughter."
"It's tough," Mulder admitted. "God knows how I'll behave when this one tries to bring a boy home."
Bill nodded in understanding. "You know, I'm glad Ashley has you. I may not have been accepting of your relationship with her and Dana in the past, but you're good for them. Especially now I know you're scaring off Ashley's potential boyfriends."
"It works eventually."
"It does?"
"She told us yesterday that she split up with her latest."
"I admire your work," said Bill, lifting up his beer as though raising a toast.
"Careful Bill," said Mulder, smirking. "Anyone would think we're friends."
"Yeah." Bill grinned. "We certainly wouldn't want that."
I have a question for you. If Mulder and Scully had a babysitter for a whole day, what would you want them to do?
