During the early afternoon, the next day, Storm was trying to follow her mother as she cleaned up the house. Scully was trying to put her daughter's toys away so she could vacuum. The toddler went behind her mother and pulled the toys out of her toy box again. Scully caught her daughter and scolded her.
"Hey! I'm trying to clean Storm," Scully scolded as she picked her daughter up. The child whined unhappily and pointed at her toys. The older woman handed Storm her stuffed fox and put the rest of the toys away. Storm hugged her mother.
"Mama," Storm whined as she rubbed her eyes. Scully glanced over at the clock and noticed it was a little past Storm's nap time. The toddler made some unhappy noises and played with her fox.
"Stormy, do you need a nap?" Scully asked softly. The toddler shook her head. The older woman sighed and smiled knowing her daughter needed the nap. Soon Mulder walked into the room.
"Hey hun, can you please vacuum and sweep the floors for me? Storm needs a nap and she doesn't want to leave me," Scully explained to her husband. Mulder nodded and gently kissed his wife. The older man then brushed his daughter's hair out of her eyes and smiled at her.
"Mama," Storm whined unhappily. The woman shushed her daughter and kissed her gently before heading up to her daughter's bedroom. The toddler hugged onto her mother and yawned.
"I love you Stormy," Scully spoke softly as she cuddled her daughter. The toddler cried and rubbed her eyes again. The older woman looked down at her daughter knowing she was getting cranky. Soon they got to Storm's bedroom.
Scully sang to her daughter as she rocked and cuddled her. The toddler yawned and grabbed onto her mother tightly. The older woman kissed her child and gently set her in her bed. Storm whined and rubbed her eyes.
"I love you sweetheart. Mama will come get you when you wake up," Scully spoke softly. Storm nodded sadly as she rolled over to face the wall. The older woman smiled as she covered her daughter with a blanket and kissed her before leaving the room.
A couple hours later Storm rubbed her eyes as she slowly woke up. The toddler mumbled unhappily as she sat up and looked around. Storm whined again as she slowly climbed out of bed.
"Hi Stormy," Scully spoke softly as she entered the bedroom. The toddler looked up at her mother and mumbled. The older woman smiled as she picked up her daughter.
Storm mumbled as she hugged onto her mother. The toddler whined and yawned. Scully kissed her daughter and laid her on her changing table. Storm watched her mother and mumbled. The older woman smiled at her daughter and changed her.
"Pretty," Storm mumbled as she watched her mother. Scully smiled at her daughter and brushed her hair behind her ear. Storm loved seeing her mother smile, and knew what to say to get her to smile.
"I love you sweetheart," Scully spoke happily as she undressed her daughter. The toddler mumbled and looked around her bedroom. The older woman smiled and kissed her daughter. Storm looked up at her mother and smiled.
"Stormy, we gotta wear nice clothes tonight," Scully explained to her daughter. Storm nodded and rubbed her eyes as Scully dressed her. When Scully was done, she set Storm on the floor. The toddler quickly got up and went over to her toys.
"Sweetheart, can we go downstairs?" Scully asked hopefully. The toddler picked up her stuffed frog and showed it to her mother. The older woman smiled at her daughter. Storm went back into her toy box and grabbed a clown fish.
"Do you want to watch Nemo?" Scully asked hopefully. Storm nodded and reached up for her mother. Scully picked up her daughter, grabbed Storm's fox, and held her close as she walked downstairs. The toddler hugged her mother and smiled happily as Scully carried her.
"Here Storm," Scully spoke softly as she placed Storm on the floor in front of the TV. The toddler looked up at her mother and smiled. The older woman handed Storm her fox, and went to turn on the movie. Storm got up and tried to follow her mother.
"Okay. I put Nemo on for you," Scully smiled at her daughter. Storm reached up for her mother. The older woman knelt down next to her daughter and kissed her. The toddler looked up at her mother.
"Mommy needs to make dinner. Can you watch your movie?" Scully asked hopefully. Storm nodded sadly as she went back to the TV. Scully smiled happily as she went off to make dinner.
An hour later Mulder went into the living room to collect his daughter. Storm had gotten into her toy box and pulled out some of her stuffed animals. The older man sat next to his daughter.
Storm mumbled as she looked up at her father. Mulder was wearing his nice dress pants, blue dress shirt, which had the top three buttons undone, with a white undershirt, and black dress shoes. The toddler stood up and grabbed onto her father.
"Storm, it's almost time for dinner," Mulder spoke softly as Storm tried to button Mulder's shirt up. The older man smiled as he watched his child. The toddler whined as she became frustrated. Mulder quieted his daughter down.
"Hey shh, it's fine," Mulder spoke softly as he smiled at his daughter. The toddler whined and stomped her feet. The older man held his daughter out at arms length and gave her a stern look. Storm pouted.
"Hey, we do not act like that Storm," Mulder scolded softly. The toddler rubbed her eyes and nodded. Mulder smiled and hugged his daughter close to him. Storm cuddled up against her father.
"Stormy, we need to be good tonight. Mama has friends coming over for dinner. Are you going to be a good girl?" Mulder asked. Storm nodded as she grabbed at her father's shirt. Mulder kissed his daughter and smiled. Storm laid on her father and continued to watch her movie.
About forty-five minutes later there was a knock on the front door. Scully quickly walked down the stairs and put on her shoes before opening the door. Mulder got off the couch and followed his wife.
"Hey glad you guys could make it! I hope our home was easy to find. Please, come in," Scully said happily. Monica and Scott smiled at Scully and Mulder as they stepped inside.
Mulder glanced at his wife and smiled. Scully was wearing a black skirt, a white blouse, and a black blazer. Scully caught her husband checking her out and smiled. Mulder grinned when he saw his wife smiling at him.
"You guys have such a lovely home," Monica complimented as Scully shut the front door. Mulder looked over their guests, and forced a smile. He still wasn't thrilled about having them over.
"Thank you so much! It's not much, but it's home. I made chicken, potatoes, and asparagus for dinner, and I baked a pie for dessert," Scully spoke to her guests. Scott and Monica smiled and conversed with Scully.
While in the living room, Storm heard the unfamiliar voices coming from the front door. The toddler grabbed onto her fox, and quietly walked to the front door to see what was going on. When Storm walked into the hallway, she hugged her fox close to her, trying to comfort herself.
"Aww hi there," Monica spoke softly when she saw Mulder and Scully's daughter. Mulder turned to look at his daughter. When he saw Storm was trying to hide the fact she was upset, he walked over to her.
"Hey sweetheart, are you hungry?" Mulder spoke softly as he picked up his child. Storm hugged onto her father and stayed quiet. The older man rubbed his daughter's back and went back to their guests.
"Hi Stormy. Can you say hi to Monica and Scott?" Scully asked hopefully as she smiled at her daughter. Storm tightened the grip on her father and ignored her mother. Mulder smiled at his wife.
"Sorry. She's shy," Scully explained to the couple. Scott nodded understandably. Monica smiled at Storm again. The toddler looked down at her fox trying to ignore Monica.
"Does your fox have a name?" Monica smiled at Storm. Storm hugged her toy close to her and pouted. The toddler was becoming uncomfortable with the attention.
"Caitlin was shy too when she was young. She grew out of it though, I'm sure your daughter will too," Scott smiled at Scully. Scully nodded at the couple.
"Well are we all ready for dinner?" Mulder asked, trying to change the subject. Monica and Scott nodded as Scully smiled up at her husband. The older man returned the smile and walked everyone to the table.
"Here Stormy," Mulder spoke softly as he set his daughter down in her booster seat. The toddler looked upset as her father buckled her in and took her toy from her. The older man showed his daughter some affection as Scully helped seat their guests.
"Wow it smells amazing in here!" Monica complimented Scully again. Scully smiled and glanced over at her husband. Mulder was getting Storm set up so she could sit between her parents.
"Thank you so much," Scully spoke happily. Monica returned Scully's smile as she and her husband took their spots at the table. The toddler mumbled at her father. The older man shushed his daughter and helped hand out plates of food.
"This looks so good," Monica complimented the food as it was set in front of her. Scully smiled at the compliments. Mulder was trying to get Storm set up with dinner as his wife entertained their guests. The toddler was starting to become moody.
"Stormy, do you want milk or juice?" Mulder asked softly. Storm whined and hid her face as her father tried to talk to her. Scully looked over at her husband when she realized her daughter was acting up.
"Hey hey. We do not do that," Scully scolded her daughter gently. Mulder looked at his wife and gave her a small smile. The older woman sat close to Storm and spoke to her.
"Storm. Do you want milk or juice?" Scully asked again, trying to back up her husband. The toddler mumbled unhappily and looked away from her mother. Mulder went and grabbed the milk.
"Night night," Storm mumbled unhappily. Mulder stopped what he was doing and got his daughter out of her booster chair. The toddler grabbed onto her father and laid on him as he left the room. Scully quickly apologized to her guests.
"I'm so sorry. Storm isn't super fond of guests, and we have our suspicions she may be on the autism spectrum, but our doctors say she isn't," Scully spoke while apologizing. Monica and Scott smiled at Scully.
"That's okay! We didn't realize you had a family when you took care of Caitlin. You're amazing at what you do. I admire your dedication to helping others," Monica replied. Scully smiled at her guests as she got them food. The guests and Scully continued to talk about their children.
Meanwhile, upstairs, Mulder was sitting in the rocking chair in his bedroom. The older man was cuddling his daughter, trying to prevent a meltdown. Storm was still upset even though her father was trying to help her.
"I love you Storm," Mulder spoke softly as he rocked the chair and rubbed his daughter's back. Storm rubbed her eyes and mumbled. The older man kissed his daughter happily.
"Love too," Storm mumbled unhappily. Mulder smiled and kept rubbing his daughter's back. Soon Storm seemed to calm down.
"Stormy, can we go eat dinner now? I'm hungry. Are you hungry?" Mulder asked hopefully. Storm nodded and played with her father's shirt. The older man grinned at his child.
"Milk," Storm mumbled. Mulder kissed his daughter once again as he stood up. The toddler hugged onto her father and mumbled. Mulder smiled and walked downstairs.
"Hey," Scully smiled as her husband walked back into the kitchen. Mulder grinned at his wife and set his daughter back in her booster chair. Scully set a plate of food in front of her daughter as Mulder went to get milk.
As Mulder returned to the table, he gave his daughter her cup of milk and sat in front of his food. Scully smiled and started eating as they chatted with their guests.