"So how did you guys meet?"
Samantha sat across from Dana and Mulder, happily chewing on a burger and fries. Even though her mouth was occupied, she couldn't take the awkwardness. Besides, why was her dad staring at her as if she was an extraterrestrial?
"You know, now that I think about it, you look a lot like Scully," Mulder said, ignoring Samantha's question. The gears were shifting in his head and he was a few seconds away from blowing Samantha's cover.
She awkwardly laughed, uncomfortable with the attention focused on her. She needed information on her parents. It didn't occur to her that they would want information in return. Thankfully, she didn't have to take matters into her own hands. Her mom already had that covered.
"I don't see it," Dana replied, digging into her salad. Mulder shrugged his shoulders, trusting Dana's judgement. He continued to bite into his burger, choosing to follow Samantha's lead.
"Well, anyways," Mulder started, moving on from Dana and Samantha's similar appearance, "We met in 1993. She was assigned as my partner in the X-Files."
Samantha's eyes lit up. She wanted nothing more than to circle around the table and snuggle into her dad's arms as he told the story about how he met her mother. No matter what she was feeling, she could always count on her dad's hugs to make her feel better. He used to tell her that he would squeeze the bad emotions out of her, causing her to hysterically laugh until she was content again.
"What did you think of her?" Samantha asked. She had finished her burger and was moving on to her fries.
Mulder was about to answer her, but Dana had other plans. "You don't have to answer that, Mulder," Dana interrupted, wary of airing their dirty laundry in the middle of a rusty diner. Samantha knew they didn't trust each other at the beginning of their partnership but how bad could it have been?
"No, it's fine," Mulder replied to Dana, placing his hand over hers. He turned back to Samantha. "I thought she was insanely beautiful." They may not be in a relationship, but they sure did look like a couple in Samantha's eyes.
A light blush spread across Dana's cheeks in response. "Mulder," she whispered, "You couldn't have possibly thought that when we met. We didn't even know each other."
"I didn't have to know you to think about how beautiful you are, Scully," Mulder said, a serious tone in his voice. His fingers caressed the back of her hand, forgetting about Samantha's presence.
Samantha wasn't the only woman in the diner drawn to the "couple" in front of her. All the women in the room melted at the sound of her dad's utter devotion to her mom. It also helped that they were both incredibly attractive people. She wanted to tell them to get back together. They obviously belonged with each other, but her mom was adamant in taking their relationship slow. Those plans would inevitably halt as soon as they find out her mom is pregnant with her.
Dana snapped back to reality and removed her hand from Mulder's grasp. She may be in love with him, but she still wasn't sure if a relationship with Mulder was the right idea. Samantha didn't understand why her mom was so hesitant. They've broken up and gotten back together in the past so this time shouldn't be any different. How did the two stubborn love birds in front of her transform into the loving couple she knew in the future?
Samantha stared at Dana. She was unsure how to address her. First name basis was definitely off limits. Dr. Scully? No, she wasn't supposed to know she was a doctor yet. Scully? Too informal. Only her dad reserved the right to call her mother by her maiden name.
"So, Agent Scully," Samantha said, twirling a strand of hair, "what did you think of Agent Mulder when you first saw him?"
Dana placed her fork to the side, finished with her salad. "Why do you have so many questions?"
"Come on, Scully," Mulder whined, "we have some time before we have to hit the road. Just answer the damn question."
"Fine," Dana said, throwing up her hands, "I thought you were extremely attractive in those glasses."
A pink flush spread across Mulder's face, identical to Dana's earlier reaction. "Really? The black framed ones?"
Dana nodded her head. "Yeah."
Samantha tilted her head to the side, confused at the mixed signals she was getting from her parents. She could feel their sexual tension from the other side of the booth. It was making her really uncomfortable.
She started to slide out of the booth. They needed some alone time, and she desperately had to use the bathroom. Unfortunately, her mom had eyes like a hawk.
"Where are you going?" Dana asked, pulling away from Mulder once more.
Samantha paused her movements. "Oh, I was going to use the bathroom."
"You can hold it. It's our turn to ask you some questions." Dana insisted, crossing her arms. She had the same look in her eyes that Samantha saw every time she got into trouble. She slid toward the middle of her booth, leaning forward on the table.
"Scully, let the kid use the bathroom first," Mulder reasoned with Dana, turning to face her, "We could always ask her questions on the way to Norfolk."
"She's fine, Mulder," Dana argued, "Besides...this won't take too long."
Mulder shrugged his shoulders, moving toward his leftover fries. They could eat and interrogate her at the same time.
"What happened to your parents?" Dana asked.
Samantha's smile faltered, and a familiar tug came to her chest. She took a deep breath. Mulder choked on the fries that were lodged in his throat, shocked that Dana would start off with such an intimate question. She wanted to say that she was sitting in front of her parents and that she was sorry for treating them like shit for the past couple of years. But she couldn't say that, so she settled on the first lie that popped into her head.
"I don't know," Samantha answered, crossing her arms, "The adoption agency said they gave me up when I was a baby. I've only ever lived in foster homes."
Dana's eyes softened. Samantha guessed she was thinking about Jackson. She had to give him up in a closed adoption in order to save his life. He ended up coming back into their lives years later, but she knew her mom still felt guilty once in a while.
"I'm sorry to hear that," Dana said. Samantha kept her eyes focused on the table, afraid of looking up and seeing pity in her mother's eyes. She hated that she had to lie about her background. They already pitied her enough in the future. She didn't want them to do it in the past too.
"Wait," Mulder began, leaning back against the booth, "Where are you supposed to be right now? Don't they do bed checks or something?"
Samantha wracked her mind for an answer. How was she supposed to know if anyone would notice her absence? She wasn't a foster kid.
"Um, I don't think they do bed checks," Samantha said quickly, wary of telling too many lies.
"You don't think they do them?" Mulder questioned. His eyes widened. "Oh my God, we just kidnapped a kid."
Dana's eyes shot to meet Mulder's, pure anger displayed in them. She clenched her fists. "What?! Mulder, I told you we shouldn't have let her come."
Samantha raised her hands in a gesture of surrender. "Wait a second before you start freaking out," she defended herself, "I'm usually gone for a few days at a time."
"A few days?! Dana exclaimed.
"What?" Samantha asked. "I'm my own parent."
Dana slapped a hand against her forehead. "Dear God. This can't be happening."
Mulder started to hysterically laugh, clutching his stomach. Dana then punched him in the shoulder, annoyed at his blatant disregard for such a serious situation. "This isn't funny, Mulder," Dana snapped at him.
He continued to laugh. "You have to admit...it's kind of funny, Scully."
Samantha smirked, amused by her angry mother. Her parents were adorable. "Don't you think we should get going?"
Mulder caught Dana's fist midair, pulling her into his chest. She continued to berate him, but Mulder's mind was preoccupied. She used her other hand to smack his chest. "Ladies, we have a crime scene to get to."
All three of them approached the old, rusty boat sitting in the lake. Detectives were going in and out of the boat, searching for evidence. A middle-aged man stood next to a sleek, black car, waiting for Agents Scully and Mulder to approach him. Dana held out her hand for a handshake.
"Hi. Detective Costa," He introduced himself, shaking Dana's hand. Dana and Mulder introduced themselves as well, followed by showing their badges. Samantha stood behind them, wary of causing a commotion.
Detective Costa moved to lead them inside, but he paused and smiled. "I didn't know you guys had a daughter."
"What are you talking about?" Dana asked, completely oblivious to the similarities between Samantha and herself.
Confused, Detective Costa scrunched his eyebrows and gestured toward Samantha. "Your daughter. The teenager who looks like the perfect combination of the two of you."
Dana and Mulder shook their heads, denying the Detective's bold claim. Samantha knew they would never be able to put two and two together. They were too close to her. No, the only way they would figure it out was if Samantha told them herself. And even then, they may accuse her of lying.
Detective Costa shrugged his shoulders and led them into the boat. While they were walking, he described what had happened. Two high school girls, both seniors and from different schools, had cut each other with knives. Blood splatters covered the walls and floor. It was gruesome. Samantha cringed as she stepped over the sticky, days old blood. Dana, Mulder, and the Detective were stone-faced, used to the amount of blood their jobs see on a daily basis.
"Who reported the attack?" Mulder asked while Dana examined the blood splatters on the window.
"An anonymous 911 call," Detective Costa answered, "They didn't leave a name."
Samantha gasped quietly. She didn't need a name. Jackson was here. He had told her the story of his two girlfriends plenty of times. She didn't need to tell the adults what she knew. They would figure everything out in due time. Besides, they were too preoccupied trying to examine the crime scene to pay attention to her.
Dana and Mulder exited through a side door, listing possible theories. Samantha trailed behind them, making sure to seem oblivious. Dana knew the two girls couldn't have tried to kill each other by pure coincidence. Mulder nodded his head in agreement and replied that they could have reacted out of extreme fear.
Samantha's eyes flickered from her mom to her dad, scared of giving away too much information. She couldn't remember the specific details behind how the girls got hurt. She only knew that Jackson was behind all of it. How did Jackson manage to get away with almost murdering two girls?
They moved toward the top of the boat, climbing rusty, metal stairs that creaked with each step. Samantha tried to stay away from the railing, noticing the brown coloring. She could hear someone speaking through a radio, but their voice wasn't clear. Samantha decided to block it out, focusing on the brewing conversation between her parents and Detective Costa.
"The EMT's said the girls asked him if he had seen Ghouli," Detective Costa told them, studying their faces for signs of recognition.
The name didn't sound familiar to any of them. That didn't stop all three adults from staring at Samantha. "Why is everyone looking at me?"
Mulder shrugged his shoulders. "You're the kid. It could be a new trend or something."
Samantha narrowed her eyes, crossing her arms. She wasn't self-conscious about her presence before they had shined a spotlight on her. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
Mulder and Detective Costa continued their conversation. Dana looked out into the distance, walking closer to the railing. Samantha took notice and followed her lead. She made direct eye contact with a middle-aged Asian man. He was standing on the edge of the dock, looking way too ominous to be there alone. Samantha gripped the rail tighter, wondering why she somewhat recognized this man. Was he in a picture from the future? What was his role in all of this? Before her brain could process any more questions, she felt a shock at the front of her head. It was similar to a headache but more painful. She pressed a hand to her forehead, closing her eyes from the pain. When she looked up, the man was gone.
Samantha wasn't the only one confused by the strange man's absence. Her mother had the same confused look on her face. Neither of them knew what to think, and it was too weird of an experience to share with each other. That meant She only had her thoughts to keep her company.
She was perfectly happy standing off to the side and letting the various detectives and her parents continue on with their work. Except, that isn't what happened.
A tall, brunette man dressed as a cop, walked up to her. He had a creepy sneer on his face, but he made sure to keep an appropriate distance between him and Samantha. He was handsome and young, but he gave off fuck boy vibes. Samantha crossed her arms and kept her guard on.
The nameless man leaned against the railing. "So what brings you here?"
"I'm with the two FBI agents," she replied sternly, wondering where this conversation was heading. Her parents were preoccupied with Detective Costa and looking in the opposite direction.
Confused, he said, "You look pretty young to be a part of the FBI. Why would they bring you?"
She shrugged her shoulders, completely done with this conversation. "Because I was bored. What do you want me to say?"
A smirk spread across his face. He licked his lips and moved closer to her, invading her personal space. "If you're bored, we could sneak away and have some fun."
"No, thank you," Samantha said calmly, worried about causing a scene. She wasn't supposed to be here in the first place. The last thing she needed was for some prick to ruin her day.
He quickly reached down quickly and grabbed her ass. "Come on. Stop playing hard to get."
Samantha removed his hand over her ass and twisted his wrist in one motion, causing him to cry out in pain. He fell to his knees. Screw not making a scene. This asshole deserved to be humiliated in front of his peers.
"Never put your nasty hands on my ass. I may not be an agent, but I could kick your ass if I wanted to. You're lucky I didn't break your fucking hand," Samantha growled.
Everyone on the boat was staring at them, eyes wide in shock. This tall, at least 6ft, man was whimpering at the hands of a short girl. Dana and Mulder looked at each other and then looked back at Samantha. They said their goodbyes to Detective Costa, motioning for all three of them to make their exit. Samantha nodded, letting go of the nameless man's wrist. He fell back on his ass, clutching his wrist in pain. No one messed with Samantha. Ever.
Mulder wrapped his arm around her, praising her for standing up for herself. Dana kept repeating how she was going to report the man and that he deserved to be fired. Samantha smiled, happy that she was in the presence of her parents even if they didn't know her.
As they approached a coffee shop, one question was on their minds. What the hell is a Ghouli?
Author's Note
I managed to write this chapter in between writing an essay for one of my classes. I hope everyone is doing okay. We need to stay safe during these difficult times. Feel free to comment/review!