For those who've read/are reading my Chloe series, this is an offshoot of my story if Emily may have lived and what her life would have been like with Scully, Mulder, and Chloe.
Enjoy!
Chloe looks over at the three year old who currently sits staring out the window of the rental car. Knowing the child will not be very talkative on the trip home, the teen pulls out her CD player from her bag. Hearing noise coming from the left of her, the three year old looks over at Chloe in fascination.
"Do you want to listen?" The teen asks as she takes her headphones off her ears. Still curious, the three year old nods. Carefully, Chloe holds up the headphones to the child's ears. Surprised by the volume, the little girl lets out a gasp.
"You okay?" Scully asks from her seat up front. Turning around to face her daughters, the red head smirks when she sees Emily engrossed in the music. As an afterthought, Scully asks Chloe to turn the music down some before turning to face the front.
"They okay back there?" Mulder asks glancing away from the road. His partner nods as she explains, "Emily was just startled by the music."
"I'd be too if I had to listen to boy bands."
Scully merely rolls her eyes knowing how much he hates listening to Backstreet Boys, Hanson, or any other boy band on repeat.
An hour later with both girls asleep and a steady line of traffic, Mulder and Scully sit silently until the red head states, "Mulder, I want you to have guardianship over her."
"Emily?" Mulder asks. Scully nods unsure how he can even help. Part of her just wants him to be her support system. Confused, Mulder slowly asks to clarify with his work partner, "You want me to sign with you?"
Leaning her head back, Scully replies, "Maybe? I don't know. It was a dumb idea. I just thought–"
"Scully," Mulder answers taking his friend's hand. Regaining the smallest bit of composure, Scully replies, "Or just a recommendation letter, but only if you want."
The pair lapses into silence once more before Mulder states, "Whatever you need me to do, I'll do it. Quick question, though. How are we entertaining a three year old on an entire flight back to D.C.?"
Nodding her head to the back of the rented vehicle, Scully explains that she has coloring books and crayons. Mulder merely nods. At least Emily will not decide to talk to every person on the plane like Chloe would do as a child.
"Do you even have stuff for a young girl? I mean, I have some stuff of Chloe's you can have. I'm sure she won't mind," Mulder states knowing how hard raising a child on one's own can be. Quickly he adds, "Toys too, if they aren't too damaged."
Scully watches her partner keenly aware of the small smile creeping through his features and wonders how much he has of his daughter's.
"Did you ever want more kids?" Scully finds herself asking. Mulder shakes his head.
"Not with the hours and one ex-wife I had."
A shift in traffic ends their conversation as Mulder and Scully soon navigate their way toward the airport.
Surprisingly, the plane ride goes rather smoothly until the end. Waking up to the sound of the flight attendant, Emily is a little disoriented and quickly finds Scully's reassuring eyes. Leaving the airplane with her mother, the three year old quickly finds Chloe and holds her hand. While Emily smiles brightly, Chloe stares at her father with a glum expression. Instead of saving her, Mulder merely shrugs while Chloe rolls her eyes.
"That reminds me of my childhood," Mulder comments to Scully who smiles knowing the same pain. The adults watch the teen and toddler's interactions as they walk behind them toward baggage claim. Heading out of the airport half an hour later, Scully sighs.
"What?" Mulder asks as he motions for Chloe and Emily to stand closer to him. The girls immediately obey.
"I don't have a car seat for her. I must have left it at Bill's," The woman replies. Shrugging, Mulder leads the way to his car and drives to the nearest shopping center. Parking, Mulder opens his car door and exclaims, "Okay. Everyone out."
Annoyed, Chloe begins to form an argument.
"Everyone out," Mulder states again. With a sigh, Chloe exits the car and follows after her family.
Grabbing a shopping cart, Scully places Emily inside before heading off to the children's area. After looking over the various car seats for a minute, an employee asks if they need any help.
"Just trying to figure out the best option," Mulder explains and is soon met with the store worker's detailed account of the best car seat for a three year old.
"They have a lot more selections than when you were a kid," Mulder comments to his daughter before taking a better look at one of the boxes. Reading its contents, Mulder states, "This one says it can turn into a booster seat."
Tired from the plane ride as well as looking at the various brands, Scully goes with the box Mulder points out before heading off to the clothes.
"Hey, Scully? Chloe and I will meet up with you. I just remembered we need some groceries," Mulder tells his friend before heading off toward the produce. Left with her daughter, Scully asks what kind of clothes or toys she wants. With no answer, the red head merely steers the shopping cart toward the clothes section.
"How do you like this?" Scully asks Emily as they pass an outfit with a sunflower print. Emily shakes her head pointing to a green skirt.
Ending their shopping excursion an hour later, the pseudo family heads to the car.
"Tell me if you need any help getting everything out of here," Mulder states as he fights his way through D.C. traffic. Shaking her head, Scully replies, "I'll be fine."
Mulder looks at his partner knowing she is in no way fine, but decides not to press the issue. Instead, he lets Scully figure things out herself once he drops her off. After watching her waffle between what to bring up first, Mulder finally steps out of the car and helps. When he is at her door, Mulder looks at her expectantly wondering where he wants her to put her car seat box and other shopping bags. Instead she repositions Emily on her hip and states, "I've got it from here. Thanks, Mulder."
"Scully," He begins wanting to address her distance. Then, he thinks better of the topic and states, "Good luck tonight."
Her sarcastic thanks puts a smile on his face as he heads back to the car.
"What's that?" Chloe asks the next day as her father enters the living room with a box and sets it on the coffee table.
"Some of your old toys and stuff. I thought Scully may want it."
Chloe nods as she watches her father take out some of the items and sort them into piles.
"Dad, are you going to give her all of my dolls?" Chloe questions as she reaches for her brown haired Cabbage Patch Doll.
"Chloe, you don't use any of this and haven't played with most of it in over three years," Mulder explains as he adds a blanket to one of the piles. After watching his daughter slowly turn into a hoarder, he realizes she may be going through some sort of sibling rivalry.
"Your bed big enough for those sheets?" Mulder jokes trying to get his daughter to talk after she snatches up a pair of Care Bear sheets.
"No," Chloe mumbles. Mulder waits a moment before announcing that he'll make lunch.
"Dad?" Chloe calls out. "Do you think Scully won't love me as much now?"
"Chloe, Scully loves you."
"Yeah, but–"
"She loves you no more than she loves Emily. You're her daughter, too," Mulder explains knowing the teenager does not believe him.
Addressing the issue with Scully in her apartment the next day, Mulder watches his partner's eyes grow wide.
"I can't believe she thinks that! Did I act different toward her?" Scully questions hoping she can repair any damage. Mulder shakes his head.
"Psychologically, this is merely Chloe's way of dealing with the situation. I see it more as a sibling rivalry thing."
"Mulder, not everything can be psychoanalyzed," Scully remarks causing Mulder to retort, "Says the scientist. How are you going to do Emily's room?"
The red head shrugs a little wary of taking Chloe's space away. She wants Emily to feel at home, but does not want Chloe to be left out.
"I thought of halfing the room for Chloe and Emily. Either that or get a bigger apartment. However, I don't think the last option is feasible right now," Scully admits. "I'd feel bad putting Chloe on the couch and don't want to foster Emily sleeping in my room."
"What if you gave them bunk beds?" Mulder jokes earning a raised eyebrow in return. Putting a hand over hers, the man reassures his partner. After a moment, Scully looks over at Emily who builds a block tower with Chloe.
"Well, that's at least one thing they can do together."
"Yeah, play. Just remember I'm here if you need anything," Mulder states. Scully smiles softly before going back to folding her laundry.
"How did you do it, Mulder?" The red head asks a minute later as she folds one of Emily's shirts.
"Do what?"
"Be a single parent?"
"Lots of sleepless nights. Honestly? I'm not sure. I just did," He answers truthfully. Scully nods as she glances over at Emily and Chloe. Mulder follows his partner's gaze as he asks, "Has she said anything?"
Scully shakes her head.
"We just pulled her away from all she knows. I'm surprised she's fairing this well," Scully answers honestly. So far, Emily has acted the same as when she first meets her. Hopefully figuring out more about her daughter will open the child up.
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