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The next week brings Scully to leave Emily in her office at work while she changes her personnel files. Mulder tells her to take more time off, but Scully is aware she needs to change her files sooner rather than later. Thankfully, Emily likes Mulder, singling him out not long after she and Scully arrive in the office to color with her.
"Are you sure you don't need me for anything?" Mulder asks as he goes over colors with the three year old as they draw on opposite pages of a coloring book. Scully shakes her head knowing she needs to face Skinner alone, especially with such personal information.
"Knowing you're watching her is help enough," She states before kissing Emily on the cheek and leaving the office.
"Looks like it's just us, huh, kiddo?" Mulder asks a few minutes after his partner leaves. Whenever he sees the three year old, he makes it his mission to get her to talk to him. All he has acheived is a few giggles from her.
Emily nods before picking out a green crayon and looking back at her coloring book. As she colors in a tree, Mulder asks, "Is that your favorite color?"
"Yes, and blue," Emily answers not looking away from her picture. Shocked, Mulder has to restrain himself from calling Scully and telling her that Emily is finally speaking to him. Deciding not to worry the child with an outburst, Mulder simply smiles a little before asking about the girl's favorite animal.
"A dinosaur," Emily replies as she continues to color. He smirks trying to picture Scully vetoing dinosaur themed bedsheets. After a few more moments, the three year old stands up and wanders over to the poster hanging on the wall. Noticing she is looking at his 'I Want to Believe' poster, Mulder asks, "What do you think?"
"'S silly," Emily remarks before climbing up in the desk chair and trying to spin around. Mulder chuckles until the child reaches for the drawer that contains his adult vhs tapes. Lurching forward, Mulder keeps the child from the drawer, but not without taking her by surprise.
The glare he receives is almost a rival of Scully's. Something Mulder finds almost unnerving. He can tell after another lap around the office that Emily is restless and decides to appease her with a trip to the vending machine down the hall. After letting the child pick what she wants, Emily holds Mulder's hand as they walk back toward the office. Walking inside, the agent and child are met by a slightly frazzled Scully. Nodding for Emily to sit on the couch, Mulder asks, "Scully, are you alright?"
Turning around, Scully glances quickly at her daughter and answers. "I'll tell you more once Em takes an n-a-p."
"I take it she already knows what that is?" Mulder grins unable to resist teasing his partner. No friend of his has any kids except her, and he will relish watching her go through similar problems he dealt with ten years prior.
"Yes, and she isn't a fan," Scully remarks. With a sigh, the red head sits down next to her daughter whose head soon rests on her arm.
"I have to go potty," Emily whispers much to Mulder's amusement. Scully nods before leading her daughter back into the hallway.
Heading toward his desk, Mulder decides to work on at least some of his paperwork. Engrossed in his task, he is is unaware of his partner and her daughter come back in. He only looks up when Emily pitches a fit to keep from taking a nap.
"Want me to hypnotize her?" Mulder jokes which earns him a glare. He simply grins as he listens to his partner reason with her daughter.
"Em, you have to take a nap," Scully pleads after the usual tricks of a story or song fail to work.
"No, I want to stay up!" Emily demands, arms crossed as she sits on the couch. Looking over at the child, Mulder states, "We're no fun, Emily. All we do is paperwork."
Emily tilts her head in confusion before settling herself deeper into the sofa.
"Hey, Scully? Can you tell me what you wrote for our assignment? I'm stumped," Mulder remarks trying to help his partner out. Sighing, Scully grabs her report from the chair and hands it to him. Then, her partner proceeds to correct her information. After ten minutes of bickering, Scully finally goes back to her daughter who is spread out on the couch with her mouth wide open and drooling. Knowing her partner is the culprit, the red head looks at him in surprise.
"It worked on Chloe," Mulder shrugs. "What did Skinner say?"
With a sigh, Scully sits at the chair opposite the desk and explains, "Skinner asked me if I needed to take leave, but I declined. Then, asked if I wanted a transfer."
"Do you?" Mulder interrupts forgetting that is a possibility until now. Scully shakes her head, "I'll make it work. Mom may be able to watch her, and sometimes Chloe if you want, or Rachel? He also wanted to know more about Emily, so I told him what I knew."
She pauses before adding, "He also wanted me to tell him who I'd list as her father."
Raising his eyebrows in surprise, Mulder waits for the response.
"I told him she doesn't have one."
"There goes your nickname," Mulder teases to hide his disappointment. Logically he knows that he does not need to be listed as her father, but does feel like a father to the mini Scully in a way. After everything they went through in California and how much time he and Chloe spend with the little girl, she starts to feel like his own. Looking back at his partner, Mulder notices her confused expression. Secretly, Scully wonders how Mrs. Spooky will be taken away. If anything, Emily's appearance will relaunch the nickname.
"Ice Queen," Mulder remarks as if reading her mind. Scully nods remembering the term. The pair sits in a comfortable silence as they watch Emily sleep, both in awe that Scully actually has a child.
"It's hard to imagine her this healthy," Scully whispers. Mulder understands exactly. A year ago he remembers thinking the same thing about his partner.
"You know, Scully. If you need anything, I'll be here."
The red head turns to look at Mulder and soon notes the sincerity in his statement. She smiles and thanks him before taking her report back.
"Oh, before we get back to work, I wanted to tell you that Emily spoke to me," Mulder states with a grin. Scully can see the parental pride gleaming in his eyes. Much like it does with Chloe when he talks about her try outs for softball or a good grade she makes. His grin is contagious as she asks, "What did she tell you?"
"Her favorite colors and animal."
Not privy to the first bit of information, Scully asks what the answers are. With a smaller smile than the grin that permeates his features a few minutes before, Mulder answers, "Blue, green, and dinasours."
Shocked, Scully asks, "Dinosaurs? Are you sure? Last night she said it was a dog. Granted, I did give her dinosaur oatmeal this morning."
Her partner shrugs adding, "That's what she told me. Which reminds me, she also thinks that my poster is silly."
"She's got good taste," Scully smirks looking back at her daughter.
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