Disclaimer: I don't own The Fox and the Hound, COPS, or Labrynth.
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Three days later, Mulder and Chloe stand beside each other as people console them on their loss. When Anna and Kyle come by to pay their respects, Chloe asks if she can speak to them. Nodding, Mulder watches his daughter run off before greeting a couple more people. Noticing the line shortening, the agent sighs in relief. Out of the corner of his eye, Mulder sees Scully greet Skinner who walks uncomfortably into the funeral home. Pulled to the side by his boss ten minutes later, the man is just thankful that no one else wants to talk to him.
"Mulder, I have a case I need you and Agent Scully on," Skinner states once the FBI agents are all in a secluded corner of the funeral parlor.
"My mom's funeral is today!" Mulder exclaims as Scully places her hand on her boyfriend's arm.
"Sir, I don't think right now is a good time to bring up a new case," She explains while Chloe comes up beside them.
"Hey, Sweetie," Scully says as she puts her arm around her daughter.
"The guy at the front said he wants to start the funeral now," Chloe whispers. Taking his opportunity to leave, Mulder excuses himself from the group. Looking at Chloe, Scully states, "Follow your dad."
Skinner is about to speak when Scully stops him.
"Talk to him tomorrow."
Knowing better than to argue with his agent, Skinner excuses himself and sits in the far corner of the room.
That night, Scully stays over at Mulder's. Crawling into bed beside her boyfriend, Scully whispers as her hand finds its way to his chest, "How are you holding up?"
Mulder sighs knowing Scully is simply asking the question to keep him from thinking about Skinner's impromptu assignment. Laying his hand on top of his girlfriend's, the agent states, "Thanks for staying here."
Scully merely gives a tight lipped smile as she buries her head further in her pillow. After a moment, she asks, "Tell me about her. Your mom."
She can feel him laugh a little beside her.
"When I was a kid, she used to bake all of my birthday cakes," Mulder begins. "Somehow I'd convinced her to cook me this replica of the robot in Lost in Space?"
"Searching for UFOs even then?" Scully teases.
"Very funny," Mulder remarks before telling her more about the birthday. They drift off to sleep after swapping childhood stories before a knock on the bedroom door wakes them.
"Dad," Chloe states as she tentatively opens the door. "Agent Skinner wants to see you."
Jumping out of bed both adults tell her to stall him while they brush their teeth and change into halfway decent clothing.
"Agents," Skinner greets when Mulder and Scully walk into the living room.
"Morning," Mulder mumbles as he sits beside Scully on the couch.
"I wanted to apologize for interrupting your mother's funeral yesterday," Skinner begins. "However, the case that came across my desk is urgent. I'll need you both on a flight back to California this afternoon."
Scully merely nods and looks over at her partner. He nods his understanding before seeing Skinner out the door. Once Skinner leaves, Mulder calls out his daughter's name.
"Chloe, how do you feel about staying home alone for the next few days?"
Met with looks of disbelief from both his girlfriend and his daughter, Mulder explains, "I know you've been on your own at night or in the afternoon, but I'm going to trust you to stay here alone."
Chloe looks over at Scully to make sure she hears her father correctly. Scully merely shrugs knowing she is not in control of this particular decision. However, Scully makes sure to broach the topic when she and Mulder are packing.
"You're just going to leave her here?" Scully questions as she grabs her toothbrush from the bathroom. Shrugging, Mulder answers, "She's fifteen, Scully. My parents left me home alone with Samantha when I was twelve."
"Yes, for the night! We're leaving her here for two days!" The red head exclaims.
"She'll be fine! Stop being such a mother hen! Besides, Rachel and Adam are right downstairs."
Remembering the couple's proximity, Scully relaxes a little, but continues to be on edge during the case that is filled with a camera crew. Being on an episode of COPS is not in her life plan. Complaining to Skinner once they return back, the agents are assured that he will fix the problem. Ending her phone call, Scully pinches the bridge of her nose with her fingers. After a moment, Scully states, "Skinner said he's going to take care of the COPS episode."
"You don't want to be seen on TV?" Mulder jokes. Scully merely rolls her eyes before changing the topic.
Finally entering Mulder's apartment, the agents find Chloe sitting on the couch watching TV. Hearing the adults come in, the teen turns the TV off and gets up to greet her parents.
"How was it?" She asks. Rolling her eyes, Scully answers, "Awful."
"There was a camera crew following us from COPS," Mulder explains. Eyes wide, Chloe asks, "Really?"
"Yes, but it's never going to air," Scully reassures hoping life will go back to normal.
After a week, Mulder and Scully are again called on another case.
"No wild parties," Mulder warns before he leaves muttering something to Scully about a virtual reality game. Reassuring her father there will be no parties, she waits an hour before calling Amanda and Anna to come over.
"I can't believe your dad let you have us over," Amanda states as she brings a sleeping bag inside the apartment. "I told my parents it was a sleepover and that adults would be here."
Chloe and Anna raise an eyebrow before shutting the door and turning on the TV. Happy she knows how to cook, Chloe makes speghetti for her friends before they eat on the couch watching a new episode of Friends. When Anna suggests popcorn, Chloe and Amanda happily agree before heading to the kitchen to make it. Watching a movie they put in the VCR, the girls soon become bored.
"I can't believe we used to like this," Anna remarks as Big Mama sings to Todd.
"We should've watched Labrynth," Amanda adds until Chloe explains that her dad wouldn't buy it because she cried at the Goblin King scenes. After a moment, Chloe gets off the couch.
"I'm going to make more popcorn. See if there's anything good on," Chloe states as she goes back to the kitchen. Taking the bowl back to the kitchen, Chloe soon rummages through the cabinets for another bag of popcorn.
"Your dad's on COPS!" Anna calls from the living room causing Chloe to run into the room. She stares at the television dumbfounded knowing her parents tell her it will never air.
"Your Dad's really hot," Amanda says from her seat on the couch. Both Anna and Chloe cast their friend a disturbed look causing the girl to stay quiet for a few minutes.
"Poor, Scully," Anna states as the girls watch the red head hide behind the ambulance door.
"Why didn't you tell me your parents were gonna be on here?" Amanda questions during a commercial break. Chloe decides not to correct her friend. Every now and then, both she and Anna try to explain Scully's relationship with The Mulders, but the blonde cannot understand how Scully is not her biological mother. Mostly, Chloe just lets the comment slide.
"Aren't your dad and Scully on some other case right now? Didn't they go to find that werewolf thing last week?" Anna questions as she grabs the afghan on the back of the couch.
"Yeah. Dad came home talking about Scully hating camera crews. I can't believe they're actually showing this though! I talked to Scully the next day and she said it wasn't even that good."
"What did your dad say?" Amanda questions eager to hear about her friend's father.
"He said it was cool, but Dad acts like a kid sometimes, so, I generally believe Scully over Dad on these kinds of things" She answers, her eyes glued to the screen as she watches her father freely swear on television.
Biting her lip, Anna answers, "We can change the channel if you want."
Chloe shakes her head. Smiling, she answers, "I get dirt on them this way!"
As the night progresses, Amanda suggests Truth or Dare. Shrugging, Anna and Chloe agree. The game starts out small, but soon Amanda looks straight at Chloe.
"I dare you to prank call Kyle!" Amanda smirks. Shaking her head, Chloe replies, "No! He's probably asleep."
Caught up in the excitement, Anna agrees with Amanda and Chloe finds herself getting up and going to the phone. She dials the number and immediately she hears a tired voice answer, "Hello?"
"Is Kyle there?" Chloe asks. Brightening a little, Katherine replies, "Hi Chloe, just a minute!"
Hearing shuffling coming from the connection, Chloe waits for Kyle to answer.
"Chloe?" Kyle asks. "It's eleven at night."
Nodding, Chloe replies, "Yeah, sorry I called."
She almost hangs up the phone when Kyle asks if she is okay.
"Fine," Chloe answers, "I just had to call you. Umm, I was dared to."
She hears him laugh on the other end and smiles.
"You like him!" Anna teases as Chloe's face turns red. Turning her back to her friends, Chloe finally finishes her call with Kyle. Smiling when she hangs up, Chloe exclaims, "Kyle just asked me out! Please, don't tell my dad."
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