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After getting clean bills of health from an overnight stay the the hospital, Scully and the baby both are sent home. Deciding to stay at Mulder's with their house not fully finished yet, Scully adjusts to life with a newborn. She and Mulder, who has to remember that he is not a single father anymore, sometimes butt heads about how to care for their newborn daughter, but are somewhat baffled when they notice various household chores being finished or being able to sleep a little more than what they thought they would be. Coming to the realization that over the first week of Audrey's life, Chloe is picking up the slack, Mulder and Scully start questioning their parenting.
"Chloe?" Scully asks once Audrey is down for a nap on Saturday, "Your dad and I wanted to talk to you about something real quick."
"We appreciate your help, but want to remind you that you should go out and do things with people your own age."
Shrugging, Chloe states, "I just thought you guys needed the help."
"We appreciate it too, but your first priority is being a teenager."
After a small pause, Chloe announces, "I'm going to go call Anna."
A week after the conversation with her parents, Chloe decides to head to Anna's as often as she can. Complaining about the baby's crying one day after school as they walk home, Anna laughs and teases, "You said you wanted a sibling."
"Yeah, but I didn't realize how much she cried. You weren't kidding when you said your parents were exhausted. Mom and Dad barely look like they've slept. I've been making them breakfast most of the time."
They stop talking for a moment until Chloe laments, "I wish I hadn't stopped softball. It'd be nice to actually be doing something instead of listening to a baby."
"We could get jobs," Anna proposes knowing her parents are trying to get her to have one and not wanting to work alone. Mulling over the idea for a minute, Chloe agrees commenting that they can look for some over the weekend.
Spending the night with Anna on Saturday, she and Chloe comb through the want ads looking for after school jobs. Circling them or cutting them out, the girls decide to go to a couple places the next week to fill out applications. By the middle of the week, the girls get a job at a movie theater. Telling her parents about the job and when her first day is, the parents smile at her and congratulate her happy to see their teenage daughter out of the house, but a little sad to see her grow up so much. That Saturday starts Chloe's first day at work with Mulder making sure he gets her lunch together and babying her just a little. Laughing at her father's protectiveness, Chloe kisses both him and Scully, who makes sure she has her keys and everything else she needs, goodbye before heading out the door, carpooling with Anna.
Scully and Mulder watch Chloe leave the house before saying anything. After a moment, Mulder states in disbelief, "She's getting a job."
"She's sixteen, Mulder. What do you expect her to do? Besides, she's the kid. She doesn't need to make us breakfast or help look after Audrey. That's our job."
"I know. I just forget how old she is. It seems like yesterday she was in our office drawing pictures and matchmaking."
Chloe begins her first day doing training. By her second week, she finally finds a rhythm between work and the rest of her life. Kyle comes to eat with her if she has a lunch break or they'll go on actual dates on her day off. The only difference in her days is when she has to pick Audrey up from Anna's every so often. Rachel, now staying at home, agrees to watch Audrey when Scully goes back to work in May. When school lets out, Chloe picks up a few more shifts which makes summer pass by faster, and she happily accepts the extra money.
The fact their oldest is steadily working does not go unnoticed by Mulder and Scully. They miss her. All they ever really hear from her is that her day is fine and maybe a couple stories from work. One night in mid June when Chloe comes home she finds her parents sitting at the kitchen table in the apartment, each with expressions of defeat on their faces.
"Audrey wear you both out today?"
Shaking his head, Mulder announces that their house has some roof damage that needs to be taken care of from a recent storm before they can get in and begin to paint the upstairs of the house. With a sigh, Scully adds that her landlord is keeping her in her lease until the next year in July.
With a frown, Chloe goes to each of her parents and kisses them on the cheek.
"I love you," She tells them before heading off to her room.
"We have a good kid," Mulder states with a smile.
"Yes, we do."
The next day, Mulder and Monica get their first case out of state since Audrey, albeit in Delaware, so they are home fairly quickly, but the agents only come back more puzzled then they left. Getting back in the office, Mulder tells Monica she can leave early, deciding to pick up Audrey and head home for the day. Stepping into his apartment, Mulder shrugs the diaper bag off his shoulder while holding Audrey in one arm. Turning on the answering machine, he finds a message from Scully telling him that she will be working late on an autopsy. Realizing he only needs to make dinner for himself that night since Chloe will be on a date with Kyle after school, Mulder decides to spend some quality time with his youngest. Around ten o'clock, Mulder finally settles onto the couch in his apartment. With his kids asleep and his insomnia in full swing, the man settles in to watch a favorite, cheesy sci fi film that he knows by heart. As the movie plays and he begins to quote it, Mulder hears footsteps and hopes the baby is still asleep. From her vantage point in the doorway, Scully enters to find her boyfriend quoting the movie on the screen, and is surprised when, Mulder still engrossed in the film, silently makes room for her on the couch.
"'Couldn't sleep either, huh?'" He asks her once she sits beside him. Instead of answering, the red head nods toward the film and asks, "'Plan 9 From Outer Space?'"
"'Yeah. It's the Ed Wood investigative method. This movie is so profoundly bad in such a childlike way that it hypnotizes my conscious critical mind and frees up my right brain to make associo-poetic leaps and I started flashing on Hoffman and O'Fallon. How there's this archetypal relationship like Hoffman's Jesus to O'Fallon's Judas or Hoffman's Jesus to O'Fallon's Dostoyevsky's Grand Inquisitor, or Hoffman's Jesus to O'Fallon's St. Paul'," Mulder comments.
"'How about Hoffman's Roadrunner to O'Fallon's Wile E. Coyote?'" Scully teases hoping to lighten the mood. She grins at him and he lets out a laugh. The movie continues as Scully says her partner's name. Showing that he is paying attention, Mulder asks, "'Yeah?'"
"'Do you think it's at all possible that Hoffman is really Jesus Christ?'" She asks feeling philosophical.
"'Are you making fun of me?'" He questions. There is no hint of malice or hurt in his voice just curiosity. When his partner answers that she is not making fun of him, Mulder answers, "'Well, no, I don't. But crazy people can be very persuasive.'"
Rolling her eyes, Scully jibes, "'Well, yes, I know that.'"
They share a smile before Scully continues, "'Maybe true faith is really a form of insanity.'"
"'Are you directing that at me?'" Mulder asks wondering if going to bed is a better option. Especially if their daughter is going to be wake up in the next few hours. Emphatically, Scully answers, "'No. I'm directing it at myself and at Ed Wood.'"
"'Well, you know, even a broken clock is right 730 times a year'," Mulder admits. The couple is silent as they watch the movie. Mulder is almost convinced that Scully is asleep until she asks, "'How...?'"
"'42'," Mulder replies knowing the question before she asks it. Dumbfounded, Scully asks her partner, "'You've seen this movie 42 times?'"
Sure of himself, Mulder answers, "'Yes.'"
Putting her head on Mulder's shoulder, Scully asks, "'Doesn't that make you sad? It makes me sad.'"
The couple goes back to watching the movie until Mulder speaks again.
"'You know, Scully,'" He starts as he takes her hand, "'we've got four weeks probation vacation and nothing to do and Wayne Federman's invited us out to L.A. to watch his movie being filmed and God knows I could use a little sunshine.'"
He smiles and teases, "'Scully.'"
"'California, here we come'," She resigns wondering if her mom will want to watch an almost six month old for a few days.
With her mom agreeing to watch her youngest granddaughter, Scully and Mulder broach the topic of California with Chloe.
"You mean, I'd get to go to Hollywood and see Leonardo DiCaprio?"
"Well, he's not working on our movie, but sure," Mulder states adding, "But you have to keep your grades up the rest of the semester, and can get off work the last week of July."
"Is that when the Premiere is?" The teen asks conspiratorially.
"Yes," Scully answers not fully enjoying the look in her daughter's eyes.
"I can get off," She answer confidently.
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