Faith sat on the top porch step, her arms crossed, and let out a deep breath. Mulder smiled as he glanced at her through the open door, but did not dare let her catch him looking, as she was upset and pouting.
She had been asked to help clean up a large mess she had made, one which Mulder had also contributed to, and she had flatly refused. Mulder had started to clean up, making a game of it, but she did not join him. In fact, she had begun to take out what he had cleaned up and put it back out.
"Faith, it's time to clean up," he had told her, taking back the set of dollhouse dolls and placing them in the basket. "It's too many toys left out and I told you we need to clean it up."
"But, I don't want to, Daddy. I want to play," she had said, shaking her head with a frown.
"And I understand that, but we need to clean it up. Mommy hit her toe on the books under the blanket earlier and I stepped on one of the blocks. It hurt us, so we need to put away the toys."
"But I don't want to do it," she had insisted and he had taken a deep steadying breath.
She was very rarely obstinate, but the times when she was, he was always torn. He wanted to laugh and make it a silly moment, but he knew he also needed to be firm and be sure she did what she was told.
"Sometimes we don't want to do things, honey, but we have to because it's what's necessary, something we have to do. I don't want to clean this up, but I also don't want you, Mommy, or me to be hurt again. Okay? So we need to clean it up."
He had stared at her and she stared back, turning to look at her toys, then back at him.
"I don't want to put it away."
"Faith," he had said, his voice now becoming more firm. "You need to help me clean this up. You are big enough to help."
"But, Daddy, I want to play. I don't want to clean up."
"Okay. I'll tell you what… I am going to set the timer for five minutes. When it goes off, it's time to clean up. If you don't… then you can't have a popsicle later. Okay?"
He had stared at her again and raised his eyebrows, letting her know he was serious.
"Okay, Daddy," she had said with a smile.
"Five minutes," he had said, taking out his phone and showing her the timer starting. "Then we clean up."
"Okay."
Turning back to play, he had shaken his head, knowing they may be in for a small battle. Faith had an easygoing personality, but the moments when her stubbornness came through, it was equal parts maddening and adorable.
Catching Scully's eye, she had said nothing, but gave him a look of understanding. He had sighed and watched Faith, playing with the dollhouse dolls once again.
He had stood up from his spot on the floor beside the couch and walked over to Scully, sighing loudly as she had smiled.
"I know it's hard, especially for you, but she needs those boundaries set," she had said quietly. "You've told her, given her a timeframe, and explained the consequences. Now comes the tough part: following through with your words."
"You don't need to tell me, I already know," he had muttered under his breath.
"Aww, poor baby," she had said with a small chuckle, rubbing his back and sticking out her lower lip.
"But, it's worse than that though."
"Why?"
"If she doesn't get to have a popsicle, then I don't get one." He had huffed and she laughed quietly, patting his back and shaking her head.
"You can have one later, after she goes to bed."
"It's not the same," he had grumbled with a sigh and she had hummed, still laughing quietly.
His phone timer had sounded and he stiffened. Scully had patted his back once more as he sighed. He had walked over to Faith, holding the phone out so she could hear it ringing.
"Do you hear that, honey? It's the timer that I set. It's going off now, which means it's time to clean up."
"I still want to play, Daddy."
"Yes, I know. But we need to work together to clean up some of this mess. I can set another timer and we can get as much done as we can and then we'll stop. Okay?"
He had looked at the dolls, stuffed animals, blocks, and books that had been brought out of the baskets in the living room and from upstairs over the past couple of days. Blankets, creating little forts around the room, would also need to be put away.
"Ten minutes," he had said. "That should get it all cleaned up."
"Okay."
"Great! No playing. Just cleaning." He had looked at her and she had nodded. "You help and we can have a popsicle, okay?"
"Okay."
"Good."
The timer set, they had started to clean.
But… little bodies are easily distracted and need to be redirected.
"Faith, no playing. Put the toys away."
"I look at this book, Daddy. It has horsies in it. I like horsies."
"I know you do, honey, and you can look at it when we're done. Please put it down."
"I want to look at it."
"Faith, you need to help me. Hey, let's see if you can get all the blocks in this basket. Can you throw them from here, like I can?" He had tossed one in the basket and then looked at her. "Can you do that?"
"I think so," she had said, putting the book down on the couch and throwing a block. It had missed and bounced off the basket.
"Oh! So close! Here try again," he had said, handing her another block and again she missed. She had frowned and then turned to her book again. "No honey, we need to clean up."
"I can't do it. I don't want to," she had pouted, her chin in her hand as she leaned against the couch.
Scully had cleared her throat and he had looked over at her. She had smiled and raised her eyebrows, silently asking him how he would handle the situation. Sighing, he had shaken his head and stepped closer to Faith. Taking her book and closing it, she had looked up at him with a surprised gasp and a deep frown.
"I said that it's time to clean up. You can have this book back when we're all done."
"I mad. I mad at you," she had said, crossing her arms on her chest and huffing as she lifted them up and down twice, showing him just how mad she felt.
Two feelings had risen to the surface and he had to mask his face so she did not see.
One had been pain, as those words hurt his heart to hear, but the second had been humor and he had to work at not laughing out loud.
She had looked so much like Scully in that moment, he wanted to laugh, scoop her up and kiss her, make her laugh with him, and forget about the mess entirely.
However, he had known that would have an adverse reaction. Flicking his eyes to Scully, who stood with her eyebrows even higher, her own arms crossed and a hand at her mouth, he had let out a sigh.
"You can feel mad all you want," he had told Faith. "I understand you're upset, but it's time to clean up and you're not listening to what I am saying. I said you can have the book back when we're done, but not right now because we need to put away the mess." She had huffed again and he bit back a smile. "Should we take a pause and have a moment to calm down?"
She had nodded once, hummed out a hmph, and walked past him. She went out the open door and onto the porch where he heard her plop down and sigh loudly.
He had then heard another sound and looked over to find Scully quietly laughing behind her hand, her eyes closed.
"That helps, thanks," he had said and she bowed her head, shaking it as she continued to laugh.
"I… I'll be right back," she had chortled and grabbed the laundry basket, laughing as she stepped out the back door and closed it.
Sighing, he had placed the book on a shelf and walked toward the door, looking out at Faith. He had watched her lifting her shoulders up and down, her arms still crossed, as she let out deep breaths.
Finding the humor in it, even as her words had hurt him, he had let her be, giving her the space to feel her feelings.
Five minutes passed as he continued to wait, his forgotten alarm going off, just as the back door opened. He silenced his phone and turned to see Scully coming in, carrying the laundry basket now full of the sheets she had taken from the clothesline. Setting the basket on a kitchen chair, she chuckled softly and came to stand beside him.
"She's still out there, huh?"
"Yeah. But I think she's nearly over it."
"Ha," she said, crossing her arms. "Have you met you? Stubbornness has been known to come from the fathers side, you know."
"Right…" he said, giving her a look and jerking his head toward Faith. "That's all me."
"See? You even admit it." She grinned and he shook his head with a smile.
"I admit nothing. There is no chance this recent stubbornness comes from only me," he stated and she shrugged.
"You believe what you want, but I know the truth." He snorted and she smiled.
The jangle of Bella's collar pulled their attention and they watched her rise from her bed. Stretching her front legs and then the back, she padded quietly onto the porch and sat down beside Faith. She pressed her face close, sniffing at her hair, but Faith turned her head, which caused Bella to whine.
"Ohhh…" Scully said softly, looking around Mulder and watching the interaction between them.
"Yeah…" he said just as softly, waiting to see what would happen.
Bella sighed, tilting her head from side to side as though gauging what exactly was happening. She leaned her head forward again and placed her chin on Faith's shoulder, whining softly.
"Holy shit," Scully whispered, touching Mulder's back and letting out a breath of disbelief. "Look at that."
"I know," he whispered back, frozen to the spot, not wanting to risk interrupting whatever they were witnessing.
Bella whined again and they watched as Faith slowly uncrossed her arms and they fell to her sides. Another soft whine from Bella and Faith turned her head, wrapped her arms around Bella's neck, and hugged her.
"Shiiiiiiiit," Mulder breathed as they heard Bella's whine change to a deeper pitch, as though she were humming in Faith's ear.
"Mulder," Scully whispered. "Oh my…" She stepped closer to him and he felt her head on his back. "That is extraordinary. It truly is."
"Sometimes I wonder who is the comforter and who is receiving it. Bella has always been gentle and understanding with her, like they have their own secret language. But she's also gentle and patient with the twins, especially when Faith tells her to be."
"I know. It's truly spooky."
"Hell yeah it is," he said with a shake of his head. "Amazing, but spooky." She laughed softly and wrapped her arms around his middle. He covered her hands with his own and gave them a squeeze.
Faith let go of Bella, but continued to sit on the porch. Bella laid beside her, putting her head on Faith's leg. Faith stroked her head and ears and as they sighed in sync, Mulder laughed under his breath.
"Those two will have a bond none of us will ever truly understand."
"Will have?" Scully asked and he chuckled again.
"Do have. But, I think we will see it change as she gets older and is able to speak more about it. You made a good choice with her."
"Who? Faith or Bella?" she teased, placing a kiss on his back and he laughed in response. "And you thought I was mad for getting a puppy."
"When Faith had just turned one? Yeah… I absolutely did."
"But?"
"But you were right."
"As I so often am."
"Hmm," he hummed and bent his head, lifting her hands closer to kiss them. "We'll just leave that comment alone, I think."
She laughed, kissing his back again. They watched Bella as she stood up and shook her body, her collar jangling once more. She wagged her tail as she nudged at Faith, kissing her incredibly gently on the cheek.
Faith stood up too, put her forehead against Bella's, and then kissed her between her eyes as Bella's tail wagged slowly. Kissing her one more time, Faith turned around and walked to the door while Bella stayed on the porch, lying down in the late afternoon sun.
Faith paused at the threshold and looked at Mulder. He squeezed Scully's hands and she let go, allowing him to step away from her. Walking closer to Faith, he knelt down and opened his arms. She ran to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him tight.
"I sorry, Daddy," she said softly. "I sorry I didn't clean up the toys. I sorry I didn't listen to you."
"Thank you, love," he said to her, squeezing her tightly. "You feel better now?"
"Yes."
"Good." He gave her bottom a pat and then tickled her sides. She laughed and squirmed in his arms, before pulling back and smiling at him as she played with the collar of his t-shirt.
"I not mad anymore. I let my mad go, like this…" She blew out a deep breath and he smiled, remembering how Scully had shown her breathing exercises one day when she had been overly frustrated. "The wind took it away."
"Good." He patted her sides and smiled. "You've said sorry and I accept your apology. Now, what do we need to do next?" He looked towards her toys and she looked too as she let out a sigh.
"Clean up the toys."
"Yup. Let's set the timer again and start cleaning up. Mommy? Would you like to join us? If you help clean up, what do you get, Faithy?"
"A popsicle!" she shouted, raising her arms in the air.
"That's right."
"A popsicle?" Scully asked, abandoning the sheets she had begun to fold. "Well then, yes. I will definitely help you."
"Wonderful! Okay, the timer is set for ten minutes, let's see how much we can get done. Annnnnd… GO!"
They hurried to the mess and started filling the baskets. They picked up the books and stacked them on the stairs to be taken up in a bit. Mulder smiled at the sight of them, remembering the books that had resided there years ago.
"These will be going up," Scully said with a smile as she added another book, reading his mind as she was wont to do.
"They will. Although… there is something about them being there that I find comforting."
"You know, I do too," she admitted. "But it's not exactly safe."
"No." He smiled and shook his head. "Definitely not."
"Daddy? You help me with the blankets?" Faith called to him and he turned around, smiling as he walked toward her.
"Sure, I can help you with that," he said and they worked together to fold and stack them on the couch. "Okay, let's take this stuff back upstairs and put it away in your room. You carry some books up, Faithy."
She nodded and picked up two of the books, walking up ahead of them to her bedroom. Mulder dumped out the basket and she and Scully started to put the toys away in their proper places as he smiled and went down the stairs for the remaining books.
When the living room was clean and back in order, they sat on the porch swing as it rocked slowly. Faith sat between them as they ate their popsicle. Her horse book lay open on her lap, turned to her favorite page. Her head rested against Mulder's arm and her leg lay over his thigh. She hummed, enjoying her treat.
Bella suddenly sneezed in her sleep and sat up, looking around in surprise.
"Bless you, Bella," Faith said, taking her grape popsicle from her mouth and raising her head to look at her. Bella's ears went back and she whined softly as her tail began to thump against the porch.
"Yes," Scully said, looking at Mulder with a smile, her lips extra red from her cherry popsicle. "Bless you, Bella."
"Indeed," he responded, glancing at his orange popsicle and then grinning back at her. "Bless you, Bella."
Bella's tail thumped again as she laid down with a sigh. Faith rested her head back against Mulder's arm and he kissed the top of it as he pushed against the porch, the swing beginning to rock slowly once more.