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When Chloe comes home later that night, Scully notices her daughter's mood lifted just a little.
"How's Kyle?" Scully asks closing her book. A wide smile on her face, Chloe announces, "Great! I've missed him."
Laughing, Scully answers, "You can see him more you know. I'm not holding you captive."
When she sees her daughter's facial expression falter just a little, Scully realizes she uses a poor choice of words. Motioning for her daughter to sit beside her, Scully instantly apologizes. Shaking her head, Chloe replies, "That didn't bother me. I just hate that dad is gone."
"Me, too," Scully replies adding, "Ten more months."
"Still too long," Chloe grumbles tucking her feet underneath her on the couch. Neither speaks for a while until Scully looks over at her daughter.
"Long enough for you to act your age again. You're too young to act like me," She remarks smoothing Chloe's hair. Nodding, Chloe answers, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to act like their mom. It's just, I feel like I need to do something to help since Dad left because of me."
"Oh, Chloe. Your dad leaving is not your fault," Scully demands gently wondering how much of the conversation she has with Mulder Chloe needs to know. Choosing her words carefully, Scully explains, "Your dad is after a man who has needed to be stopped for a while. Your kidnapper kidnapped me and you know how your dad is."
"Stubborn and reckless?"
Unable to suppress her chuckle, Scully nods adding, "He's also loyal to a fault. Chloe, you didn't make your dad leave. He's trying to protect you. Us. He wants to keep all of us safe."
With a heavy sigh, Chloe puts her head on her mom's shoulder.
"These last few weeks have felt like years," The teen remarks. Putting her arm around her daughter, Scully kisses the child on the forehead making a mental note to talk to her mother again. Then she asks, "How does a girls' night sound? I can get Mom to watch your brother and sister."
"Can we have it at Dad's apartment?" Chloe asks softly. Smiling, Scully answers, "Anything you want."
Chloe leaves school as soon as it is over eager to begin her weekend. Meeting up with her mom at Mulder's apartment, Chloe practically ambushes her mother when she walks in the door.
"Mom! Hi! I already called for takeout. Is that ice cream?"
"Well hello to you too," Scully answers putting her purse and grocery bag down. "How long until our order arrives?"
"Twenty minutes," Chloe answers adding, "What kind of ice cream did you get?"
Laughing, Scully answers, "Our favorites."
Putting the ice cream in the freezer, Scully laughs when she sees Chloe going through her checklist.
"What?" Chloe asks a little embarrassed. Shaking her head, Scully answers, "Nothing. I just remembered when you invited me over for our first Christmas."
Eyes lighting up, Chloe asks, "Can we bake cookies too?"
"Sure. We'll get cookie dough when we go to Blockbuster."
After dinner, Scully and Chloe decide to rent their movies and then head back to Mulder's old apartment. Picking up popcorn and candy on the way to the apartment as well, Scully has Chloe hold the food while she unlocks the apartment door. Stepping inside, the girls faces fall just a little as they notice various differences. Although they each entered the apartment seperately earlier in the day, walking inside at the moment reminds them again that Mulder is not around. Getting over the ennui first, Chloe decides to set the popcorn and candy on the dining table and hand the movie to her mom to put in the VCR. That night while watching Sleepless in Seattle and Pretty in Pink and eating popcorn and ice cream, Chloe and Scully are able to forget just a little about their current situation. Instead their conversations go from talk about school and the movie to Scully asking Chloe what she wants to do for her birthday. Shrugging, Chloe answers with a yawn, "I don't know."
"Well, decide by the end of the week. I need time to plan everything."
Scully watches Chloe nod before each turns back to their movie. Falling asleep toward the end of Pretty in Pink, Scully wakes up to Chloe gently nudging her awake.
"Mom, go sleep in the bedroom," Chloe tells her knowing she'll feel awful after sleeping on the floor. Nodding, Scully stands up with a groan and walks back to Mulder's room. Although the family is moved into their new home, various clothing items are still kept at the apartment just in case they want to stay in the city. Finding two of Mulder's t-shirts in a drawer, Scully calls her daughter's name. Holding out the t-shirt, Scully asks her, "Do you want to wear one to sleep tonight?"
Nodding, Chloe takes the t-shirt from her mother and heads to the hall bath. Finding Scully in the bathroom after she changes, Chloe asks if she can go to Anna's on Sunday. With a tired laugh, Scully answers, "Sure."
Returning to the Unremarkable House Sunday morning, Scully opens the door and immediately stops knowing she had locked the dead bolt before leaving for the weekend. Nothing seems wrong at first glance, but Scully knows someone has broken into her house. FBI training kicking in, the agent makes sure no one is still in the house. With no answer, Scully lets out a heavy sigh and pulls out her cell phone. First, she calls the Gunmen to make sure it is safe to call the police, and then she calls Monica. For the last couple months, Scully has been trying to do everything on her own, but knows she needs to take Monica up on the offer to help her. As she waits for the police and her friends to arrive, Scully takes a walking inventory of her home making sure not to touch anything. The upstairs is thankfully never touched, the living room going into the study has a few items misplaced such as a picture of Scully and Mulder with the kids which Scully knows was not on the end table before now. She is also aware the baby gate in the study doorway is kicked out a little. Wanting to laugh at the thought of an intruder being taken by baby furniture, Scully misses Mulder even more. She hates that she cannot call him and listen to him make a joke because the situation is tense and to calm her nerves. Instead, Scully cautiously makes her way to the study easily by passing the baby gate. Taking a cursory glance around the room, Scully notices a photo album out of place, but is barely able to check anything when the police arrive. Not far behind them are Monica, Langley, Frohike, and Byers. Seeing her friends, Scully instantly lets out a sigh of relief.
"Dana?" Monica starts to ask how she is doing. In reply, Scully simply hugs the woman happy to know she and the Gunmen are there to help her.
"Where are the kids?" Monica asks once they head toward the steps of the house. Tucking her hair behind her ears, Scully answers, "Chloe's with Anna. William and Audrey are with my mom. I was going to pick them up this afternoon."
"Good," Monica replies before scanning the living room. Behind her, the Gunmen are doing the same. Half an hour later, the police are questioning Scully while Frohike walks inside the kitchen to make his friend a cup of tea. Once the police leave an hour and a half later, Byers and Langley head to check her security while Monica sits with Scully and Frohike going over anything that is missing.
"Nothing in the living room. I was about to check the study when the cops arrived. I did notice a photo album misplaced."
In a silent agreement, Frohike, Monica, and Scully head toward the study. Going to the photo album in question, Scully bypasses the various family photos and opens to back cover. Peeling back the paper cover, Scully nervously mumbles, "The cd is gone."
Seriously, Frohike asks, "Dana, which cd?"
Not giving him an answer, Scully goes to the front of the photo album and opens the front cover. Inside is another cd which Scully immediately hands over to be put in the cd drive on the computer.
"Maybe they took the wrong one," Scully answers just as her phone begins to ring. With a heavy sigh, Scully goes to answer it and is surprised to find her mother on the other line. Looking at the time on her watch, Scully swears under her breath realizing she was supposed to pick up the babies half an hour ago. Out of the corner of her eye, she notices Byers and Langley explaining that the lines may be tapped. Nodding, Scully tells her mom that she is on her way. Apologizing to her friends, Scully grabs her purse before heading out the door. A little paranoid at this point, Scully decides she will not be staying at her house tonight. Knocking on her mother's front door, Scully wills herself not to cry. When Maggie opens the door, she immediately notices the concern on her daughter's face and ushers her inside.
"Are you alright?" Maggie asks wanting to help her daughter. Nodding, Scully tells her, "I don't want to talk about it right now. Where are the kids?"
Maggie takes Scully to the kitchen where Audrey is in her high chair eating lunch while William is napping in the living room.
"Mama!" Audrey squeals as soon as she sees her mother. Kissing her daughter's cheek, Scully greets her before turning to her mother asking how they behaved.
"They're fine. How was your weekend?"
Smiling, Scully tells her mom about the time with Chloe. It's not until an hour later, that Scully sits down with her mom. Audrey is in her lap, not wanting to leave her.
"Mom, I need to talk to you. It's important," Scully finally begins as Audrey plays with her mother's necklace.
"Are you pregnant again?" Maggie teases hoping to break some of the tension. With a scoff and an exasperated look, Scully answers, "No. It's about the house. Um, mom. The house was broken into and I really don't feel safe staying there right now."
Her face falling, Maggie feels awful for her daughter. She has been going through so much in the last few months. Hugging Scully, Maggie tells her to stay as long as she likes and decides not to press the issue.
"Thanks, Mom," Scully says glad to have at least her youngest two near by and Chloe safe at Anna's. Time away from the house and the apartment is just what Scully needs right now. What she is unaware of is which CD she has given the Gunmen and Monica to look at.
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