Title - Second Chances II - A Two Way Street
Author - Henle Girl
Rating - PG
Category - Mulder/Scully Romance, Alternate Universe
Summary - Sequel to Second Chances. AU. Just because a woman
has a child, that doesn't make her a mother.
Disclaimer - The characters don't belong to me. I'm just
borrowing them for my own therapeutic purposes. They will be
returned relatively unharmed to Chris Carter, or whoever wants
to borrow them next, when I'm done.
Feedback: PLEASE!!! Henle_Girl@hotmail.com
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Chapter 1
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Ritz Carlton Lobby
Pentagon City, VA
The women all laugh at the poor excuse of a joke the chairperson
makes. All except for one. Margaret Scully takes another sip of
her tea, trying hard to avoid rolling her eyes at the group of
people that surrounds her. Every year, she subjects herself to
these types of luncheons to solicit funds for her church's youth
advocacy program. These events are more of a way for these women
to show off how much money they're giving away. They have taken
the love out of charity.
With another sigh, she gazes longingly out into the mall,
watching the people flit back and forth and wishing she were with
them. Wishing she were anywhere except with a bunch of stuck up,
pretentious women she's forced to make nice with. And as if her
silent prayers were answered, she suddenly sees the perfect way
to make her escape. With a smile, she turns to her companions
and excuses herself, walking briskly through the lobby and out
into the mall.
"Fox," she calls out, smiling and waving when the man turns
around. "What are you doing here?"
"Hello, Mrs. Scully," he smiles. "It's good to see you. Getting
a little shopping done?"
"I wish. I'm here on church business so to speak. But I'm glad
to get away." She looks at his packages and sees a lady's
handbag as well as bags from several women's clothing stores.
"Is Dana here with you?"
"No. She's . . . " He's interrupted by another woman coming up
with him, pushing a baby stroller. Margaret looks in confusion
at the two, wondering what's going on.
"Fox, I can't decide on which frame to get. Which one do you
like?" she asks, before looking up and seeing that he's busy.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were speaking with
someone."
"That's okay, Serena. It's time you two met. Serena, this is
Mrs. Scully," he introduces.
"You're Dana's mom," Serena smiles, offering her hand to Mrs.
Scully's to shake. "It's so nice to finally meet you."
"Nice to meet you too," Margaret says, trying hard to hide her
shock at seeing Mulder with a woman other than her daughter.
"So, you and Dana know each other?"
"Of course," Serena giggles her girl like giggle. "She's turned
out to be one of the best friends I ever had. And Samantha
adores her."
"Samantha?"
"My daughter," Serena explains, letting Mrs. Scully get a look
inside the stroller.
"We're here to pick up some pictures she had taken. Among other
things," Mulder says, looking at his sister and holding up all
the packages in his arms.
"That's what you get coming to the mall with a woman, Fox,"
Serena giggles again, bringing a smile to Mulder's face.
With a sinking feeling, Mrs. Scully can see how much he adores
this woman. She's happy for him, but still sad at what it means
in the long run.
"Maybe you can help, Mrs. Scully. You have grandkids, right?
Which one of these frames do you like?" Serena asks.
"I like that one," she says, pointing to one of the frames on the
page. "But that's just me. I like simple. Who's the frame
for?"
"My mother," Mulder tells her. "Even though she may not approve
of Serena, that doesn't change the fact that Samantha's her only
grandchild."
This time she can't hide the disappointment on her face. There's
a child involved. That means things are serious with Mulder and
this girl.
"Mrs. Scully. What's wrong?" Mulder asks her, noticing the look
on her face. "Are you sick?"
"No," she says, trying to paste on a smile. "I was just . . .
caught off guard meeting Serena. Dana didn't tell me about . . .
the uh . . . situation."
"She didn't? That's strange. She was there when I met Serena,"
Mulder says.
"And she doesn't have a . . . problem?" Mrs. Scully wants to
know.
"Why would she?" Mulder asks, his confusion growing more and more
by the second.
"Well, it's just . . . and don't get me wrong, Serena. You seem
like a very nice young lady, but . . ."
"It's me, isn't it? You can't get past my skin color," Serena
guesses.
"What? No. That's not it at all," Mrs. Scully shakes her head.
"I promise it has nothing to do with that. Like I said, Serena,
you seem like a very nice *young* lady. Very young," she says
again, making sure to emphasize the word. When it doesn't look
like they're understanding what she's saying, she decides to just
come right out and say it. "For Heaven's sake. She looks young
enough to be your daughter, Fox."
"I never really thought about it, but she probably is," he
shrugs. "I was already in college when my mother had her, so I
guess technically I'm old enough to be . . . "
"Wait, did you say your mother? So that would make Serena your
sister." Mrs. Scully's eyes are comically wide and all of a
sudden, Serena lets out a big, relieved laugh at the sight and at
the realization of what's really bothering the woman.
"What's so funny?" Mulder asks.
"Mrs. Scully, you thought Fox and I were dating, didn't you?"
Serena smiles.
"I'm so embarrassed," the older woman blushes. "I saw you two
and jumped to the wrong conclusions."
"Don't be embarrassed," Serena tells her. "I'm just sorry I
jumped to the conclusion that you had a problem with me because
of my race."
"No, I told you that wasn't it. I was actually happy for Fox
when I saw how happy you made him. But at the same time, I got
really sad. Fox, I always hoped that someday you and Dana would
stop being so stubborn and admit to each other how you really
feel. When I saw you and Serena together with the baby, I also
saw my dream die. Silly, right?"
"Not so silly, Mrs. Scully," Mulder says, pulling her into a hug.
He gives her a kiss on her cheek before whispering in her ear.
"I have the same dreams as you. I'll see what I can do to make
them come true."
He pulls away and winks at her, watching a huge smile spread
across her face. She bids them good-bye and heads back to her
luncheon, walking with a bit more pep in her step. Perhaps
there's hope after all for her baby girl. With Fox on the case,
she knows it's only a matter of time before those wedding bells
are ringing.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Scully looks up from her book when Mulder walks into the
apartment, a mischievous looking grin pasted on his face.
"I've got a bone to pick with you, young lady," he says, his grin
widening.
"Young lady? What are you, my mother now?" she asks, raising an
eyebrow at him.
"Not exactly," he says, leaning over the back of the couch where
she's sitting to place a kiss on her lips. "But it's interesting
you should mention her. Since it's obvious there are a few
things that you have *forgotten* to mention to her."
"I take it you ran into my mom at the mall," she guesses.
"Um hmm," he nods, sitting down next to her. He smiles to
himself at the feeling of her snuggling up to him. "And she
seemed very . . . surprised seeing me with Serena."
"I understand her being surprised. But she was happy, right?"
"After it was all explained to her," he nods again. "You see,
your dear mother assumed that Serena and I were dating. And
let's just say that she was less than cordial to her when they
met."
"Are you kidding me?" Scully asks, cringing at the very thought.
"I hope she didn't offend Serena."
"Not quite. But Serena misinterpreted your mother's cold
politeness and assumed she had a problem with Serena's race. But
then we all realized that the real problem your mother had with
Serena was how she seemed to be my girlfriend."
"But why would my mother care who you dated?"
"Apparently, I'm quite the catch," he starts, getting a smug leer
on his face, "She can't imagine anyone better for her precious
baby girl than me."
He laughs at the dubious look on her face.
"Okay, seriously," he laughs. "She said that she just always
pictured the two of us together. Seeing me with Serena, she
thought there would be no chance at that. And she was
disappointed."
"I guess I buy that. Mom has always liked you," she says with a
yawn.
"Am I boring you?" he asks her, the humor evident in his voice.
"No, just tired," she yawns again.
"You should go to bed," he suggests, kissing her on her forehead
before standing from his seat next to her.
"Are you leaving?" she asks, a small pout already forming on her
lips.
"I thought you had plans with your mom tomorrow."
"She's picking me up for mass and then we're doing brunch
afterwards. But you can still stay."
"What about your mom? I realized today that Serena wasn't the
only thing you haven't told her about. She has no idea we're
together," he reminds her, a slightly accusing tone in his voice.
"I thought we agreed to keep it secret for a little while. Just
until we got used to the idea ourselves. And especially until we
knew we wouldn't encounter any other danger when the powers that
be learn about us."
"Scully, I've loved you for a long time now," he smiles, kissing
her lips gently. "And whether they know it or not, any time
anything happens to you, it hurts all the same. Besides, this is
your mother we're talking about. I think she deserves to know
that she's raised such a beautiful and loving daughter that has
made me happier than I've ever been in my whole life."
"You're probably right," she nods, agreeing with him. "I think
she'd be happy for us. How about you meet us for brunch and we
can tell her then?"
They both smile, sealing the deal with a kiss before heading off
to bed. Scully is content with the fact that for once,
everything in her life is as it should be.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Nine hours later, she's not feeling quite the same way. She
squints at the fragments of her alarm clock littering her bedroom
floor. She vaguely remembers kicking something off the
nightstand when things got a little steamy between her and Mulder
after they went to bed. She sees now that it was her alarm
clock. The one that was supposed to wake her up hours ago to
send Mulder home before her mother arrived.
"Get up, Mulder," she growls, delivering a sharp elbow jab to his
ribs. "We overslept."
"Morning, Baby," he says in his scratchy morning voice, leaning
over to attempt to kiss her.
"Don't 'Baby' me," she hisses, pushing him away from her before
jumping out the bed. "My mother will be here any minute. Get up
and get out!"
"Scully, what . . ." he stopped by his pants flying through the
air and landing on his head. He has to duck to avoid the shoe
that comes his way next. "Scully," he whines.
She looks over at the bed and sees the pathetic, confused look on
his face. She can't resist that face. It's like a little boy
getting yelled at by his mommy for no apparent reason.
Instantly, all anger leaves her. Besides, it's not his fault
they're running late. Well, not *entirely* his fault anyway.
She still doesn't know where he learned to do . . . that thing he
did that got her all worked up last night, she thinks with a
blush.
"I'm sorry, Baby," she says sweetly, sitting down next to him on
the bed. "Let's start over." She leans over and captures his
mouth in a good morning kiss that leaves him panting for more.
"That's a much better wake up call," he smiles, pulling her down
on top of him. He lures her into another kiss, using his hands
to divest her of the robe she had just put on. Neither of them
notice anything going on around them. They're startled back to
reality by a loud gasp coming from the doorway.
"Oh," a blushing Mrs. Scully squeaks as she stands in shock. She
watches with some amusement as her daughter scrambles off the
naked man beneath her and pulls her robe tight around her body.
"Mom, what are you doing here?"
"It's Sunday, Dana. Mass? Brunch? I came to pick you up," Mrs.
Scully explains.
"I know that," Scully says, rolling her eyes. "But what are you
doing in here? In my bedroom?"
"I guess I could ask you the same question." Mrs. Scully puts her
hands on her hips and looks pointedly at her now embarrassed
daughter and then to the equally embarrassed Mulder still in the
bed.
"We overslept," Mulder tries to explain.
"Right," Mrs. Scully says sarcastically. "I may be old, but
sleeping is not what I walked in on."
Mulder and Scully both drop their heads in shame and miss the
amused grin that Mrs. Scully can no longer keep from her face.
They both look up when they hear the laughter erupt from her
lips.
"Relax, Dana," she laughs. "Before Mulder thinks I raised a
prude."
"Mom," she gasps in shock, her face reddening more than she ever
thought possible.
"A prude she's not, Mrs. Scully," Mulder adds to the teasing,
finally seeing the humor in the situation.
"Mulder," Scully gasps again. She opens her mouth to say
something to her mother, but changes her mind and storms off to
the bathroom in a huff.
"Looks like I ruined the morning you two had planned," Mrs.
Scully says, sounding truly sorry.
"She's just embarrassed," he smiles. "Can you excuse us? Give
us a few minutes to get decent?" He looks down at just the
blanket he's wearing and hears her chuckle again.
"Don't bother. I'll leave you two alone. Tell Dana that based
on what I walked in on, I know she'll have plenty to confess,"
she laughs. "But we'll never make it on time if I wait for her.
I'll go to mass by myself and we can meet later for lunch. Fox,
you should come too. And invite your sister along. I'd love to
get to know her."
"Thanks, Mrs. Scully," he smiles. "I'd like that too."
He waves to her as she walks out the door and listens for the
closing of the outer door before venturing out of the bed. He
goes to the bathroom and knocks on the door, calling out the
Scully.
"She's gone," he says, waiting for a response. "She told us to
get back to what we were doing and to enjoy ourselves."
"She did not," Scully gasps, opening the door. When she sees the
smirk on his face she playfully hits him on the arm. "You are
such a liar, Fox Mulder."
"Okay," he laughs. "Maybe she didn't say that."
"Oh, I *know* she didn't say that. In fact, I'm shocked she's
not dragging me to the priest for confession as we speak."
"She did mention something about confession," he says with a
chuckle that turns into full blown laughter when he sees her
blush again.
"Don't laugh, Mulder. I am so embarrassed. That has never
happened to me before. How would you feel if your mother walked
in on you having sex?"
"Number one, we weren't having sex . . . yet," he smirks. "And
based on the look on your face, we're not going to finish what we
started, are we?"
"Brilliant deduction, G-man."
"Yeah. That's what I thought," he sighs. "Anyway, the second
thing is that I've had a similar experience. Except I wasn't,
um, with anybody. My mother walked in on me when I had a couple
of magazines, if you know what I mean."
"Yeah, I think so," she giggles, falling into his arms for a hug.
"Thanks for making me feel better. You always know what to say."
"Thanks for letting me make you feel better," he says. "It's
good to know you need me as much as I need you."
"Of course I need you," she says, pulling out of his arms to look
at him. "I always have."
"Don't look at me like that," he growls, bending down to kiss her
neck. "You're going to start something that even I am too
traumatized to finish right about now."
"Okay," she giggles. "I'm going to go take a shower, then.
Alone," she adds when he gives her a hopeful look.
"I'll go home and get changed. Your mom invited me to lunch with
you guys if that's okay with you. She invited Serena too. So I
need to call her." He gives her one more kiss before pushing her
back into the bathroom for her shower.
Taking one more look around the bedroom, he can't help but laugh
at the sight Mrs. Scully was greeted with. The clothes they
ripped off last night were still thrown wildly around the room,
his own boxers hanging precariously on a lamp. No wonder she
knew exactly what had been going on in this bedroom he thinks
with a smile. He has a feeling this is going to be one of the
most interesting lunches he's ever had.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Mulder and Serena arrive at the restaurant first, getting a table
when they don't see Scully and her mother. After the waiter
brings a high seat for Samantha, Serena starts in on Mulder and
his morning.
"So, she walked in on the two of you," she laughs. "That must
have been . . . interesting."
"Yes, it was an experience that I somehow managed to avoid for
the first thirty odd years of my life," he says, joining in her
laughter. "Getting caught in bed with my girlfriend by her
mother. Rena, I don't think I've ever been so embarrassed."
"I couldn't even imagine," she giggles, putting a few pieces of
fruit chunks in Samantha's bowl to keep her quiet.
"Mrs. Scully took it in stride, though," he smiles. "She seemed
to be pretty amused by the situation. But then again, she always
seems to be able to handle whatever life throws her way. She's
held me together more times than I can even count."
"Sounds like you're pretty fond of her," Serena notices.
"She's great. She's like the mother I never had."
"That's not saying much about Teena," Serena says, raising her
eyebrows at him.
"I guess not," he shrugs. "I used to try to defend her. And
honestly, I think she did the best that she could with the
situation she had to face. But I also realize that I deserved
more from a mother. Especially after I met Margaret Scully.
It's like she's taken me in and shown me more love than our
mother was ever capable of."
"She sounds like quite a woman," Serena smiles warmly. "I can't
wait to get to know her."
"Well, you don't have to wait any longer," he says, standing up
from his seat. He waits for Scully and her mother to reach the
table and helps them into their seats, placing a kiss on Mrs.
Scully's cheek and one on Scully's lips.
"Thank you, Fox," Mrs. Scully says, giving him a knowing smile,
causing him to instantly blush.
"How was Mass, Mrs. Scully?" he asks, taking his seat.
"Good. It would have been better if Dana had been there, but she
was a bit, um . . . occupied at the time."
Scully practically chokes on the water she's drinking.
"Mother," she grits out between clenched teeth. "I thought this
was over." She gives Mulder an evil glare when she notices him
trying to hold in his laughter.
"Your mother's just teasing, Dana," Serena laughs.
"Thank you, Serena. It's nice to see someone around here with a
sense of humor," Mrs. Scully says, picking up a menu. "Now,
what's good here?"
Scully just shakes her head, knowing that's her mother's way of
saying that the conversation is over. But that's fine with her.
This morning is something she'd rather forget. In all fairness,
though, her mother isn't giving her as hard a time as she'd
expect she would. Looking at her mother, she can see that she's
truly happy for her and Mulder. She can see the genuine interest
she has in getting to know Serena and Samantha. Despite the
teasing, her mother is the best person she knows. And never
before has she loved the woman more.
With a sigh, she looks at her own menu and tries to decide on
something. But she's too distracted by her own silent prayers
for her mother, and even Mulder for that matter, to behave the
rest of the meal. She doesn't think she can take any more
teasing. Maybe she should have gone to mass after all . . .
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Lovely meal, Fox. Thank you for recommending this place," Mrs.
Scully says after lunch is over. "But I think I've taken up
enough of yours and Dana's day."
"You ready to go? I can drop you off to my place to pick up your
car," Scully offers.
"Or, since Fox rode with me, you can take him home, Dana, and I
can take your mother to get her car. That is if you don't mind
riding with the baby," Serena suggests.
"That would be great," Mrs. Scully smiles, standing up from her
seat. She hugs both Mulder and Scully while waiting for Serena
to retrieve Samantha from the high chair. "You two enjoy the
rest of the day."
"We'll walk you out," Mulder offers, dropping some money on the
table to pay the bill. He grabs the baby out of Serena's arms
and gives her a big kiss, causing her to break out in babyish
giggles. He straps her in the car seat and waves to Serena as
she carefully pulls out into traffic.
"That wasn't as bad as I thought it would be," he confesses to
Scully after they're gone. He throws his arm casually around her
shoulder, pulling her closer to him. She surprisingly snuggles
into his embrace, despite them being out in public. He can't
hide his smile.
"That's because you didn't have to ride in the car with her on
the way here," Scully reminds him. "But seriously, I think she's
just happy for us. Happy that we're finally together. I know I
couldn't be happier."
"Me neither," he says, giving her a kiss on the forehead. "Life
is good."
"Let's hope it stays that way," she adds in almost a whisper.
But they both know better. Just when things are good, disaster
seems to strike. Mulder can practically see the dark clouds
gathering overhead. He just has to hang on to Scully to make
sure they ride out the storm together as usual.
To be continued . . .
Author - Henle Girl
Rating - PG
Category - Mulder/Scully Romance, Alternate Universe
Summary - Sequel to Second Chances. AU. Just because a woman
has a child, that doesn't make her a mother.
Disclaimer - The characters don't belong to me. I'm just
borrowing them for my own therapeutic purposes. They will be
returned relatively unharmed to Chris Carter, or whoever wants
to borrow them next, when I'm done.
Feedback: PLEASE!!! Henle_Girl@hotmail.com
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Chapter 1
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Ritz Carlton Lobby
Pentagon City, VA
The women all laugh at the poor excuse of a joke the chairperson
makes. All except for one. Margaret Scully takes another sip of
her tea, trying hard to avoid rolling her eyes at the group of
people that surrounds her. Every year, she subjects herself to
these types of luncheons to solicit funds for her church's youth
advocacy program. These events are more of a way for these women
to show off how much money they're giving away. They have taken
the love out of charity.
With another sigh, she gazes longingly out into the mall,
watching the people flit back and forth and wishing she were with
them. Wishing she were anywhere except with a bunch of stuck up,
pretentious women she's forced to make nice with. And as if her
silent prayers were answered, she suddenly sees the perfect way
to make her escape. With a smile, she turns to her companions
and excuses herself, walking briskly through the lobby and out
into the mall.
"Fox," she calls out, smiling and waving when the man turns
around. "What are you doing here?"
"Hello, Mrs. Scully," he smiles. "It's good to see you. Getting
a little shopping done?"
"I wish. I'm here on church business so to speak. But I'm glad
to get away." She looks at his packages and sees a lady's
handbag as well as bags from several women's clothing stores.
"Is Dana here with you?"
"No. She's . . . " He's interrupted by another woman coming up
with him, pushing a baby stroller. Margaret looks in confusion
at the two, wondering what's going on.
"Fox, I can't decide on which frame to get. Which one do you
like?" she asks, before looking up and seeing that he's busy.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were speaking with
someone."
"That's okay, Serena. It's time you two met. Serena, this is
Mrs. Scully," he introduces.
"You're Dana's mom," Serena smiles, offering her hand to Mrs.
Scully's to shake. "It's so nice to finally meet you."
"Nice to meet you too," Margaret says, trying hard to hide her
shock at seeing Mulder with a woman other than her daughter.
"So, you and Dana know each other?"
"Of course," Serena giggles her girl like giggle. "She's turned
out to be one of the best friends I ever had. And Samantha
adores her."
"Samantha?"
"My daughter," Serena explains, letting Mrs. Scully get a look
inside the stroller.
"We're here to pick up some pictures she had taken. Among other
things," Mulder says, looking at his sister and holding up all
the packages in his arms.
"That's what you get coming to the mall with a woman, Fox,"
Serena giggles again, bringing a smile to Mulder's face.
With a sinking feeling, Mrs. Scully can see how much he adores
this woman. She's happy for him, but still sad at what it means
in the long run.
"Maybe you can help, Mrs. Scully. You have grandkids, right?
Which one of these frames do you like?" Serena asks.
"I like that one," she says, pointing to one of the frames on the
page. "But that's just me. I like simple. Who's the frame
for?"
"My mother," Mulder tells her. "Even though she may not approve
of Serena, that doesn't change the fact that Samantha's her only
grandchild."
This time she can't hide the disappointment on her face. There's
a child involved. That means things are serious with Mulder and
this girl.
"Mrs. Scully. What's wrong?" Mulder asks her, noticing the look
on her face. "Are you sick?"
"No," she says, trying to paste on a smile. "I was just . . .
caught off guard meeting Serena. Dana didn't tell me about . . .
the uh . . . situation."
"She didn't? That's strange. She was there when I met Serena,"
Mulder says.
"And she doesn't have a . . . problem?" Mrs. Scully wants to
know.
"Why would she?" Mulder asks, his confusion growing more and more
by the second.
"Well, it's just . . . and don't get me wrong, Serena. You seem
like a very nice young lady, but . . ."
"It's me, isn't it? You can't get past my skin color," Serena
guesses.
"What? No. That's not it at all," Mrs. Scully shakes her head.
"I promise it has nothing to do with that. Like I said, Serena,
you seem like a very nice *young* lady. Very young," she says
again, making sure to emphasize the word. When it doesn't look
like they're understanding what she's saying, she decides to just
come right out and say it. "For Heaven's sake. She looks young
enough to be your daughter, Fox."
"I never really thought about it, but she probably is," he
shrugs. "I was already in college when my mother had her, so I
guess technically I'm old enough to be . . . "
"Wait, did you say your mother? So that would make Serena your
sister." Mrs. Scully's eyes are comically wide and all of a
sudden, Serena lets out a big, relieved laugh at the sight and at
the realization of what's really bothering the woman.
"What's so funny?" Mulder asks.
"Mrs. Scully, you thought Fox and I were dating, didn't you?"
Serena smiles.
"I'm so embarrassed," the older woman blushes. "I saw you two
and jumped to the wrong conclusions."
"Don't be embarrassed," Serena tells her. "I'm just sorry I
jumped to the conclusion that you had a problem with me because
of my race."
"No, I told you that wasn't it. I was actually happy for Fox
when I saw how happy you made him. But at the same time, I got
really sad. Fox, I always hoped that someday you and Dana would
stop being so stubborn and admit to each other how you really
feel. When I saw you and Serena together with the baby, I also
saw my dream die. Silly, right?"
"Not so silly, Mrs. Scully," Mulder says, pulling her into a hug.
He gives her a kiss on her cheek before whispering in her ear.
"I have the same dreams as you. I'll see what I can do to make
them come true."
He pulls away and winks at her, watching a huge smile spread
across her face. She bids them good-bye and heads back to her
luncheon, walking with a bit more pep in her step. Perhaps
there's hope after all for her baby girl. With Fox on the case,
she knows it's only a matter of time before those wedding bells
are ringing.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Scully looks up from her book when Mulder walks into the
apartment, a mischievous looking grin pasted on his face.
"I've got a bone to pick with you, young lady," he says, his grin
widening.
"Young lady? What are you, my mother now?" she asks, raising an
eyebrow at him.
"Not exactly," he says, leaning over the back of the couch where
she's sitting to place a kiss on her lips. "But it's interesting
you should mention her. Since it's obvious there are a few
things that you have *forgotten* to mention to her."
"I take it you ran into my mom at the mall," she guesses.
"Um hmm," he nods, sitting down next to her. He smiles to
himself at the feeling of her snuggling up to him. "And she
seemed very . . . surprised seeing me with Serena."
"I understand her being surprised. But she was happy, right?"
"After it was all explained to her," he nods again. "You see,
your dear mother assumed that Serena and I were dating. And
let's just say that she was less than cordial to her when they
met."
"Are you kidding me?" Scully asks, cringing at the very thought.
"I hope she didn't offend Serena."
"Not quite. But Serena misinterpreted your mother's cold
politeness and assumed she had a problem with Serena's race. But
then we all realized that the real problem your mother had with
Serena was how she seemed to be my girlfriend."
"But why would my mother care who you dated?"
"Apparently, I'm quite the catch," he starts, getting a smug leer
on his face, "She can't imagine anyone better for her precious
baby girl than me."
He laughs at the dubious look on her face.
"Okay, seriously," he laughs. "She said that she just always
pictured the two of us together. Seeing me with Serena, she
thought there would be no chance at that. And she was
disappointed."
"I guess I buy that. Mom has always liked you," she says with a
yawn.
"Am I boring you?" he asks her, the humor evident in his voice.
"No, just tired," she yawns again.
"You should go to bed," he suggests, kissing her on her forehead
before standing from his seat next to her.
"Are you leaving?" she asks, a small pout already forming on her
lips.
"I thought you had plans with your mom tomorrow."
"She's picking me up for mass and then we're doing brunch
afterwards. But you can still stay."
"What about your mom? I realized today that Serena wasn't the
only thing you haven't told her about. She has no idea we're
together," he reminds her, a slightly accusing tone in his voice.
"I thought we agreed to keep it secret for a little while. Just
until we got used to the idea ourselves. And especially until we
knew we wouldn't encounter any other danger when the powers that
be learn about us."
"Scully, I've loved you for a long time now," he smiles, kissing
her lips gently. "And whether they know it or not, any time
anything happens to you, it hurts all the same. Besides, this is
your mother we're talking about. I think she deserves to know
that she's raised such a beautiful and loving daughter that has
made me happier than I've ever been in my whole life."
"You're probably right," she nods, agreeing with him. "I think
she'd be happy for us. How about you meet us for brunch and we
can tell her then?"
They both smile, sealing the deal with a kiss before heading off
to bed. Scully is content with the fact that for once,
everything in her life is as it should be.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Nine hours later, she's not feeling quite the same way. She
squints at the fragments of her alarm clock littering her bedroom
floor. She vaguely remembers kicking something off the
nightstand when things got a little steamy between her and Mulder
after they went to bed. She sees now that it was her alarm
clock. The one that was supposed to wake her up hours ago to
send Mulder home before her mother arrived.
"Get up, Mulder," she growls, delivering a sharp elbow jab to his
ribs. "We overslept."
"Morning, Baby," he says in his scratchy morning voice, leaning
over to attempt to kiss her.
"Don't 'Baby' me," she hisses, pushing him away from her before
jumping out the bed. "My mother will be here any minute. Get up
and get out!"
"Scully, what . . ." he stopped by his pants flying through the
air and landing on his head. He has to duck to avoid the shoe
that comes his way next. "Scully," he whines.
She looks over at the bed and sees the pathetic, confused look on
his face. She can't resist that face. It's like a little boy
getting yelled at by his mommy for no apparent reason.
Instantly, all anger leaves her. Besides, it's not his fault
they're running late. Well, not *entirely* his fault anyway.
She still doesn't know where he learned to do . . . that thing he
did that got her all worked up last night, she thinks with a
blush.
"I'm sorry, Baby," she says sweetly, sitting down next to him on
the bed. "Let's start over." She leans over and captures his
mouth in a good morning kiss that leaves him panting for more.
"That's a much better wake up call," he smiles, pulling her down
on top of him. He lures her into another kiss, using his hands
to divest her of the robe she had just put on. Neither of them
notice anything going on around them. They're startled back to
reality by a loud gasp coming from the doorway.
"Oh," a blushing Mrs. Scully squeaks as she stands in shock. She
watches with some amusement as her daughter scrambles off the
naked man beneath her and pulls her robe tight around her body.
"Mom, what are you doing here?"
"It's Sunday, Dana. Mass? Brunch? I came to pick you up," Mrs.
Scully explains.
"I know that," Scully says, rolling her eyes. "But what are you
doing in here? In my bedroom?"
"I guess I could ask you the same question." Mrs. Scully puts her
hands on her hips and looks pointedly at her now embarrassed
daughter and then to the equally embarrassed Mulder still in the
bed.
"We overslept," Mulder tries to explain.
"Right," Mrs. Scully says sarcastically. "I may be old, but
sleeping is not what I walked in on."
Mulder and Scully both drop their heads in shame and miss the
amused grin that Mrs. Scully can no longer keep from her face.
They both look up when they hear the laughter erupt from her
lips.
"Relax, Dana," she laughs. "Before Mulder thinks I raised a
prude."
"Mom," she gasps in shock, her face reddening more than she ever
thought possible.
"A prude she's not, Mrs. Scully," Mulder adds to the teasing,
finally seeing the humor in the situation.
"Mulder," Scully gasps again. She opens her mouth to say
something to her mother, but changes her mind and storms off to
the bathroom in a huff.
"Looks like I ruined the morning you two had planned," Mrs.
Scully says, sounding truly sorry.
"She's just embarrassed," he smiles. "Can you excuse us? Give
us a few minutes to get decent?" He looks down at just the
blanket he's wearing and hears her chuckle again.
"Don't bother. I'll leave you two alone. Tell Dana that based
on what I walked in on, I know she'll have plenty to confess,"
she laughs. "But we'll never make it on time if I wait for her.
I'll go to mass by myself and we can meet later for lunch. Fox,
you should come too. And invite your sister along. I'd love to
get to know her."
"Thanks, Mrs. Scully," he smiles. "I'd like that too."
He waves to her as she walks out the door and listens for the
closing of the outer door before venturing out of the bed. He
goes to the bathroom and knocks on the door, calling out the
Scully.
"She's gone," he says, waiting for a response. "She told us to
get back to what we were doing and to enjoy ourselves."
"She did not," Scully gasps, opening the door. When she sees the
smirk on his face she playfully hits him on the arm. "You are
such a liar, Fox Mulder."
"Okay," he laughs. "Maybe she didn't say that."
"Oh, I *know* she didn't say that. In fact, I'm shocked she's
not dragging me to the priest for confession as we speak."
"She did mention something about confession," he says with a
chuckle that turns into full blown laughter when he sees her
blush again.
"Don't laugh, Mulder. I am so embarrassed. That has never
happened to me before. How would you feel if your mother walked
in on you having sex?"
"Number one, we weren't having sex . . . yet," he smirks. "And
based on the look on your face, we're not going to finish what we
started, are we?"
"Brilliant deduction, G-man."
"Yeah. That's what I thought," he sighs. "Anyway, the second
thing is that I've had a similar experience. Except I wasn't,
um, with anybody. My mother walked in on me when I had a couple
of magazines, if you know what I mean."
"Yeah, I think so," she giggles, falling into his arms for a hug.
"Thanks for making me feel better. You always know what to say."
"Thanks for letting me make you feel better," he says. "It's
good to know you need me as much as I need you."
"Of course I need you," she says, pulling out of his arms to look
at him. "I always have."
"Don't look at me like that," he growls, bending down to kiss her
neck. "You're going to start something that even I am too
traumatized to finish right about now."
"Okay," she giggles. "I'm going to go take a shower, then.
Alone," she adds when he gives her a hopeful look.
"I'll go home and get changed. Your mom invited me to lunch with
you guys if that's okay with you. She invited Serena too. So I
need to call her." He gives her one more kiss before pushing her
back into the bathroom for her shower.
Taking one more look around the bedroom, he can't help but laugh
at the sight Mrs. Scully was greeted with. The clothes they
ripped off last night were still thrown wildly around the room,
his own boxers hanging precariously on a lamp. No wonder she
knew exactly what had been going on in this bedroom he thinks
with a smile. He has a feeling this is going to be one of the
most interesting lunches he's ever had.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Mulder and Serena arrive at the restaurant first, getting a table
when they don't see Scully and her mother. After the waiter
brings a high seat for Samantha, Serena starts in on Mulder and
his morning.
"So, she walked in on the two of you," she laughs. "That must
have been . . . interesting."
"Yes, it was an experience that I somehow managed to avoid for
the first thirty odd years of my life," he says, joining in her
laughter. "Getting caught in bed with my girlfriend by her
mother. Rena, I don't think I've ever been so embarrassed."
"I couldn't even imagine," she giggles, putting a few pieces of
fruit chunks in Samantha's bowl to keep her quiet.
"Mrs. Scully took it in stride, though," he smiles. "She seemed
to be pretty amused by the situation. But then again, she always
seems to be able to handle whatever life throws her way. She's
held me together more times than I can even count."
"Sounds like you're pretty fond of her," Serena notices.
"She's great. She's like the mother I never had."
"That's not saying much about Teena," Serena says, raising her
eyebrows at him.
"I guess not," he shrugs. "I used to try to defend her. And
honestly, I think she did the best that she could with the
situation she had to face. But I also realize that I deserved
more from a mother. Especially after I met Margaret Scully.
It's like she's taken me in and shown me more love than our
mother was ever capable of."
"She sounds like quite a woman," Serena smiles warmly. "I can't
wait to get to know her."
"Well, you don't have to wait any longer," he says, standing up
from his seat. He waits for Scully and her mother to reach the
table and helps them into their seats, placing a kiss on Mrs.
Scully's cheek and one on Scully's lips.
"Thank you, Fox," Mrs. Scully says, giving him a knowing smile,
causing him to instantly blush.
"How was Mass, Mrs. Scully?" he asks, taking his seat.
"Good. It would have been better if Dana had been there, but she
was a bit, um . . . occupied at the time."
Scully practically chokes on the water she's drinking.
"Mother," she grits out between clenched teeth. "I thought this
was over." She gives Mulder an evil glare when she notices him
trying to hold in his laughter.
"Your mother's just teasing, Dana," Serena laughs.
"Thank you, Serena. It's nice to see someone around here with a
sense of humor," Mrs. Scully says, picking up a menu. "Now,
what's good here?"
Scully just shakes her head, knowing that's her mother's way of
saying that the conversation is over. But that's fine with her.
This morning is something she'd rather forget. In all fairness,
though, her mother isn't giving her as hard a time as she'd
expect she would. Looking at her mother, she can see that she's
truly happy for her and Mulder. She can see the genuine interest
she has in getting to know Serena and Samantha. Despite the
teasing, her mother is the best person she knows. And never
before has she loved the woman more.
With a sigh, she looks at her own menu and tries to decide on
something. But she's too distracted by her own silent prayers
for her mother, and even Mulder for that matter, to behave the
rest of the meal. She doesn't think she can take any more
teasing. Maybe she should have gone to mass after all . . .
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Lovely meal, Fox. Thank you for recommending this place," Mrs.
Scully says after lunch is over. "But I think I've taken up
enough of yours and Dana's day."
"You ready to go? I can drop you off to my place to pick up your
car," Scully offers.
"Or, since Fox rode with me, you can take him home, Dana, and I
can take your mother to get her car. That is if you don't mind
riding with the baby," Serena suggests.
"That would be great," Mrs. Scully smiles, standing up from her
seat. She hugs both Mulder and Scully while waiting for Serena
to retrieve Samantha from the high chair. "You two enjoy the
rest of the day."
"We'll walk you out," Mulder offers, dropping some money on the
table to pay the bill. He grabs the baby out of Serena's arms
and gives her a big kiss, causing her to break out in babyish
giggles. He straps her in the car seat and waves to Serena as
she carefully pulls out into traffic.
"That wasn't as bad as I thought it would be," he confesses to
Scully after they're gone. He throws his arm casually around her
shoulder, pulling her closer to him. She surprisingly snuggles
into his embrace, despite them being out in public. He can't
hide his smile.
"That's because you didn't have to ride in the car with her on
the way here," Scully reminds him. "But seriously, I think she's
just happy for us. Happy that we're finally together. I know I
couldn't be happier."
"Me neither," he says, giving her a kiss on the forehead. "Life
is good."
"Let's hope it stays that way," she adds in almost a whisper.
But they both know better. Just when things are good, disaster
seems to strike. Mulder can practically see the dark clouds
gathering overhead. He just has to hang on to Scully to make
sure they ride out the storm together as usual.
To be continued . . .