Less than an hour later, they were being led into an observation room. On the other side of the two-way mirror was a large, bright room where a fair-haired child was busy drawing.
"Is that her?" the woman who had been waiting for them, a Ms.Anwar, asked.
"It looks like her," Mulder said.
"Agent Mulder, I got the papers from San Diego: police reports, court transcripts, everything; but this whole story ... "
Mulder nodded. "Not easy to believe."
"I must warn you," she said to Scully, "even if the judge in San Diego gave you custody, you'll probably have to go through the whole process again. That is, if the blood tests confirm that that is Emily."
Scully remained staring out the window, toying with the gold chain and cross around her neck. "She won't like that. She doesn't like tests."
Mulder touched her shoulder. "Why don't you let me get in there first? Maybe it's not her."
She didn't reply. He left the room, grabbing a wrapped package from a chair. Through the window, she and the social worker watched him going into the next room.
"Emily?" he called softly.
The child looked up briefly, and then resumed drawing. Mulder sat on the floor and placed the packaged in front of her, but the bright wrapping didn't seem to attract the child's attention.
"She hardly reacts to anything at all," Ms.Anwar said.
Mulder was looking at the obvious purple flower the child was drawing. "What are you drawing?" he asked purposefully.
Scully's fingers stopped fidgeting with the cross. Two years, he couldn't expect her to remember! She drew nearer to the window, waiting for the child to reply.
The girl put down her crayon and stared seriously at Mulder. "A potato."
Scully gasped. Ms.Anwar looked at her, puzzled. "I suppose this means something?" Scully just nodded.
A smile had started to pull at the corner of Mulder's mouth. "Do you know Mr.Potato Head?"
The child's eyes were locked with his as she nodded gravely. "He looks like this, doesn't he?" Mulder said, puffing his cheeks and rolling his eyes.
Emily sprung up, wrapping her arms around his neck. Mulder hugged her and Scully noticed his hand looking for the lump on the back of the child's neck. He looked at Scully through the mirror and shook his head. She felt unable to move.
Emily looked at the door, then at Mulder. He smiled reassuringly. "She'll be right along."
"Is she mad?"
"Why would she be mad?"
"I lost my thing she gave me."
"It's okay, " Scully said from the door. She sat on the floor next to Mulder. "See, we found it." She took the gold chain from her neck and placed it around the child's.
Emily looked shyly at the package. Mulder placed it in her lap and she unwrapped it eagerly. Scully too was curious to see what it was. Mulder had insisted on stopping at a toy store on their way there, but she hadn't seen what he'd bought.
"It's a kitty," Emily said, showing her the stuffed animal, her little fingers digging into the gray plush.
"Actually," Mulder said, "it's a raccoon."
Emily didn't seem to be listening. "Can we go home now?"
Scully straightened a lock of the child's hair. "No, honey, not yet."
"How come?"
"First, we have to prove you're Emily." She smiled at the child's frown. "Then we have to convince the judge I'll be a good mummy so they'll let me take you home."
"When?"
"I don't know yet," she said, hoping they'd hurry up setting a date for the hearing. For the child's sake and her own.
"Is that her?" the woman who had been waiting for them, a Ms.Anwar, asked.
"It looks like her," Mulder said.
"Agent Mulder, I got the papers from San Diego: police reports, court transcripts, everything; but this whole story ... "
Mulder nodded. "Not easy to believe."
"I must warn you," she said to Scully, "even if the judge in San Diego gave you custody, you'll probably have to go through the whole process again. That is, if the blood tests confirm that that is Emily."
Scully remained staring out the window, toying with the gold chain and cross around her neck. "She won't like that. She doesn't like tests."
Mulder touched her shoulder. "Why don't you let me get in there first? Maybe it's not her."
She didn't reply. He left the room, grabbing a wrapped package from a chair. Through the window, she and the social worker watched him going into the next room.
"Emily?" he called softly.
The child looked up briefly, and then resumed drawing. Mulder sat on the floor and placed the packaged in front of her, but the bright wrapping didn't seem to attract the child's attention.
"She hardly reacts to anything at all," Ms.Anwar said.
Mulder was looking at the obvious purple flower the child was drawing. "What are you drawing?" he asked purposefully.
Scully's fingers stopped fidgeting with the cross. Two years, he couldn't expect her to remember! She drew nearer to the window, waiting for the child to reply.
The girl put down her crayon and stared seriously at Mulder. "A potato."
Scully gasped. Ms.Anwar looked at her, puzzled. "I suppose this means something?" Scully just nodded.
A smile had started to pull at the corner of Mulder's mouth. "Do you know Mr.Potato Head?"
The child's eyes were locked with his as she nodded gravely. "He looks like this, doesn't he?" Mulder said, puffing his cheeks and rolling his eyes.
Emily sprung up, wrapping her arms around his neck. Mulder hugged her and Scully noticed his hand looking for the lump on the back of the child's neck. He looked at Scully through the mirror and shook his head. She felt unable to move.
Emily looked at the door, then at Mulder. He smiled reassuringly. "She'll be right along."
"Is she mad?"
"Why would she be mad?"
"I lost my thing she gave me."
"It's okay, " Scully said from the door. She sat on the floor next to Mulder. "See, we found it." She took the gold chain from her neck and placed it around the child's.
Emily looked shyly at the package. Mulder placed it in her lap and she unwrapped it eagerly. Scully too was curious to see what it was. Mulder had insisted on stopping at a toy store on their way there, but she hadn't seen what he'd bought.
"It's a kitty," Emily said, showing her the stuffed animal, her little fingers digging into the gray plush.
"Actually," Mulder said, "it's a raccoon."
Emily didn't seem to be listening. "Can we go home now?"
Scully straightened a lock of the child's hair. "No, honey, not yet."
"How come?"
"First, we have to prove you're Emily." She smiled at the child's frown. "Then we have to convince the judge I'll be a good mummy so they'll let me take you home."
"When?"
"I don't know yet," she said, hoping they'd hurry up setting a date for the hearing. For the child's sake and her own.