The hearing had been over for at least two hours, and he couldn't find Scully anywhere. She wasn't at home and she wasn't answering her cell phone.
Mulder felt guilty for not having been able to be there for her. He fumbled for his keys and opened the door to his apartment. Maybe she had left him a message.
Instead of a message from Scully, he found Scully herself, sitting in his living room in the dark. He switched on the lights, making her look up at him.
"How was the Stevenson trial?" she asked.
"We got a conviction." He sat down next to her. "I'm sorry I couldn't be at the hearing. "
"You talked to the judge, that's what matters."
"So, how did it go? They gave you custody, right?" Her behaviour was beginning to worry him.
"Joint custody."
"Joint custody? With whom?"
She looked at her hands. "My mother."
"I don't understand."
"The judge said it would make no difference my leaving the Bureau, that I was the sort of person that couldn't go through life without ... interfering. He said he didn't want to punish me for a conduct he found most commendable, but he had to think of Emily's safety. That's when my mother interfered."
He rubbed the back of her head. "He took the halfway solution: you have custody but not entirely."
"Emily has to live with my mother, I get her on weekends. And she has to go to therapy once a week."
"Therapy'll be good for her. And you know your mother will let you take Emily whenever you want." He pushed a few magazines aside and sat on the coffee table. "I know it's not what you expected, but they could've just taken her away."
"I know."
"Can I say something awful?"
She looked up with a soft smile. "I'm glad I'm not leaving the Bureau too."
He stood up, scratching his head. "Actually, I was going to ask if you could please stop moping around. "I'm starving and - "
At this point he was interrupted by a pillow hurled at his face. He laughed. "C'mon, partner. What do you say we get your mother and Emily and go celebrate?"
"Okay, but we'll have to take Constance too."
"Who's Constance?"
It was her turn to laugh. "You'll see."
Mulder felt guilty for not having been able to be there for her. He fumbled for his keys and opened the door to his apartment. Maybe she had left him a message.
Instead of a message from Scully, he found Scully herself, sitting in his living room in the dark. He switched on the lights, making her look up at him.
"How was the Stevenson trial?" she asked.
"We got a conviction." He sat down next to her. "I'm sorry I couldn't be at the hearing. "
"You talked to the judge, that's what matters."
"So, how did it go? They gave you custody, right?" Her behaviour was beginning to worry him.
"Joint custody."
"Joint custody? With whom?"
She looked at her hands. "My mother."
"I don't understand."
"The judge said it would make no difference my leaving the Bureau, that I was the sort of person that couldn't go through life without ... interfering. He said he didn't want to punish me for a conduct he found most commendable, but he had to think of Emily's safety. That's when my mother interfered."
He rubbed the back of her head. "He took the halfway solution: you have custody but not entirely."
"Emily has to live with my mother, I get her on weekends. And she has to go to therapy once a week."
"Therapy'll be good for her. And you know your mother will let you take Emily whenever you want." He pushed a few magazines aside and sat on the coffee table. "I know it's not what you expected, but they could've just taken her away."
"I know."
"Can I say something awful?"
She looked up with a soft smile. "I'm glad I'm not leaving the Bureau too."
He stood up, scratching his head. "Actually, I was going to ask if you could please stop moping around. "I'm starving and - "
At this point he was interrupted by a pillow hurled at his face. He laughed. "C'mon, partner. What do you say we get your mother and Emily and go celebrate?"
"Okay, but we'll have to take Constance too."
"Who's Constance?"
It was her turn to laugh. "You'll see."