Three weeks had passed since the hearing and Emily seemed to be recovering well. Scully watched the child sitting on the elevator floor, conducting some mysterious conversation with her plush raccoon. She looked and behaved just like any other five-year-old, but her therapist insisted it was still too soon to be sure.
The elevator reached the fourth floor and the doors opened. Emily stood up and ran to the door of apartment 42. She knocked on the door, and kept knocking until a startled Mulder opened it.
The child held her arms up, saying, "Airplane kiss!"
Mulder lift her up over his head, then lowered upside down until his lips touched her cheek. "You're getting too heavy for this," he said, putting her down and following her into the living room.
"Can Constance play with the fishes?"
"Sure."
Scully gave him a look. "Emily, Constance stays out of the fish tank."
"She likes the fishes!"
"But the fishes don't like her very much."
Mulder smiled. "Imagine if she were a real raccoon. You want some coffee?"
"No, I can't stay long. Could you watch Emily for me for a couple of hours? My mother's out of town and Dr.Bushnell wants to see me. Alone."
"Emily's therapist? Is there something wrong?"
"I don't know. She didn't tell me much over the phone."
"Mummy," Emily said, "why are the fishes following my finger?"
Mulder sat on the end of the couch nearer to the fish tank. "I think they want to go home with you."
From across the room, Scully smiled at him. "They probably heard what happened to their predecessors. And their predecessors. And their predecessors. And -- "
"You know, Scully, I just remembered I'm owing you this!" And he threw a pillow at her.
"No!" Emily screamed, striking him. "You're being bad!"
Scully rushed to the angry child. "Emily, stop that."
"He hit you!"
"No, he didn't." She hugged her, trying to calm her down. "It was just a pillow, it didn't hurt. Mulder was just playing with mummy."
She looked at Mulder, who was rubbing his arm. "Maybe this isn't a good idea."
Mulder softly pulled the child away from her. "It'll be okay. She's not mad at me anymore, are you?"
Scully watched Emily shake her head solemnly. "You're the one who hurt Mulder," she told her.
"I'm sorry. Are you mad?"
"No. It's okay," he said, sitting her on the couch next to him. "You were only taking care of mummy."
He looked at Scully. "Why are you still here? Dr.Bushnell is waiting."
"Mulder ... "
"She'll be fine. Trust me. Now, get lost."
She reluctantly kissed Emily. "Mummy has to go somewhere. You're staying here with Mulder."
The child was calm now - too calm. She had redirected her attention to Constance, not seeming to notice at all what Scully was saying. Maybe Dr.Bushnell was right after all.
Mulder walked her to the door. "Go on, mummy, or you'll be too late."
His word brought back the memory of her dream. "I should take her with me. Her behavior - "
"Is considerably better than that of an adult who had gone through half she did." He gently pushed her out the door. "I do much worse when I'm being overprotective of you."
She walked to the elevator, telling herself Mulder was right. She decided the best thing to do was to discuss what had just happened with Dr.Bushnell, but the prospect didn't make her feel any better.
The elevator reached the fourth floor and the doors opened. Emily stood up and ran to the door of apartment 42. She knocked on the door, and kept knocking until a startled Mulder opened it.
The child held her arms up, saying, "Airplane kiss!"
Mulder lift her up over his head, then lowered upside down until his lips touched her cheek. "You're getting too heavy for this," he said, putting her down and following her into the living room.
"Can Constance play with the fishes?"
"Sure."
Scully gave him a look. "Emily, Constance stays out of the fish tank."
"She likes the fishes!"
"But the fishes don't like her very much."
Mulder smiled. "Imagine if she were a real raccoon. You want some coffee?"
"No, I can't stay long. Could you watch Emily for me for a couple of hours? My mother's out of town and Dr.Bushnell wants to see me. Alone."
"Emily's therapist? Is there something wrong?"
"I don't know. She didn't tell me much over the phone."
"Mummy," Emily said, "why are the fishes following my finger?"
Mulder sat on the end of the couch nearer to the fish tank. "I think they want to go home with you."
From across the room, Scully smiled at him. "They probably heard what happened to their predecessors. And their predecessors. And their predecessors. And -- "
"You know, Scully, I just remembered I'm owing you this!" And he threw a pillow at her.
"No!" Emily screamed, striking him. "You're being bad!"
Scully rushed to the angry child. "Emily, stop that."
"He hit you!"
"No, he didn't." She hugged her, trying to calm her down. "It was just a pillow, it didn't hurt. Mulder was just playing with mummy."
She looked at Mulder, who was rubbing his arm. "Maybe this isn't a good idea."
Mulder softly pulled the child away from her. "It'll be okay. She's not mad at me anymore, are you?"
Scully watched Emily shake her head solemnly. "You're the one who hurt Mulder," she told her.
"I'm sorry. Are you mad?"
"No. It's okay," he said, sitting her on the couch next to him. "You were only taking care of mummy."
He looked at Scully. "Why are you still here? Dr.Bushnell is waiting."
"Mulder ... "
"She'll be fine. Trust me. Now, get lost."
She reluctantly kissed Emily. "Mummy has to go somewhere. You're staying here with Mulder."
The child was calm now - too calm. She had redirected her attention to Constance, not seeming to notice at all what Scully was saying. Maybe Dr.Bushnell was right after all.
Mulder walked her to the door. "Go on, mummy, or you'll be too late."
His word brought back the memory of her dream. "I should take her with me. Her behavior - "
"Is considerably better than that of an adult who had gone through half she did." He gently pushed her out the door. "I do much worse when I'm being overprotective of you."
She walked to the elevator, telling herself Mulder was right. She decided the best thing to do was to discuss what had just happened with Dr.Bushnell, but the prospect didn't make her feel any better.