"Dana."
Scully turned and greeted her mother with a smile. "You just missed Dr.Bushnell."
Through the window on the door, Margaret looked at Mulder and Emily, who were playing inside the room. "What did she say?"
"We'll be able to take Emily home in a few days."
"Has she stopped asking Fox if he's mad at her?"
"Yes. But Dr.Bushnell said Mulder should continue to reassure her." She smiled patiently. "I suspect Mulder understood that as a clearance to spoil Emily rotten."
Margaret shared her smile. "I think Emmy has earned some spoiling. "
Scully watched the man and the child beyond her own reflection on the window. "Mother. I'm sorry."
"Sorry?"
"When we were given joint custody of Emily, I felt cheated of something, as if my adulthood was being questioned. But I also felt relieved, thankful for not having to ... "
"Make a choice?" Margaret said, following her gaze across the window.
Scully nodded. "After the hearing, I talked to Bill on the phone. He said things - "
"I can imagine what he said."
"Things that made sense to me. I thought I was being so selfish, burdening you with my child."
"Dana!"
Scully looked at her. "But I've come to realize that I would be selfish only if I took her
away from you. And I'm sorry for not understanding that before."
Margaret hugged her. "We should go in."
"Yes. Before Mulder turns Emmy into a smaller version of himself. I think I can't handle more than one of those at a time."
*
The man at the end of the corridor watched the two women going into the room. Leaning on the wall, under the no-smoking sign, he lit a cigarette.
"It would seem you have failed once more," a voice said from behind him.
Smiling, he faced the newcomer. "Have I?"
"We no longer have any control over the child, Scully is still with the Bureau, and Mulder has not been in the least deterred from his quest."
"True." He was still smiling.
"Then explain to me how this can be anything but a failure."
He turned around and walked away, saying, "He now has one more thing to lose."
THE END
Scully turned and greeted her mother with a smile. "You just missed Dr.Bushnell."
Through the window on the door, Margaret looked at Mulder and Emily, who were playing inside the room. "What did she say?"
"We'll be able to take Emily home in a few days."
"Has she stopped asking Fox if he's mad at her?"
"Yes. But Dr.Bushnell said Mulder should continue to reassure her." She smiled patiently. "I suspect Mulder understood that as a clearance to spoil Emily rotten."
Margaret shared her smile. "I think Emmy has earned some spoiling. "
Scully watched the man and the child beyond her own reflection on the window. "Mother. I'm sorry."
"Sorry?"
"When we were given joint custody of Emily, I felt cheated of something, as if my adulthood was being questioned. But I also felt relieved, thankful for not having to ... "
"Make a choice?" Margaret said, following her gaze across the window.
Scully nodded. "After the hearing, I talked to Bill on the phone. He said things - "
"I can imagine what he said."
"Things that made sense to me. I thought I was being so selfish, burdening you with my child."
"Dana!"
Scully looked at her. "But I've come to realize that I would be selfish only if I took her
away from you. And I'm sorry for not understanding that before."
Margaret hugged her. "We should go in."
"Yes. Before Mulder turns Emmy into a smaller version of himself. I think I can't handle more than one of those at a time."
*
The man at the end of the corridor watched the two women going into the room. Leaning on the wall, under the no-smoking sign, he lit a cigarette.
"It would seem you have failed once more," a voice said from behind him.
Smiling, he faced the newcomer. "Have I?"
"We no longer have any control over the child, Scully is still with the Bureau, and Mulder has not been in the least deterred from his quest."
"True." He was still smiling.
"Then explain to me how this can be anything but a failure."
He turned around and walked away, saying, "He now has one more thing to lose."
THE END