Red Fireworks

You know the drill...Mulder and Scully aren't mine. However, if they were...mwuahaha. That would be sooo cool, and I know you understand/relate b/c you're reading X Files fanfic. So, fic mine, characters and sexual tension are not.

Scully drove alone, listening and at the same time not listening to the radio.

It was noon and Scully was headed to her mom's house for the day. It was the Fourth of July, and she had promised Charlie's kids that she would come and watch the fireworks with them.

Scully was alone, though she had tried to get Mulder to come. She had asked, and as usual got the run around. She didn't understand though...he had no where better to be and Bill wasn't even going to be attending the cookout. She had spent awhile trying to talk Mulder into coming, but he won out and she was too tired to keep arguing at the time.

Mulder had always turned down offers to join the Scullys. Though Scully thought that it was pride, she now felt it more personally. They had been together for so long, and it seemed he cared for her, but then he'd go and reject an invitation to spend a weekend with her.

Scully pulled carefully into her mom's driveway and set the car in park.

As she opened the car door, the full force of the summer heat hit her. She hurried to the door, letting herself in, because her mom insisted that it was still "their" house. In fact, this was not, nor had it ever been Scully's house. Her parents had moved to this house before her fathers death, but everyone was grown by that time.

"Dana? That you?" Came Margaret Scully's voice from the kitchen.

Scully could smell good things cooking as she walked into the room.

"Yeah, Mom," she smiled, hugging her mother, who was sweating from the combination of heat and cooking.

"Mulder didn't come," her mother half questioned and half stated. She sounded as disappointed as Scully was. "When will that boy learn that he's as welcome here as you, Bill, and Charlie?"

"I think that Bill is just one of the many problems...I mean, Mulder is not a timid guy, but he doesn't mess with family stuff. Bill has an open hatred of him, so Mulder steers clear."

"Oh, but Bill isn't even coming today! He got stuck and won't be able to get out here all day long."

"I know, Mom. I tried to tell Mulder that, but he just wouldn't listen to me," Scully said, sighing.

Margaret looked at her daughter. "I thought you'd be better at guilt tripping people...apparently not."

Scully laughed. "Well, maybe Mulder just can't be guilted."

"All men and women, child or adult can be guilted. Especially by me," Mrs. Scully announced, proudly.

"Don't I know it..." Scully said, laughing. "Do you need any help in here?"

"I'm alright. Why don't you--" Margaret was cut off as she heard the doorbell ring. "-Get the door." She finished. "Damn that Charlie! I've told him a thousand times to just come in! This is his home too!"

Scully just rolled her eyes and went to greet her younger brother.

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Sorry...this one sort of has a slow start. There's some fun coming up in the next two or three chapters, I promise. ;) Reviews are always appreciated.