Red Fireworks - Chapter 5

Hello all...welcome to chapter five. I sincerely apologize for the holdup. I've been busy with work and stuff (btw, any fan of Mulder should understand and sympathize with work-a-holics!) So, here it is, and after this, only one more to go. Special thanks to Theresa for beta-ing this for me while Jen is away!

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Scully was relieved to find peace and quiet when she returned to the kitchen.

Mulder, Charlie, and Tommy were seated around the table. Laura, Tara, and the two babies were in the living room, and Bill had decided to go for a swim.

"You ok now, Dane?" Charlie asked, looking up as Scully and Maggie entered.

"I'm fine. It doesn't even hurt; it just looked really bad." Scully said truthfully.

"Well, you keep an eye on it. It will probably start to swell and then it will be very sore." Maggie Scully warned.

Charlie got up from the table and motioned for Tommy to follow. They headed into the living room, then back to the pool.

Maggie began getting out hot dogs and hamburgers to be grilled, then disappeared outside, leaving Mulder and Scully alone again.

"Hey, Scully...D'you get the feeling that your family keeps doing that on purpose?" Mulder asked her.

"You mean leaving us alone? Its a conspiracy..." she teased. "Yes, I'm almost positive that our one on one time is not just coincidence."

Mulder studied his partner, wondering what he should say. They were traveling that dangerous road that bordered on personal feelings...feelings for one another, that is.

He was relieved when Scully broke the silence.

"How did things go down here?" She asked carefully. She wanted to find out what had gone on, but she was almost afraid to hear of more hostility from her older brother.

"You mean did big brother Bill act all nasty to me and call me names and take my lunch money?" Mulder kidded. "No. He left right after you did and Charlie and I stayed here. We talked 'manly sports stuff.' He knows his baseball..."

Scully smiled, relieved that things had gone well. In fact, from what she'd been observing and from what Mulder just said, Charlie was on his way to becoming a friend.

Mulder glanced out the window and saw Charlie playing with Tommy in the water. He longed to be a father himself, but knew that the day would never come. He loved Scully, and either she didn't return those feelings and he would never even marry, or they would fall madly in love and be deprived the joy of offspring.

Mulder hated the topic. He had only one friend close enough to voice this too, and it was Scully. He would never bring it up to her, even if they confessed their feelings for one another, because it would hurt her in ways he couldn't possibly know.

"Charlie is a good guy..." Mulder mumbled, still lost in thought.

"I remember when we were kids...back when Charlie and I were little we fought constantly, but as soon as Bill attacked either of us, we'd band together..." Scully remembered. "Bill isn't a bad guy either, he just---"

"He just doesn't like me," Mulder filled in. "I don't really care. He seems to have backed off, and if he isn't attacking me, then I'm fine. Just so long as he isn't ruining our day."

Our day...Scully repeated in her head. Her mother had told her that it shouldn't ruin their day either.

"Well, we've got dinner in about ten minutes, then when its dark we're going to take the kids to see the fireworks."

Mulder looked across the table, wondering how their evening would go.

"Sounds fun," he said without emotion. He was still daydreaming, thinking about his beautiful partner.

This was the first time that he'd joined her in such a personal setting. She seemed so happy to have him there...happy that they were together.

Mulder's daydreaming was interrupted after several moments of silence, by Mrs. Scully's voice calling through the window.

Dana, would you and Fox bring out the potato salad and the other stuff? I have everything on a tray in the fridge and there's a pitcher of lemonade."

Scully got up from her chair and went to the refrigerator.

She realized that it already hurt to put weight on her leg. She had only been sitting for about ten or fifteen minutes, but that was enough time for an ache to set in. She ignored it, getting out the miscellaneous items from the fridge.

Mulder stood up and took the pitcher and a bowl that Scully handed to him, while she grabbed the tray, loaded with condiments, plates, cups, and utensils.

"Plastic-ware," Mulder said as she stuck the paper and plastic products on the tray.

"My mom defeats the whole purpose of plastic products by washing them. At least she's trying to help the environment."

Mulder smiled and followed Scully out the back door.

They set everything down on the table that was shaded by a large flowered umbrella and sat down.

Bill and Maggie were by the grill, cooking up hamburgers and hot dogs.

Maggie always let Bill cook the food because her husband had always had the honor, before he passed away. She felt that Bill should take over, as the oldest and next in line.

Laura was sitting on the edge of the pool with her feet in and Michaela in her lap.

Tara was on a lounge chair, and Matthew was asleep next to her in his car seat.

Maggie took orders from everyone and set about serving her family. She held out the plates with the rolls open, while Bill put the grilled up meat.

Maggie gave Tommy his food first, then her daughters-in-law, followed by Mulder and Scully, Charlie, and finally herself and Bill.

The adults sat around the table minus Laura, who stayed over near the lounge chairs, feeding her daughter while she kept an eye on the sleeping Mattie. Tommy was with her, but he didn't need her help at eating...he was handling that quite well.

Mulder accepted his plate from Mrs. Scully, glancing quickly at Bill, wondering about him. He had seemed to give up on attacks, but Mulder doubted that he'd suddenly had a change of heart and wanted to throw and welcome to the family party. Still, Bill did not even look up.

At the table, when Mulder finally caught Bill's eye, he could not read his emotion.

Scully brought her plate over to the table and sat down with Mulder and Charlie. Mrs. Scully was on Mulder's other side, then Bill and Tara.

Mrs. Scully began small talk with Tara and her sons, while Mulder and Scully sat quietly, listening to the others.

Mulder leaned over to his partner.

"Hey, Scully...what is the statistical probability that your brother put cyanide in my burger?"

Scully rolled her eyes. "I think you'll be all right," she replied, eating a forkful of potato salad.

Mulder started on his burger, which was surprisingly good. He hadn't honestly thought that Bill would stoop as low as to mess with someone's food, but he didn't like the fact that someone who hated him had prepared it.

Dinner was a blur of conversation between the Scullys. At times someone would force Mulder into the conversation, but he basically remained quiet.

As Tara began clearing away the table with Maggie, Mulder looked directly across the table to Bill.

"Thank you for dinner," Mulder began carefully. "You make a good burger."

Bill looked at him a moment, and Mulder wondered if it would have been best to have not said anything at all.

"Thanks," Bill said, meaning it. He faltered, looking down. "I'm sorry about earlier."

Mulder really hadn't expected that. He half hoped that Bill might follow it with some sort of explanation. Maybe he would try to justify his actions, but no. Instead Bill excused himself from the table and went to the diving board, plunging into the water.

"Charlie, how about getting your feet wet and racing me?" Bill shouted, taunting his little brother from the deep end.

"Oh, you're on!" Charlie said, getting up and going to the board.

Scully laughed at her brothers, then looked at Mulder, a little awed by what had just happened. She had no idea that Mulder would make such an effort to be nice, especially to someone who didn't like him. Mulder had always preferred to remain aloof and mess with the minds of those who didn't approve of him or meet his approval.

Scully also had not foreseen that her older brother could be so...polite.

"So, guess that was a surprise, huh, Scully?" Mulder asked, as if he could read her mind.

Scully cocked her head, giving Mulder a look of surprise. "If I didn't know any better, I'd suggest that it was YOU who drugged HIM..."

Mulder laughed. "Not a chance. I was more shocked than you were."

Scully sat there, glad that everything was going so well.

"So...you're glad that you came then?" She asked.

"Of course I am," Mulder replied. "I mean, it beats eating cold pizza in front of 'Independence Day'" Mulder laughed. "Seriously, I'm glad that I'm here...with you."

He wasn't sure if he should have added that, but it seemed to roll off his tongue, and was out of his mouth before he could stop it.

The effect was not lost on Scully. She turned serious, wondering what exactly he'd meant. Her mind was already analyzing the moment, trying to determine what could be implied by his tone. She wondered if there was more than a friendly implication, but was not even sure if she was hoping for such a thing.

"Hey, Mulder!" Charlie yelled, floating on his back. "You a good swimmer?"

Mulder looked back at him. "I'm alright."

"Come and race us...this time its for the title of 'King of the Pool,'" Charlie laughed.

Scully smiled, remembering that her brothers had been in constant competition with one another their entire lives. Everything was a race or a contest.

Now they were including Mulder, as if...as if he were part of their family.

Scully realized that Mulder was looking at her, wondering if he should go.

"Well?" She said. "Do you have a suit? I imagine you don't want to get your clothes soaked again." Mulder nodded. "Then go beat them at their own game!" she said, smiling.

Mulder disappeared in the house and was back a minute later.

He dove into the pool and beat the Scully brothers by a hair. He had obviously been modest about his swimming abilities, because Charlie and Bill were fast swimmers.

"Damn..." Charlie said, swatting the water. "You are," he began a deep announcer voice, "The Swimming Pool King!" He pretended to pay homage to Mulder.

Scully walked over to the water and got onto the raft that had inhabited her mother's pool for years. She figured that she'd be ok to lay on the float and not wet her knee.

"Ooh, here comes your queen," Charlie said, winking at his sister. He then swam off to hastle Bill.

Mulder swam to Scully, emerging from under the water right at her side.

He wiped the water from his eyes; his hair clinging to his forehead. Scully couldn't help but smile.

"So, will you really be my queen?" He asked her. "Can't reign over an empty pool all by myself..."

Scully smiled, nodding. "Of course I'll be your queen. Unless you prefer Bill..."

From across the pool, Bill looked up.

"Hey, I heard that, Dane!!! If you weren't hurt, I'd flip you off that raft sooo fast..."

Scully laughed, knowing that she was safe due to her leg.

She and Mulder drifted around the pool together, neither one saying a word.

Eventually, Mrs. Scully brought out desert, and everyone got dried off so that they could go see the fireworks.

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Well, what did you think? You like it? Reviews are greatly appreciated. The sixth chapter will be up soon! Hope you all enjoy the "grand finale."