23.
Australia 2.22pm
Scully stared at the blank wall of her room. She was lost in thought over how to handle the news. Everything she had trusted and had faith in was shattered. What if her love for Mulder was not love but someone playing a cruel trick upon them? That one day she would wake up and be feeling the same thing she felt all those years ago. It had been a friendship that she didn't want to lose and Mulder had meant nothing more to her than that. How could she go back to feeling nothing for him from having loved him with all of her heart and soul? Surely someone hadn't implanted a second chip in her neck. It couldn't be possible. People were not robots and their emotions couldn't be controlled, could they? She couldn't quite believe it. She had let herself fall in love with Mulder and now that was being taken away from her. How could she be in some kind of pretence of love with him? Surely something inside would give her a feeling, an indication that it didn't feel right. Maybe she hadn't felt that because she had been nudged in the right direction, towards Mulder's love and then again maybe the chip was really broken and she wasn't in love with him at all. Or did it mean that the chip was broken and she really did love him? They hadn't been totally clear with her and she desperately wanted the facts. She was totally confused. She wanted to go back to America to be with her family until she tore it apart again. She wanted the chip removing and fast. It would destroy everything if, the chip had caused what she suspected and, she were not in love with Mulder. Right then she knew it would have to wait because she had to play forensic scientist and be Doctor Scully once more. This time for the alien colonists and under duress she would have to perform their miracle or face the consequences. Death.
Washington DC
8.00am
Mulder was absorbed in thought wondering where Scully might be when he heard the door open. Samantha walked in her head hanging the smile from yesterday was gone. Her eyes had lost their sparkle, the sparkle her Mom had. He opened his arms for her and she ran into them. Neither knew why they acted this way after so brief a time but it felt right. He was her Father after all and she needed the support of her remaining parent even if she had known him but a day and a half. He had always been a part of her and always would be. Mulder knew at that moment he had to become the kind of parent that Samantha deserved.
Samantha looked up at him with tear filled blue eyes. Maggie was watching the scene with great interest. Samantha had never run into anyone's arms, even her Mother's, like she had with Mulder. It was as if their early hours conversation had brought about something that only they could share. It was something that only a Father and daughter would always have to share. She had seen it before with Dana and her Father except this time there was no approval winning here just the longing, clear on both of their faces that they wanted to build some kind of relationship. To be strong together or everything they held dear would fail. Mulder looked at his daughter and how strikingly like her Mom she was and without thought kissed her brow before holding her tighter against him. This was his little girl who he would treasure forever. The child he had to fight hell and high water to keep.
After a while Samantha went to play upstairs whilst Maggie and Mulder talked about the possibilities surrounding Dana's disappearance. Neither could fathom it. Mulder's concern switched to Samantha and for the first time felt the comfort of being with someone whose advice he trusted as much as he did Dana.
"How can I be a Father to her? How can I when I haven't the first clue about what to do and how to do it?"
"Fox. Every parent goes through exactly what you are feeling right now. You never had the chance to build a bond with William" Maggie's voice lowered as she said William's name as if it were a secret that Samantha must never find out about "Now you have the chance to be a Father don't waste it. I'll be here to help. I'm right at the end of the phone. You will make a great Father. Dana always said so. She saw it the moment you held your son and I saw it just now when you held Samantha. It won't be easy but you can do it."
"What if I'm put into jail? What then? Dana won't ever forgive me. I'm facing the biggest trial in Washington DC and I could be sent to jail or even sentenced to death. To be honest I'm scared. I came back because I couldn't take being alone any more. I missed Dana so much and now she's gone."
"But you have the one thing that binds you, that little girl upstairs who needs her Father. She always will and she needs you now, more than ever, do you not realise that?"
"Of course I do."
"Take things slowly. Talk to her, play games with her, help her with her math work. Just do what feels natural."
"How will I know whether it is natural or not." He looked into Maggie's eyes hoping for an answer. She reached out, touched his face and smiled softly at him.
"It all comes from here!" she placed her hand over his heart "It will be natural because you don't have to think about it, you will just do it. I have to get going. Please call if you need me. Dana always has and I expect the same from you. Do you understand me?"
"Yes Maggie, I do."
"Call me Mom. You ARE a part of this family you know." Mulder smiled almost choked by her words. They hugged before Maggie called Samantha down from her room to say goodbye.
After closing the door Samantha and Mulder eyed each other in an attempt to sum each other up. Samantha had the upper hand because she could read her Father's mind and she could see how scared he was at losing her Mom and her! She smiled at him then.
"It's ok Daddy, I won't let you get things wrong. We are a team, just like me and mommy are." She hugged his legs and he picked her up into his arms.
"So… what do you want to do?" Mulder asked putting her down
"The zoo like Nanna said. Please?"
"Sure." He saw Dana's car on the driveway where the FBI team had brought it back having combed it over, Skinner, had decided Mulder could use it. He'd given him some money too. After the zoo Mulder knew he was going to have to find a J-O-B if he was going to provide for his little girl. If Scully's brother, Bill, found out he had Samantha there would be an awful lot of shit hitting the proverbial fan!
9am.
It was quiet when they arrived at the zoo. More visitors were arriving as Mulder and Samantha approached the payment desk. This was a strange experience to them both. Samantha had visited the zoo regularly with her Mother and Mulder found it curious just having a child by his side. He had always loved visiting the DC zoo. It brought back memories of his childhood and walking around with Scully one lazy Sunday afternoon before he had been abducted, when it had just been the two of them.
"I have to see Stinky!"
"Who is Stinky?"
"The Skunk. After the gorillas and the polar bears."
"Ok, calm down, we'll see them all." They walked hand in hand. Another 'natural' thing Mulder had thought. He wasn't letting his little girl disappear too. Samantha chatted away about the things she knew concerning the animals. He watched her climb upon a bench to get a clearer view of a cheetah whilst he bought an ice cream. He turned to see her go completely pale and swoon. Dropping the ice cream he managed to reach her as she fell from the bench. Her body gave tremors before going completely rigid. People began crowding around them as she began 'fitting' in the middle of the zoo.
"Back-off!" Mulder yelled, as people got closer out of concern and nosiness. He held her in his arms whilst she shook. He watched helplessly as her eyes rolled back in their sockets. "Samantha, baby, come on sweetheart. Daddy is here. It's going to be okay. I promise." The shaking slowly subsided and Samantha's eyes returned to blue but widened and stared directly into space. He followed her gaze and saw exactly what she was seeing... Scully.
Australia.
3am
Scully was sat at her desk writing down exactly what she did know about human cloning. It had reached one paragraph. She was waiting for the laptop, Internet connection and files from #1 before she could begin her work. It had all been promised yesterday but was taking time in organising, as was her new accommodation. No one could work in a room the size that she had. She wasn't too comfortable with re-creating the alien population after all they had done to her but she knew there was no choice to it. It was a life or death situation. Either she gave them their lives or it was her death. It was simple really. Yawning she looked towards the bed. It had been made in her absence that afternoon and her clothes from yesterday had disappeared too. Some pyjamas were set out on the pillow for her and right now she longed to get into the bed and sleep away this nightmare only she knew it wasn't a nightmare but reality. Her eyes became too heavy to keep open and she swayed across the small room and plopped onto the bed where she changed. As she finished buttoning her top she felt a cool breeze enter the room. Looking up she saw Mulder cradling Samantha. His face was a picture of fear, concern and undying love. He smiled as he saw her. Had Scully had the chance she would have reached out towards them but just as she had thought about it they faded away. A tear ran down her cheek as she turned out the light watching the moonlight shine brightly through the window and fall in patterns across the room.
