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Chapter Seven: Family Meeting
Author: Gillian Leigh
Summary: Family meetings are serious business in the Mulder household.
Disclaimer: The X-Files and its characters belong to Chris Carter and Ten Thirteen Productions. I'm only borrowing them, and I promise to return them intact and in mint condition, though I might hang onto Mulder a little while longer. :o)
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One month and two weeks later...
"I wonder why Dad and Dana are calling a family meeting," Eve said, removing the red polish from her fingernails. Elena looked up at her from where she sat Indian-style on the floor of the bedroom they shared.
"I'm not sure. You don't think we're in trouble do you?" she asked. Her stepsister shrugged. There was a knock at the door, and both girls called,
"Come in." Jake entered, followed by Gwen, who looked concerned. Family meetings were a big deal in the Mulder household. Elena hoisted herself up off the floor and sat beside Eve on her bed. The two had become inseparable since her arrival a month before. Eve and Elena were just as much sisters as Eve and Gwen were, blood relation or no.
"Did you guys do anything bad?" Jake asked of the three females around him. The three adamantly shook their heads. Gwen rested her hands on her hips, and pursed her lips.
"What about you, Jake? You get in trouble all the time," she said, evoking laughter from both Eve and Elena. Jake, however, looked less than amused.
"I'm not the only one who screws up around here," he replied. "And Dad and Dana only call family meetings when it's something major."
"Are we all sure that we didn't do anything wrong?" Elena asked, rising to her feet. Her three stepsiblings joined her, and they all formed a circle as they stood in the middle of the bedroom. Eve's eyebrows went up.
"Oh God… Dana's been sick since she and Dad left for San Diego…" she began.
"Oh no," murmured Elena. "You don't think her cancer's back, do you?"
"Didn't she lose weight last time?" Jake asked.
"Yeah. But now Dana's getting fat…" Gwen said, voicing in their concerns, but in a much less eloquent manner.
"Back when she was married to my dad, she couldn't understand why she was gaining weight. That was before she even knew she had cancer," Elena said.
"She's gained a little weight," Eve said. "But she was so skinny after her chemo, that any weight has seemed like a lot." Elena felt the cold sensation associated with dread covering the walls of her stomach. She'd lost her father and mother, and she'd had to leave Dana once before… She couldn't bear to lose her too. Though none of the Mulder children were ready to admit it, they were scared.
As they remained in silence, Eve couldn't help but worry for Elena as well. Though she'd become a Mulder in both name and demeanor in the past month, she still looked to Dana for most of her support, because Dana shared Elena's losses with her. Eve feared what would happen to Elena, and to the rest of them, if something bad were to happen to Dana.
"Hey, are you guys meditating in there or something? I've been calling your names for five minutes now…" The laughing voice belonged to Mulder, who watched the four with perplexed amusement. They filed out silently to the living room, and all sat down on the couch. Dana raised her eyes from the magazine she was reading, and arched her eyebrow at the solemn-looking children sitting on the couch. She grinned as her husband moved down the line and placed his hand on each child's forehead, checking them all for fever.
"Are you sure you're not sick?" he asked. "I've never had the four of you so quiet." None of the four replied; they simply looked at him. Dana dog-eared the page she was reading and set the Medical Technologies issue on the end table.
"You guys are really worried about this family meeting, aren't you?" she asked.
"Well, you only call family meetings when it's serious…" Jake said. "And one of us usually gets in trouble…" Mulder sat down beside Dana and the pair laughed. The kids were right.
"Okay… you have a point. But tonight we're not here to discipline you, and no one is going to have to do extra chores for any reason," Dana said. "But Fox and I do have something to tell you…" The kids all leaned forward a little, their hearts thudding in nervous anticipation.
"Guys, we're moving," Mulder said. Four jaws dropped, and four enraged cries soon followed.
"No! You can't make us move! All of our friends are here!" Jake cried indignantly, rising to his feet.
"Well, guys, we really need a bigger house…" Mulder began.
"No, Dad, Laney and I are fine sharing a room, and Gwen and Jake each have their own rooms, and you and Dana have your room…"
"If you're worried about what we'll do when we have company over, we'll give up our rooms, and they can stay in our beds!" Elena said. The kids all nodded enthusiastically.
"Yeah! We'll be good!! We promise!" Gwen said. "Daddy please!"
"Calm down, everyone!" Mulder interjected. "We're not going to move outside the school district… we just need a bigger house."
"But Dad, all of my friends are here," Jake said. "Collin lives just down the block, and Owen does too! The house is big enough…" There were cries of overall agreement, and it appeared that none of the kids wanted to move. Dana smiled at them, and waited until they'd finished protesting. All eyes focused on her, including her husband's. She reached over and took his hand in hers, and the kids watched once again with nervous anticipation.
"Well, you are right. We all fit in the house just fine…" she paused, and her smile grew wider as she said, "But where are we going to put the baby?"
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Author's Notes: Yay! Once again, sorry it's short, but there's another one coming after this. It will be the conclusion of Coach II. Woooooo! I hope you enjoyed the ride, but please stick with me for this last chapter!
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