Thanksgiving
"William, come here." Mulder called from his seat in front of the computer. Shrugging, William took the seat next to him.
"What?"
"I want to send some pictures to your grandmother Scully. Some more actually, I've sent some before."
"Dad..."
Mulder's voice was soft. "When you were a baby, there were four other people besides your mother, me, and the agents we worked with who cared a whole lot about you. Three of them were friends of mine, and they died while you were still very little. The other person was your grandmother. Maggie loved you to death. I think it's only right that she get to see what a big, healthy grandson she has."
"Okay."
"Good. It broke her heart when your mother gave you up. She came to the court hearing when I tried to get you back, and told the judge that she thought you should be with me."
"I didn't know that." William's voice sounded awed.
"It surprised me a little when she volunteered to, since it'd be going against her own daughter's wishes, but she's a good person and didn't hate me for leaving Scully. I hope you decide you want to meet Maggie some day, and she does too."
"I... I could maybe meet her, if you like her that much."
"I do. Maybe we'll have her come visit some time next year."
"Maybe during one of our school breaks." William agreed.
"Sounds good."
William sort of liked the idea of having a grandparent of his own. Cat's parents had been over for dinner, and he'd liked them, but they were the other kid's grandparents, not his. They'd been nice enough to him, but they weren't his family. He supposed that this grandmother he'd never known about was. All of the sudden, he found himself looking forward to February vacation.
**
Scully wandered away from Charlie and Bill, wondering where her mother was. A voice declaring "You've got mail!" led her to Maggie.
"Mom?"
Maggie quickly shut down the mail program.
Scully gave her a wry look. "God, Mom, were you downloading porn?"
She'd meant it as a joke, but Maggie's guilty look made her wonder, in horrified fascination, if her mother really had been downloading something illicit. Looking reluctant, Maggie confessed. "I just got some pictures in my e-mail."
"From who?"
"From Fox."
"You're kidding."
"No... he thought I should get the chance to see what William looked like. He's lovely, Dana, such a handsome little boy..."
"Can I see the pictures?" Scully asked, thinking about how she'd only been sent the one.
Maggie opened some pictures, dated earlier that day, and Scully saw her son. Playing a video game with one of Mulder's older sons. Talking to Mulder. Holding a wide-eyed baby on his lap. Sitting at the table smiling as he passed a plate to someone they couldn't see.
Encouraged, Maggie offered more. "I have some from Halloween too. The kids are simply adorable."
The kids? Scully wondered. "Mom, how long have you been in touch with Mulder?"
Her mother looked guilty again. "I've never not been in touch with him, Dana."
Maggie still had the power to shock her, Scully realized. So many years had passed since she and Mulder had had a civil conversation, yet her mother had been in touch with him all that time. It confused her, but then, Maggie always had liked Mulder. Maggie must know so much more about Mulder's new life than she did.
"That's good, Mom."
"Do you want to see the Halloween pictures?" Maggie's voice was hesitant.
"Maybe later." Scully left then, knowing that her mother would worry about her. But she couldn't help it, she had to leave the room. She just had to, so she could think.
"William, come here." Mulder called from his seat in front of the computer. Shrugging, William took the seat next to him.
"What?"
"I want to send some pictures to your grandmother Scully. Some more actually, I've sent some before."
"Dad..."
Mulder's voice was soft. "When you were a baby, there were four other people besides your mother, me, and the agents we worked with who cared a whole lot about you. Three of them were friends of mine, and they died while you were still very little. The other person was your grandmother. Maggie loved you to death. I think it's only right that she get to see what a big, healthy grandson she has."
"Okay."
"Good. It broke her heart when your mother gave you up. She came to the court hearing when I tried to get you back, and told the judge that she thought you should be with me."
"I didn't know that." William's voice sounded awed.
"It surprised me a little when she volunteered to, since it'd be going against her own daughter's wishes, but she's a good person and didn't hate me for leaving Scully. I hope you decide you want to meet Maggie some day, and she does too."
"I... I could maybe meet her, if you like her that much."
"I do. Maybe we'll have her come visit some time next year."
"Maybe during one of our school breaks." William agreed.
"Sounds good."
William sort of liked the idea of having a grandparent of his own. Cat's parents had been over for dinner, and he'd liked them, but they were the other kid's grandparents, not his. They'd been nice enough to him, but they weren't his family. He supposed that this grandmother he'd never known about was. All of the sudden, he found himself looking forward to February vacation.
**
Scully wandered away from Charlie and Bill, wondering where her mother was. A voice declaring "You've got mail!" led her to Maggie.
"Mom?"
Maggie quickly shut down the mail program.
Scully gave her a wry look. "God, Mom, were you downloading porn?"
She'd meant it as a joke, but Maggie's guilty look made her wonder, in horrified fascination, if her mother really had been downloading something illicit. Looking reluctant, Maggie confessed. "I just got some pictures in my e-mail."
"From who?"
"From Fox."
"You're kidding."
"No... he thought I should get the chance to see what William looked like. He's lovely, Dana, such a handsome little boy..."
"Can I see the pictures?" Scully asked, thinking about how she'd only been sent the one.
Maggie opened some pictures, dated earlier that day, and Scully saw her son. Playing a video game with one of Mulder's older sons. Talking to Mulder. Holding a wide-eyed baby on his lap. Sitting at the table smiling as he passed a plate to someone they couldn't see.
Encouraged, Maggie offered more. "I have some from Halloween too. The kids are simply adorable."
The kids? Scully wondered. "Mom, how long have you been in touch with Mulder?"
Her mother looked guilty again. "I've never not been in touch with him, Dana."
Maggie still had the power to shock her, Scully realized. So many years had passed since she and Mulder had had a civil conversation, yet her mother had been in touch with him all that time. It confused her, but then, Maggie always had liked Mulder. Maggie must know so much more about Mulder's new life than she did.
"That's good, Mom."
"Do you want to see the Halloween pictures?" Maggie's voice was hesitant.
"Maybe later." Scully left then, knowing that her mother would worry about her. But she couldn't help it, she had to leave the room. She just had to, so she could think.