Scully made four phone calls. The first was to the airline to book a flight
to New Mexico as soon as possible, and to have the airline arrange for
there to be a rental car waiting for her when she got there. The second was
to request leave for a family emergency across the country. It was readily
granted.
The third was to her mother.
"Mom, it'd Dana. I'm going to be out of town for a few days..."
"Where are you going? Does it have to do with these stupid news reports?"
"Sort of." Scully admitted. "Cat Mulder asked me to come spend a few days. They're worried about William's safety."
"You're going to get to see William!" Maggie sounded thrilled.
"I don't think it's going to be an easy visit, Mom. From what Cat said, he doesn't want to meet me."
"It'll be fine, you'll see." Maggie assured her.
"God, to have your optimism, Mom... I'll let you know how things go." She promised, and quickly said good-bye.
The last call was the most difficult.
"Hey Ethan..."
Much as Fowley had gleefully predicted, things between her and Ethan were different this time around. They'd been seeing a lot of each other over the past couple of months, and they were nearly back to the exciting yet comfortable relationship they'd had before boredom and indifference had set in. She didn't think it was going to be a problem this time, because they were now mature enough to realize that comfort was as important as excitement. Which is why she really didn't want to tell him that she was going to be going away for an indefinite amount of time.
"...But I'm sure that I'll be home before Christmas." Her voice, however, didn't sound very sure.
"I understand." Ethan told her.
"You do?" That surprised her, since she'd been minimalist in offering details about her need to be there.
"Sure. If I had a kid who needed me, I'd make that a priority too." His voice softened a little. "I hope that the reunion goes well."
"Thank you, Ethan. My mother doesn't understand that it might not go perfectly. It's nice to have someone not brush my worries aside."
The line was quiet for a moment. "Just come back to me, ok?"
"Of course."
After they said good-bye, her mind dwelled on that. Why would he think there was a chance that she wouldn't? At first she thought he might be jealously worried about Mulder, but then it hit her. Though she'd offered scant detail, somehow he knew that there was more danger than she'd said. Thinking back, she realized that he always had, and that it was the only thing he had in common with Mulder at all. It made her uncomfortable to think about how they both knew that about her, so she started packing to take her mind off of it.
To be continued
***
It was by merest chance that William was the one to open the door. He thought he saw something on Cat's face, a half-formed objection, but when she didn't say anything he turned the knob and swung the door open.
He stared at the woman standing there, a suitcase clutched in one small hand. She wasn't a whole lot taller than him, his brain absently noted, but it was her red hair and blue eyes that really captured his attention. " No." He said, running off, leaving the door hanging open, and her standing there.
Cat rushed to the door, and gave her a sympathetic look. "Sorry about that." She spoke up over the sounds of William's shoes hitting every stair hard. "I'm Cat."
Even though Cat had been described to her before, Scully found herself evaluating Mulder's wife. Her replacement. Cat was a few inches taller, probably five seven to her own almost five three, and had a slim figure that belied the fact that she'd had five children. Long honey blond hair and brown eyes that reminded her of Reyes', Scully could see what appealed to Mulder about this woman, she grudgingly admitted to herself.
"Do come in." Cat told her warmly. "I'll show you the guest room."
It intrigued Scully that Cat was so friendly. Either she was undyingly polite all the time, or she thought of Scully as no threat whatsoever. Even if it was the latter... She walked in, looking around for Mulder.
She followed Cat into the fairly bare room, and was just putting down her suitcase when a little voice spoke up. "Mommy, this gonna be my room." It declared indignantly.
Looking down, Scully had to try hard to keep her lips from twitching into a smile. It was as if she was looking at a Mulder shrunk down to two feet tall.
Cat swooped the little fellow up into her arms. "Yes, Avery, it is going to be your room. But not yet, right?"
"Right..."
"So right now, Dana is going to sleep in here, and you'll sleep in your bed in the room where you and Kyle always sleep."
"Only be here a little while?" He asked Scully.
"Yes, just a few days." She agreed.
"Ok." He nodded, then gave her a suspicious look, a look she knew very well, just on an older face. "Who are you?"
Scully was at a loss, but Cat answered his question. "This is William's real mommy."
Avery's eyes widened. "He don't like you."
All Cat could do was give her an apologetic smile. From the mouths of babes, indeed.
The third was to her mother.
"Mom, it'd Dana. I'm going to be out of town for a few days..."
"Where are you going? Does it have to do with these stupid news reports?"
"Sort of." Scully admitted. "Cat Mulder asked me to come spend a few days. They're worried about William's safety."
"You're going to get to see William!" Maggie sounded thrilled.
"I don't think it's going to be an easy visit, Mom. From what Cat said, he doesn't want to meet me."
"It'll be fine, you'll see." Maggie assured her.
"God, to have your optimism, Mom... I'll let you know how things go." She promised, and quickly said good-bye.
The last call was the most difficult.
"Hey Ethan..."
Much as Fowley had gleefully predicted, things between her and Ethan were different this time around. They'd been seeing a lot of each other over the past couple of months, and they were nearly back to the exciting yet comfortable relationship they'd had before boredom and indifference had set in. She didn't think it was going to be a problem this time, because they were now mature enough to realize that comfort was as important as excitement. Which is why she really didn't want to tell him that she was going to be going away for an indefinite amount of time.
"...But I'm sure that I'll be home before Christmas." Her voice, however, didn't sound very sure.
"I understand." Ethan told her.
"You do?" That surprised her, since she'd been minimalist in offering details about her need to be there.
"Sure. If I had a kid who needed me, I'd make that a priority too." His voice softened a little. "I hope that the reunion goes well."
"Thank you, Ethan. My mother doesn't understand that it might not go perfectly. It's nice to have someone not brush my worries aside."
The line was quiet for a moment. "Just come back to me, ok?"
"Of course."
After they said good-bye, her mind dwelled on that. Why would he think there was a chance that she wouldn't? At first she thought he might be jealously worried about Mulder, but then it hit her. Though she'd offered scant detail, somehow he knew that there was more danger than she'd said. Thinking back, she realized that he always had, and that it was the only thing he had in common with Mulder at all. It made her uncomfortable to think about how they both knew that about her, so she started packing to take her mind off of it.
To be continued
***
It was by merest chance that William was the one to open the door. He thought he saw something on Cat's face, a half-formed objection, but when she didn't say anything he turned the knob and swung the door open.
He stared at the woman standing there, a suitcase clutched in one small hand. She wasn't a whole lot taller than him, his brain absently noted, but it was her red hair and blue eyes that really captured his attention. " No." He said, running off, leaving the door hanging open, and her standing there.
Cat rushed to the door, and gave her a sympathetic look. "Sorry about that." She spoke up over the sounds of William's shoes hitting every stair hard. "I'm Cat."
Even though Cat had been described to her before, Scully found herself evaluating Mulder's wife. Her replacement. Cat was a few inches taller, probably five seven to her own almost five three, and had a slim figure that belied the fact that she'd had five children. Long honey blond hair and brown eyes that reminded her of Reyes', Scully could see what appealed to Mulder about this woman, she grudgingly admitted to herself.
"Do come in." Cat told her warmly. "I'll show you the guest room."
It intrigued Scully that Cat was so friendly. Either she was undyingly polite all the time, or she thought of Scully as no threat whatsoever. Even if it was the latter... She walked in, looking around for Mulder.
She followed Cat into the fairly bare room, and was just putting down her suitcase when a little voice spoke up. "Mommy, this gonna be my room." It declared indignantly.
Looking down, Scully had to try hard to keep her lips from twitching into a smile. It was as if she was looking at a Mulder shrunk down to two feet tall.
Cat swooped the little fellow up into her arms. "Yes, Avery, it is going to be your room. But not yet, right?"
"Right..."
"So right now, Dana is going to sleep in here, and you'll sleep in your bed in the room where you and Kyle always sleep."
"Only be here a little while?" He asked Scully.
"Yes, just a few days." She agreed.
"Ok." He nodded, then gave her a suspicious look, a look she knew very well, just on an older face. "Who are you?"
Scully was at a loss, but Cat answered his question. "This is William's real mommy."
Avery's eyes widened. "He don't like you."
All Cat could do was give her an apologetic smile. From the mouths of babes, indeed.