"Something bad happened today, Kyle." Mulder told him.
"What?" Kyle was instantly wide-eyed with fear.
"Do you have any idea what the word 'hostage' means?"
"It's something bad?"
"Yeah. Some times people decide that the only way they can get what they want is to make people go with them. People who don't want to go. So they keep the people for a while, until they get what they want."
"Oh."
"It's no fun, but I've been a hostage before. I'm ok though, right?"
"Right." Kyle looked very confused. Mulder sighed and got to the point.
"Some people want me, and William, Benji and Owen, and Dana, to go with them for a little while. Hopefully only a few days."
"But what about me?"
"You, Mommy and the babies are going to go stay with friends of mine, where it's safe."
"What about you? Are you going to be safe?"
Mulder couldn't lie to him, not about something like that. "I hope so. I'm going to do my best to keep anything bad from happening to your brothers. That's why we've got to go, so nothing bad does happen."
"I want to stay with you, Daddy." Kyle began to cry. "I don't want you to go away!"
Mulder crouched down and looked Kyle in the eyes. "I need your help, kiddo."
"No..."
"I need you to look after Avery and Delaney for me. The three of you will be with Mommy, but they need a big brother to be with them too, so they're less scared."
Tears continued to well in Kyle's eyes. "Why can't Owen or Benji stay with them?" His voice was choked up.
"It's not safe." Mulder reminded him gently. "They know about your brothers. You want your mom and the babies to be safe, right?"
"Yes." He looked indignant that Mulder thought there was a chance he didn't.
"And I want you to be safe too. I know it's a big responsibility, but you're going to be the oldest while we're gone."
"Daddy... You are coming back, aren't you?"
"Of course we are." Mulder answered with false cheer. He was glad that Kyle was too young to see through him. "But until we do, I'm glad Mommy has you to help her."
***
Mulder couldn't stand how grim and tense the four of them looked, though had he looked in a mirror, he did too. The three boys had their backpacks on, and he could almost pretend that they were filled with schoolbooks. They bags bulged with the weight of cloth, not sharp edges, so the illusion was imperfect. Scully stood a little apart from them, obviously uncomfortable with the idea of being thought of as their mother.
Uncomfortable or not, it was the role she was going to have to play. Mulder gave the boys a stern look. "Remember always to call Dana 'Mom'. Your safety depends on it."
They nodded, but Benji and Owen looked angry. William still looked stunned and confused.
"They're waiting for us." Scully told Mulder.
"Let's go out then."
"Dad, can't we say good-"
Mulder cut Owen off. "No. We'll see everyone again soon, anyway."
Owen looked like he believed, but Mulder wasn't so sure he believed himself. All at once he was stuck by how young and vulnerable the boys seemed, and it gave him an idea. "Owen, take off your backpack and give it to Mom, please."
His son looked around for Cat for a second, before seeming to catch on to Mulder's idea. As soon as the bag was passed on to Scully, Mulder swung the boy up into his arms. If carrying the smallest of the children didn't nail home their innocence, he didn't know what would. Owen didn't even question why he was suddenly being held, and Benji instinctively took Mulder's free hand.
That left William to Scully. Of the three kids, William understood the best why Mulder had done it. It was self-preservation, not instinct, that made him reluctantly take Scully's hand as the five of them walked out the door, leaving the rest of the people they loved behind.
____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________
Slightly OT, but if anyone cares, I'm posting the second Beyond the Truth fic (my shippier fics, lol) now too. Again. Really, I am. Just click on my profile to get to it.
"What?" Kyle was instantly wide-eyed with fear.
"Do you have any idea what the word 'hostage' means?"
"It's something bad?"
"Yeah. Some times people decide that the only way they can get what they want is to make people go with them. People who don't want to go. So they keep the people for a while, until they get what they want."
"Oh."
"It's no fun, but I've been a hostage before. I'm ok though, right?"
"Right." Kyle looked very confused. Mulder sighed and got to the point.
"Some people want me, and William, Benji and Owen, and Dana, to go with them for a little while. Hopefully only a few days."
"But what about me?"
"You, Mommy and the babies are going to go stay with friends of mine, where it's safe."
"What about you? Are you going to be safe?"
Mulder couldn't lie to him, not about something like that. "I hope so. I'm going to do my best to keep anything bad from happening to your brothers. That's why we've got to go, so nothing bad does happen."
"I want to stay with you, Daddy." Kyle began to cry. "I don't want you to go away!"
Mulder crouched down and looked Kyle in the eyes. "I need your help, kiddo."
"No..."
"I need you to look after Avery and Delaney for me. The three of you will be with Mommy, but they need a big brother to be with them too, so they're less scared."
Tears continued to well in Kyle's eyes. "Why can't Owen or Benji stay with them?" His voice was choked up.
"It's not safe." Mulder reminded him gently. "They know about your brothers. You want your mom and the babies to be safe, right?"
"Yes." He looked indignant that Mulder thought there was a chance he didn't.
"And I want you to be safe too. I know it's a big responsibility, but you're going to be the oldest while we're gone."
"Daddy... You are coming back, aren't you?"
"Of course we are." Mulder answered with false cheer. He was glad that Kyle was too young to see through him. "But until we do, I'm glad Mommy has you to help her."
***
Mulder couldn't stand how grim and tense the four of them looked, though had he looked in a mirror, he did too. The three boys had their backpacks on, and he could almost pretend that they were filled with schoolbooks. They bags bulged with the weight of cloth, not sharp edges, so the illusion was imperfect. Scully stood a little apart from them, obviously uncomfortable with the idea of being thought of as their mother.
Uncomfortable or not, it was the role she was going to have to play. Mulder gave the boys a stern look. "Remember always to call Dana 'Mom'. Your safety depends on it."
They nodded, but Benji and Owen looked angry. William still looked stunned and confused.
"They're waiting for us." Scully told Mulder.
"Let's go out then."
"Dad, can't we say good-"
Mulder cut Owen off. "No. We'll see everyone again soon, anyway."
Owen looked like he believed, but Mulder wasn't so sure he believed himself. All at once he was stuck by how young and vulnerable the boys seemed, and it gave him an idea. "Owen, take off your backpack and give it to Mom, please."
His son looked around for Cat for a second, before seeming to catch on to Mulder's idea. As soon as the bag was passed on to Scully, Mulder swung the boy up into his arms. If carrying the smallest of the children didn't nail home their innocence, he didn't know what would. Owen didn't even question why he was suddenly being held, and Benji instinctively took Mulder's free hand.
That left William to Scully. Of the three kids, William understood the best why Mulder had done it. It was self-preservation, not instinct, that made him reluctantly take Scully's hand as the five of them walked out the door, leaving the rest of the people they loved behind.
____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________
Slightly OT, but if anyone cares, I'm posting the second Beyond the Truth fic (my shippier fics, lol) now too. Again. Really, I am. Just click on my profile to get to it.