If Cat had spent any time that morning imagining how she would be spending the afternoon and Evening, it wouldn't have come close to being accurate. The flight had been tiring, since flying with an infant and two small boys was hard enough for two parents, and they were one short. She'd done her best to keep them quiet, but they'd still earned the unhappiness of several other passengers on the long flight.
Doggett and Reyes were there to meet them at the airport, which was a comfort. Cat didn't know either of the FBI agents well, but she had met them, if ever so briefly, on several occasions throughout the years, so they weren't complete strangers. Unlike Maggie Scully.
She'd long considered her husband's association with his ex's mother to be one of his harmless idiosyncrasies. She couldn't picture herself keeping in touch with an ex-boyfriend's mother, but neither of them had ever meant as much to her as Maggie did to Mulder. She knew that Mulder's feelings for Maggie had twin roots. The older, more weathered came from their shared worry about Scully's safely and health. The newer sprung from shared concern and grief over William.
"You'll like Maggie." Reyes assured her as they buckled the kids into the rented car seats. "She's very sweet."
Cat shrugged and fished through her purse for the babies' binkies. They were trying to wean Avery from his but it was such a stressful day that she didn't have the heart to withhold it. She'd even have let Kyle have one, if she thought it would make him feel better. Unfortunately, a simple pacifier would offer him no more peace of mind than her.
"Dana and Fox will keep the boys safe." Reyes voice was quiet, reassuring. "They'd defend them to the death."
"That's what I'm afraid of." Cat's voice sounded wooden, even to herself.
"I'm sure everything will be fine." Doggett said firmly as they got into the car. He'd seen Reyes' face, and known she'd been at a complete loss.
Maggie greeted them warmly when they arrived a short while later. Being a mother and grandmother, Maggie's first priority was getting everyone something to eat. Which was good, since they all discovered that they were starving. As a bonus, eating spared them all from having to make awkward small talk until quite a while later.
After the plates were cleared - Cat and Reyes insisted that they do it, over Maggie's protests - Doggett took Avery to play in the living room, because the toddler was full of energy. Doggett also wanted to get away from the somber atmosphere that had settled in the kitchen.
Delaney was quite content to be cuddled by Maggie and Reyes, but Kyle was both standoffish to the other women, but clingy to Cat. She didn't blame him in the slightest, since of her three youngest children, he was the only one old enough to have the wherewithal to sense that the adults were worried. When he seemed near tears again, Cat gathered him up in her arms, and kept him on her lap while she talked to Maggie.
"This is the hardest on him," Maggie said with a knowing nod over the baby's head. "It was always that way with Bill jr. when his father went away, back when my kids were small."
"He's the only one who has any idea where Fox and the older kids are." Cat agreed.
Kyle had seemed listless, yet they knew he'd been listening when he croaked. "I'm scared. I want daddy. I want my brothers."
Maggie smiled at Kyle. "Your daddy and brothers are going to be just fine. They'll be home in just a few days, and so will you."
"Do you promise?" His voice was small, but his eyes were big.
Cat expected the older woman to equivocate, buy she didn't. "Yes I do. I've known your Daddy for a long time, Kyle, and I know he'd never miss a Christmas with his family. And you know that Will's mom, Dana, is my little girl, and she'd never miss Christmas with me or her brothers either. Since Christmas is a week a way, they won't be gone longer than that. I'll help you mark the days on the calendar."
He nodded tiredly, but he looked less anxious. Cat wished she could believe comforting, logical lies too.
Doggett and Reyes were there to meet them at the airport, which was a comfort. Cat didn't know either of the FBI agents well, but she had met them, if ever so briefly, on several occasions throughout the years, so they weren't complete strangers. Unlike Maggie Scully.
She'd long considered her husband's association with his ex's mother to be one of his harmless idiosyncrasies. She couldn't picture herself keeping in touch with an ex-boyfriend's mother, but neither of them had ever meant as much to her as Maggie did to Mulder. She knew that Mulder's feelings for Maggie had twin roots. The older, more weathered came from their shared worry about Scully's safely and health. The newer sprung from shared concern and grief over William.
"You'll like Maggie." Reyes assured her as they buckled the kids into the rented car seats. "She's very sweet."
Cat shrugged and fished through her purse for the babies' binkies. They were trying to wean Avery from his but it was such a stressful day that she didn't have the heart to withhold it. She'd even have let Kyle have one, if she thought it would make him feel better. Unfortunately, a simple pacifier would offer him no more peace of mind than her.
"Dana and Fox will keep the boys safe." Reyes voice was quiet, reassuring. "They'd defend them to the death."
"That's what I'm afraid of." Cat's voice sounded wooden, even to herself.
"I'm sure everything will be fine." Doggett said firmly as they got into the car. He'd seen Reyes' face, and known she'd been at a complete loss.
Maggie greeted them warmly when they arrived a short while later. Being a mother and grandmother, Maggie's first priority was getting everyone something to eat. Which was good, since they all discovered that they were starving. As a bonus, eating spared them all from having to make awkward small talk until quite a while later.
After the plates were cleared - Cat and Reyes insisted that they do it, over Maggie's protests - Doggett took Avery to play in the living room, because the toddler was full of energy. Doggett also wanted to get away from the somber atmosphere that had settled in the kitchen.
Delaney was quite content to be cuddled by Maggie and Reyes, but Kyle was both standoffish to the other women, but clingy to Cat. She didn't blame him in the slightest, since of her three youngest children, he was the only one old enough to have the wherewithal to sense that the adults were worried. When he seemed near tears again, Cat gathered him up in her arms, and kept him on her lap while she talked to Maggie.
"This is the hardest on him," Maggie said with a knowing nod over the baby's head. "It was always that way with Bill jr. when his father went away, back when my kids were small."
"He's the only one who has any idea where Fox and the older kids are." Cat agreed.
Kyle had seemed listless, yet they knew he'd been listening when he croaked. "I'm scared. I want daddy. I want my brothers."
Maggie smiled at Kyle. "Your daddy and brothers are going to be just fine. They'll be home in just a few days, and so will you."
"Do you promise?" His voice was small, but his eyes were big.
Cat expected the older woman to equivocate, buy she didn't. "Yes I do. I've known your Daddy for a long time, Kyle, and I know he'd never miss a Christmas with his family. And you know that Will's mom, Dana, is my little girl, and she'd never miss Christmas with me or her brothers either. Since Christmas is a week a way, they won't be gone longer than that. I'll help you mark the days on the calendar."
He nodded tiredly, but he looked less anxious. Cat wished she could believe comforting, logical lies too.