Adopted Consequences.
Epilgue
Legal Notes: Andrew Mulder and Carolyn Mulder are my own characters and no one else may have them. Most of Will's live I'm making up myself too. But I own nothing that Chris Carter created.
"Daddy, tell me again why I don't live with my mommy," pleaded the four year old.
"How about you get ready for bed," replied his father. "And I'll tell it to you as your sleep story."
Without responding he ran into the bathroom. He emerged a few minutes later in his E.T. pajamas. He jumped onto the bed and waited for his father.
"Did you brush your teeth?" the older man asked, and the child responded by giving him a big toothy grin. "All right, come on, get in bed." He waited as Andrew got comfortable under the blankets before starting the story. "You know when I was your age I asked my daddy the same question."
"Really," the child responded. "Why daddy?"
"Because I was adopted by my really daddy, your Poppi, when my mommy couldn't take care of me anymore," Will Mulder answered his son.
"But you have both Poppi and Gamma now," said Andrew confused. "When did you get your mommy back?"
"Gamma worked with Uncle John and Aunt Monica in a very dangerous job. And when Mommy stopped working there she was able to come home and be a family with Poppi and me."
"But mommy isn't coming home is she daddy?" asked the child.
"No she isn't kiddo," Will answered. "It's just you and me from now on."
"And don't forget Poppi and Gamma," Andrew chimed in.
"You're right, there's Poppi and Gamma too. But your mommy is watching you everyday to make sure you grow up big and strong."
"So I can play baseball like you do, daddy?"
"If that's what you want to do," he answered smiling.
"But why did mommy have to leave?"
Will sighed before answering his son. This was one of those topics that still upset him, although the young boy still didn't realize the severity of what had happened. "Your mommy loved you very much and wanted to be with you to see you grow up. But mommy got sick with something called cancer. So God decided that instead of having mommy be sick all the time, that she should go live with him in heaven. But she still gets to watch over you everyday. And I'll bet that she even kisses you goodnight every night."
"She does daddy," replied little Andrew. "I say goodnight to mommy every night before I go to sleep."
"Well why don't you say good night to me and your mother and get some sleep, kiddo," he said pulling the covers up over Andrew. "You have to go to school in the morning."
"Good night daddy," Andrew replied grabbing hold of his stuffed rabbit and closing his eyes. "Good night mommy."
Will turned to leave his son's room and saw Scully standing in the doorway watching the two interact. She gave him a comforting hug before following him down the hall back to the living room where Mulder was sitting watching Sportscenter. "He still doesn't understand it does he, mom?" asked Will plopping down on the couch.
"Andrew's young," she replied. "The only thing he knows is that his mommy can't be with him anymore."
"You were the same way at his age," added Mulder. "All you knew was that you didn't live with you mom but one day you would."
"Andrew will never live with his mother again," snapped back Will. "It's totally different."
"He's a child," answered Scully calmly. "As he gets older he'll understand it a little more. All you have to do is be there to remind him how great of a person Carolyn was and how much she loved him. That's all you can do."
"He's so young though mom," he replied. "This is going to be hard, especially when I go down to Spring Training and on road trips. I can't leave him by himself, and I can't always take him with me."
"We'll work things out," replied Mulder. "Baseball is your career. You need to be able to work to support yourself and Andrew. But spring training is three months away; we can deal with that later."
"I never thought I would be glad that we didn't make the playoffs," he answered with a slight chuckle. "It made things a little easier."
"Hey, it's not like you guys ever make the playoffs anyways," answered Mulder, receiving a death glare from Will. "What, the last time the Nationals made the playoffs you were still playing high school ball."
"Hopefully next season will be our year," replied Will, finding this topic a lot easier to talk about. "Besides we just signed this great ace pitcher from the Dodgers farm league, who I can't wait to catch for."
"Oh really," asked Mulder intrigued. "And who would this great new prospect be?"
William laughed a little before responding. "Carlyle. Tommy Carlyle. I haven't played with him since high school. But I enjoyed beating him when he was playing for Notre Dame."
"Tommy, as in the kid from next door when we lived in Alexandria," asked Scully. "I didn't even know he was playing ball."
"He came up through the independent leagues, and got a break with the Dodgers. We picked him up as one of our new starters for next season," explained Will. "He and his wife Ella are moving back to DC so he can be at home when we're in town."
Scully rolled her eyes at the thought of Will and Tommy being back in town together. Not that they had been bad kids growing up, but they certainly had their share of pranks and mishaps over the years. "I don't want to have to bail you out somewhere in south Florida this spring," she warned jokingly.
"Don't worry mom," he said laughing. "How much trouble could we get into anyways?" Before Scully could answer, Andrew started yelling from his bedroom. Will got up and went in to see what was wrong with him. "Will, what's wrong?"
"I had a bad dream," he replied through tears. "I got scared."
"What was your dream about?" Will asked sitting down on the bed next to him.
"That you went to be with mommy and I was all alone," he answered hugging his father and crying softly into his chest."
"Oh, Andy," he said rubbing his back to calm him down. "I'm not going anywhere, I promise. I'm going to be right here for you."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm more than sure. Now you should go back to sleep," he said tucking Andrew back under the covers.
"Daddy will you stay in here with me for a little while?" he pleaded.
"Only for a little while, slide over." Andrew did as he was told and Will curled up on the small bed and took his son into his arms. "Now you go to sleep, and when you wake up I'll be right here."
"You promise, daddy?' he asked one more time for that final reassurance.
"I promise."
Notes: Sorry it took so long. Finals kicked my ass. But I'm back and rearing to go. I'm thinking a spin off maybe. But it's so dull. There will be one more epilogue chapter and then I might shelve this and call it complete.
