June 19, 2022
Mulder smiled, letting out a small chuckle as they left the Fairyland park, and Scully glanced at him with a grin.
"Had a good day?" she asked and he nodded, knowing she already knew the answer to that question.
"I had a fantastic day. Thank you, love." He reached for her hand, lifting it to his lips and kissing her knuckles softly. "It was even better than last time and I didn't think that was possible."
She laughed, her eyes back on the road, the late afternoon sun shining through the windshield. He kissed her hand again and then let it go, turning to look at Faith with a grin.
"Did you have fun today, my girl?" he asked and she nodded with a smile.
"I have so much fun, Daddy. I like the train ride and the lake monster. It scared me! But I like it," she said and they all laughed.
"Like father, like daughter," Scully murmured, cutting her eyes to him.
"Hey!" he said and she laughed again.
"Daddy?"
"Yes, love?"
"Liz Beth like the lake monster too, but Jacob like the Sasquatch. He laughed when he see it. Raycho said it make him giggle. That means he laughed."
"It does mean that, my love. What did Uncle like best? Did he tell you?"
"Hmm," she said, tapping her chin and looking out the window. Mulder cleared his throat and glanced at Scully, who was watching her in the rearview mirror.
"That is so adorable," she said softly and he cleared his throat again in agreement, looking back at Faith.
"Unco doesn't like aliens. He tell Raycho he heared too much about them to like them." Faith said with her hands up and a shrug of her shoulders. Mulder guffawed and slapped a hand on his leg, shaking his head and closing his eyes.
"Oh," he laughed. "Little pitchers do indeed have big ears. Gonna have to remind Uncle Walter about that proverb." He glanced at Scully and she grinned.
"So what do you think was his favorite, love?" Scully asked and Faith sighed, looking at her hands. Raising her head, she smiled.
"Unco like the yeti. He growled at him and the yeti growled at him too. Unco pretend to be mad, but he smiled and he do this to me." She blinked her eyes a couple of times and Mulder laughed.
"You mean this?" He winked at her and she nodded enthusiastically.
"Yeah, he blink with one eye." She held down one eye and grinned. "Like this."
They all laughed again and Mulder smiled as he reached back and squeezed Faith's hand.
"You wanna know my favorite?" he asked her and she nodded, squeezing his fingers gently. "My favorite was spending the day with you and Mommy."
"Gross," Scully breathed, glancing at him with a smile. He squeezed her thigh with his other hand and she gasped.
"Yeah, that's right." He let go of her thigh and looked back at Faith. "It's the truth, my girl. Any time I get to do something special with you and Mommy, that's my favorite."
"And with Unco and Raycho and the babies," she reminded him and he laughed.
"Yes, with them too," he agreed and she smiled. Letting go of his hand, she placed it on top of his and touched his wedding ring, tracing her finger all the way around it.
"Why you wear this, Daddy?" she asked and he smiled at her.
"I wear it because it shows that I'm married to your mommy. It lets everyone we see know that I am mommy's."
"What does married mean?" she asked, touching his ring again.
"Got a lot of questions today," Scully said under her breath, passing a car and changing lanes. "Wonder where she gets that curious mind?"
"Hmm," he said, smiling at her. "Married, my love, means that two people love each other very much and they want to show that by giving rings to know that love never will end. Because it's shaped like a circle and a circle has no end, it goes around and around. You see?"
She stared at his ring, moving her finger around it, and then looked at him with a smile and a nod.
"Mommy has a ring too, but hers is pretty. Your ring isn't so pretty like Mommy's."
Scully laughed and he blinked his eyes in shock, not expecting that to be her answer.
"Well," he said, clearing his throat as she continued touching his ring. "Perhaps it's not as pretty as Mommy's, but that doesn't make it any less special. Took me a looooong time to get Mommy to agree to these rings. So, even if it's not as pretty as hers, it's pretty to me." Scully glanced at him and smiled, placing her hand on his knee.
"Mommy's is sparkly and shiny. So pretty."
"Yes, my love," Scully said, looking at Faith in the rearview mirror. "It is very pretty. Daddy picked it out and he made a very good choice. Just what I would have chosen because Daddy knows me very well."
"Yeah," Faith said. "I like it. I like both of them, but Mommy's is my favorite."
"Understandable," he said, squeezing her hand and letting go. She yawned and he smiled, knowing she would be asleep soon. "You want your water?"
"No. I'm okay," she said, yawning again and laying her head against the car seat as she closed her eyes.
Moving his hand and turning to face forward, he placed his hand over Scully's and laced his fingers with hers. She ran a finger against his ring and he smiled.
"I like them both too," she said and he chuckled softly. "Worth your loooong wait?"
"Every second," he confirmed, squeezing her hand gently.
"Hmm…" she hummed and then sighed with a soft smile.
They fell silent and as he looked out the window, he thought about their day spent at the Fairyland park.
Last time they had been there was when Faith was eight months old. She had no memory of it of course and had been wide-eyed for the majority of the day, excited to see and experience everything. She had run to all the rides, now able to go on the ones they had skipped.
She had loved the petting zoo, sitting on the hay covered ground as the rabbits and guinea pigs congregated around her. She had spoken softly, petting a white and gray rabbit and stroking its ears. The twins sat on a bench with the adults, petting a gray rabbit on Rachel's lap. They had been overly excited at first, but Skinner had helped them to touch it gently.
From there, after at least a half hour, they had taken the train around the park, excitedly pointing out the fairy creatures they saw, Faith grinning from ear to ear.
The spinning aliens ride had been her favorite, laughing as they had spun, robotic alien noises playing overhead. A small roller coaster had caused tears, until Skinner had offered her ice cream to try it one more time with him. She had agreed, having seen the ice cream in question, full of sprinkles and on a giant cone.
The second time had been better and the third and fourth even more so; the ice cream postponed as she rode it with him again. She had come running to them after the last ride, smiling and happy with Skinner trailing behind looking rather green. He had bought the ice cream treat, but did not join them at the table. Instead he had paced, taking deep breaths to help settle his stomach and head.
The twins had fallen asleep in the stroller, allowing the adults, sans Skinner, to ride a couple of the "bigger" rides, as Faith called them.
It had been fun, especially hearing Rachel scream out a laugh as they had dropped down a hill, and then swearing when they went faster.
One of his favorite moments had been when they had been standing near the tall alien spaceship just before they had parted ways. Rachel had been singing a familiar song under her breath and Skinner had growled quietly.
"Babe… come on," he had said and Rachel looked at him. He had shaken his head and she had raised her eyebrows at him.
Stepping a few steps from them, she began to sing louder and dance, much to Skinner's dismay. As she got more into it, Mulder recognized the song as one Scully had played on her phone many times recently.
It was from a video Rachel had sent her, of a very pregnant woman carrying twins. The song used was an old one, the lyrics changed to suit the video of the woman not doing things as she was far too pregnant.
Rachel had said she sympathized with the woman, remembering how hard it had been doing many daily tasks as she was carrying twins. The video had made her laugh and she figured Scully, who understood the complexities of pregnancy, would also appreciate the accuracy of it.
Faith had asked to watch it when she heard the music. When she had, she looked at Scully in surprise.
"That looks like Raycho's tummy. She have two babies in her tummy?" She had looked closer and asked to watch it again. And then again.
As Rachel had danced and sang, attracting the attention of people who smiled at her as they walked by, Faith had stood watching her. For a few seconds she had done nothing, but then she had joined in with the dancing, singing the song with Rachel.
"Oh, for God's sake," Skinner had said, but Mulder had seen the small smile on his face as he had watched them.
"But then I asked why… then I asked why, then I asked why," Rachel had sung, reaching for Faith's hands and dancing with her, Faith's new bobblehead alien headband moving with her.
Rachel had spun Faith around and then dipped her, causing her to erupt into giggles, and those watching had clapped. Rachel had bowed and Faith followed her lead, still giggling as she held onto Rachel's hand.
Lost in thought for a few more minutes, Mulder sighed, squeezing Scully's hand as he glanced at her. She smiled at him and tilted her head to the side, asking him a silent question.
"Nothing," he said, shaking his head.
"Mmhmm," she hummed, obviously not believing him.
"I was just thinking…"
"I noticed. You've been quiet for a while. It's very unlike you."
"Ha ha," he said, and she squeezed his hand.
"What were you thinking about?"
"The day and all the things we did. About Skinner nearly getting sick."
"That poor man," she chuckled and he smiled.
"Yeah. He was a real trooper. I certainly didn't want to go on that ride that many times."
"You just don't have good sea legs," she teased and he laughed quietly.
"No, yours are definitely better."
"Well, thank you." She squeezed his hand again and let go, signaling again as she went around another slow moving car.
"I was thinking too, about the gifts father's receive on Father's Day."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, the ones I gave my father, when I did anyway, and how different they were than the gifts for my mother."
"Hmm," she agreed with a hum and nod of her head. "I see where you're headed. Moms get flowers and kind words…"
"And dads get: happy Father's Day, you old fart."
They both laughed, Mulder glancing back to see if they had woken Faith, but she slept on, her mouth open as she breathed deeply.
"I actually saw a card like that when I was younger," he said. "I picked it up and held it, imagining the look on my father's face if I were to actually give it to him." He shook his head and she looked at him, waiting for him to say more. "It would not have gone over well." She looked back at the road with a nod and he sighed.
"Well, my father wouldn't have liked it either. At least, not when we were younger. I think Melissa gave him one similar to that, but it was a birthday card. He was quite tickled by it, but if she had been younger, I think he would have found it to be disrespectful." She smiled slowly at him and he raised his eyebrows. "You on the other hand…"
"I challenge you to find something funnier than farts to a child."
"Or to an adult who talks about left cheek sneaks…" she teased and he laughed. "You just have to know the person and their humor. Faith will continue to learn yours and I'm sure there will be many fart joke cards from her in the future."
"Yeah," he said, glancing back at her again. "I want her to feel comfortable doing that, or anything else for that matter. I don't want her to be afraid to talk to us, to me, about anything."
"I don't think that will be a problem," Scully said softly, placing her hand on his thigh and patting it. "She loves you so much. You're her best buddy. Anyone can see how much she adores you."
He sighed and nodded, covering her hand with his own and squeezing gently.
"Thank you," he said softly and she hummed.
"So," she said, smiling at him. "What kinds of cards and/or gifts did you give your dad when you were younger?"
"Oh, I don't really remember what they were when I was very young. I found some stuff saved when I cleared his house, but it wasn't much and it was mostly stuff from Samantha. I think he…" He sighed, the conversation heading down a path he had not intended. "You know what, let's change the subject. No need to darken what was a beautiful day." He forced a smile and she drew in a deep breath, turning her hand, and interlocking their fingers.
"You think he kept them to torment himself?"
"I don't know. We don't need to-"
"Better out than in," she said and he sighed.
"I just feel like I spoiled the ending of a good day."
"Like you tainted it?" she teased and he gasped, placing his other hand on his chest.
"You said taint."
"I did."
They both laughed quietly again and he stared at her with a smile.
"I don't know why he kept them. He wasn't a sentimental man."
"Hmm…" she hummed, moving her mouth around, a sure sign she was deep in thought and would have something profound to say, even if he did not fully agree with it. "I think… I think you never really got a chance to know him. There was so much already stacked against him, so many things he had done and was a party to, that you never knew his true self. Perhaps he was sentimental, but was forced to keep it hidden. Perhaps he was a man like you, who sees suffering and pain and wants to help, but he didn't have that option once he was in too deep. That had a ripple effect the size of the Grand Canyon and you and he never could find common ground. The waters were dirty long before you ever had a chance to see them as pristine."
"Jesus, Scully…" he whispered, shaking his head and blinking his eyes quickly.
"I don't want you to continue to feel responsible for any lack of a relationship with him," she said, her eyebrows knitted together as she shook her head. "You were a child who was pushed away, then an adult who needed guidance and it wasn't given to you by the person from whom you craved it. You are not responsible for his actions. Just as Faith… or Jackson…" She let out a deep breath and he squeezed her hand. "Your actions do not reflect on them. Good or bad. They are their own person and…"
"I know, Scully."
"A parent's job is to love and nurture. To create a safe space for a child to express themselves without fear of repercussions. Any past trauma we both carry within us, we're fixing and doing differently. And I think we're doing a damn good job, you old fart."
She smiled at him and he laughed as he wiped at his eyes. A deep cleansing laugh, as he let go of all the bad energy and thoughts in his head.
"Yeah," he chuckled again, raising her hand to his lips and gently kissing her knuckles. "We are doing a great job, you-"
"If you call me old, you're sleeping on the couch," she warned, one eyebrow raised as she glanced at him.
"Noted," he chuckled, kissing her hand with a smile. "Steering clear, Miss."
"Yeah. That's right. Smart man."
She smiled and he smiled back, nodding as he brought their joined hands back down to his leg.
They were quiet for a couple of minutes, listening to Faith's deep breaths and hums as she shifted her head to the other side of her car seat.
"She loves you so much, Mulder," Scully said quietly. "It makes me love you even more, watching you with her, teaching her and loving her. She's a very lucky little girl to grow up having you as her father. Someone who would do anything for her to make sure she's happy and to know how much she is loved."
"Hmm," he hummed, squeezing her hand as he swallowed down the sudden lump in his throat. Nodding, he let out a shaky breath and licked his lips.
"Well, maybe not anything," she said, a twinkle in her eyes as she looked at him. "Riding on the Flight of the Fairies more than once, might just be your breaking point."
He laughed heartily, leaning forward and then back, his shoulders shaking as she laughed beside him and squeezed his hand. Nodding, he looked at her and she winked at him before turning her attention back to the road.
"Yeah… I think I could soldier on, if I absolutely had to do so," he said and she shook her head.
"Mulder, think of Skinner's green face. Think of watching him pacing and taking those deep breaths. Are you so sure about that?"
He turned and looked back at Faith, smiling at the person who had turned their world upside down. The second miracle that had not been planned and should never have been possible in the first place. He smiled again as he nodded, his heart exceedingly happy.
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm sure."