The Teenage Years

Part 3

by Trycee

Time-Line: Present Day

Disclaimer: I do not own the X-Files, this is written for fun not profit.

*I've drawn from my own experiences as a parent of a teenager. I have had some strange experiences with other parents with my child in both sports and in dating and so I am using them in this story. *

Scully pulled up the windy snowy pathway to her home and she could smell the beef stew cooking from the road. She stepped out and breathed it all in. She was grateful after the load she had at the hospital with two surgeries and several new patients that she didn't have to work even harder in the kitchen tonight. She walked in and saw Mulder seated at the table and it made her smile. She tilted his chin up and planted a soft lingering kiss on his lips. "Waiting for me? You hungry?"

"Not really!", he said.

"OH?", she said, surprised.

"Scully, smelling this beef stew the entire day, I've eaten about five meals I shouldn't have," he said, touching his stomach. "Are you trying to kill me? Is that your master plan?"

She cocked an eyebrow. "What's this?", she said, looking at the paper in his hand. "And where's William?"

"I just dropped him off at Basketball practice. It's a two hour practice M-Thurs now..."

"Oh, yeah...", she said, skimming over the paper. "Oh no...", she said, as she read the paragraphs. "Mulder no...I've had a rough day at work. I'm tired. I just want to soak for a few hours in my tub...I can't...I just can't..."

Mulder pointed to a section of the paper. "Do you see where it says, 'Mandatory Parent's Meeting'."

Scully threw her full weight against Mulder and leaned into his neck. He gripped her around her waist. "It's okay, Scully, here, sit down."

"No, Mulder. The tub is that way," she said, pointing towards the hall.

He took off her coat and hung it up. "I made you some rice and a salad to go with your beef stew so you could eat a wholesome meal."

"What about you?", she said, curiously.

He patted his stomach. "I...I...may have had a bowl or two," he admitted guilty. "Just sit, I'll serve you. You eat it and then take your bath and then we can curl up and watch a little TV before having to drive back to the school for this..."

"Hellish parent meeting," she grumbled.

"That's what I was thinking," he said, turning to fix her food.

The gym was full of sweaty teenagers both basketball players and the teenage girls who were lusting after them with William and Susie amongst them as the practice ended and the socializing began. Mulder took one whiff of the air and covered his nose. "Man, talk about stale air!"

Scully too who had smelled some of the worst smells any human being could ever smell, having handle plenty of corpses in her day was also taken aback. "Teenage boys, Mulder. Not a pleasant smell."

There was an eager looking woman with what Scully could see was a fake smile plastered on her face ushering all the parents into a fume-free room for the Parents Meeting. Once inside they were forced to sit on the thin wooden bleachers that pulled out from the wall. Scully spotted her immediately, the Head of the Basketball's Parents Committee. She was medium in height which meant she was taller than she was and she had dark hair and eyes that lit up with excitement as if she were on Prozac, Scully assumed. There was no reason for her to be this chipper and yet Scully could tell that she had been one of the types that high school had been the highlight of her life. And so she had worked her way up to being the Committee Head, a position she was proud of and hoped to maintain past the time her kid was in high school. She needed it to fulfill a void within herself. Scully was familiar with women just like them throughout her life. She could spot them a mile away. Scully shook her head as the woman locked eyes with the both of them and plastered her patented fake smile and extended her hand.

"Welcome, " the woman said. "I'm Trish Abraham's. I'm the Head of the Parents Committee."

Scully shook her hand. Trish looked from Scully to Mulder. "What's your player's name?"

"William Mulder," Scully answered.

"Ah," Trish smiled. "He's a good player. My son is Bob Abraham's."

Scully and Mulder both stared at her with blank expressions but she just continued her excessive smiling. "Well, we like to welcome all new parents to the meetings. So, how come we've never seen you before?"

"Our son's a freshman," Mulder answered.

"Oh," Trish smiled again.

She was suddenly joined by a few 'friends' enclosing Mulder and Scully in a semi-circle.

"So," began one. "What church do you belong?"

"Where do you live?"

"William, is that the one who wants to date Susie?"

Mulder glanced down at Scully who was holding his hand and without saying a word, he turned and pulled her along with him leaving the noisy busy bodies to themselves. Scully and Mulder seated themselves furthest away from everyone. "I couldn't take all that, " Mulder whispered. "Them coming at us like that."

"I agree," she said, glancing occasionally at the people that were surrounding them.

A few were stared in their direction but turned as Trish began the meeting. Scully tried hard not to yawn noticeably and she hoped that Mulder was paying attention but it had been a very hectic day and her mind was not on all the details of 'Home' games vs. 'Away' games and 'Showing Team Spirit' and 'Parental Support' and all that stuff. She was proud of William for making an effort to be social and to be active and it even gave her a glimpse of what it was must've been like to see Mulder as a teen when he used to play for his school basketball team but she was not much into decorating cars to show team pride or wearing red on Fridays or buying certain snacks based upon the initial of your last name and all that nonsense. She had too much to think about like her four year patient that died on her today and having to tell the parents who had been praying in the Hospitals Chapel during the time their child was dying. She did not have time to know what grocery store was the best store to shop for 'goodies' that all the basketball players loved. She could care less.

Mulder leaned in to whisper in her ear. "This has to be the most emasculating basketball meeting I've ever seen in my life. Why invite us men if they're just gonna torture us with all this girly stuff?"

Scully smiled and leaned into him. "God, I hope its almost over. I swear I'm just about to fall asleep."

At the end of the meeting, it seemed that they had become targets for all the parents who wanted to know just who they were. One after the other approached them and shook their hands, "And you are?"

"We're Williams parents," they answered simply.

They were grateful when they finally could make their way towards the exit and found William along with Susie though Mr. and Mrs. Carter weren't anywhere to be seen. "Susie, these are my parents," William introduced.

Scully smiled warmly and reached out her hand to the shaky teenager. "Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Mulder," Susie said, shyly.

"It's Dr. Scully," William corrected her.

"Oh, you kept your maiden name. That's cool."

Scully smiled weakly and Mulder glanced up at the wall and then looked back down to the floor and then looked at Scully.

"Will you walk me to my car with them?", William asked.

"Sure."

"Oh, by the way," Scully began. "We'd like for your parents and yourself to come for dinner tomorrow night around 6. "

"You're not working tomorrow?", William questioned.

Scully looked at him. "No, not tomorrow. I can take time to whip up a meal tomorrow. So, let your parents know, alright. Will you do that?"

"Yeah, I'll call them in a minute and tell them," Susie said, as William and Susie walked ahead of both Mulder and Scully out of the school thru the parking lot to their car.

Mulder and Scully stepped into the car and William and Susie chatted a few minutes longer. "That meeting was torture," Mulder sighed. "If one more person were to raise their hand I was going to shoot them dead in their seats!"

"I know," she said. "I had a long day. I lost a patient today."

Mulder reached out and cupped her hand in his. "You didn't say anything earlier."

"We didn't have time," she said. "Plus, I don't think I had time to process it until I was zoning out at the meeting. You know, he was only four years old, Mulder," she said, looking into his multicolored eyes. "We're pretty lucky. We have William and though we missed all those years with him, its like we didn't miss anything at all."

Mulder smiled and looked out his rear-view mirror and could see William and Susie hugging. "No, it's like he's been with us forever."

William climbed into the back seat and began questioning Scully as Mulder pulled out. Scully waved to Susie as she retreated back to the school doorway. "She's a nice girl, William."

"Thanks," he smiled. "But what are you gonna serve? What if they don't like it? Can I decide if we eat it or not?"

"Whoa, slow down there," Mulder said. "Are you trying to impress her or her parents?"

William shook his head. "Her...and them a little."

Scully twisted slightly in her seat so she could see William better. "Okay, what would you suggest?"

William thought for a moment. "It has to be simple. Nothing gourmet. They're like church people and so they wouldn't eat like fancy foods or anything like that."

Scully nodded and closed the car door as Mulder parked in front of their home. The small amount of snow had melted as they made their way up into the door. They hung their coats and Scully placed a hand on Williams arm. He was taller than her, nearing Mulder's height. "Sit and eat."

"Mom, I stink."

"I agree," she said, taking a whiff. "But I bet your starving."

"I am."

"Hurry up and eat and then go take a shower and I'll burn those clothes."

"Ha, ha, funny!", he said.

Scully retrieved a bowl of rice and added the still steaming beef stew on top and served it to her son. Mulder was seated on the sofa and she joined him. She curled up to his side and kicked off her shoes. Mulder grabbed the blanket and covered them both up as Scully's head slowly drifted from his side to his lap. She was asleep in no time. After Williams shower, he joined them in the living room and they watched a few basketball games together as Scully slept. Each time one of their teams scored they'd give out a silent roar trying not to wake her. Eventually, Mulder picked her up and placed her on their bed. He undressed her and the cold air hit her then and she woke up but only briefly when she saw that Mulder was taking care of her. He quickly put her on some pajamas and placed the covers over her and then turned off the lights, letting her sleep. He popped some pop corn and both William and Mulder threw it in each others direction whenever they're team double dribbled. Soon it was time for William to go to bed and so Mulder vacuumed up the floor and cleaned up the kitchen including the dishes and put away the leftovers. He changed into his nightclothes and climbed into bed next to her. He stared in the dark at her small frame and then he wrapped his warm arms around her and spooned up to her. "I love you so much, Scully."

"I love you, Mulder," she said, in her sleep.

He kissed her head and then settled down and went to sleep.

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