The Teenage Years

Part 6

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 was dreading stepping foot back into the school but she could sense William's dread even more. She turned and glanced back at him. He was staring out at the kids who were talking in the parking lot as Mulder circled around the snowing parking lot, searching for a closer and clearer parking spot. Her heart ached for him but she knew this was his lessons to learn and it was a helpless feeling.

Finally, Mulder found a spot and they stepped out into the fridget Virginia night. They rushed to the school entrance and was grateful the school had the heat turned on blast. They made their way towards the meeting room door but William hung back from them. Mulder turned to look at him. "Where are you going to go? In with us or the basketball court or what?"

William bowed his head down and then stepped towards his parents.

"You ready to hear about the best wash-setting to clean uniforms?," Mulder said "Or something as equally boring?"

William smiled. "Get out of here!", he said, laughing.

Scully raised her eyebrow and William stopped and looked at them both. "I...I...think I'll go see if the second floor really is haunted at night," he said, walking off.

"You know, Mulder," Scully whispered. "That really isn't going to improve his reputation if he goes off ghost-hunting in his own school...if that's the problem the kids are having with us."

Mulder shrugged his shoulders. "Ah, he'll probably just find a bunch of kids having sex up there while we're in this meeting," he said, opening the door for Scully.

All eyes suddenly turned and stared at them. Mulder and Scully entered and they could hear a pen drop. Mulder glanced down at Scully and she looked up at him. "Reminds me of our time in the basement, huh Scully?", he joked.

Mulder placed his hand in his spot and guilded her past intense glares from parents who just a few days before were shaking their hands introducing themselves. They could see that they were the center of attention and every whispered conversation was about them.

Another parent dressed esentrically approached them. "Hi, I'm Rose McClaren," she said, extending a hand towards Scully.

Scully was impressed. This was obviously a brave soul. "Dana Scully and Fox Mulder."

"I'm a transplant too," McClaren said with a smile. "Don't worry about all the gossip, it'll blow over."

Scully cocked her head and perked her eyebrow. "What gossip would that be?"

"That you tossed the Carter's out of your home and that you two aren't Christians and that you dabble in the black arts," she chuckled.

Scully looked up at Mulder and he rolled his eyes. "This is why I don't socialize, Scully."

"This is for William, Mulder, not us," she reminded him.

"See, I can clearly see you wear a cross so that Mrs. Carter is a liar," Rose stated. "I drive to St. Mary's not far from Our Lady of Sorrow's."

"I work at Our Lady," Scully stated.

"Oh, well, I may have seen you," Rose said. "I'm a devout Catholic myself and have been my whole life. In these parts, Catholics and Devil worshippers are the same thing," she laughed. "It's that old time religion and any new ideas and beliefs are frowned upon. They may have a gas station and one store, but New York or D.C. we are not!", Rose stated.

"So what is it that you do?"

She smiled. "I'm a teacher."

"Another teacher," Scully said. "What do you teach?"

"Up to Fourth grade at the elementary school, " she smiled widely. "I have a teenage son, my last one, here at the high school."

Mulder was watching the looks of disgust from the other parents who were angry at Rose for talking to them. He placed a firm hand on Scully's back in his spot and then leaned over. "We've lived here for numerous years and never saw this kind of hostility before."

"Ah," Rose nodded. "That's cause you never had a kid involved in school activities before. The thing to remember is that everyone knows everybody. I'm an outsider so I could care less if they talk to me or not. I've let them know along time ago that if they mess with me, they're kid might end up with a failing grade!"

Mulder chuckled and Scully smiled. She could tell that Mulder liked Rose's gumption.

"They're all into clicks here. They live, eat and breath these little petty school committee positions and they love their school sports and getting their names called out as having volunteered and at this function and having someone pat them on the back. That's what its about. It's not about their son's playing basketball. It's not even if they win or not. It's all about them," Rose said, turning to glare at the other parents who glared back. "So, its nice to see another ousted family. So, if you have any questions, here's my card," she said.

Scully retrieved one of her own. "Ah, DR. Scully. When you said you worked at Our Lady, I thought were a nurse."

Scully smiled. "No, I'm no nurse."

"Certainly not!", Rose said. "Pediatric Surgeon, Forensic Pathologist, any more specialities and there won't be room on the card," she joked.

Scully grinned widely.

"Well, my husband is lost, he's never actually been to the school. Four boys and you'd think he'd come once," Rose said, shaking her head. "Anyway, gotta go track him down. The meeting will probably be over by then. Take some notes for me if I miss anything."

"Will do!", Mulder said.

They sat back down and watched as the small woman disappeared into the blackness of the school hallway.

"I like her," Mulder said. "Our kind of crazy, Scully."

"Yeah, definitely our kind of crazy, that's for sure."

The meeting began and again it was useless information that Scully and Mulder could do without but once the meeting was over, Trish Abraham's approached them both. Gone was her fake smile. She had her arms crossed in front of her. "I am a friend of the Carter's, " she began.

"That's nice," Scully stated.

"I just wanted you to know that we don't want any trouble-makers here!"

"You are just a parent, right? It isn't like you have any real power, right?", Scully said, raising her eyebrow. "Listen, don't approach us again! And unless there's some Basketball Jersey Stain Emergency, we won't be back to one of these useless meetings anyhow. But if we do, don't walk up on us again!"

"Well!", Trish said.

"I guess the Carter's forgot to mention to everyone that we are former FBI Agents, huh, Mulder?", Scully said, right in front of Trish Abraham's.

Trish's mouth flew open and she stepped back away from them.

"Yeah, I guess they did, " Mulder said, with a twinkle in his eye.

"Come on, Mulder, " Scully said, eying Trish as she and Mulder walked past her and the other parents into the hallway.

William was standing against the wall waiting on them. "Hey," he said, when he saw them.

"You okay?", Scully said, immediately touching his forehead and running her hand through his hair. "Everything alright?"

He smiled and she was reminded of Mulder's crooked smile. "I'm fine, mom. It's okay. As a matter of fact, a few other girls gave me their phone numbers."

"That's my boy!", Mulder said, patting him on the shoulder.

"I don't want you bringing them and their parents over any time soon though!", Scully warned. "I'm not ready for that again!", she said, walking off towards the school exit.

Mulder smiled as they both watched her walk on. Mulder placed an arm around William's shoulder and walked with him. "If you find a girl as tough and as gorgeous as your mom, she's a keeper..."

"I'll remember that," William said.

"So you going back to practice tomorrow?"

"I sure am," he smiled. "There's gonna be about four or five girls watching me practice. Watchin' all my moves..."

"Hmmm," Mulder chuckled. "Four or five, huh?"

"Yep," William said. "And this is just my freshman year."

Mulder nodded. "Don't remind us."

Scully sat on the sofa and sipped on her tea as the snow fell outside. William's phone was buzzing every second from the constant texts messages and it was disturbing her peace. "What is that noise?", she said.

"It's girls, messaging me," he said, with a smile.

She looked over to him, laid out on one of the sofa's, a blanket covering him as he texted through the movie they were watching. "How is this spending family quality time if you're gonna chat every minute with some girl?"

"Not some girl...GIRLS...PLURAL."

"Well, at least you're no longer depressed," she said, under her breath.

"He's got the old Mulder charm," Mulder said, proudly as he wrapped Scully tighter in his arms. "I'm so Proud I could burst."

"I see that," she said, feeling his chest puff out.

"Look at the two of us, Scully," he said, squeezing her tighter. "We're both attractive. Our son is a God...literally," he said.

William looked up at them but then resumed his texting.

"Well, tell Adonis here to get off his phone long enough so we can watch ONE family movie together," she said, as she gazed up to the underside of Mulder's chin. "Please, Mulder," knowing Mulder could never resist her pleas.

He kissed her forehead. "Will..."

"I got a DATE!", William interrupted. "But, Mom, you're not gonna be happy."

"And why is that?", she asked.

"Cause her parents are insisting that they meet with you and dad first, just like the Carters. I guess that's what everyone does."

Scully sighed. "Rural Virginia, Mulder! Great idea. Let's go hide out in Rural Virginia, Mulder!", Scully said, jumping up. "How about you don't date until you're 18!"

"Come on, be serious!", William said.

She plopped back down next to Mulder and turned to look at him. "Rural Virginia Mulder!"

He shrugged his shoulders but didn't say a word.

William was staring at his phone. "Her name is Lisa," he walked over and showed them the small photo on his phone of a blond haired girl smiling.

"Nice," Scully said.

"Very nice," Mulder agreed. "Good for you."

"And so where is this meeting supposed to take place?", Scully said with a frown.

"Anywhere you want."

"Not here!", she said.

"Okay, where?"

Scully thought long and hard. "I don't know but not here."

William texted back to the girl and then looked up at his parents. "They're inviting us to their house tomorrow night for a casual dinner."

Mulder and Scully looked at eachother. "That's fine. But one crack about Devil's or black art's or Catholic's and we're out of there!", Scully said.

William nodded. "Okay. I gotta find something nice to wear. I need to go shopping."

"I can pick you up something while I'm in town," Scully said.

"Oh no!", William said, shaking his head. "Absolutely not."

"You're mom has great taste."

"I know but I want to shop for it."

"How are we gonna do all that, William?", she said. "You've got school, basketball practice and then a date and I have to go to work tomorrow. "

"I can pick you out something," Mulder said.

Both Scully and William looked at Mulder. "What?", Mulder said. "Scully, I have great style. It attracted you!"

"Oh it did!", she said, raising her eyebrows. "Oh it did!"

"Oh come on, you two!", William said. "I don't want to lose my dinner here!"

Scully giggled a little. "William, you're dad was probably the only FBI agent ever to wear Armani Suits to work and he would get them ruined on a near daily basis and he didn't seem to mind."

Mulder shrugged. "And oh," Scully continued. "Even his casual clothes," she said, thinking back. "Just...wow," she said, rubbing her hand on Mulder's leg.

William was trying desperately to block the images his parents were projecting. "You're both dirty minded," he said.

They looked at each other with amused looks on their faces.

"I'll go into town with your mom and I'll pick out something for you. Just tell me what you want and I'll buy it, alright?"

"Alright," William said, stepping back from them. "I've gotta get out of here," he said, still eying them. "Raincheck on the movie, ok?"

"Looks like it," Scully said, as William disappeared to his room.

"Hmm," Mulder said, pulling her closer to him. "So you liked the way I dressed back then, hmm?"

"Oh yeah," she said. "But I liked you even better, undressed."

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