Sorry for the long wait! IknowI told some of youSaturday...I actually finished the last part on Saturday night/Sunday morningat 12:15 AM... but I didn't get to post it.
You're not gonna like Marco. Warning you right now...
Oh and you wont like Coco either.
Please review!
"Please just stay. It's not a big deal," Mulder tried to persuade her. He didn't want her to leave just yet. He was almost positive that the reason she was suddenly tense was because of Coco. "Piper doesn't want to leave and the kids really don't want you to go."
They had just tucked all three kids in for the night. They stood in the large, wide hallway in front of Mulder's bedroom. She had debated on whether or not to go and wake Piper up to leave, but Mulder was trying to convince her otherwise.
"Mulder, what if she comes back?"
"She won't. Now come on. Let's get some sleep."
"I'll take the couch. It's okay," she whispered as he tried to pull her through the door. He refused, though. The grip he had on her arm never let up and she found herself giving in, a smile spreading across her face when he pulled her completely into his bedroom and shut the door behind her.
"You will not sleep on the couch. I refuse. You will sleep in my bed, with me. I'm not having it any other way."
"Whatever you say." She stood there and looked around, not knowing where to go from there. The room seemed much larger now that she looked at it for her second time.
"You aren't wearing that to bed are you?" She looked down at her jeans and button down blouse and almost blushed. What else would she wear?
"Well I didn't plan on having a slumber party," she began and a grin played out on his face. "-so I didn't bring any pajamas."
"Well..." He walked over to a large wooden dresser that was up against the wall opposite of the bed. He pulled on one of the handles to the drawer and pulled out a pair of his boxers and a black undershirt. "Here. You can wear these." She held them up and one eye brow rose in skepticism. "It's either that or some of Coco's things," he replied in a teasing manner. She shook her head quickly, in disgust, and took the clothes to the bathroom.
When she came out, she was wearing his boxers and his black t-shirt. She looked adorable in his clothes. He had already changed and had his dirty clothes in the hamper in the corner of the room. She felt self conscious when she walked out from the bathroom and felt the blood rush to her face when he looked over her.
"Looks good on you. Better than it does on me," he commented with a smile as he took a few confident steps toward her. She tried to smile back at him, but her lips trembled. "What's wrong?" He led her over to the bed and sat her down. She looked shyly at her hands in her lap and pressed her lips together.
"It's all just happening so fast. Don't you think so?"
"Well, yeah... I guess. But that's not going to keep me away from you," he whispered. She nodded in the dim light of his bedroom and looked up at him. He held his breath and slowly let it out when she leaned closer to him. She pressed her hands flat against the bed on either side of her body and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. His hand caressed her cheek as they kissed. His free arm wrapped around her and she crawled into his lap willingly, much like she had earlier that afternoon. She knew being close to him would distract her from the idea of Coco coming back too soon, and she let him know.
"Distract me," she whispered against his lips.
In Maddie's room, Piper laid on her back on the bottom mattress of Maddie's large trundle bed. She stared up at the weird patterns the lava lamp on the nightstand above her would make against the ceiling. Here she was... sleeping in a complete stranger's house with a little girl she had only been knowing for five hours sleeping above her. She couldn't complain, though. She was away from Marco and that's what mattered.
She had to admit, she was beginning to like it here. Her mother's 'guy friend' seemed to be sweet and concerned about them. His two kids were angels compared to some of her distant family. She envied these kids. They had everything. A huge backyard to play in, an endless supply of toys, and a father who loved them tremendously. She let out a small sigh and pulled the covers higher, tucking them under her chin.
"Piper," a small voice called out, barely audible. Piper had to strain to hear it, but she did.
"Yeah, Maddie?"
"Are you asleep yet?"
"Not quite. What's wrong?"
"Nothing. I was just wondering. How does your mom know my dad?" The question caught Piper by surprise and she realized that even she didn't know the answer to that.
"I don't know myself. They seem to get along well, don't you think?" The little girl turned in her bed to face Piper and nodded quickly.
"Your mommy is so nice, and funny, and pretty... and she smells good, too. I wish I had a mommy like that." Piper's heart broke when she heard the small confession. Okay, so maybe these kids didn't have everything. Piper turned her head a little to look at Maddie and frowned.
"Your dad is nice, too. I don't have a dad. You're lucky," she whispered to the little girl. Maddie sat up in her bed, astonished.
"You don't have a daddy?"
"Nope. I just have my mom. My dad... has another family somewhere."
"Well... you can share mine," Maddie exclaimed, a happy smile spread across her face. Piper giggled and nodded.
"Thank you, Maddie."
"No problem! I know how you feel sometimes, when my mom isn't here. Well... she's never here, actually."
Piper had gathered that much.
If Maddie's mother was here, she had a strong feeling that her and her mother wouldn't be sleeping here tonight. Maddie's mother probably had no idea there were two strangers in her own house.
"Well it's only fair if you get to share my mom too, then."
"Really?! Thanks, Piper!" Maddie flew off her bed and onto Piper's mattress, throwing her small arms around the older girl's neck."You're the best!"
Scully awoke Mulder with a soft kiss on his lips. She smiled when his eyes flickered open and he smiled at her. The dramatic curtains were pulled aside, and the morning light bounced of Scully's skin, causing her to glow. Mulder caressed her cheek before looking at the clock beside him, 8 AM.
"You know you glow in the sunlight." He said in a daze as he continued to gaze at her.
"I just woke up," she smiled and pressed her lips against his as a thank you.
"You're beautiful." He admired. "Maddie's gonna be up soon," Mulder said with a frown. "I have to go make breakfast." Scully's lips pressed against his in another soft kiss.
"Let me do it." Scully said against his lips.
"My kids are never going to want me to cook breakfast once you do. You already won over Kyd with your raviolis." Scully giggled before rolling out of bed and pulling on her jeans. She kept Mulder's black T-shit on. He smiled as she walked out of the room, leaving him to get ready.
'Was yesterday even real?' He asked himself before getting out of bed as well.
Scully found Kyd plopped down on the couch in front of the huge flat screen TV. He was watching "Go Diego Go" and repeating the Spanish phrases he heard.
"Hola," Scully greeted Kyd with a smile. He was in green pajamas with messy bed hair. Kyd stood up on the couch, and then hooked on to her for a hug.
"Is Daddy up yet, Ms. Scully?" Diego lost Kyd's attention. He was now smiling at his Daddy's new friend. Scully was tying her hair back into a pony tail.
"He should be out in a little."
"Good, because I'm hungry."
"Oh, well Kyd, I'm going to make breakfast this morning."
"Really?" Kyd's eyes lit up. Scully smiled. "Can I help?"
"Of course you can!" Scully held out her hand, which the small boy gladly took. He skipped off to the kitchen with her.
Mulder, Maddie, and Piper came downstairs to the warm and inviting smell of pancakes and eggs sizzling on frying pans.
"This smells delicious," Mulder said as he and the girls walked into the kitchen where the smell was even stronger.
"I helped, Daddy!" Kyd announced before plopping the measuring cup into the soapy water.
"You did?" Mulder asked his son before scooping him up into his arms and kissing him on the cheek.
"Is there anything else I can do, Ms. Scully?" Kyd asked from his father's arms.
"Can you set the table for us?" Kyd wiggled out of Mulder's arms and went straight for the plates.
"This smells great," Mulder whispered into Scully's ear and pecked her cheek quickly.
'What the heck?' Piper thought, as she saw Mulder's quick move on her mother.
"It's ready." Scully announced before walking over with the plate of pancakes. Mulder took the eggs and put them all on plates.
The kitchen was silent as everyone chewed on their food or munched on their bacon.
"Mom," Scully's eyes snapped up to Piper, before realizing it wasn't her who said 'Mom'. It was Maddie. Her jaw dropped, and she looked to Mulder for help. "Are you mad? I'm sorry," Maddie quickly apologized. "It's just... Piper said that I could share you. And I... I want you to be my Mommy."
"Then I want you to be my Mommy too!" Kyd piped up with a mouthful of pancake. But before Mulder or Scully could speak, the phone rang. Mulder immediately got up and answered it. Scully stared at the napkin in her lap.
"Oh, hi Coco," Mulder said a bit louder than he should, as he was trying to get the attention of everyone else in the room.
"That's my mom," Maddie quickly whispered to Piper.
"You're going to be home soon?" Pause. "How soon?" Pause. "20 minutes?" Coco could he heard on the other end yelling into the receiver.
"Damnit Fox! Will you please stop repeating everything I say!?" Kyd frowned.
Scully's heart broke at the scene unfolding before her. Here she was, with two wonderful kids; an unbelievable man, their father; and her own amazing daughter. But that was it. That's where it ended. He wasn't her husband, or the father of her child. But, Maddie and Kyd have been missing the love of a mother for so long. And they want it back. They want a mother's love. Scully knew that she could give it to them. They wanted her to give it to them.
Maddie took Piper's and Kyd's plates to the sink.
"Kids," Mulder said, covering the receiver. "Can you guys go get ready? We're gonna go for a ride, okay?" He uncovered the receiver as everyone except Scully and Mulder left the kitchen. "No, Coco, that's not it. Damnit, I don't understand you. You don't appreciate the kids one fourth as much as I do, and now you suddenly decide you want to do something with them? What is it you're doing? Your mother's? Oh, I see; you're just dropping them off." Mulder was getting angry. He leaned up against the wall on the phone. Scully got out of her chair at the table and stroked his arm. "I promised Kyd and Maddie that I would take the both of them to the zoo today. Tell your mother I'm sorry. Coco? Hello? Hello?" He pushed the end button and slammed the phone back on the table. Scully was surprised it didn't break under the force of his hand. He took a deep breath; and then she fell into his embrace.
"I'm sorry you had to hear that," He whispered against Scully's soft hair. His breath tickled her skin, and she leaned even closer into him.
"Don't be sorry." Mulder dipped his head down and caught her lips in a passionate kiss. Scully was first to pull away for air after nearly ten seconds.
"I'm gonna take you and Piper to go get your car, and then I want to invite you and Piper to the zoo with us."
"I have to work at 6," she warned.
"I'll have you back by 4:30. I promise." He kissed her temple before leading her into the foyer where the kids were waiting, sitting on the steps.
"Daddy, where're we going?" Maddie asked, now tugging at her father's free hand. The other was wrapped around Scully's waist.
"We're going to go take Scully and Piper to their car, and then I have a few things to get done."
"I want to kiss you," Mulder whispered into Scully's ear when they hugged goodbye.
"Later," She whispered back. "It's the thought that counts."
Kyd tugged on Mulder's black t-shirt, which Scully was still wearing. Scully lifted him um to give him a hug. He had on his black Pirates shirt and the matching hat.
"By Mommy," Kyd said softly into her ear. Mulder didn't know if her should smile or frown. Scully, however, appeared to be worried. "I love you. I'll see you when we go to the zoo." He kissed her cheek. Scully always wanted a little boy, and this little boy seemed perfect. But he wasn't hers. Mulder and Scully both didn't know what to do. Scully set Kyd on the ground and looked him in the eye. She caressed his cheek, baby soft.
"I'll see you later, Kyd. I love you too." She kissed his cheek before turning to Maddie, who threw her arms around her.
"See ya later, Mommy," Maddie smiled brightly as she hugged Scully close. It was clear that Piper loved calling her mom. "I love you." Maddie kissed Scully's cheek just like Kyd had before her.
"I'll see you later, Maddie." Scully kissed Maddie's forehead softly. "I love you too."
"Mulder," Piper addressed Mulder, and awkwardly held her arms out. She may have met him a short time ago, but already Piper had the need to hug him. She had to put her arms around him. He was just so nice... to her and her mother... like a father.
"I'll see you later sweetie." He smoothed back Piper's red hair, and let her go into the car.
"Thanks, for letting my Mom and I stay." She smiled as she shut the car door.
Scully gave Mulder another hug and buried her face into his chest for a moment. She inhaled his scent, hoping it would last her an hour... the amount of time it was until she would see him again. As Scully tried to pull away, Mulder kept his hand on Scully's neck, holding her there as she tried to turn. Instead, her eyes met his.
"I'll pick you up tonight," he whispered.
"What the hell, Mom?" Piper said once Scully pulled out of the parking lot. She had the windows down, and music was blaring out of the silver for fusion.
"Excuse me?" Scully asked, more shocked than angry at her daughter's word choice.
"What. The. Hell." Scully shot her a bewildered look.
On their way back to the house, Mulder looked up in the rear view mirror to watch his kids. They were content on starring out of the window and watching the scenery pass by them at lightening speed.
"Are you two excited for tonight," he asked them.
"Yeah! I can't wait to see mom and Piper, again!" The word 'mom' caught him off guard, and he knew that sooner or later, that he would have to explain why Ms. Scully couldn't be their mom. Not yet, anyway.
When they pulled into the driveway, Coco's car was parked in front of the garage. Maddie groaned and sunk in her seat.
"Aw. Why is she home?"
"She's your mother. You aren't excited to see her," Mulder asked his two kids with a curious voice.
"That's not our mom," Maddie yelled. Kyd nodded.
"Ms. Scully is," he added proudly.
"Kyd," Mulder warned. But before he could say anything else, Coco was running out of the house with her pink robe flying behind her. Her make-up from last night was smeared all over her face and her hair stuck out in every direction. Kyd screamed and his eyes grew wide when he saw her running down the driveway.
"Ahh! It's the Loch Nest Monster," Kyd screamed into his car seat. Mulder laughed at his son's horror and stopped the car halfway in the driveway.
"Fire! Fire," Coco screamed. "Fire in the house!"
Mulder's eyes widened and he jumped out of the car. He ran up the driveway, Coco awkwardly following behind him. When he ran into the house, smoke was coming from the kitchen and the smoke alarm was blaring through the entire family area. He coughed and stumbled into the kitchen, looking for the source of the smoke. It was the microwave.
He popped it open and shook his head.
"Coco. What the HELL!?"
Maddie and Kyd had managed to free themselves of their car seats and had ran into the house. They stopped behind their father and swatted the smoke around their face.
"What," Coco screamed.
"You don't microwave foil! What were you trying to DO!?"
"I was TRYING to fix lunch! I was hungry."
"Why didn't you take it out of the foil first?! Jesus! You just can't do that!"
"I can do whatever I damn well please!"
"Except burn my house down!"
"Don't yell at me! I can't process!"
"What's there to process, Coco!?"
"Even I know you don't microwave foil!" Coco spun around and gasped when she saw Maddie standing there with Kyd, who was hiding behind his older sister. She made a face at the two children and crossed her arms angrily over her chest. If there was one thing Coco hated, it was to be embarrassed in front of people, especially if her own children were the ones embarrassing her.
"What are you two doing here?! I thought I sent you off to summer camp," Coco shouted over the fire alarm that suddenly blared through the kitchen and the family room. Maddie smiled and shook her head enthusiastically.
"Daddy came get us! And..." Maddie caught herself before she could let Scully's name slip. Her daddy had never really mentioned how he met Ms. Scully and if their mother knew about his woman friend, so she decided to keep things simple. "And then we came home and we jumped on the trampoline. Right, Kyd?"
The tension in Mulder's body left instantly when Maddie caught her slip and knew not to mention Scully's name. He was going to have to thank her for that later.
Coco stood there, a harsh expression on her face. Mulder shook his head when he saw the way Coco was treating their kids. Was she not excited or the least bit happy to see them after almost a month? 'Of course not. It is Coco we're talking about here,' he thought to himself. He cleared his throat and grabbed Coco's arm. Her eyes grew wide and she jumped at his touch.
"Coco, I need to speak with you."
"What? Fox, now is not the time."
"Yes! It is. I've held this off long enough." Mulder began to lead Coco to the bedroom upstairs, leaving Maddie and Kyd standing in the kitchen. Maddie's small voice stopped Mulder dead in his tracks.
"Daddy?" He turned and let go of Coco with an irritated flick of his wrist. He walked up to his daughter and bent on his knees to get to her level.
"What's up, sweetheart?"
"Are we still going to the zoo tonight," she asked in a soft voice.
"Of course we are, honey. Don't worry about it." He smoothed her hair down and cupped her cheek lovingly. She smiled back at him and pointed to the kitchen.
"Do you want me and Kyd to clean up the mess while you and... her talk?" Mulder peaked over Maddie's shoulder to see the microwave was still pushing out smoke. He leaned back and pressed a sweet kiss to her forehead.
"No, Maddie. Let daddy take care of that. It's too hot. You or Kyd could hurt yourself. Okay? But that was very sweet and thoughtful of you, honey. Now... go get dressed for the zoo, okay?"
"Okay, daddy! I love you!" Maddie threw her arms around his neck and squeezed him tight. "Is Ms. Scully still coming," she whispered in his ear so her mother wouldn't hear.
"Yes. If you and Kyd are good, that is. Now go get ready."
When the kids were in the bedrooms getting ready, Mulder had pulled Coco into the bedroom and shut the door behind him. She started pacing the room, going through her make up and jewelery.
"Coco."
"Fox, have you seen my pearl necklace?"
"Coco," he said her name more forcefully this time. She still ignored him.
"I need it for tonight."
"Tonight? Where are you going tonight? Oh, wait! Let me guess! You're going to... a party? Am I right?" He paused and she finally turned to look at him. She opened her mouth to say something back, but he was too quick. "You'll leave without saying goodbye to the kids and you'll stay out all night, make a bad example of yourself, then come home and expect everything to be perfect. But oh, wait! Your idea of perfect is being surrounded by people who worship the ground you walk on." He was outraged, angry. It showed on his face and you could hear it in his voice. Coco stood there, frozen in her place. "You're a stranger in your own home. How can I even say that? You don't live here! This isn't your home. You're never here, so why should you get the pleasure of calling this your 'home'. And as for those two kids down the hall? They have no mother. The only thing those kids have is me. They love you, but when you go out every night and never come home, how are they supposed to see you? You are their mother," he punctuated every word. "If you can't handle that responsibility, then that's fine. I understand. Just don't be rude to my kids and expect to get away with it."
Mulder had no idea if she had understood a word he had said, because she was just standing there with her mouth open in a perfect circle. If he knew her like he thought he did, then everything he said would have went through one ear and out of the other. He didn't give her a chance to speak.
"Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm taking my kids to a well deserved trip to the zoo and to dinner. Don't expect us home anytime soon." He went for the door, but then he turned around to look at her. "That is... if you stay home for a change."
When he shut the door on his way out, she stayed in her place for a few seconds but caught her reflection in the mirror across from her. She ran her fingers through her hair and straightened on her shirt. When her cell phone started vibrating on the nightstand, she jumped and began to run around the room. She had a party to get to. As she looked through the closet and dresser for something new to wear, she came across something laying on the side of the bed. She walked over with curiosity and picked up the dark colored piece of clothing. It was a blouse. A woman's blouse. Was it hers? She didn't know.
"What was Mr. Mulder talking about? The zoo? Is that where we're going tonight?" Scully looked over at her teenage daughter when she pulled into their driveway.
"Ugh... yeah. We were going to take Maddie and Kyd. You didn't have plans tonight, did you?"
"No. I want to come with you guys," she shyly admitted. "Maddie's fun to be around. I know she's like, four years younger than me, but she's like... the little sister I never had. And Mulder is pretty cool, too," she added with a wink, causing her mother to blush. "And yeah. How did you two meet? You failed to fill me in."
"We met a couple of days ago..."
"And you're already spending the night at his house!?"
"It's not like that, Piper! We're just really good friends," she lied.
"I don't believe that and you know I don't. Just tell me the truth." Scully groaned and let her head fall against the car's steering wheel.
"He's married and he knows about Marco. He knows everything."
"And I have a feeling his wife and Marco know nothing of this?"
"Nope. They don't. And I'd like to keep it that way until we've figured out what we're going to do about this."
"Mom, it's not rocket science. Does he love his wife?"
"From what he tells me and from what I've witnessed firsthand, no. I think he may have loved her once, but... those two kids don't know what it's like to have a mother and I'm pretty sure Mulder doesn't even remember what it's like to have a wife, someone who loves him back." Piper nodded sadly. "Piper? Can I ask you something?"
"Sure, mom. Anything."
"Have you ever seen something and you just knew... you knew that you were going to have it one day, somehow or another, you were going to get it and you were going to love it forever?"
"Like my iPOD?"
"YES! Perfect example. Remember that day you saw it in the store and you wouldn't stop bothering me until I bought it for you?"
"Do you honestly think I could forget? All those sleepless nights without my other half, my baby, my precious iPOD," Piper dramatically went on.
"Well when I saw him, Piper, I just knew." Piper smiled. "I just knew I was going to be with him." She looked at her daughter. "Does that sound weird to you?"
"No. I think it's cute. My mom's falling in love," she squealed and leaned over to give her a hug. "I'm so happy. And I actually like the guy this time. Things might work out well."
"Yeah. I'm just worried about that wife of his."
"What's her story?"
"The kids don't even consider her a mother anymore. She's the type of person that loves to go out, loves to party, always has to be around people- you know the type."
"Yeah, yeah. So what's the problem? Why can't he just divorce the skank and marry you?"
"Piper, things aren't that simple."
"Well they should be," she muttered, annoyed at the fact that her mother was right.
When Piper and Scully walked up the walkway and into their house, Marco was nowhere to be found. Scully tossed her purse onto the kitchen table and Piper kicked off her shoes at the door. The television was off, for a change, and only a few lamps were dimmed in the family room.
"Where's the pig at?"
"He's at the sports bar downtown."
"Really?!" Piper ran to her mother's voice and ended up in the kitchen, where Scully held a note in her hands and had a smirk on her face. "Freedom!"
"Let's go get ready," she squealed. Her and her daughter ran up the stairs together, running off into their own rooms to take showers and plan their outfits.
The hour passed by quickly, with Piper and Scully getting ready together. Piper wore a pair of jean shorts and a white undershirt with a band t-shirt over that. She straightened her hair and applied a little make-up before waiting downstairs for her mother. Scully was dressed in a pair of dark green cargo Bermuda shorts, also, with a nice black quarter sleeve shirt. The sleeves reached her elbows and the neckline was shaped in a 'V', to allow a little imagination. Her hair was also straightened and her make-up was simple.
"Ready to go?"
"Are we meeting them there?"
"He's coming pick us up." And just as the word's were out of her mouth, a car horn was sounding off in the distance. "And there he is."
"Well that was quick." Piper went to walk for the door.
"Wait! Is my make-up okay? How does my hair look? Was this 'V' neck too much?"
"Mom, you look beautiful. He won't be able to take his eyes off of you, although, that may not be a good thing if he's driving." Scully laughed and put her hand on her daughter's back.
"Let's go, P."
"Is it safe to come outside and give you a hug?" Mulder whispered, a hint of sarcasm in his voice as he spoke through the open window.
"Yes," she giggled, now waiting at his door.
"Hey, Piper." Mulder greeted her. "Long time no see."
"Like-wise." Piper smiled at the cute pair as she climbed in the back with the two other kids. Maddie greeted her with a hug of course.
"I missed you," Mulder put his arms around Scully and pressed a soft kiss to her cheek, quick, but meaningful.
"It's only been about an hour and thirty minutes." She beamed a smile at him.
"Coco was home." He frowned.
"Oh." Mulder ruled his eyes at the thought of her.
"I want to talk to you about that today."
"Alright... but let's not let the kids wait. Boring old me has to be back in... about six hours." Mulder, keeping his gentleman like qualities, walked around the car and opened the passenger door for Scully.
"Mommy!" Kyd tried getting at Scully, reaching his arms out as far as he could in his booster seat.
"Kyd," Mulder warned. Maddie, unbuckled her seat belt and gave Scully a hug.
"Hey! What about me!?" Kyd whined, still reaching for Scully.
"Can I get you when we're there?" Scully asked, a little upset that she couldn't give Kyd a hug. She really wanted a son, and Kyd was just too adorable for words.
"Okay," He pouted and crossed his arms.
"Don't be mad. How about I give you a piggy back ride to the gate?"
"Okay!"
As they drove down the highway, Mulder's hand found Scully's right on top of her leg. They intertwined fingers and let the cool air conditioning blow at them. The radio played all the most recent songs that were out, and everything was peaceful until Mulder's cell phone rang.
"Mulder."
"Ugh, Fox... it's me. You don't have to keep calling yourself by your last name."
"Oh, hi Coco." Mulder sounded disgusted and he rolled his eyes. Scully lowered the volume on the radio for him.
"Ew!" Maddie and Kyd chorused.
"Maddie, Kyd." Mulder warned.
"WHAT THE HELL FOX? We decided NOT to call her Maddie. We liked Madelaine better. Madelaine is her name, not 'Maddie.'" The quotations around the name could clearly be heard, and so could Coco's voice... to the rest of the car.
"Do you want to keep your voice down? I don't want my kids to hear you talking like that. And YOU decided to call her Madelaine instead, not Me."
"Ugh, Fuck you, whatever." Her voice was still heard in the car.
"Did she just say," Kyd shouted.
"Shh!" Maddie shushed him before he could finish his sentence.
"Anyways, Fox..." Coco continued. "I was remembering what you said and I was calling to tell you that I was going to Bob Billy's house for a party instead, okay? Happy now!? Anyways, I thought I'd tell you I wouldn't be home till tomorrow afternoon. You're always fucking whining about me not being with the kids, and quite frankly I'm tired of it. I was with them when they were babies some of the time... and now... well, they're not babies anymore... so... I'm telling you this now, so don't whine your ass off and say that I don't tell you. Bye... Haha Bob Billy you," And then the line went dead, cutting her off as she flirted with that Bob Billy. Her nasally laugh even sounded more nasally over the phone, if even possible.
"Mulder..." Scully started as he grabbed her hand again. "I don't like the way she talks to you." She couldn't exactly fine the words she wanted to say. And in front of three children, the words she should've said were slightly inappropriate.
"Don't worry about it." Mulder said, squeezing her hand, and flashing smiling at her. It still surprised her how just his smile could cause her heart go erratic.
"It's not right." Scully mumbled quickly, running her fingers over the back of his hand. It wasn't exactly right to have that discussion in front of the kids in the back.
"Jeez, Mulder drives like a freaking nut!" Brittney laughed as they both followed Mulder's car on the highway. They had no clue where he was going.
"Maybe they're driving to a wedding chapel to elope!" Andrea clapped her hands together before biting into her apple again.
"Yeah, not likely. Their kids are in the car." Andrea rolled her eyes a wound down her window, tossing her apple out of it.
"What the hell!" Brittney screamed, The red car which the apple had hit honked t's horn like crazy.
--
Eventually they arrived in the zoo parking lot. During the course of the drive, Mulder had done a lot of thinking on how he was supposed to act with Scully in public. What they had wasn't exactly normal. He wasn't sure if they should touch as they walked, hold hands, or if maybe he should wrap his arm around her waist.
Piper and Maddie jumped out of the car on the same side, Mulder's side, while Scully unbuckled Kyd from his booster seat. It was time for his hug from Scully.
"I missed you Mommy," Kyd whispered into Scully's ear as he clung to her. With Kyd in her arms, she walked around to where Mulder and the girls were standing. Scully was still worried about how she should react to Kyd addressing her as his mommy.
"I missed you a lot too, sweetie." Scully set Kyd on the ground and grabbed his hand, ready to walk, when Kyd reminded her of the piggy back ride she told him she would give.
"Piggy back ride?" He said, not moving from his spot. Scully sighed and crouched down for him.
"Come on, Kyd... you can walk."
"No, it's fine Mulder. I promised your son a piggy back ride." Mulder smiled at how Scully was sticking to her promise. What a wonderful mother she must've been to Piper when Piper was six.
"Kyd, I'll let you get on my shoulders when we're in the zoo, alright?"
"On your shoulders?"
"Yep, now let's go," Mulder urged with a smile.
"Alright, Daddy." Kyd grabbed Scully's left hand and walked side by side with her. Piper and Maddie were skipping along a few yards ahead of them.
"Is this okay?" Mulder asked, lifting up their interlaced fingers up as they walked closer to the iron gate.
"Is it okay for your kids to see?"
"I'm pretty sure they love you enough," Mulder chuckled.
"Daddy why can't Maddie and me call Miss Scully Mommy?" Kyd whined as they walked through the gate and to the ticket window.
"Miss Scully isn't your mommy, Kyd." Mulder frowned apologetically. "As much as I know you would like her to be."
"Daddy, I want to call her mommy too!" Mulder seemed embarrassed at the look the ticket person gave him once he handed her the money, receiving five tickets. "Piper said that I could."
"Honey, you know she's not your mommy." Maddie frowned, breaking Mulder's heart. He wrapped his arm around her as they got their wrist bands.
Kyd was on Mulder's shoulders and then right off of them in less than three minutes. He and the two girls went right up to the first exhibit. Piper was snapping pictures with her new digital camera.
"You know, she almost set the house on fire." Mulder said with a laugh. They were sitting on a bench across from the tigers. Scully's hand rested comfortably in Mulder's.
"What?!"
"Yep, she microwaved foil." Scully giggled her bubbly girly laugh and turned away, a little embarrassed. Mulder caught her chin with his hand and moved it to face her. "I want to be with you." He said sincerely into her blue eyes. Scully half smiled. "I want to be with just you. I don't want to be with Coco. I haven't for the longest time. Just you, all of you, forever."
"What the heck? Did you hear that!?" Brittney whispered loudly, luckily Mulder and Scully were lost in their own little moment that they didn't hear anything.
"What? What didn't I hear?" Andrea panicked.
"Mulder just went, 'Just you, all of you, forever!' Oh my god, it was the most beautiful thing!"
"Why do I always have to miss the good stuff?!" She complained, crossing her arms and listening more intently.
"You really mean that?" Scully whispered, glancing to the kids to Mulder.
"I do. I love you and your daughter. I know this sounds ridiculous but from the moment I saw you... there was something there. There was..." Mulder struggled for the right word.
"Chemistry," Scully said, completing his sentence.
"Exactly."
"What about Coco? What about Marco? Well, I suppose Mark is my problem. But what about your wife?"
Just then Brittney and Andrea had to cross in front of Mulder and Scully. Brittney was hoping to get a shot of the two on her phone.
"Hey wait a second," Mulder said, now looking at the two girls. They turned, wide eyed. "I swear I've seen you like 50 times before."
"Now that you mention it..." Brittney said, trying to hide the wide smile that was growing.
"Oh, must be and X-file." Andrea laughed, thinking they would too. However, Scully and Mulder both developed a confused look.
"A what?" Scully asked, laughing a little.
"Brittney, Oh my God, her laugh is... more amazing in person!" Andrea whispered silently into Brittney's ear. She successfully hid her fan girl squeal. "Nothing." Andrea quickly said. "Never mind."
"We did see you a few places, huh?"
"A lot of places."
"Weird."
"Maybe they're stalking us," Scully said followed by another laugh. Brittney and Andrea both almost had a heart attack.
"You don't hate me do you?" Andrea asked without thinking. All those dreams she had that had to do with her meeting Gillian Anderson led her to believe if they actually did meet Gillian would hate her. Then again, this was Scully, not Gillian.
"No?" Scully was confused again.
"Well, that's good." Andrea felt relieved.
"We were just about to go get lunch down at the food court." Brittney said, pointing to the food court a few yards away. Hopefully they would follow after smelling pizza in the air.
"Daddy, we're hungry," Kyd said coming over with Maddie and Piper behind him.
"Aw, are these your kids?" Andrea asked, knowing that it would sound like they had the three kids together.
"Well, these two are mine," Mulder pointed them out individually, "Kyd and Maddie. And then this is Scully's daughter, Piper."
"I guess we're going to be headed to the food court with you both then." Scully said, standing up.
"I want Miss Scully to be my mommy," Maddie mumbled before taking Scully's hand in her own. Brittney squealed in excitement.
"Did you just squeal?" Mulder asked.
"It was a cough," She cough-squealed again while blushing scarlet.
The seven of them made their way to the food court, Andrea and Brittney were in front of everyone else, walking close together so their whispers couldn't be heard.
"I wonder if they'll adopt us too," Andrea asked in a soft whisper.
"Don't get your hopes up."
"Wait. I'm sorry… what were your names again," Scully called out to the two girls in front of her.
"I'm Andrea and this is Brittney."
"Where did you live," Piper spoke up.
"In the city. It's not far from here, actually."
They reached the food court and were happy to see there was a short line for the food.
"Okay. What do you guys want to eat," Mulder asked the three kids.
"Pizza," Kyd yelled happily. Maddie stared up at the menu that was above the register and pointed to the word 'nachos'.
"I'll get a burger," Piper shrugged. "I'm not really that hungry." Mulder nodded and turned to Scully.
"And what are you having?"
"A salad." He nodded and pulled out his wallet to pay for the lunch. Brittney squealed again, realizing that Mulder was going to pay for Piper and Scully's lunch as well. Andrea took the hint and squealed too.
When it was Andrea and Brittney's turn to order their lunch, Andrea went up first and studied the menu for a second.
"Do you guys have mozzarella sticks?"
"Yes, we do," the cashier answered.
"Okay well… I'll have an order of those. And a cherry limeade."
"This isn't freakin' Sonic, Andrea. Scoot over," Brittney demanding, her stomach growling as she took in the smell of Piper's burger and Kyd's pizza being cooked. "Yes. Do you have smothered potatoes?"
"Ugh… no."
Silence.
"Well… just give me a lemonade."
In minutes, everyone had their food and they stood before the empty tables, trying to figure out where they were going to sit.
"Are you two sitting with us or…"
Brittney looked at Andrea and Andrea nodded her head, very quickly.
"We'd be honored to sit with all of you."
At the table, Maddie, Piper, Kyd, and Brittney sat on one side, with Mulder, Scully, and Andrea on the other. Maddie and Piper had engaged in a conversation about their favorite animals. Andrea was freaking out with Scully being so close to her. Brittney had to throw her glances across the table to remind her to behave. Kyd would secretly steal glances at Brittney as she ate her food and blushed when she looked down to meet his gaze.
"You're Kyd, right?"
"Uh huh."
"Cool. So are you having fun at the zoo?"
"Yeah. Especially since my daddy and mommy are here, too." Kyd kept his voice a little over a whisper so his father wouldn't hear him refer to Scully as his mother and fuss him at the table.
"Well that's nice. That pizza looks really good."
"It is! Wanna bite?"
Mulder smirked as he watched his son's attempt to win Brittney over. Kyd was so much like his father in many ways, especially when it came to the ladies. Mulder nudged Scully's side and discreetly pointed to his son. Scully smiled softly and shook her head in amusement. Kyd was quite the ladies man at six years old.
"So you said you were a doctor," Andrea asked quietly, almost afraid to break the perfect moment.
"Yes, I am."
"What is it like?"
"It's very hectic and it can be very stressful, but it's rewarding, nevertheless. I love my job."
"What exactly is it that you do?"
"I work with children mainly. Children with diseases or disabilities."
"That must be hard for you sometimes." Scully narrowed her eyes. Under the table, Mulder grabbed her hand upon listening to Andrea's statement. From what Mulder could conclude about Dana, it was that she loved her daughter and she took her job seriously, which meant she was practically attached to every patient that walked through the doors of the hospital. He laced their fingers together and kept his eyes on his son the entire time. Scully squeezed his hand and lowered her head.
"Sometimes, yes. Because I'm a mother, I know what's going through these parent's heads. 'Why my child? How can I save them? Are they in any pain?' It's tough."
"I'm sure any parent would be grateful to have you as their child's doctor."
"Thank you," Scully whispered, truly not able to express how much that little statement meant to her.
Once everyone was finished with their lunch, they resumed their walk through the zoo. Kyd had taken the liberty to walk with Brittney, while Maddie and Piper giggled at all the funny looking animals. Andrea was determined to never leave Scully's side as she walked along with Mulder.
They walked onto a dark trail with leaves and trees blocking the sunlight. The high-pitched chirps of hundreds of birds echoed through the path. Kyd grabbed Brittney's hand and ran past Maddie and Piper to get to the fence faster. Even Andrea caught up with them to get a look at the colorful birds. Scully had began to pick up her pace to witness the kid's excitement, but Mulder grabbed her by her wrist and pulled her back against his chest.
She gasped in surprised and could feel the beginning of a blush spread through her cheeks. Once he had her where he wanted her, he wrapped his arms around her waist and anchored her against his body.
"We're finally alone," he whispered in her ear, which sent shivers down her spine.
"I have a feeling it won't last long."
"It can last as long as you want it to." He looked down into her soft, blue eyes and smiled in awe. She was too beautiful for her own good. Words couldn't even begin to describe how he felt about the woman in his arms. He knew it must have been silly for him to feel that way about someone he met just a little over a week ago, but he couldn't help it. He had really fallen head over heels for her and he wasn't ever letting her go. Everything seemed to disappear when he was with her. No bitching wife, no work, no bills to pay- he could be himself around her and he loved every single minute of it. As he looked at her again, he couldn't help himself.
He lowered his head and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. Fireworks exploded behind his closed eyes and the noises around him seemed to fade away. Her touch, her smell, her kiss was intensified ten times more with the possibility of getting caught by their own kids.
Suddenly, one of the birds started to wolf whistle. Brittney laughed at this and turned to see if Mulder or Scully had heard the bird, but she gasped instead. She ran over to Andrea and spun her around by the shoulders.
"Look. At. That!"
Andrea gasped and pulled out her Blackberry Sunset to snap a couple of pictures. Brittney shook her head quickly, knowing that the kiss wouldn't last much longer and that they could get caught staring at them.
"Oh my GOD," Andrea whispered. The birds continued their chorus for a few more seconds, and so did the kissing. Brittney pushed Andrea's phone away just as they quit kissing, and Andrea and Brittney both spun around.
"You're so totally sending me those pictures." Brittney mumbled though the giggles of the two girls. Apparently, they saw the kiss as well. It was surprising how Brittney and Andrea were both reacting to this. Inside they were sqee-ing and jumping around. On the outside they looked cool.
"Brittney, can you take me to do that!?" Kyd pointed at the people who were zip lining over the birds' little forest. Kyd was tugging on Brittney's sleeve, giving her his puppy dog face, which he learned from his father. He clearly won her over.
"Kyd, you know that you have to ask your Daddy first."
"Daddy!" Kyd yelled, interrupting the precious moment between Mulder and Scully. They had their arms around each other, staring intently into each other's eyes.
"Yeah, buddy?" Kyd ran up to his father, almost losing his green croc shoe in the process.
"Can we do that?" Kyd pointed up to the two people who were now zip lining across the forest. It wasn't the exact same thing as being at the canopy of an actual forest, but it was close. It was thrilling, and it was sure high enough to bother person with acrophobia (fear of heights.)
"Sure, we can go check it out. You want to, Scully?" He said, still looking above his head."
"Uhm... okay..." Mulder was excited. The attraction looked thrilling. He grabbed Scully's hand and they walked around to the wooden steps in the moist forest.
"Brittney's taking me!" Kyd ran to Brittney's side and clutched onto her. Brittney ruffled Kyd's hair. She wasn't at all oblivious to the way the six-year old was acting. She knew he had a little crush, and she found it adorable.
"Alright... then I'll go with Scully," Mulder said, fastening his arm around her waist.
"But Daddy!" Maddie whined, taking his other arm and pulling on it. "I wanna go with you. I'm scared. And Piper can't go because she said she'll throw up."
"Who's going to go with Scully then?" Mulder asked. They finished hiking up the steps, and were now on the top landing.
"Andrea doesn't have a partner," Brittney confessed, nudging her friend in the arm, smirking.
"Now, you do." Mulder said, smiling down at Scully, whose expression was blank.
"What's wrong."
"I'm fine," she quickly lied.
"No, you're not." His hand massaged the back of her neck as they spoke.
"I have a little height problem, but I'll be fine. I can do this."
"You don't have to you know."
"I'll be okay, Mulder. Who knows maybe I can conquer this case of acrophobia I have."
"I could always go with you."
"Nope, you're going with Maddie. And I'll just go with Andrea." Scully wrapped her arm around Andrea's shoulder. Brittney shot her glances as a reminder to stay calm. "She'll keep me safe." Andrea giggled, not knowing what else to do. She was frozen next to her idol.
"Of course, I will." Andrea smiled to Scully. She realized that Scully's eyes were enough to kill up close; they were so intense! 'I mean I would take a bullet for you Dana Scully.' "You'll be fine. Besides look at all this... uh harnesting stuff they have." She pointed to what Brittney was now getting strapped into. She had Kyd in front of her.
"Now, make sure you hold on to him, Brittney." The butterflies Brittney had in her stomach from the height went erratic at the sound of her name rolling off Scully's tongue. "I know there's all this harnesting, but just... hold onto him, okay?" Scully was almost pleading. Mulder touched her wrist, pulling her away gently.
"He'll be fine," Mulder whispered into Scully's ear. She half smiled. The motherly instinct she had developed towards his son was unbelievable.
"Yep!"
"Are you ready?" The skinny girl in college working at the zoo as her summer job asked.
"Yeah!" Kyd cheered. How could he be so brave? He was like his father, no doubt. "Bye Mommy bye Daddy!" He screamed as he and Brittney were left flying through the air.
Then, it was Scully's turn. And when Mulder pecked Scully on the cheek before they were left to go, Andrea almost went crazy. Brittney wasn't there to calm her down. If Scully wasn't harnessed up right in front of her, blocking the pocket which her phone was in, Andrea would have it out taking pictures. She was never THAT close to two people kissing. At least not that close to people relatively close to Mulder and Scully kissing.
"Hold on to her," Mulder told Andrea.
'Don't I get a kiss, too?' She wondered with a sly smile. "Don't worry Mulder, I will." She smiled and wrapped her arms around Scully.
"Ready?"
"NOOOOOO!" Scully screamed at a piercing volume as they sped across the rope. The birds fluttered away.
"THAT WAS SO COOL!" Scully said as she and Andrea got unhooked from the harness. Brittney and Kyd were already at the bottom of the steps. Kyd of course, was clinging to her.
"So, Maddie and Kyd aren't your kids?" Andrea asked a question that she already knew the answer to. All the questions she could ever ask... she probably already knew the answer.
"No, they're Mulder's."
"And Kyd said he wished you were his mommy. That's adorable, you know." Scully smiled. "You're so loving to the both of them."
"Well, they are wonderful kids." Kyd ran into Scully's arms.
"We have to go home now, don't we?" Kyd frowned. Scully looked for her watch that she didn't have on. "Do one of you girls have the time?"
"4:00," Brittney answered right away.
"I'm afraid so sweetheart," Kyd rested his head against Scully's shoulder. Mulder came down the steps with Maddie on his shoulders.
"Mulder, we have to go." Mulder nodded and sat Maddie on her feet. "So, what're you girls doing tonight?"
"Oh uhm..." Andrea thought.
"We have to babysit," Brittney quickly thought of the perfect answer. Andrea was confused. They weren't babysitting. Who the hell did they know in this dimension?
"Oh really?" Mulder asked. Apparently, Brittney asked the world's greatest question. "Because I've been looking for a sitter... or two sitters."
"You know, that would be a great idea." Scully was sure of it. She loved both girls. "Would it be okay to get your numbers?" She pulled out her envy2, opening up her phone book.
After they exchanged numbers, they exchanged their goodbyes.
"BRITTNEY I HAVE SCULLY'S FUCKING NUMBER IN MY SUNSET! OH MY GOD!" She was freaking out, not just internally now.
"Do you realize that we can freaking baby sit the kids?"
"And go in Drink's stuff?"
"I was just going to see if Piper could babysit Maddie and Kyd, before." Mulder said as they drove onto Scully's street.
"Kids are a lot of work, Piper couldn't possibly..."
"Yes I could, Mom." Piper said in a whisper. Maddie slept on Piper's shoulder, while Kyd slept on Maddie's. "But I like Brittney and Andrea, so it's okay."
"I would feel better if the kids were with older girls, you know?"Mulder nodded with a grin. They were now in front of the house. Marco's car was in the driveway. Mulder grabbed Scully's hand and stared into her eyes for a moment.
"Oh, Mulder... Just kiss my mom already for real. I'm thirteen. I can take it."
"Piper!" Scully scolded, but before she could say more, Mulder's lips interrupted her, incapacitating her. Her lips melted into his kiss and she quickly shut her eyes. "Bye," Scully whispered as they parted. She caressed his cheek. Mulder mouthed, 'I love you.' 'You too,' Scully mouthed back.
"Where the hell were you?" Marco asked as Scully came through the door. He had been drinking. Cans were sitting on the coffee table in front of him.
"I went to the zoo with a friend." Scully said, rolling her eyes. Piper stalked up the steps to her bedroom.
"You! Get the fuck back down here!" Marco yelled up the steps, standing up. Scully got in front of him as he approached the stairs.
"Don't you talk to my daughter like that!" Scully warned, angrily, shoving a finger in Marco's face. He just grabbed her wrist, twisting it, causing her to wince and shout in pain.
"Don't you ever point in my face, woman!" Marco flung her wrist annoyingly with one flick of his hand.
"Marco that is my daughter and you won't yell at her or touch her. Do you hear me?" Scully yelled through her tears, which the searing pain in her wrist caused. He unsteadily turned back around to the couch. He gave Scully a shove before making his way to sit back down. "Look at you. You're disgusting. You just eat and leave it here. You're a pig. You're a slob."
"Yeah, well fuck you. Do you want me to hurt your other wrist?" Scully backed up slowly, stopping her rude words. Her wrist was definitely sprained. It was searing with pain. She couldn't provoke him. Besides, her daughter was up in her room, and she no doubt heard her mother's shriek of pain.
"I'm going to drop Piper off at my mother's. Then, I'm going to work, okay?" Lies. She was going to Mulder's first. She didn't have to work until six. Then, she would take Piper to her mother's. She wasn't about to explain her wrist to her mother for an hour and thirty minutes.
"Whatever. Do what you want."
Scully was dressed in her work clothes, a fitting pair of dark wash express jeans, and a fitting button down blouse, as she walked into Piper's room.
"We're going to Mulder's and then I'm taking you to your Grandma's. I don't want you here with him." Piper kept her head down as she slipped on her old navy flip flops and followed her mother down the steps and out the door. Marco was snoring on the couch, the TV was blaring with sounds of the horse race, and he held a bottle of Budweiser in his grip.
"Mom, what did he do to you?" Piper said, in a whisper, staring at her mother's bruised wrist.
"P, can you reach in the back and grab my medical kit?" Piper reached into the back and grabbed the plastic box. She knew what her mother wanted. She grabbed the ace bandage for her. Through the pain, Scully wrapped it tightly around her wrist. The tears burned her eyes as they fell. But the most pain came out of her daughter watching her.
Wow, was this long or what? Sorry for the long wait!
I have to update Whispering Wind and the other stories...