The Thanksgiving Date
Part 3
by Trycee
Time Line: Post IWTB
Disclaimer: I do not own the X-Files, this is written for fun not profit.
Mulder could smell the turkey drifting out onto the front steps as he walked up the sidewalk. His hands were filled with wine and pies Scully had baked the day before. She trailed behind him, her hands filled as well with a covered dish. He expected Maggie to open the door and throw her arms around him in an warm embrace but instead was greeted by Bill who only huffed at the sight of him.
Mulder turned back to look at Scully and she stepped in front of him to hug her older brother. "Hi, Bill. How've you been."
"Good," he continued to huff, staring at Mulder. "Come on in..."
He grabbed the covered dish out of her hands and turned heading for the kitchen just as Mulder walked into the door. Mulder followed behind Scully placing the food they'd brought onto the crowded counters. "Is he here, her boyfriend?", Scully whispered to Bill.
"Not yet...we're waiting...", he said, looking at Scully and then resting his eyes on Mulder.
Mulder smiled politely just to irritate him and then turned on his heels to head towards the living room. Maggie entered the kitchen and hugged her daughter tightly. "Dana...so glad you could come. Where's Fox?"
"In there," she said, pointing. She turned to look at Bill and Maggie's eyes followed her.
"You didn't have to bring any food, I have plenty," Maggie said, grabbing her daughter's hand. She turned to shoo Bill out of the kitchen, which he obliged and then whispered in her daughter's ear. "I know you are concerned and I've already has this talk with Bill...I'm not replacing your father...this is just a guy I just recently met...It's not serious yet."
Scully smiled at her mother and hugged her. "Mom...I support you 100%."
Maggie turned to open the front door at the sound of the door bell. Scully made a beeline for Bill. "Okay...She's talking to us before we meet this guy,something's up!"
"I know...I don't like him already!"
"Kind of the way you feel about Mulder?", she said staring up at her much taller brother.
"No, I don't like this guy...I HATE Mulder..."
"Oh...just as long as we're clear on that!", she said sarcastically.
Mulder had his fake smile plastered on his face as he stood uncomfortably by the window, a glass of wine in his hand that he sipped on, trying not to touch anything breakable. He looked constipated...Must be all that cheese the other day, Scully thought to herself as she walked over to join him.
"Mulder, Bill still hates you but I think he won't be messing with you this year."
Mulder exhaled. "Good...The Hate is still mutual...But maybe I can finally relax this year."
"Why don't you sit down with me...", she said, pointing toward the sofa. "Mulder, you've been here for holidays for years now, why are you still acting as if you've never been here before?"
"I don't know...", he said, shooting a look at Bill.
Charles entered the living room and walked over to Dana. She rose to greet her youngest brother.
"Dana...looking good," he smiled. "Mulder," he said, shaking his hand firmly. "You look constipated."
Scully jabbed her brother in the side. "Charles!"
"What? I was gonna give him some Pepto or something!"
"Thanks for being concerned about my...bowels," Mulder said amused. "No, not constipated..."
"Okay, well...you remember my wife and boys?", he said, turning to wave to his wife and two sons who were all wrapped in Maggie's arms.
Scully immediately hugged his wife Jill and then hugged his two adult sons, Junior and Patrick. Junior was as tall as Bill while Patrick, like his father was just a few inches taller than herself. Both men had red hair and were dressed in tailored suits. They were stylish and looked so confident in their young age. "I still see you as little boys in my mind, I can't believe you're both all grown up."
"Patrick is joining the Navy...", he said, patting the back to his youngest child.
"What about you Junior?', she asked the tall young man.
"Army...dad wants me to follow in his footsteps...but I find the Army fits my needs", he said with a deep masculine voice.
"Or you could join the FBI!", Mulder chimed in. "That's where your Aunt Dana and I met!"
Junior smirked. "I thought you chased after Aliens...I thought you were Alien Hunters...You telling me you had REAL jobs..."
"Anyway," Charles interrupted, grabbing his son by the ear. "We've got to see the rest of the family!"
Scully's mouth was open as well as Mulder's. They turned to eachother speaking in that wordless way they communicate. Just then Scully was assaulted by Tara, her sister-n-law who threw her arms around the smaller woman. "Dana, so glad to see you...its been ages!"
She turned to shake Mulder's hand. "So glad to see you too Mulder. I'm glad we made this trip. This reminds me of the time you came out to California... "
She looked at Scully and then smiled apologetically. "Not the best memory is it?"
"Where's Matthew?", Scully asked as Mulder squeezed her hand.
"Oh, he's around here somewhere...probably sneaking some food out of the kitchen.", she said, turning around her. "Matthew?"
"Yes, ma'am," a far off crackling voice answered.
"Come on in here, see your Aunt Dana and Uncle Mulder..."
Scully could see a strawberry blond haired teen walk in from the kitchen, his fingers sticky from whipped cream. "How could he be my Uncle when they're not married?", a teen-aged Matthew asked, cocking his head to one side and looking Mulder up and down. "When you gonna married her dude?"
"Matthew, I'll string you up!", Tara said under her breath.
"Its okay," Scully spoke as Mulder squeezed her hand tighter. "Give me a hug, Matthew, I haven't seen you since the last holiday..."
She embraced her nephew. She could see he was the spitting image of Bill though his face was softer thanks to Tara's genetics. "How old are you now?"
"Fourteen." he answered through metal teeth when he spoke, spraying Mulder with lite spittal.
Mulder looked horrified but tried to contain himself. He'd stuck his hands in worst...fallen into worst...been attacked by worst...He could go on and on...
"How old is your kid now?", Matthew said, reminding Mulder of Bill and his questioning.
The color immediately drained out of Scully's face and Mulder stepped up to Matthew. "I think you better find your cousins now..."
Matthew huffed. "They're all grown...They don't want a little kid hanging out with them."
"I feel the same way," Mulder said, looking Matthew straight in the eyes.
He could see Bill's attention upon them so Mulder smiled briefly at Matthew and then turned from him to go back to Scully's side. He sat down with her, wrapping his arms around her shoulder. "Should we break out with the mud wrestling now?"
"I told you it was going get to me...", she whispered.
"Come on...its one excruciating day...think of the pay-off, Scully."
"What will that be?"
"Stuffed bellies...and you don't have to see them again for another month and then it'll be an entire year before you have to suffer through this again!"
She smiled at him. "You're right...If I leave you to go help my mother, will you be alright?"
"How much worst can it get?"
Just then the door bell rang and everyone was silent, you could hear a pen prick. Maggie smiled as she made her way from the kitchen to the door but she stopped at the living room as her entire family stood frozen in place. She shook her head and then opened the door. Scully could hear the sound of a peck on the cheek and could hear her mother offering to take the gentleman's coat but no one moved. Maggie walked in arm in arm with the stranger and announced. "This is my date for this evening...Willis O'Conner, retired Naval Captain."
Bill immediately walked over to the older white haired Gentleman who stood rim rod straight after a lifetime in the military. He shook his hand but gave him a stiff smile, looking over his black sweater and slacks, which Scully noticed looked similar to Mulder's, though he was dressed in a gray sweater and black slacks. Remind me to get him some new clothes, she thought to herself. "I'm her eldest son, Bill.", he said, giving Willis a direct intimidating stare that could melt still, a family trait.
Charles and his two sons walked over to him as well and stood there, as all three military men stared at each other. Mulder stood up as well though from a distance, letting Mr. O'Conner know that there were five men in the family, in case he had any ideals of harming Maggie Scully. Charles extended his hand and shook the retired Captain's firmly. "I'm her youngest son, Charles. This is my two sons, Junior and Patrick..."
Willis looked over to Mulder but he brought his attention back to the towering men in front of him. Maggie shook her head and told her son's and grandson's to back off a little. They stepped back, their eyes glued onto Willis who smiled reluctantly. Maggie ushered Willis over to Dana's side. She and Mulder stood up. "This is my daughter Dana and this is her...this is Fox. By now, I guess it's common-law husband, right?"
Scully shot a look over to Mulder. He looked at her to convey his message, "I'll make it up too you...as soon as we get through this one holiday, I promise."
"I guess you could say that," Mulder smiled as Scully pinched his hand.
Maggie then guided him over to Tara and Jill and Matthew. Bill and Charles walked over to Scully. "Where do we know this guy from?", Bill asked. "He looks familiar."
"I know he does...", Scully agreed. "So what do you think?"
"I think he looked like he was gonna wet his old folks diaper," Charles added.
"Leave it to you to be gross," Bill spoke to his younger brother. "We need to figure out where we know this guy from..."
"The Academy," Mulder chimed in.
Charles and Bill both turned to Mulder and he smiled and then sat down, after being rejected by the Scully loop. Dana gave both brother's a stern look and they turned back their attentions to her. "Do we even have the right to act this way?", Scully asked. "Come on, Mom's never did this to us..."
"It was your ideal," Bill added. "You called us to come...you knew what we'd do!"
"She asked me to call you...It must be serious if she's risking having you two here."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Bill asked pointedly.
"So you think she may marry this guy...she's introducing him to her family? Is that what you think?", Charles asked.
"I don't know," she whispered. "But we need to find out...You two are both in the Navy, don't you have connections?"
"On Thanksgiving?", Bill said perplexed. "Dana...we regular mortals can't access military databases at the drop of the hat..."
"Is that a slight at my former occupation Bill?", Scully said with tightened fist.
"You two never change," Charles laughed.
He was met by both Dana and Bill's glares. "Anyway...we need to fish him out, see what this guy is like. Not just any man is gonna marry MY mother."
"That's right!", Bill added. "Find out what we can about him! And you," he said, gesturing to Dana. "Find out more about him through mom."
"What makes you think she'll tell me?"
"Because you're so close...", Charles added.
"You're her baby!", Dana said. "Fine...I'll talk with her...You two work on the boyfriend..."
"Alright," both men said.
They looked up to see Maggie smiling at Willis, a glass of wine in both their hands and they stood in the corner of the room talking. "Makes my stomach turn," Bill said.
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