When I was writing the original, someone asked for more Trent. I ended up adding him later but when I sat down to rework the piece, I thought immediately of adding him while he was a young boy.

One again, thank you to the seven of you who left a review, and all those who added this to their favourites.


Burning Snowflakes

… Part 8 …

Trent was an outgoing young boy, whose accomplishments in sport outnumbered his age. He was a team player and very good at communicating. Scully was due to see her godson the same weekend Mulder asked - begged - for her to watch Danica.

'Does she talk?' The boy asked as he eyed the little girl standing next to his godmother.

Dana shook her head, 'Not much, but you can talk to her. She'll understand you.' She smiled comfortingly at her godson, before wrapping him in a tight hug and letting him tug a bag full of LEGOs into her home. Trent always came preprepared with his own toys. Danica watched, still stationed beside Scully's leg as the young boy got himself comfortable on the living room floor.

'Danica,' Trent called out to her softly, beckoning her forward with his hand. 'It's all right. Come over here.' Danica swayed, watching, assessing. She crept forward after a minute, once Scully pushed her lightly between the shoulders. Danica swept Schatz off the couch and into her arms, her eyes never leaving Trent. She watched him, fearful, cautious while he stayed completely still, arm outstretched.

Trent took his attention away from her, instead focusing on modifying a car out of LEGO while the girl watched from behind her bear. She stepped forward after a minute, her feet sliding across the floor before she finally plopped herself down across from Trent, eyes glued to the figure he was making.

'Danes, I still don't quite understand. Who is this girl?' Ellen spoke up, after Scully had turned and moved for the kitchen deeming Danica safe and occupied with Trent.

Pulling mugs from the cupboard, Scully smiled at her old friend. 'She's Mulder's daughter.'

'Cute jerk!?' Ellen almost screamed, catching herself, she lowered her voice, 'Cute jerk has a daughter?!' Scully nodded. 'And she's here with you? She's not with her dad because …?' Mulder was out, chasing a lead on a Saturday. Scully chose not to get involved, but in doing that Danica had been handed over her threshold, still half asleep. 'And her mother?'

'Dead.' Scully offered simply, pouring coffee for the both of them.

Ellen frowned, humming softly. 'You've never told me he had a daughter.'

Scully shrugged, sipping her coffee. 'It's relatively new. He brought her home a couple of weeks ago.' Ellen let out a low whistle.

'I don't think I could imagine not knowing I had a kid out there in the world, already living.' She hummed, 'And he stepped right up to the plate? Brought this little girl into his home, ready to treat her like his kid, even though she doesn't know him.' Scully nodded again, half smiling at Ellen's wonder. 'He's still single right?' Scully almost spat her drink across the room her laughter was so sudden. Ellen was ruthless, despite having a nine-year-old son, she took every moment she could to appreciate the other dads at parties and events. Trent's dad hadn't been in the picture for a long time, and Ellen mostly wasn't interested, which didn't mean she couldn't look.

They fell into easy discussion after that, marvelling at the quiet coming from the living room, Trent's voice reaching out to them every so often. He was talking to Danica, nonsense things, school, sport, his friends, his dog Peeta. There was no response from Danica but the occasional verbal squeak she made.

The children played uninterrupted until Trent let out a disgruntled groan.

Ellen was up in a second, Scully on her heels, both curious as to the boy's sudden frustration. 'T'ent!' Danica's little voice shrieked as she bopped where she was sitting. By the time Ellen and Scully managed to peer over the couch, Trent had his head in his hands. Danica's face was alight with amusement. 'T'ent!' She shrieked a second time, her face turning to Scully, her hand pointing at the boy, 'T'ent!'

'That's right, baby girl,' Scully applauded, joining the kids on the carpet. 'It's Trent,' She pulled Danica into a tight hug, as she pressed a kiss to the girl's soft hair.

'No,' Trent groaned, the balls of his palm rubbing at his eyes. 'My name is Trent. T-r-e-n-t.'

Ellen chuckled, 'She'll get there, bud.' She ruffled her son's hair fondly.

'T'ent!' Danica shrieked again, giggling this time at the frustration of the boy opposite her.

Trent groaned, rocking back on his feet, 'She's trying to destroy me!' He moaned dramatically, hands palming his face. 'Girls are so annoying.' Trent rolled his eyes at his mother's laughter. His Aunt Dana was chucking at Danica's gentle giggles, the girl clapping her hands at her achievement in the boy's name. She repeated it again, once, twice a third time before Trent himself laughed at her eager amusement.

'She's not bothering you, is she?' Scully asked, concern pulling at the corners of her mouth as he blue eyes watched over the boy's face.

Trent shook his head, 'She's all right, Aunt Dana'. Scully relaxed, relived. She had offered to take Danica for the day, when Mulder had announced his weekend plans.

Something had hatched under her ribcage, a fondness for the little girl with her warm hugs and fiery hair. Trent had called that Friday night, requesting, in his best manners, to visit his godmother that weekend. Introducing Danica and Trent was not a plan, but quickly became one. The boy, hopefully, although a bit older than the girl, would entertain her for a small portion of the day. There was no telling when Mulder would return to her apartment ready to collect the child he was calling his.

'Can we go to the park?' Trent asked, head lifting from his LEGOs. Mentally checking she had shoes and semi warm clothes for Danica, Scully nodded.

[...]

They walked to the park, Trent running ahead already sure of his way. Danica, on Scully's hip, wiggled to follow the boy who after every few steps turned to call back at them. Scully held tight to the toddler, knowing full well the little girl would fall head first into the concrete before they even reached the playground.

'You know, you once told me you wouldn't be good at this - I'm starting to doubt that.'

'I thought you always doubted it.' Scully laughed, avoiding what her friend was saying.

Ellen shrugged her shoulders, 'Well, yeah, I trusted your judgement in yourself. But, Danes, I just watched you pack fruit snacks and water, as well as a first aid kit - yes, I saw that.' Ellen raised an eyebrow at her friend's sheepish look. 'We're going to the park, it's not even a ten minute walk from your apartment. You don't need these things. Sure, they're great to bring, but people who are not good with children - or good with caring for them - are prepared like that.' Scully didn't respond. 'It's not a bad thing, Dana. It suits you.'

'I'm just watching her for the day,' She was almost defensive, as she tried, with one hand to untangle Danica's fingers from her hair.

'I'm not saying - I'm just saying - you will make a good mom one day, Dana. If you so choose to pursue that part of your life.'

'Yes!' Trent called, a few feet ahead, 'The swings are free!' He called out to Scully, begging for her to hurry up. Danica would love the swings, Trent was sure of it, he just wanted to get to them before the other kids did. 'I love this park, Aunt Dana,' he told her when Scully finally caught up.

Crouched at the swings, buckling Danica securely into the toddler swing, Scully asked her godson why exactly he loved the park. 'There's hardly no kids here, every time. It's like a kidless park, all for me and Danica.' He shrieked some comment about wanting to own the park, to claim it as his own and if she could please ask at the FBI for him.

'She doesn't work for the Parks Department, bud.' Ellen laughed, responding before Scully had to explain her job to the boy for the tenth time in his life. Ellen was pushing Trent's swing, the boy already building momentum, while Scully still stood, crouched, at the toddler swing, Danica grasping onto her wrists tightly. She saw the fear in the toddler's eyes, the way her little face fell and her eyes fill with tears.

'C'mon, Nika!' Trent called, soaring well above Scully's head. 'It's fun!' He giggled, kicking is legs in and out with the motion.

Danica's blue eyes turned grey as she watched Trent to her right, her fingers tangled in Scully's sweater sleeve. Trent's swing slowed beside them, not stopping completely before the boy threw himself off and landed in the bark. He stood beside Scully, peering at Danica with a sorrowful expression.

'It's not scary, I promise.' He told the little girl, as though she understood him completely. Scully was still uncertain how much the girl grasped, but knew to talk to her like normal. 'Aunt Dana, why don't you swing with her?' He suggested, 'That one's free,' Scully looked from the boy to the girl, and then up at Ellen who was agreeing with a nod. 'She won't be scared once she knows it's fun!'

Danica's little body relaxed the second Scully unclipped her from the swing and lifted her onto her hip. The relief almost sighed out of the girl who dropped her head to Scully's shoulder. 'Trent, I don't think she wants to swing.'

'Aunt Dana,' The boy was stern, his mother's reprimanding voice, 'It's fun'.

Danica was far more approachable to the idea of the swing once in Scully's lap. She giggled softly as Scully pushed at the ground, slowing making their swing glide. As her comfort increased her laughter grew louder, and soon Trent was swinging alongside them, soaring far higher than Scully dared to go.

Danica swung happily on Scully's lap, giggling as Trent soared past them, back and forth, over and over. She struggled with urgency to clammer off Scully's lap when Trent jumped from his swing and ran towards the jungle gym. Danica was eager to join the boy, to run and play by his side. Trent wasn't used to the large age gap, he played at school with kids his age, not two-year-old toddlers who struggled to keep up. Once he noticed Danica was following him, the boy slowed, waited for her to catch up, before taking her hand and making sure she climbed the play equipment carefully. Scully watched on, biting the inside of her lip in fear of an accident.

'How are things with you Dana, really?' Ellen moved them both towards a park bench stationed across from the playground the children were climbing all over. Scully muttered her generic fine. 'I'm not accepting that as an answer. You've been hard to reach lately, Danes. I'm worried that you're projecting contentment in an attempt to pass off further inspection.' Ellen pried, her eyes moving from the children to stare down her friend.

If anyone knew how to get an honest response out of Scully it was Ellen, her mother too, but Ellen always pried open the doors and forced the honesty for her friend's greater good. 'I was diagnosed with cancer two weeks ago - a nasopharengeal mass.'

'Dana,' Ellen half gasped before she sighed heavily. 'Oh Dana, I'm so sorry.'

'Please,' Scully sighed, 'Please don't be sorry. It's fine, honestly.' She didn't fail to miss the look on her friend's face, Ellen was there, at med school along side Scully until she got pregnant with Trent and found other means for income. She knew what Scully's tumour meant, where it was, her chances of survival.

'If you need anything, Danes, anything at all, I want you to call me.' Scully nodded, not before turning her head to the playground, her ears already attuned to Danica's voice. The girl was shouting from the top of the playground, German words, foreign to everyone else's ears.

Remembering that her friend took a stint in several college German classes, Ellen turned back to Scully. 'Do you catch what she's saying?' Ellen asked on a laugh.

Sully chuckled, 'Yeah, parts of it. I'm still a little rusty. She said something about 'fun'. This is the most I've heard her talk since I met her.' Scully smiled, proud of the comfort Danica managed to achieve within the acquaintance of Trent and the open and fairly empty, park.

They walked casually back to Scully's apartment, with no injury, an hour and a half later. The kids had worn themselves out enough that they were dragging their feet across the pavement. Trent kept up in step beside his mother, lacking the energy to race ahead. Danica, although accustom to being carried, insisted on walking alongside her new friend.

There was a figure sitting on the stoop of Scully's apartment building, it rose as they got closer, waving them down. Danica seemed to have better eye sight than the adults, using the last of her energy, she muttered a 'papa' and raced forward.

'Mulder,' her voice lilted with a mixture of relief that Danica had ran towards the right arms, and shock at seeing him so early. 'I thought you were working a case.'

Mulder smiled, 'I was and then, ah, I wasn't.'

'They dropped you?'

'No, ah, I realised it was such a beautiful day and I was wasting the weekend I had with my daughter.' The look on his face was honest, no guilt that he was lying to her. 'Fox Mulder,' He turned his attention in a split second to Ellen and Trent standing beside Scully, his hand outstretched to shake Ellen's.

Ellen took his hand easily, tossing a mischievous grin towards her friend as she did so. 'I've heard a lot about you, Mulder. Ellen Monroe and this is Trent.' She gestured towards her son.

'Nice to meet you both.'

'Why don't we all go inside.' Scully offered, her attention wavering for a second as she brushed dirt off Danica's knee. Ellen elbowed Scully as she walked past rather obviously before entering her friend's building behind her.

'I didn't mean to intervene on your day,' Scully brushed him off, rolling her eyes, as she pushed open the door to her apartment. He'd already intervened in dumping her with Danica, not that she minded. Collecting the girl was no inconvenience.

Seeing Trent push through the apartment and go back to his toys, Danica became dire to join him. She wiggled on Mulder's hip, her little hands pushing at his shoulders. He was confused at her want to be away from him, but he placed her on her feet regardless; watching in amazement as she joined Trent easily.

Scully grinned, catching Mulder's confused expression. 'Today has been a lesson in courage,' She told him with a proud tilt. 'You should have seen her at the park, Mulder, she had no worries.'

'Dana here, on the other hand, was wound tighter than a coil waiting for that girl to hurt herself.' Ellen teased, knowing full well how much her friend would hate the jibe. Mulder only smiled, he knew the behaviour was uncharacteristic in his partner. He was, however, none too surprised at her protective instinct.

Mulder had learnt to not react to the surprisingly dormant instincts. He knew they existed, wanted to believe they lived in everyone. In rescuing Danica he was only promised accuracy in that assumption, not only for himself but Scully too.

'Have you got things planned for your afternoon?' Scully asked him, curious now as to his departure from work plans. Mulder didn't abandon a hunt lightly.

He shrugged, watching the shy girl interact with Trent on his partner's living room floor. 'I, ah, was going to take her to the park.' Scully apologised quietly, 'No, it's all right. I might take her home, let her nap.' He watched the slouched posture, and bent shoulders of the small child, knowing full well that she would close her eyes minutes from this moment and only wake for a nightmare. 'I'm sure you're looking forward to having the rest of your day back.' Mulder offered sheepishly.

Scully shook her head, she had no plans other than housekeeping which she could just as easily have done with the quiet girl in tow. She didn't know how to tell him that she didn't mind having Danica around. He already knew, there was no denying an admiration for the small child.

Ellen engaged Mulder in mindless chit chat hinting, much to Scully's distaste, at her friend's college years to the man who was eager to hear the stories. He stayed until Danica started forcing her hair out of her face angrily with both hands, grumbling at nothing. It was one of the child's many tells towards her desperate need for a nap.

He thanked Scully graciously before encouraging Danica to say goodbye to Trent before he scooped her up, along with Schatz and her backpack and took her home. Mulder wasn't out the door for more than two seconds before Ellen turned to her best friend, shit eating grin in place.

'Okay, you told me he was cute. You did not tell me he was hot!' Regrettably, Scully blushed, pushing at Ellen's shoulder in an attempt to scold her behaviour. 'Seriously, Danes.' Ellen was chuckling, her all knowing grin bright and wide.

Scully half turned away, 'I told you - he's married to his work.'

'Looked to me right then that he dropped work to be with his daughter. Seems like a changed man to me.'

'He has a long way to go. He did leave her here this morning, don't forget.' Scully added, thankful to prove her friend wrong in order to save her pride. 'Besides, the FBI has a strict policy against inter-office relationships. Especially for partners.'

'And yet, you're still not denying it.'

'Ellen, nothing is happening between Mulder and I, nothing is going to happen.' Scully's cheeks were pink, both with the effort to fight her friend off and the implication that she and Mulder were remotely interested, let alone suited for one another.

Ellen hummed as she chased a crumb around the table top with her finger. 'Yeah, sure, you two aren't doing a weird distorted version of playing house, at all.' Scully sighed, 'I'm not judging you either, by the way, it's odd, but - Danes you're happy. Lately it's taken a lot to get you to that place.' Scully opened her mouth to protest, more than happy to dispute her friend on Ellen's acute observations. 'I'm just saying; don't shut them out. Sure, you can't pursue anything, that would be against FBI regulation. But, relax. Don't push them away. Kids can be magic if you let them in long enough.'

'I don't have time, Ellen. I can't do that to her.'

'She's here, she trusts you, Mulder trusts you. You've already exposed her to your life. Just, ease into it, Danes. You'll probably surprise yourself.'