"Baby, don't scratch."

"But it itches, mommy."

"I know. Do you want some more lotion?"

"Yes please."

Scully applied the calamine lotion to Weslynns's arms, where the worst of the chicken pox were. They probably wouldn't scar, but they did look fairly itchy, and Scully had to be proud of her daughter for not scratching them as much as she could have.

"Thank you, mommy. Can we go watch TV now?"

"Yeah, but no running. You're sick, remember?"

"But I don't feel sick. I don't even have to throw up."

She smiled and shook her head, following Weslynn into the other room where they had made a huge blanket fort.

"Mommy, can we leave this up for always?"

"I don't think so, sweetie. It was just kind of a special thing because you have to stay in bed anyway, so we might as well make it in a fort. When you get your bunk beds we'll make a fort on the bottom, okay?"

"Could we put glow stars in there?"

"Of course."

"You're the best mommy in the world."

"I'm glad you're easily pleased."

"Mommy?"

"Yes, Captain Question?"

"Did you have chicken pox when you were a little girl?"

"Yep. Your uncle Charlie and I had it at the same time."

"Was it itchy?"

"It wasn't too bad."

"Papa says that not too bad also means not too good."

"I guess so."

"Could I please scratch just the teeniest little bit?"

"No, sweetie. You don't want to have scars."

"Scar? Like on Lion King? He's scary."

"No sweetie. Scars like the one you have from when you fell off your bike."

"Oh. I don't want those kind neither."

"Do you want to take an oatmeal bath?"

"What is that?"

"It's a bath with oatmeal in it. It makes the itchies go away."

"Is that why my insides never itch? Because I eat oatmeal for breakfast?"

Scully chuckled and made a mental note to make a real note of that comment.

"I'll go run your bath. Don't scratch."

"I'll try."

She climbed out of the fort and went into the kitchen for the oatmeal. She wasn't really certain of the efficacy of oatmeal baths, but she was willing to try anything. Once Weslynn started scratching, she probably wouldn't stop. And that would drive both of them bonkers.

She started filling the tub just as the phone rang.

"I'll get it mommy!"

"No sweetie, let me-"

"Hello? Mommy, it's papa!"

She smiled and shook her head. Weslynn was cursed with a zest for life that often left her with a one track mind. It was a Scully family trait. Melissa had had it almost ten times worse.

"Mommy, he wants to talk to you," Weslynn said as she came into the bathroom, holding the phone out. "Is that my bath?"

"Yes it is. Why don't you go get some jammies while I talk to papa?"

"But I'm wearing jammies!"

"I know, but you're going to need clean ones after your bath."

"Okay. I will be back as fast as lightning."

She dashed out of the room and Scully chuckled before answering the phone.

"Hey Mulder."

"Hey. She sure sounds like she's feeling better."

"The fever didn't last too long."

"Do you guys need anything? I can drop it off on my way home."

"We might need more oatmeal," she said, pouring the rest of it into the tub.

"Alright. Anything else?"

"No, we're set for now. I'll let you know if I think of anything though."

"Alright. I'll be there in about an hour."

"Thanks Mulder."

"No problem. Bye."

She hung up the phone as Weslynn came back into the room, a pair of footy pajamas in each hand.

"I don't know if I should wear the blue or the purple ones."

"I think the purple. The blue ones have the zipper that always gets stuck."

"I forgot about that," she said, tossing the blue pajamas on the floor.

"Wes."

"I'll pick them up later. I'm sick right now."

She couldn't argue with logic like that.

"Alright. Get your clothes off and get into the tub."

"What if I get oatmeal in my hair?"

"Let me put it in a ponytail then," she said, taking a brush off of the counter. Weslynn was very particular about her hair. She loved to have it played with, but she didn't want anyone but Scully to brush or style it. The one time Mulder had tried, she screamed bloody murder. He had never made that mistake again, but often caught himself twisting her curls around his finger and watching them spring back into place.

Soon Weslynn was situated in the tub. She looked at the water, wrinkled her nose and looked up at Scully.

"This feels really funny, mommy."

"I know. But you don't itch anymore, do you?"

"Nope. Plus I smell like breakfast."

"Yes, you do."

"It's making me hungry."

"We'll have dinner later."

"Is papa coming over?"

"He's going to drop some things off and then go home."

"Why isn't he staying?"

"He's just going to go home tonight, baby."

"Is it because you guys had a fight?"

"What?"

"I heard you yelling at each other last time he was here. I was in my bed and I heard you arguing."

Scully sighed a little.

"Yeah, we did have an argument. But it's okay."

"Are you still mad at each other?"

"No, we're not. We just need to talk about some things."

"But he could stay for dinner, and you could talk when I go to bed. I won't listen this time. I promise."

"That's alright, sweetie. We'll talk about it later."

"Do you still love him?"

"Of course I do. He's my best friend. I will always love him, no matter what. You never have to worry about that, okay?"

"Okay mommy."

She was quiet for a while, filling a cup with water and pouring it over her toes.

"Can I ask a question and you won't get mad at me?"

"Of course."

"Were you and papa fighting about my daddy?"

Scully closed her eyes slowly, wondering now just how much of that conversation she had heard. It hadn't exactly been a neutral topic.

"You don't have to answer, mommy. Remember, we always get to say I don't want to talk about it."

"Honey, it was a grown up conversation."

"But it was about my daddy?"

"Partly, yes."

"What did you say about him?"

"Not very much, honey."

"Is he ever going to come and see me?"

"I don't think so."

"Okay. I probably wouldn't like him anyway."

"And why is that?"

"Because papa is the only boy I like!"

Scully chuckled.

"Baby girl, I don't know what I would do without you."

"Probably you would have to play dress up all by yourself."

"Please stay for dinner, papa." Weslynn begged, tugging on Mulder's hand. "I want you to. I'll even share my broccoli!"

"I wish I could honey, but I have some work I have to get done. I'll have dinner with you another night."

"But I said please."

"I know. Want to make a deal?"

"I like deals."

"When you're all better, if it's okay with mommy, I will take you out to dinner, just the two of us. Would that be okay?"

"YES! Can I, mommy?"

"Yes, that's fine."

She would never keep the two of them apart, no matter what her relationship with Mulder was. She'd made that promise to both of them a long time ago, and she wasn't going back on it.

"Alright. I'm going to go now, but once you're all better, you call me and we'll make a date. Deal?"

"Deal."

They shook on it and he leaned down to kiss her cheek.

"Go eat your dinner, honey."

"Okay. Bye papa."

She skipped off into the other room while Mulder headed for the door. He could feel Scully following him, and he slowly turned around to look at her.

"Can we talk?"

"Now?"

"Sooner rather than later. I don't want to fight with you anymore."

He nodded.

"Call me after you put her to bed. We'll talk."

"Deal."

He smiled a little and left the apartment, while Scully went back into the kitchen.

"Mommy, that tension was so thick, you could cut it with a knife."

"Where in the world did you hear that?"

"Grandma. She says it when we watch her shows together."

"You watch soap operas with grandma?"

"Only sometimes. Mostly I read a book or color while she watches them. I think they're kind of boring actually."

She sighed and sat down at the table.

"Well, I'm glad you think that, honey."

"Are you and papa still in a fight?"

"No, honey, I don't think so. We have a lot to talk about, but we're not in a fight."

"Good. Can I have some more spaghetti?"

"Eat your broccoli first."

"I was actually planning on forgetting about that."

"Do you not want it cooked?"

"It feels slimy."

"If I brought you some regular broccoli, would you eat it?"

"Yep."

"Alright. You high maintenance child."

"Mulder, it's me."

"Hey."

"You have some time?"

"I always have time for you."

She smiled and took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry about the other night. I was tired and it probably wasn't the best time to have that conversation. I shouldn't have yelled like that and… I'm sorry."

"It wasn't all you, Scully. I wasn't listening to what you were telling me. We do that sometimes. A lot more lately."

"I've noticed."

"Any idea why?"

"I don't know. Maybe we just don't talk to each other enough."

"What do you mean?"

"We're always together, at work or here, but, we never really talk. We just kind of exist together. By the time she goes to bed and we can actually talk about things, we're both so wiped out that we can't even say anything."

"I know. Maybe one of these days we just need to play hooky or something."

"Maybe."

"Are we okay, Scully?"

"We're okay."

"Good, because fighting with you is exhausting."

"I know exactly what you mean."

"See you in the morning."

"I'll bring coffee."

"Goodnight, Mulder."

"Night."

She hung up the phone with a deep sigh, glad that conversation was over. There was more they could have said, but it was enough for now. Enough to get them back to normal, whatever normal was. Maybe someday they would get everything out in the open, but for tonight, at least she could sleep.