The Unbroken Circle
Part 2
by
Trycee
Time-line: Season 1, A few months after Scully and Mulder are partnered together, before William Scully Senior's death.
Disclaimer: I do not own the X-Files, this is written for fun not profit.
The front door swung open and Scully could hear a males voice and she knew instantly that it was Bill Jr. Maggie washed her hands off and all three women followed the sound of his voice. Bill was hugging his father who looked pleased to see his son in uniform, just as Charles was. Charles and Bill nodded to each other but didn't shake hands which Scully thought was odd but she didn't question them. Maggie hugged her son tightly though he towered over her and everyone else in the room at 6'2.
Bill then moved on to hug Scully lifting her up a little in the air.
"Bill stop!", she ordered until he placed her back on to the ground.
"You used to love that when we were kids", he smiled.
"Well, if you hadn't noticed, I'm not a kid any more."
He nodded and then moved on to Jill, hugging her tightly.
"Where's Tara? I thought you were bringing a date?", Maggie asked.
"She couldn't make it, her parents are ill," he said, with his hat in his hand. "Sorry."
"We will meet her before the wedding right?", Maggie questioned.
"Right, mom", Bill said, shyly.
"I thought you'd be an old man before you got married," Charles said dryly.
"Some of us were focused on our careers rather than rushing to get married right after high school," Bill snapped.
Bill's higher ranking was noticeable on his uniform and Charles just shook his head and plopped down back on the sofa.
"Boys, boys. Not today." Senior's deep booming voice interrupted. "This is Thanksgiving and there will not be any fights or arguments, got it?"
Just then the door swung open again and Missy walked in. She was tall but not taller than Bill but she smiled at the sight of her family who grew quiet the minute she walked in. Dana maneuvered through the crowd to her older sister, who she loved dearly.
"Missy!", she said, hugging her.
"Dana!", she said, running her fingers through her sisters hair. "You cut your hair."
"You'd know that if we got to see each other more often we don't live far from each other. Just like 10 minutes."
"I'm not the one tromping off around the world", Missy said, releasing her sister.
Bill quickly engulfed Missy into his arms. "Sis, it's been a long time."
"It has", she said, with a tear in her eye.
"Its been too long." Jill hugged Missy too and then she moved on to Charles and Maggie.
After they hugged she turned to their father and everyone stood there watching to see what would happen between them. Senior stood up and hugged his daughter tightly. "Love you Missy," he said, warmly.
"Thank You daddy," Missy said, as her breath caught for a few seconds.
He smiled warmly and then sat back down in his chair. Missy smiled and then looked over to Dana for what she knew was support. The room was very tense but Scully managed to grab Missy's hand and pull her towards the kitchen. Maggie looked at her husband but he didn't say a word, he just shrugged his shoulders and she then focused on her two sons.
"Sit down. No arguing."
They nodded and Bill joined Charles on the couch, right in front of Senior.
"We are gonna meet this Tara, aren't we?", Senior asked his eldest son.
"Yes sir", Bill smiled. "Her parents are both ill. She takes care of them. She's a Nurse but if you don't get to meet her soon, there's still the wedding."
Senior nodded. "I'll be there!", he smiled. "With bells on!"
"Mom?", Missy said, looking at Maggie. "Anything I can help with?"
Maggie tried to smile. "I thought you didn't eat meat."
"I don't," Missy said firmly. "Can I make a salad or a side dish or something?"
"Okay", Maggie said, moving out the way. "I'm making your dad and the boys something to drink."
The small kitchen was overcrowded with women as Maggie tried to maneuver her way without bumping into any of the women. "I'll be glad when we move", she repeated, taking a tray full of drinks out of the kitchen.
"She looks stressed", Melissa said to Scully.
"Well, there moving in just a few days and then having all of us over here in this small place", Dana added. "That would do it."
"Its not me?", Missy said, looking her younger sister over. "The prodigal daughter returning home unrepentant."
"It could easily be me," Scully added. "After all, they are disappointed in me for going out into the field and working with Mulder. Daddy never wanted me to become an FBI agent in the first place."
"Its not his life," Missy added. "Look at me, they all think I'm practicing witchcraft or something because I make a living as a psychic."
"I don't think that," Jill added.
Melissa smiled and touched Jill's hand warmly. "Thank you. I appreciate it."
"Yeah well, I've got you beat," Scully said, looking up to her sister. "I chase round Aliens."
All three women laughed until Maggie returned. They could see the worry in her eyes.
"Mom, are you okay?", Scully asked.
"Just a lot on my mind", she said dismissively as she returned to her place to finish making pie dough from scratch. "I just want to have a nice Thanksgiving tomorrow. No arguments."
"Well that's a little hard with us altogether", Missy laughed.
Maggie turned swiftly to look at her eldest daughter. "We used to have nice dinners. I just want that back. I know we're all living our own lives now, but we need to come together as a family. We're still a family."
"I agree," Missy said, turning to look directly at her mother.
"We are." Maggie nodded. "We've got to do most of the work today and then the rest tomorrow," she said, eying each woman.
"What are we feeding the Navy?", Scully asked.
"Practically. We've got three Naval officers and two growing boys", Maggie smiled. "Plus us girls. So, yes, we're feeding the Navy here. We're not cooking anything for dinner tonight. I'm too tired. We'll order a pizza or something."
"We're here to help, mom," Scully said, reassuringly.
Maggie smiled, and then continued to whip up more pie dough.
After preparing most of the Thanksgiving side dishes and making a few pies ahead of time, Scully and Missy retreated to the living room while Maggie and Jill took the boys to the movies. Ahab continued to sit in his chair listening quietly to his children's chatter until he had fallen asleep with the television sports channel still on low.
"Where's Ethan?", Bill whispered, trying not to wake their father.
Scully rolled her eyes. "We broke up months ago."
"He was controlling," Missy said.
"Oh Missy, he was not!", Scully said, shaking her head. "You barely knew him."
"I know what I saw, Dana. He made me angry and he was controlling. You seem to attract the same type of men."
"I do not!", she said, quietly.
"He didn't hurt you, did he?", Bill asked.
"No, no. I am an FBI agent, Bill.", Dana said.
Bill smirked and shook his head. Scully ignored him. "Ethan didn't want me working on the X-Files."
"He should've been rewarded for that sentiment. None of us want you working on the X-Files either.", Bill said.
"God Bill! I love my job!"
"If it makes her happy, who are we to say anything?", Charles added.
"I'm just glad you got rid of the jerk," Missy continued. "Besides, he wasn't your soul mate. I think you've already recognized who your soul mate is, haven't you?"
Scully frowned at her older sister. "What do you mean by that and if you talk about some mumble jumble, I'm gonna smack you, I get enough of that all day long working with Mulder."
Missy smiled wickedly. "Hmmm. Speaking of the devil. How is Mulder?"
"Fine, I guess," she sighed heavily. "He'll probably be at home tomorrow all alone eating a pot pie like he said."
"OH NO!", Bill spoke loudly, staring at his younger sister. "JESUS! He's like your boss or something!"
"That's never stopped her before!", Charles added.
"What are you all talking about?", Scully said confused as she stared at her siblings. "What?"
"You like him!", Bill yelled. "Dammit, Dana, do you ever stop dating within the office-pool?"
Charles snickered but Scully elbowed him.
"Shut up, Bill!", Missy said, rolling her eyes.
"Bill for the last time," Scully said, with her eyebrow raised and her eyes narrowed. "He is my partner. "There's nothing going on between us."
"Not yet," all three of Scully's siblings added.
"What!", Scully said, standing up. "I'm not a kid any more and all of us have made mistakes in the past, all of us! Could you give me some credit as a grown woman for once! God, I am not trying to repeat any of my past mistakes!"
"Sit down, Dana", Charles said, grabbing her wrist and pulling her back down onto the couch. "We don't mean any harm."
"Damn Irish temper," Bill said, under his breath.
Scully shot him another look and he quieted down.
"You didn't invite Mulder over?", Missy asked. Bill and Charles shook their heads at Missy, annoyed.
"I did," Scully said, trying to ignore her brothers. "He didn't want me feeling sorry for him."
"Why cause his sister was abducted by ET's?", Bill huffed.
"SHUT UP, Bill!", Charles said, looking at his older brother. "Man, shut up!"
"Bill, I may not believe that his sister was taken by extraterrestrials but his sister is still missing! How would you feel if it were me or Missy, huh?"
Bill clenched his lip tightly and crossed his arm. "Fine. Go ahead."
"Did I ever tell you, Dana, that when two souls are matched they're souls recognize each other?"
"Here we go, more Psychic Friends Network crap!", Charles said, eying Missy.
"I don't put down what you do!", Missy said offended.
"We're Naval Officers!", Bill interjected.
"And I'm a psychic so that makes me what...?"
"Crazy!", Bill added.
"Why because I'm not a doctor?", she said pointing to Scully. "Or in the Navy too? So I have to be Crazy?"
"I swear that Mr. Mulder is working with the wrong sister," Bill huffed, challenging Missy.
Missy lowered her head feeling hurt. Scully reached out and touched her hand. "Back off!," Scully said to her brothers. "Enough already! If we can't sit and talk as adults without trying to wound the other, there's no point in us talking at all."
"Or waking up your father whose trying to take a nap," Senior's voice boomed.
They were stunned and sat quietly as they did when they were children, waiting nervously for his next word. He looked over at each adult child and shook his head. "We may not like what the other does but we can at least try to respect the other person."
Missy shook her head. "Like you respect me!", Missy said harshly, glaring at Senior.
"I respect you, Missy but I do not want that spirit stuff allowed in this house. This is MY house. What you do in yours is your own business."
"Mom see's things. She has visions. Hell, even Dana does.", Missy said, as a tear ran down her face.
"Missy, I do not see things.", Scully said nervously.
"That's not true," Missy shot back. "But when I use my talents as a career my family doesn't support me."
"We do support you," Scully answered.
"You do", Missy spoke. "But not mom, not Bill or Charlie and certainly not you, dad."
Charles pointed a finger at himself. "Hey, I didn't call you crazy, that was Bill!"
Bill raised an eyebrow to his brother and glared at him harshly. Senior shook his head. "Look..this is my house, Missy. We are Roman Catholics and you know what the church teaches about Psychics."
"That its a tool from the devil," she said, in a low voice. "So is that what you think dad? That I'm a tool of the devil?"
"Missy, no!", Scully interrupted. "Of course not."
"No, but I think you need to stop this psychic mumble jumbo and get back to the religion you were raised in."
"What about Dana? You don't say anything about her chasing down the paranormal. Why are you harping on me?".
Scully stared down at the floor as her father turned to look at her.
"Is that true?", he asked.
Scully squared her shoulders and turned to face her father. She shifted her demeanor from the youngest daughter to a self-assured FBI agent. "As an FBI Agent," she said, in her best no-nonsense voice. "I'm assigned to the X-Files with my partner, Fox Mulder.", she said, looking up at her father. "We investigate the paranormal," she said, watching her father's face reddened.
"Missy is right", Scully said, looking directly into his eyes. "I have seen things I can't explain with science. I use my Forensic skills on a near daily basis."
Senior shook his head disapprovingly. "Enough talk about all this stuff. You're mother would not approve."
Missy's mouth was gaped open."You don't have anything to say to her?", Missy questioned. "Because she's your precious Starbuck, you're little girl?"
"Missy!", Scully gasped. "That's not true!"
"I don't play favorites.", Senior answered. "I love you all the same."
"That isn't true.", Missy said, looking from her siblings to her father. "That's not true."
"You've always wanted attention," Bill interrupted. "Get over it, Missy we're not kids anymore trying to vie for dad's attention."
Senior looked as his son curiously. "What does that mean?"
"Nothing, sir," Bill said shutting up.
"He was saying that we all were trying to get your attention when we were growing up. You were always gone out to sea and some of us idolized you," she said, gesturing towards Scully. "And some of us didn't get enough attention from either parent growing up with three other siblings."
"Enough!", Maggie said, as she entered the living room with Jill, Patrick and Junior in tow. "This isn't what Thanksgiving is about. We don't need to relive the past! Missy, you were the oldest daughter and you had a lot of responsibility placed on you as the second woman in command. But so did your brother Bill when you're dad was gone. Your father wasn't gone all the time."
"He was gone for months at a time," Missy said shaking her head. "You were too stretched trying to raise us all alone to give us all equal attention."
"I don't remember it that way," Charles spoke.
"Because you were the baby and you got the most of the attention," Missy answered. "You and Dana. That was fine because you both needed extra attention. And it wasn't attention I needed, it was understanding, appreciation."
"The past is the past!", Maggie said, looking directly at Missy. "You need to forgive us for not being the parents you thought you needed and go on with your life. None of you came with instructions, Missy! You'd know that if you settled down for once and had a family of your own."
"My life's goal is not to be a good Catholic mother with a house full of children, mom!", Missy said with tears in her eyes.
"So you'll just continue to shack up with men without getting married?", Maggie asked and then her eyes bulged slightly as she realized she'd spoken that in front of her husband.
Senior turned and glared at his eldest daughter, his mouth gaped open in shock. "You are living with a man?"
"Not currently, no.", Missy said, avoiding his gaze.
"We did the best we could.", Maggie spoke, angrily. "Why must all of our family get-together's end up in arguments?"
"No it won't, Not this year," Senior said in a booming voice, looking at all four of his children. "Sit down and act like a family!"
Missy retreated back over to the couch next to Scully and they all stared back at him. Senior could see the distress on his wife's face. "Now, I don't want to hear any more about not getting attention, about favorites, what we did and didn't do, who got married first and who isn't. I don't want to hear any more. Is that understood?"
"Yes sir," they all answered.
"Come into the dining room," Maggie said, looking over her large family. "The pizza was delivered."
"The Thanksgiving food of champions," Charles said rising up.
"Turkey day is tomorrow.", young Junior said, grabbing his fathers hand.
"I know son.", Charles said, smiling down to the six year old with reddish brown hair.
Scully stood up from the couch along with Missy but she turned back to look at their dad and she could see he hadn't move. She walked over to him. "You alright Ahab?", she asked in a soft voice.
"Yes.", he smiled and touched her face. "Couldn't be better." He grabbed her hand and they walked into the dining room together.
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