The Unbroken Circle
Part 4
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.
"Hey Aunt Dana," Patrick said.
"Hey Aunt Dada," four year old Junior said trying to mimic Patrick.
Scully smiled and then kissed them both on the top of their heads. She placed a pot of hot coffee down on the table and then returned to the kitchen to grab up the orange juice and cups.
"Hey sis," Bill said, giving Scully a quick peck on the cheek as he moved past her to sit at the table.
"Hi Bill", she said, acknowledging him with a smile. Senior sat at the head of the table and Scully went immediately over to him and gave him a hearty hug. "How are you this morning, Ahab?"
"Mighty fine, Starbuck. What's for breakfast?"
"It's coming up," Maggie called out from the kitchen.
Senior smiled up to his youngest daughter. "Ah. She can hear through walls, ya know."
Scully laughed and then moved over to her brother Charles, pouring him a cup of coffee. "Remember, coffee will stunt your growth too," she teased.
"Too late for the both of you," Bill chuckled.
Scully smirked. "You may be tall, Bill, but I could still get you into handcuffs pretty easily."
"Somehow I doubt that.", he huffed.
"You know I can. I'm an FBI agent, of course I can.", she said, looking him over. "I've arrested people taller and bigger than you."
"You're a midget," he said, looking her in the eye. "A fidget-midget", he said, reminding her of the childhood name he'd teased her mercilessly with.
"You've always been a bully," Scully said.
"Awl, you don't scare me, Dana Katherine Scully", he said, jokingly.
She glared at him for a moment and then turned and walked back into the kitchen. Charles looked at his older brother. "I bet you she could kick your ass. I'd pay to see that."
"Why can't you mind your own business?", Bill said back.
"Boys, boys!", Senior said, interrupting.
"Enough, this is a holiday today and I won't have you messing it up. Your mother worked too hard for this day."
"Yes sir," both sons answered.
Melissa brought out a platter of sausage and placed it on the table. She then stepped over to Senior and kissed him on the cheek. "Morning daddy."
"Morning Missy", he smiled.
She stepped away nervously and then turned to her two brothers. She playfully hit Charles against the head lightly with her hand and lightly punched Bill.
"Ouch!", Bill yelped slightly, a smile on his lips. "Was I was just cursed by a working witch?"
"Bill!", Senior said.
Melissa looked at her older brother and then over to Senior and then cast her eyes down. She turned and walked out the dining room without saying another word.
"You need to apologize!", Senior said, pointing to his eldest son. "Your sister deserves more respect than that!"
"I was just joking with her."
"She doesn't know that, now does she?", Senior added.
"No sir," Bill said, red-faced.
"Apologize!", Senior ordered.
Bill stood up and walked into the kitchen, pulling Melissa to the side. "Sorry, sis. I was just joking."
Missy smiled slightly."Thank You Bill."
Bill looked into the wounded eyes of his sister. "Don't take things so personally, alright" Bill spoke. "Seriously. I would never mean to hurt you."
Melissa stood rigid for a moment but then shook her head and then grabbed up another platter to place on the table. Bill looked over to Maggie and she motioned for him to get out of the kitchen and so he returned back to where the men sat.
Melissa added a platter of eggs to the table and quickly headed for the kitchen. A large bowl of oatmeal was also brought out along with orange juice and toast. After everyone was seated, they made the sign of the cross and bowed their heads.
Senior began to recite their typical family blessing. He glanced over to Melissa who was rolling her eyes and he stopped the blessing immediately. "In this house, we pray...", he said, looking at her.
"You know how I feel about all that", Melissa said, looking at both parents.
Maggie sat to Seniors right side and she glanced over to her husband. All eyes were upon him. "Bow your head or don't eat...", he demanded.
Melissa shot a look at Scully whose eyes were bulging as she stared back at her sister. Melissa sighed and then bowed her head. Senior then continued the blessing and as he ended everyone made the sign of the cross, including Melissa. A large smile then graced Senior's face as he stared across the table at each family sat parallel to him and he nodded to his son and then looked lovingly to each family member as he watched them pass the platters and talk as they began to eat.
Bill turned to look at Scully who was seated next to him. He waited until she'd swallowed her food. "So Dana. How's work going anyway?"
"It's good.", she smiled.
"Taking care of yourself?"
"Yes of course."
He leaned down closer to her. "You know I worry about you.", he said, quietly. "You're my kid sister and I worry."
Dana looked up surprised. "Thanks Bill but you don't need too. I have a partner and I trust him with my life..."
"Who, the guy you like? What's his name, Mulder?"
"I didn't say I liked him, you did.", she said, looking at him.
"Oh come on", he said, rolling his eyes. "I know you do."
Scully leaned over to Bill. "Could we, just get through breakfast?", Scully asked. "We have the rest of the day to bicker and argue."
"No one's arguing," he said in a whisper.
"Whatever you say."
"Always have to fuss with me," Bill huffed.
"That's right!", she said, picking at her plate.
"Damn Irish temper," Bill said, as he stuffed a piece of sausage into his mouth.
Scully glared at him a few seconds but could tell he was trying to ignore her. She turned towards Charles instead. He sat with his two boys between himself and Jill, She was busy trying to stuff oatmeal into Junior's mouth as he attempted to reach for a piece of sausage. Scully watched for a moment, admiring her sister-n-law until Jill noticed her staring and smiled back. "You'll be doing this too one of these days".
"Who Dana?", Bill huffed. "She'll never get married."
"Bill, how would you know?", Scully asked defensively.
"Because, look at your job right now. How are you gonna meet a man, settle down and have kids when your chasing after aliens?"
Scully could feel herself growing angry and her face was increasingly becoming fiery red as she stared at her brother. "You need a filter for your mouth, you know that!"
Maggie sighed deeply."I always thought my girls would be married by now but neither are", Maggie said, looking over to Senior.
Ahab sighed as well, glancing over to his wife, disappointed in the outcome of their two daughter's love lives.
Scully cast her eyes down to her plate and then pushed it away. She then looked up to Melissa who smiled and mouthed, "Its our lives..."
Scully nodded back and then noticed the deafening silence in the room. They were all lost in their own thoughts.
"What's going on?", Patrick asked, looking at all the adults.
Scully giggled. "Nothing Pat."
"Okay," he said, as he chewed on his scrambled eggs and attempted to defend his plate against his brother's sausage grabs.
Jill smiled at her son and shook her head, looking over to her husband. Charles ruffled his sons thick Irish hair.
"So", Bill said breaking the silence. "What time does the football game start?"
"There's a parade on right now," Jill added.
Maggie glanced around at the table, noticing that all of the plates were empty except Dana's which was expected. She turned to her daughter-n-law. "Jill, take care of the boys," Maggie ordered. "Missy, Dana, I expect you in the kitchen with me."
"Yes ma'am", Scully and Missy both answered.
"Well. if everyone's done eating," Maggie said, standing up. "I expect you girls to help."
Scully stood up and began gathering the plates as Melissa grabbed up the platters. Everyone in the room started dispersing around the small home.
"I'll be glad when we move," Maggie said, looking over at the small kitchen now cluttered with plates and leftover food.
After a few hours of cleaning and starting on the dinner meal, Scully decided to take a break. She curled up to her father's side as they sat on the couch watching the television. She laid her head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her and she laid her head on his chest, listening to his heart beating. He was so strong yet always gentle when it came to her. She never felt as safe as she did with her father.
"So, What's up, Starbuck?"
"Nothing much, Ahab," she said, with a smile.
"Who is this Mulder that you're working with?"
Scully grew quiet for a moment until her father pressed his hand against her side. "You gonna answer me or what?"
Scully looked up at her father. "He's a good man. He reminds me of you in alot of ways."
Her father looked at her curiously. He could tell that she had feelings for this man, whoever he was. "In what way?"
Scully licked her lips nervously. "He's kind. He's determined. He's compassionate. He would do anything for his family. In his case, that would be his missing sister. But, nothing is more important to him than that. And he will stop at nothing to find her and to stand up for what he believes in."
Ahab pulled her close and kissed her forehead. "You sound like you care about him."
She glanced down, unable to lie to her father. He smiled. "If that's the case, Starbuck," he continued. "Sounds like someone I would approve of, as long as he took care of you and treated you right."
Scully shook her head. "Dad, he's just my partner."
He could tell from the way she was avoiding his eyes that there was more to it than that but that Dana wasn't ready to either admit it to him or to herself. He patted her back and smiled. She glanced up and stared at him, searching his eyes for approval like she had when she was a child and then laid her head back down on his chest, his arms wrapped protectively around her.
Melissa plopped down next to her and pinched Scully's leg. Scully turned to glare at her older sister. Melissa laughed and then made kissy sounds. "Suck up", she mouthed.
Scully smiled wickedly and then laid her head back down on her father's shoulder. Charles and Bill both sat in the recliners watching Charles's home video of four year old Junior and six year old Patrick playing tee-ball in their front yard as he coached. Bill laughed when Junior swung and hit Charles in his nether region. Charles chuckled though the memory was all too fresh in his mind.
Maggie was watching them from the kitchen doorway as Jill fussed about trying to baste the turkey. Jill was trying to impress her mother-n-law. Charles and Jill had married immediately out of high school after the Scully's had moved back to their hometown of Annapolis from where they had lived for several years, stationed in San Diego. Charles had been a senior in high school while Dana had started her freshmen year at the University of Maryland. Charles and Jill had been high school sweethearts and had married before his deployment to Ridgecrest, California. Maggie and Senior had only seen their grandson's a handful of times when they'd flown to California. This was Jill's chance to show her mother-n-law that she was a good mother and wife to Charles, just in case she had any doubts.
Maggie appreciated the effort and smiled at her daughter-n-law, "Looks delicious, Jill. I'm sure it'll taste just as good."
Jill beamed. "Thank You."
Maggie turned back and walked into the living room, right behind the sofa and placed two delicate but sturdy hands on her husbands shoulder giving him a small massage. "I'd say you'll spoil that girl but it's too late", she said, looking down at Dana.
"A few decades too late," Senior smiled as Scully snuggled in deeper into his arm.
"Need any help, mom?", Missy asked, looking over to Maggie.
She smiled and nodded. "Yeah, you come help me. Let's give Jill a break."
"You want me to...", Scully began.
"It's okay," Maggie said interrupting. "We don't have much left to do.", she said, turning to walk back into the kitchen.
Jill soon joined them on the sofa, sitting down next to Scully.
"Tired?", Scully asked.
"Yeah," Jill smiled. "I never cooked for such a large family before."
"My mom's an old hat at it," Scully smiled. "You know, the Typical Irish mother. She has to oversea the whole operation."
"Yes, I have one of those," Jill sighed. "Northern Irish but yeah, same thing."
"That's right," Senior added. "And Jill, you are a Navy wife. You know how that is," he said, nodding to Jill.
She smiled and then glanced over to her husband Charles, seated in an arm chair across from Bill. Charles looked at her proudly. Scully could tell they were still very much in love.
"Rest your weary bones," Scully spoke to Jill.
"Thanks", she said, relaxing into the couch cushions.
Scully turned her attention to Bill. "So what's Tara like?"
Bill broke out into a smile "Very sweet...caring...Well, you'll see. The wedding is in a few months..."
"She wasn't able to come?"
"No, too much work at the hospital..and her parents are both ill. She takes care of them."
"Oh," Scully said and then glanced over to Senior.
He patted Scully's arm. "Don't worry. You won't have to take care of me. I'll put myself out to sea before that happens."
"Go down with the ship, right dad?", Bill smiled.
"That's right!"
Melissa returned with a tray filled with wine glasses. "This should help liven up the evening," she smirked.
"Maybe you could do some psychic readings.", Bill said.
Melissa shot him a look but he smiled wickedly and she relaxed. "Bill, do you really want me to tell you your future?"
"Sure why not?", he smirked.
"You'll end up an old bitter man", she whispered. "Oops, too late."
Bill frowned. "Hey, I'm in my early 40's. I'm not old yet."
"You're old...", Patrick added. Bill grabbed his nephew up and tossed him into the air before letting him land on his feet. "You probably can't even count to forty," Bill said.
Patrick smiled broadly. "No Uncle Billy but I can count to ten!"
Everyone laughed as the six year old mounted Bill's legs. He grabbed his nephews arms and began moving his legs bucking and jerking the boy like a horse much to his delight. "Ah...I'm not old.", he said, watching as Patrick dizzily fell to the floor, giggling. Junior stared at his uncle and his brother who lay on the floor, his head spinning. Junior stared at them both, confused by it all. His father, Charles, picked Junior up and placed him on his lap.
"If anyone is old, it's me ", Senior added with a chuckle. "You've still got quite a few years ahead of you."
"That's right," Bill said, sipping on his wine. "Hey, the game should be on," Bill said, switching the channel with the remote.
"Well, that's my cue to leave.", Scully said, standing up.
"You'll need to learn about Football for that future husband of yours," Bill teased. "The one that will never exist!"
Scully glared at Bill. He was smiling happily to himself. Scully stood up and kissed her father's cheek. She turned from Bill and then headed into the kitchen. "Mom...you need anything?"
"Yes, a good step ladder", she said, looking around. "Bill!"
He appeared in the kitchen doorway within a few minutes and pulled down the turkey platter for his mother. "Alright, now get out of here now!", Maggie said, shooing him away.
Bill turned quickly on his heels and headed back to the living room.
"Mom, you're gonna work yourself into exhaustion," Scully said, grabbing the platter out of her mother's hands. "Maybe we should've had it at my house this year. You're under a lot of stress."
"You don't have the room for all of us", Maggie said shaking her head.
"Mom, I live in a suite. There's only two apartments per floor. I am pretty sure I would've had the space."
"Where would everyone sleep? On your couch or your one spare room? Dana, what's done is done."
Scully dipped the platter into suds, washing it thoroughly before drying it with a dish cloth.
Maggie touched her elbow. "That's what the larger house is for, so everyone can come to one central location and not bump into each other."
"Yeah but with all the stuff you have to do for Thanksgiving and then moving a few days later."
Maggie touched her cheek. "We're fine. I won't have to lift a finger. The Naval movers will take care of it all. And the commute to you is only twenty minutes more than it already is. I can handle all this stress if it means we're getting what we always wanted."
"Well, you're coming to Christmas dinner at my house. I already asked Ahab.", Scully said, looking at her mother.
Maggie threw her hands up. "Okay, fine! That'll be nice. I'm just glad to have you all here altogether for the holiday this year. It means so much to me and your dad."
"It means a lot to me too."
Missy was standing in the doorway and Maggie turned and reached out her hand and pulled her in forming a semi-circle.
"Why are you standing over there?", Maggie asked.
"I didn't want to disturb you", Missy said, shyly.
"You're not disturbing me.", Maggie said, surprised.
"Missy, your my oldest daughter. Without you the circle is broken."
A tear formed in Melissa's eye but she pushed it away. "Thanks mom."
Maggie gripped her girls tightly. "Let's get this meal served up...", she said.
The turkey was placed in front of Senior and once everyone was seated, they made the sign of the cross. Melissa could feel all eyes on her as they all prepared to bow their heads for prayer. Senior began to recite another dinner blessing.
"May this food restore our strength, giving new energy to tired limbs, new thoughts to weary minds. May this drink restore our souls, giving new vision to dry spirits, new warmth to cold hearts. And once refreshed, may we give new pleasure to You, who gives us all."
"Praise God, from whom all blessings flow...," they recited and then made the sign of the cross.
Senior smiled warmly over his brood. "This is truly a wonderful Thanksgiving, having everyone here...There are no empty seats this year.", he smiled over to Maggie. "I'm truly grateful."
"Me too," she added.
Melissa winked over to Dana and they smiled as their father carved the turkey while everyone clapped. He then sat back and watched as they began to pass along the side dishes, lost in chatter. He smiled to himself and then began to dig into his own plate of food. Melissa kicked Scully under the table.
"You better eat," Missy scolded. "You're too skinny..."
Scully scoffed. "What about you? Gonna eat everything but the turkey?"
"I just can't do that," Melissa said, looking down at her plate. "I can't eat anything with a face."
She turned to look at Dana but could tell that she was miles away. "What are you thinking about?", Missy whispered.
"I was just thinking about Mulder...", Scully sighed. "Maybe I should take some leftovers to him. If there are any left."
Missy smirked. "That would be crossing the invisible line you put up for yourself."
"Maybe your right. That would not be appropriate," Scully said, dipping her fork into her mashed potatoes. "Gotta keep it professional."
"I'm telling you! I see something deeper for you two," Missy whispered. "He's the one."
"He's my partner, Missy", Scully said, eying her sister. "There could never be anything more."
"You keep telling yourself that.", Missy giggled.
"I will," Scully said, grabbing up her wine and sighed heavily. "Even if it kills me."
Missy laughed. "Alright. If you say so. But you better eat this time, Dana!"
Scully stuck her fork in a generous amount of turkey. "I am!", she said, chewing on a piece of turkey. "Um mm...This is good mom and Jill."
Missy rolled her eyes at her younger sister as Scully grinned back at her.
"It's Really good," Charles added, touching his wife's shoulder. She looked away shyly.
"Great salad and sides," Melissa said quietly.
"Thanks to all my girls," Maggie said, looking over at Dana, Melissa and Jill. They smiled back and Maggie looked pleased.
Senior grabbed up his wine glass and raised it in the air. "A toast to the best family and the best Thanksgiving yet. May they're be plenty more in the near future."
Scully stuffed the plates full of Thanksgiving leftovers in her fridge and then kicked off her heels. She padded her way towards her bedroom and began to strip out of her clothes. She was exhausted. Her phone rang and she answered it, "Scully!"
"Hey Scully, " Mulder said, as he scrambled to find the remote to mute the porno tape he was watching.
"Mulder!", she said, surprised. "I didn't expect to hear from you."
"I know. I was just calling to see if there was any juicy gossip. Who punched out who?"
"Sorry to disappoint you, Mulder. No one did. I thought I might punch my older brother Bill a few times but it never came to that."
"Oh," he said, sounding disappointed.
"I guess you were hoping we had, huh?"
"Makes for an interesting story, I guess."
"Yeah, I guess."
"Family Drama, isn't that what the holidays are about?", he chuckled to himself.
Scully could hear the loneliness in his voice. "I have leftovers I could bring you tomorrow."
"Probably better than my pot pie. Sounds good."
"I forgot you had a pot pie."
"Best pot pie in the world," he said, as he slumped down on his leather sofa.
"Well, I'll see you in the morning, Mulder."
"Okay, Scully."
She hung up the phone and then sat back in her bed, trying to figure out why she had grown excited just from the sound of her partner's voice. 'Partners didn't call each other on the holidays, did they?',she wondered. 'Jesus, Dana, he's hands off. He's your partner,' she said to herself.
She quickly changed and then scooted down under the blankets and switched off the lamp next to her. Scully closed her eyes and tried to force herself to relax and clear her mind. She knew just the mention of his name caused her to stay up for hours thinking about how he made her feel. Scully sighed and clamped her eyes closed, she need to push one thought out of her mind this Thanksgiving...Mulder.
A wide smile spread across Mulder's lips as he laid back on his sofa. He'd wanted to call her the entire day but didn't think it would be consider appropriate. 'Partners don't call each other on the holidays, did they?' he wondered. 'Dammit, she's your partner. Keep it together,' he reasoned.
He sighed heavily and then unmuted the porno flick he'd been watching to still his mind and lull him to sleep, but it wasn't that easy. He could still see her smile whenever he closed his eyes and hear the way she said his name that sent flutters to his chest and stomach. Mulder sighed and closed his eyes. There was only one thought kept evading his mind this Thanksgiving...Scully.
The End
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