Thank you for your reviews and alerts, I'm so pleased so many of you are showing interest.
Now, I know what you're thinking. It's not Friday, and I update on Friday's but... I'm so freaking nervous about this oral presentation I have to do tomorrow and I had the day free from school today and I kind of just sat down and wrote. On the plus side I quoted Gillian Anderson in my speech and therefore feeling a little at ease about it. Something that's familiar, that's comfortable for me.
There are two links on my profile at the bottom they each say 'Burning Snowflakes' followed by what it is. One is a very gorgeous little red-haired, blue-eyed three-year-old that I have taken upon my person to envision Danica as looking the other leads to a house and a pinterest board I set up for this story, just little ideas and things you'll find scattered about as well as the floor plan for this house that I had to draw up because when I went from memory nothing was right. So check it out please when you have time and remember I may have once wanted to be an architect but I'm not, nor will I cut it. Nor am I an artist.
I'll leave you be for an early update. :)
Part 10
Home
"Fox, you're going to need a much bigger place." His mother unhelpfully pointed out as she stepped into his apartment that morning.
Hugging his mother with one arm the other reached out to grab Danica's bag off the back of one of the dining chairs. "You are aware that's why I called you over here, right?" He took a step back checking the contents in the bag as he flicked a look up at his mother.
"Quite aware," She nodded with a smile, her son's careful worry slipping from his face at her words. "I'm just surprised you made it in these living arrangements for so long. I know you have the money stored away. You could afford something bigger, dear." He looked about the dining table as his mother spoke, nodding at her words even though he wasn't completely hearing them. He was looking for a grey beanie, one with little cat's ears, ever since Amy had given it to Danica the week before the little girl hadn't taken it out of her sights.
"Danica will know." He muttered, patting down his pockets. "I know, mom." He picked his voice up louder, addressing her this time. "But there was no point wasting the money then. Hence, I'm looking now." He moved into the living room, and dodged the little girl who stood twirling in a little red dress and white and grey striped stockings. Schatz was in her hands, a red ribbon was tied in a bow around his little brown neck.
"Don't you look beautiful, Danica." Teena commented catching the girls' attention. She ran to give the older woman a hug. The little girl thanked her grandmother before moving away from her following Mulder around the apartment curious at his own curious face. Her silk orange hair ran all the way down her back and as she followed Mulder around the apartment, getting on her hands and knees to look under furniture as he did her hair fell in front of her face only to have the little girl push it away again in distaste. "Let me fix that for you sweetheart." Teena commented as she picked the girl up and carried her to the dining table. Finding two elastics on the table next to a small child's scarf she picked them up and proceeded with the girls' hair.
Danica giggled at the fact that her grandmother had placed her on the table in order to reach her hair properly. She knew the table wasn't for sitting on but for sitting at and her father, already in a flustered state would be even further put out. She sat patiently while Teena did her hair, never had she had someone other than Scully do her hair without pulling it or tugging it too hard. She was happy to comply too someone who was being gentle.
When Teena finished with her hair Danica ran her little hands over the side of her head. There were two small braids on either side of her head that started behind her ears and then ran up into a high pony tail on the back of her head. She thanked the older woman again before slipping off the table with assistants and then running for Mulder happily exclaiming what had been done to her hair. He gave her a soft smile as he helped her into a little grey coat and slipped on her shoes. Sighing with defeat, his hands on his knees, the little girl sitting on the coffee table in front of him he asked her where the beanie was.
Danica slipped off the coffee table and fell down to her hands and knees, with her face pressed to the wood of the living room floor she pulled the cat eared beanie out from underneath the coffee table exclaiming "tah-dah!" as she did so. Smiling and thanking the girl for finding it Mulder pulled it over her head, the little flaps that hung over her ears then shortened to braided pieces of wool that finally fell to her shoulders, Danica took each of the braids and pulled them so the beanie fell over her eyes. A cheeky giggle left her lips as she pushed the beanie back up to the correct position. "We go now?" She asked, holding out her little hand for him to take.
Mulder nodded softly as he ignored his mother's knowing smile, he grabbed her backpack as he got up off the sofa. Danica with her free hand grabbed hold of Teena's and demanded her father didn't forget Schatz as the three of them walked out of the door.
Five houses, one stop for ice-cream, another two houses and a lunch break later Mulder was frustrated, tired and overwhelmed and he was about ready to put money on the fact that Danica was feeling the exact same things. His mother was a closed book on her emotions and had been for years, but she was happy to follow them around and put her two cents in for every house they looked at. That was why he invited her along.
Mulder gave in, deciding that although the time had only reached two in the afternoon, it was time to call it a day. On the way back to his apartment Mulder had decided to go a longer way then his usual route. Danica chatted in the back of the car happily with Teena who had decided to sit in the back to keep the little girl company, together they talked of the houses they saw and the beautiful things they loved within them, Danica picking up a few more English words along the way.
But, it was as Danica was talking about the little girl who was also eating ice-cream at the parlor they had stopped at that Mulder slammed on his brakes. Danica in the backseat squealed in shocked her little body frightened at the sudden movement, Teena beside her confused as to what had happened. The road they were on held no moving cars and no pedestrians for warranting someone to slam their brakes.
"Fox, what is it?" She asked her voice nervous.
"I think I found it." He stated, as he turned the car up a small cobblestone driveway a 'for sale' sign in front of the sidewalk. He handed his phone to his mother asking her to call the realtor that belonged to this properly. He shut the engine off and got out of the car, helping Danica out also he held her to his hip, Schatz trapped between their bodies as they both looked over the house. The limestone was different colors ranging from grey to a dull red. The window frames were white against the stone, the door frame white, the door itself a striking red. "What do you think little one?" He readjusted Danica on his hip as he tapped her nose with his free hand.
"Home?" She asked him softly, pulling the bear up to her face in order to use it as a pillow.
Just as Mulder was about to speak his mother handed him back the phone. "He said, he'll be here in five minutes." She told her son, joining him in admiration of the house. "It would make a lovely home, Fox." She smiled watching as her son stood transfixed. "But don't you think it's a little too big?"
Looking at his mother over the top of Danica's head he grinned at her. "So my apartment's too small and now this house is too big?" He asked, with a cheeky smirk. His mother nodded, standing her ground.
"What would you do with all that space?" He looked over the house once more, his hips swaying in an attempt to soothe Danica into the sleep she so desperately wanted, yet to keep her in motion, hoping for her to stay awake while they perused the house.
"Well, I always thought about … having a family." His voice was quiet, a little boy embarrassed that he was caught playing tea parties with his sister.
"You're certainly good at it." She commented, "most people freak out when a child's placed in their care. Most people have nine months to be scared about it. You had days." Seconds. His mind corrected, but his mother didn't know that. "You're handling the dad thing very well Fox, I'm proud of you. And maybe one day, Danni will get a little sister." She smiled as her son's future danced in his eyes.
"Elsie?" Danica asked, her head lifting from his shoulder only slightly. He repeated the name she'd said as he looked down at her confused, his mother oblivious.
"Elsie?" He repeated again, his hands fishing urgently in his pockets for his cell phone. He punched in the numbers he knew off by heart and waited for her to pick up. "Scully, maybe Elsie is her sister." Mulder spoke not bothering to greet his partner.
"Mulder," She into the phone. "I went over her records, her parents' records. She doesn't have a sister."
"What if something happened to her earlier on in the game?"
"What like a stillbirth? It happens Mulder, besides there would still be a record of her existing. And let's just say that there isn't a record and she is her sister … why would she know her dead sisters name?" Putting her book on her coffee table Scully stretched her back as she studied the doll sitting on the armchair across from her.
"No, I mean this girl was born, she was alive but someone took her."
"Mulder, there would be a record."
"Not if they didn't want anyone to know they were manipulating these people." Mulder asked silently for his mother to take the sleeping Danica out of his hands while he paced still on the phone. "Maybe, they gave them Elsie as a payment."
"Like Rumpelstiltskin? Mulder, I think this is a little beyond spinning straw into gold and handing over the first born child."
"Scully, these people could have had other children and maybe they handed them over in return for their own lives … that was what the millers daughter had done. Maybe when they needed help, the sought it and these people just kept taking their children, maybe they put their foot down at Danica and told them no." Scully heard the realtor approach Mulder and greet him happily.
"Mulder, what are you doing?"
"Looking at a house."
"Yeah." She wanted to laugh, probably not the best time to be running conspiracy theories. "I'm going to let you go. We'll talk about this later." She hung up on him with a smile. Quickly transitioning from conversations quickly he greeted the realtor with an eager smile and a firm handshake.
"Shall we go inside?" The realtor who had introduced himself as Bryan asked. Mulder nodded happily as he took Danica from his mother. The little girl was pressing herself to sleep, whilst Mulder on the other hand kept whispering things in her ear, trying to keep her awake. "The house is empty at the moment the previous owners moved out a month ago. But it's better to see the houses bear sometimes. Is this the first property you've looked at today?" Mulder shook his head as Bryan unlocked the front door to the house, explaining to the man that none of the other houses felt right.
The realtor took a step back as he allowed Mulder and Teena to enter the house first. They were greeted to hard wood floors and a grand stair case that ran up and then split left and right to the second level. Railing where the stairs split revealed a double door to what the realtor pointed out was the master bedroom. To Mulder's left sat a large living room with an empty built in bookcase in the corner where two walls formed the room. To his right another large empty space that the realtor had commented 'had once been a dining room."
"if you walk into the living room it leads to a large study which then leads to one of the five bedrooms. The previous owners had listed it as a guest bedroom, there's also a small bathroom down there too." Bryan had a folder tucked under his arm and as Mulder set the now awake and curious Danica on the floor he pulled it out showing Mulder and Teena the pictures of the furnished house. Teena took hold of the folder while Bryan lead them through the dining room, revealing a spacious modern kitchen, cupboards lined the walls and the soft burgundy of the wood seemed to be set alight as sunlight streamed through the large bay windows. In the middle of the kitchen sat an island, behind it the oven in front of it more bench space. The kitchen let to a tiny walk way that shared space with another bathroom and a recreational room full of bright light.
Bryan led them back into the kitchen for a moment, sharing with them that the right hand space of the kitchen that was let down by two small steps could be used as a family room, as of the case that a small fireplace sat in the corner. Danica was itching to climb the stairs that sat just by the now deemed family room. Bryan gave her a soft smile telling the little girl that she could lead the way.
The upper part of the house revealed itself to be spacious, the railing that allowed them to peer down on the family room, let more light and seemingly more space into the area. There were another two bathrooms upstairs, one connected only to the master bedroom in front of the grand staircase and the other opposite the railing for the open family room, there were large bedrooms on either side of the large staircase and another smaller one off to the further side of the upper level nearest to another small set of stairs that lead back down to the recreational room.
The house was large, open, and all around perfect. Mulder could see himself living there, and by the look on his mother's face she could see him living there to. Smiling proudly to himself as they left the house Bryan commenting about the pool in the fenced off yard and the large amount of property the house was placed on. Mulder left his mother to put Danica in the car while he discussed "business" with the realtor.
Mulder was climbing into the driver's seat of the car ten minutes later, a smile on his face and a gleam in his eye. His mother watched him, the question in her eyes. "We have a week and then Danica and I can move in." His smile was addictive, almost bigger than life.
"It's nice to see you this happy, Fox." His mother smiled from her position in the passenger seat. "She's good for you, and you for her." Teena shifted so she could check on the sleeping girl.
"Thanks mom." He itched to tell her his secret, to share with his mother that Danica wasn't actually his, but he'd let it go too long. He couldn't tell her, not now.
With his mother gone for the evening and Danica lying on his chest watching as The Little Mermaid played on the VCR. The girl was silent, caught completely entranced with the red headed mermaid and her desire for feet. He had no interest in the film but the little girl demanded that he watch it with her after Teena had handed it over on her way out of the door. He had a sinking feeling the little girl had fallen asleep on top of him, but hadn't really cared and the child's film was a little good … but only a little.
His phone buzzed across the table startling him in the middle of another one of Ariel's songs. He reached his arm across for the coffee table, trying not to disturb the child who was no obviously sleeping on his chest. Collecting the noisy piece of technology he answered it silently.
"Agent Mulder," The voice of Walter Skinner slipped through the speaker. "Why are you whispering?" The man's voice sounded tired, yet ready to hear another one of his agents' adventure stories.
"Danni's sleeping." He mumbled trying to keep his voice in a whisper. Skinner made a humming noise as if forgetting Mulder's current situation. "Can I ask why you're calling, Sir?"
"Um, exactly that, Mulder." His superior sighed. "I wanted to check in on your daughter." Mulder questioned his motives immediately, he wasn't paranoid for nothing and he himself knew for a fact that Danica wasn't his. "I've heard some unsettling things, Mulder. I just wanted to check before I lost more sleep over it. You haven't kidnapped her from some governmental family, have you?" Mulder laughed openly.
"No, no I haven't sure. But if you need further reassurance I can bring her in. We can run a blood test." Mentally he was scolding himself for offering up that option whilst another part was praying that Skinner denied the offer.
"Not a problem, Agent Mulder. That is all." The call clicked off leaving Mulder to stare at the cellphone in complete silence. Skinner's sudden and quite peculiar phone call left him dazed and confused, a touch of panic had started in the back of his neck as was traveling down his spine. Shifting on the sofa he dropped his phone back on the coffee table and collected the little girl in his arms.
Danica hadn't made a fuss as he carried her to bed and tucked her in. Returning back to the living room Mulder picked up his phone and headed for the small kitchen. "Scully?" She answered only after two rings.
"It's me." Mulder was aimlessly pulling cupboards open, with no real intention for anything. "You'll never guess who just got the weirdest phone call."
"Please, don't say me." She begged, only thinking his calling would get more abstract.
"No." He laughed, shaking his head even though she couldn't see it. "Skinner called." He head Scully hum. "He asked about Danica, if I'd kidnaped her. Scully you're the only person who knows the real story and I know you wouldn't tell."
"The smoking man?" She asked softly.
"I hope not, Scully. He better not be involved in this."
"Never mind that, Mulder," Her voice had dropped as though the smoking man in their lives wasn't something major. Her voice was stern and cautious it ignited that panicked feeling in his spine again. "I found, Elsie." She breathed. "Well, I didn't find her. But I found her records. I think you were right; these people were giving away their children for some reason. Elsie is Danica's twin sister, Mulder. I also found records of a nine year-old boy, Peter, neither of these children were reported missing after their birth, because no one, other than their parents and those that took them knew they lived."
"What about, Peter? You said he was nine." Scully hummed into the handset again.
"He turned up dead the day Danica and her sister was born. He was registered as a John Doe, I pulled some strings it turns out and old colleague of mine works in Germany, he ran blood tests from the DNA they still kept on file from the case and from the Wolff's that the local hospital still held on to. Turns out Angelika donated blood monthly. I don't know how they managed to sort through it all, but Mulder. Something serious was happening to these people."
"But how does she know about Elise, Scully? That doesn't make any sense."
"I don't know, maybe they were reunited in Russia, perhaps her parents always spoke of her."
"She talks as though she spoke to her, Scully. She knows her."
"You're just going to have to ask her, Mulder." Running his hands through his hair Mulder found himself in the bedroom doorway watching the girl sleep peacefully. "You're the one full of conspiracies. Not me. I have no idea."
"I'll talk to her tomorrow. But Scully she never opens up to me. How about you come to the park with us, break off this stupid distance thing and just get her to talk. Please?"
"Fine, whatever. What time do you want me?"
Yeah, so umm ... yeah. That was crap, but it's getting the ball rolling ... a little.
Reviews would be greatly appreciated