Okay, so I finally have the next chapter for you.
Enjoy!
After telling her mother about her relationship, Scully buries herself in contacting her IVF specialist. Noticing his partner sitting silently in the office alcove one afternoon, Mulder asks, "You okay?"
Looking up from her phone, Scully takes her glasses off. Forgoing professional propriety, the red head looks up at her boyfriend, scared.
"Mulder, what if this doesn't work?" She chokes. Walking toward his girlfriend, Mulder bends down to her level. Confidently, he states, "It will. It worked last time."
Scully nods slightly before a tear falls down her cheek.
"Hey," Mulder whispers, "It'll be okay."
Scully nods before finally calling Dr. Parenti. She waits nervously as the phone rings before answering. Nervous, she paces around the room while her boyfriend watches only able to catch snippets of the conversation. Closing her cell phone, the red heads walks back over to her partner.
"So?" Mulder asks once Scully gets off the phone. With a sigh, the red head replies with a sigh, "I can only get an appointment in Decemeber. How does the fifteenth sound?"
"Perfect," He answers with a grin. "We need to tell Chloe."
Scully sighs asking, "You think she's figured it out?"
Shaking his head, her boyfriend answers, "She's been gone too often to know."
"Fine, another day though? We really need to get our case work finished," Scully answers. With a sigh, Mulder agrees before opening up a word document in his computer. After a moment of staring at his computer screen, Mulder looks up at his partner.
"I don't know what to write," He remarks. Scully merely raises an eyebrow at him.
"I'm serious! I can't start this thing! What did you write?" He questions hoping she will show him her work. Shaking her head, Scully hands over her laptop.
"I hope any child we have is not as needy as you are," She teases expecting her boyfriend's behavior from Chloe, but not an almost forty year old adult. Left without her work, the red head's eyes go wide as she remarks, "Mulder, do you really think our having a kid is the best idea?"
Concerned, Mulder looks up from his work. Tentatively, he asks, "Are you reconsidering?"
Playing with her nails, Scully is quiet for a moment. She does want a child, but realizes just how old both she and her partner are. Commenting on their ages, Mulder remarks, "Hey, don't make me older than I am! I don't turn forty for a couple more years. Besides, you're only thirty- five. Even if you had a kid right now, he or she would be five by the time you turned forty. Don't waste away your youth."
Taking her computer back, the red head jibes, "I already have putting up with you."
Keeping the mood from being tense, Scully eases back into her work. Starting her third report around five that night, Scully decides to end at that number for the day.
"Hey, Scully, how would you feel if I did Thanksgiving with my mom this year?" Mulder asks cautiously. He is not too keen on interrupting his girlfriend's work, but really needs a break. Looking up from her laptop, Scully studies her boyfriend's face for a moment. Noting his sincerity, she answers, "I think you should. Teena seemed out of place when she visited you. Are you going to take Chloe?"
Mulder nods.
"She's not staying home alone," He remarks. Scully looks back at her work so she will not obsess over how much Mulder's announcement hurts her. Chloe may be hers legally, but Scully has no real claim over what the teen does. Especially if the option is for Chloe to spend time with her blood grandmother. The red head soon goes back to her work to keep from feeling a ridiculous sense of jealousy that she is rather uncomfortable with. Engrossed in her work, she is barely aware of Mulder packing up his belongings.
"I'm heading home. Call me when you want to talk to Chloe?" Mulder asks. Scully nods not wanting to speak in case her voice betrays her. After a moment, her boyfriend asks, "Are you staying here?"
Looking up from her work, the red head replies, "Yeah. Just want to finish this report."
Mulder nods and uncharacteristically kisses his girlfriend on the cheek before telling her he will see her the next day.
Entering his apartment an hour later, Mulder finds his daughter at the dining table with her homework spread out in front of her.
"You moved locations," He comments when Chloe looks up at him from her work. The teen gives her father a weak smile before going back to her work.
"Hungry?" Mulder asks as he enters the kitchen. Usually his daughter likes to be alone when studying. Up until now, she was. Chloe shakes her head before replying negatively, "Not hungry."
In frustration a few minutes later, the teen slams her pencil down and enters the kitchen. With a sigh, Chloe asks, "Can I tell you about my day?"
Mulder almost comments when his daughter begins to ramble about kids in her classes who keep talking about Y2K.
"Dad? Is the world going to end this year?" Chloe asks pointedly knowing the rumors she hears at school. Mulder looks at his daughter confused answering, "Have you been talking to Frohike?"
Rolling her eyes, the teen answers, "No. It's been all around school. So?"
"Do I believe the world is going to end? Oddly enough, no," Mulder remarks as his daughter raises an eyebrow in disbelief. She thought of all people, her father will be on board. Surrendering, Mulder answers, "Honest! For once Scully has me convinced."
He wants to add that he and Scully are going to try IVF again, so the world cannot possibly be ending, but manages to keep his mouth shut. After a moment, Mulder asks, "What do you think?"
"Maybe? If it does, I can miss the rest of high school!" Chloe remarks causing Mulder to ask if something is going wrong at school.
"No, I just don't like my classes," The teen says with a sigh. She will not add that her main concern is that Kyle is only in one of her classes, but that they sit on the other side of the room. After a moment, Chloe asks, "Can I spend the weekend with Mom?"
"Sure, I don't see why not. Call her and make sure though."
Smiling, the teen heads to the phone to call her mother. Once everything is sorted, Mulder talks with Scully about taking Chloe over.
"We need to talk to her anyway, why not then?" Scully questions adding, "We can also celebrate your birthday."
"You, Dana Scully are going to celebrate my birthday?"
"How does the Friday after sound? You can bring Chloe over and we'll have dinner and cake," Scully replies. Smirking, Mulder asks, "Is it an alien cake?"
"You overestimate my baking skills, Mulder," Scully teases to keep from laughing at his boyish excitement.
"I'll see you on Friday then?" Mulder questions. Scully replies in kind before hanging up her phone.
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