...all MSR all the time..
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Part 1
I'd never had a week in the office by myself when I hadn't been a nervous wreck. Usually when I was here alone it was because Mulder had ditched me or something even worse. I had actually managed to accomplish quite a lot. All of the files were back in order and I had finished off all of the paperwork on some cases that we had let slide.
With all of that done, this morning I was cleaning. Mulder wouldn't let the cleaning staff in here and eventually I would have to clean or go crazy. At least when he wasn't here I could clean in peace. Normally every time I tried to clean anything he'd be yelping "Don't touch that!" or "Be careful!". This time I'd cleaned things that he'd never let me touch before.
I hadn't heard from Mulder since Monday night. He'd had a rough week. A good friend of his had been killed in a car accident. His friend's wife had been critically injured in the wreck and had died two days later. I went to both funerals with him, but he had taken a couple of personal days to deal with the shock.
He'd called me the night before last to drop another bombshell. He'd been called to the reading of the wills and he had no idea why. It was taking place this morning and I was expecting to hear from him anytime now. I'd just finished putting my cleaning supplies away when the phone rang.
"Hi, Scully, it's me," he said when I answered the phone.
"How'd it go, Mulder?"
"I need your help, Scully." His voice was quiet.
"What is it? What's happened?"
"I have to talk to you in person." The sound of Mulder's voice had me worried. Something had him very concerned and I wished he would tell me now, but I wasn't going to upset him further.
"Okay, Mulder," I consented. "Whatever you need."
After he'd given me the address, I called Kimberly to let her know that I was leaving. In half an hour I was pulling into the driveway of a family home in the outskirts of Arlington.
A mini-van with two car seats inside was also parked there. Chris and Lisa Prescott must have had a second car. Mulder met me at the front door looking like he'd seen a ghost.
"What's going on, Mulder?"
"Come and sit down." Taking me by the hand, he led me into the living room.
"Do you remember a few years ago, I was proud of myself because Chris had asked me to be godfather to his son, Jordan?" Mulder reminded me as we sat down on the couch.
"That's just an honorary title, Mulder. It doesn't mean anything unless it was written into the..." I let my voice trail off.
His eyes widened and he nodded his head slowly.
"Surely there's someone else who will take him, Mulder; some family," I tried to reassure him.
"Them, Scully. They had a baby girl, Megan, six months ago. The way the wills were written, I am sole legal guardian to both."
"Still, Mulder, isn't there any family?"
"Yes, Lisa's parents, but..."
"What? Don't they want the children?"
"No, it's not that, Scully. They--" He stopped short when we heard the front door open.
A couple who looked to be in their mid-to-late fifties appeared in the archway that led to the living room. Mulder stood up and I followed him.
"Mr. and Mrs. Barnes, this is Dana Scully. Dana, these are Lisa's parents," Mulder introduced us.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Barnes were dressed in ill-fitting, outdated clothing, but surely Mulder wouldn't hold their standard of living against them.
I walked over to them. "Nice to meet you Mr. Barnes, Mrs. Barnes." I shook their hands in turn.
"Hello, Miss Scully," Mr. Barnes nodded.
The smell of alcohol on his breath nearly knocked me over. It was barely three in the afternoon. He didn't seem drunk, but I knew that didn't mean anything. Now that I was closer I could see that Mrs. Barnes had tiny broken veins all over her nose and cheeks.
Now I knew why Mulder wasn't thrilled about giving up custody to Lisa's parents. I didn't blame him. But what could he do? He was certainly in no position to raise two children under five.
Sitting down in an armchair, Mrs. Barnes lit a cigarette and then scanned the room with an air of ownership. Had Chris and Lisa left her parents the home, but left the children to Mulder?
"Mr. Mulder," Mr. Barnes cleared his throat. "Liz and me have already spoke to a lawyer. He said that a single man in your line of work don't have a hope in hell of getting those kids because we're gonna fight you for them."
Mulder had sat back down on the couch. He couldn't meet Mr Barnes' eyes, preferring to stare intently at his hands.
"The temporary custody hearing is tomorrow. We'll see you in court," Mr. Barnes continued. "C'mon Liz, let's go."
When they were gone I sat down beside Mulder again and picked up his hand.
"Chris told me a few things about what it was like for Lisa growing up," Mulder shook his head. "She struggled to work her way through school. She wanted a better life for her kids."
"What are you going to do, Mulder?"
"I talked to my lawyer. Mr. Barnes is right. I don't stand a chance," he sighed dejectedly.
"But it's so obvious that they drink. Doesn't that count for anything?"
"I asked the same question. They've got blood and stability on their side," he rolled his eyes.
"Stability?" I grimaced.
Mulder just shrugged.
"Why did you ask me here? Do you want me to help you come up with a plan?" I inquired.
"No, Scully. I already have a plan." He lifted his eyes to meet mine. "My lawyer said that I would have a much better chance if I was married."
"So you're planning to meet someone, fall in love and ask her to marry you before tomorrow?" I couldn't help chuckling.
"Sort of," he grinned.
"Good luck! Where do you think that you are going find someone who will not only agree to marry you, but take on an instant family as well?"
He looked at me with a big silly grin on his face. It took a minute for it to sink in.
You're not serious, Mulder?" I exclaimed. "Are you really asking me to marry you?"
"Are you turning me down?" His face fell.
"Mulder! How can we--? What do you--?" I sputtered.
"Do you want those kids to end up with the Barnes'?"
"Well, no," I admitted.
"Can you think of a better solution?"
"There isn't any other family?" I was grasping at straws.
"Nope."
"So you want me to live a lie?" I asked in disbelief.
"I don't know what else to do, Scully. If I thought those kids had half a chance with the Barnes..."
What could I say? I didn't want two innocent kids left with those people either. But marrying Mulder?
"Mulder, if I agree to this, it'll be on my terms."
"What terms?"
"I don't mind helping you raise these kids, but you'll have to pull your weight," I began.
"I promise I won't be an absentee dad." He crossed his heart as he spoke.
"And you'll have to help with the housework," I continued with my demands.
"I will," he promised.
"And we won't be able to go out of town on cases all of the time."
"Other agents with families still manage to do their jobs, Scully," he pointed out.
"That may be true, but I still think we'll have to do more investigating before we hop on a plane. And we'll have to start trusting some of the agents in the field offices to do some of the investigating too," I suggested.
"That sounds reasonable," he consented.
I couldn't believe that I was sitting there negotiating terms of marriage with Mulder. Was I nuts?
"Mulder, what happens if you fall in love with someone? Then what?"
"Scully, I'm willing to make this sacrifice. I know that it might not be easy, but I think that you and I can make it work," he told me earnestly. "I'm willing to make a commitment to you *and* to these kids."
"And you're willing to give up any chance of a life with someone that you're in love with?" I was still having difficulty believing this.
"What happens if I give up and let the Barnes have custody and then I never end up with the person that I love? We all make choices in life, Scully and I'll completely understand if you choose not do this."
God, I loved this man and he had absolutely no idea. Yes, he'd said that he loved me before, but it wasn't the same way that I loved him. And here he was asking me to marry him; saying that he was willing to commit to me. This wasn't how I'd fantasized that Mulder and I would end up together, but the fact that he was willing to make this sacrifice for those kids just made me love him more.
"Where *are* the kids?" I asked suddenly.
"At the neighbors'," he informed me. "They were babysitting at the time of the accident."
"Where would we live?"
"Here. As legal guardian, they left me the house, their savings and their insurance policies. And the house is paid off; they had mortgage insurance."
"I don't think money would have been an issue, Mulder." With our salaries we could easily afford to raise the kids.
"Unfortunately, Scully, I think that's all that the Barnes are interested in," he sighed.
"I got the same impression," I admitted.
We fell silent for a few minutes. I couldn't believe that I was even considering this. Mulder's eyes never left me.
"I know that I'm asking a lot, Scully and I'm not asking lightly. The Prescott's lawyer gave me a heads up yesterday about what was in the will. He also told me to expect a fight from the Barnes'. When Lisa was in the hospital they tried to get the kids, but the neighbors wouldn't give them up. The lawyer had to tell them that they hadn't been named legal guardians," he filled me in on some of the history. "I've been thinking about this since yesterday. In fact, I was up most of the night thinking about it. People used to have arranged marriages all the time. You never know what might happen. And no matter what *does* happen, Scully, I promise that I will take my marriage vows seriously."
So Mulder thought that he might grow to love me. Maybe he would, after all, anything's possible.
"I'm glad to hear you say that, Mulder, because making a promise like this is not something that I would take lightly either," I told him.
"I knew that you would take it seriously, Scully. I wouldn't have asked you if I thought you'd take it lightly."
"Are you sure about this, Mulder? You'd be giving up a lot."
"No more than I'm asking you to give up," he pointed out. "And look at what I'd be gaining--a beautiful wife and a couple of great kids."
Color flooded my cheeks almost instantly.
"Besides, Scully," he continued, "Who else could put up with me? I don't think I'm giving up much of anything."
What about sex? But I guess that was hardly an issue for either of us. We'd both gone the better part of seven years mostly celibate. That thought made me think of something else.
"Mulder, I will not have pornography in a house with children."
"I'll get rid of it all, Scully. I already thought of that."
"And the triple X channel?" I added.
"Yes, dear," he grinned at me. "Does that mean yes?"
"I guess so," I groaned.
He chuckled, " I always thought that when I finally did ask someone to marry me, it would be met with a little more enthusiasm."
"And I always thought that I'd be marrying someone who loved me," I laughed.
"I do love you, Scully, you know that."
"Let's just hope that you're still saying that six months from now," I laughed again. "Oh, one more thing, Mulder."
"Yeah?"
"How many bedrooms are there? Where will I sleep?"
"There are four bedrooms, Scully, but we'll have to share a bed."
"Why do we have to share a bed?" My voice rose an octave.
"When I talked to my lawyer, I mentioned asking you and he said that if either the Barnes or the social worker assigned to the case ever suspected that this was a marriage of convenience they would take the kids away from us," he explained.
All I could do was stare at him in utter shock. I think my mouth was hanging open.
"I'm sorry, Scully. It was a dumb idea, but thank you for even considering it."
"I didn't say no, Mulder. I just had no idea that..." I couldn't finish my sentence.
"So, you'll do it?" His face brightened.
"What am I going to tell my mother?" I put my face in my hands.
"I think we'll have to tell everyone the same thing--that we've been involved for a while and that we've been talking about getting married, but we weren't really in a hurry until now."
"Is that what you're going to tell Skinner?" Lifting my face out of my hands, I looked at him in disbelief.
"Yup."
"I can't believe that I'm agreeing to this." I shook my head.
"You won't be sorry, Scully. I promise."
We spent the entire following day in court. All morning was spent being interviewed separately by court-appointed social workers.
After lunch there was a short hearing where both parties presented their cases. Then we waited for two hours while the judge deliberated. I held my breath while she was reading her decision. I couldn't believe my ears. Mulder and I were awarded temporary custody. The Barnes could visit the children at the Prescott family home, but were not allowed to leave with them. Both of them had drunk driving convictions, and Mulder's lawyer made sure that the judge was aware of that. In three months there would be another hearing to make the final decision. In the interim, Mulder and I were to get married and we were also to expect impromptu visits from the social worker; just to see how things were going. The Barnes would also be receiving visits from the social worker. The hearing in three months wouldn't involve us. It would strictly be up to the social worker.
Mulder hugged and kissed me in the courtroom. I was going to have to get used to his public displays of affection. He didn't want there to be any risk that people might think that we weren't truly in love. I was just worried that I might start believing that Mulder really did love me.
In preparation for this eventuality, Mulder had rented a moving van. I'd told him that sleeping in the same bed with him was one thing, but sleeping in another couples marriage bed was an entirely different matter. He agreed and we spent the evening moving my bedroom furniture, my computer, his computer, his dresser and his fish. Kids love fish, he assured me.
After some discussion, we decided that Mulder would keep his service weapon in my lock box until he got one of his own. Then we would keep them separately and we would each keep keys for both boxes.
The Gunmen, who had been on standby, pitched in to help us. We brought most of our clothes, almost all of my food, and we threw out what Mulder was culturing in his fridge.
Frohike drove the van, while Mulder and I each drove our own cars to our new home. The court order said that the Wesleys would turn the children over to us at 9 a.m. the next morning. That didn't give me much time to get everything in order.
While the guys helped Mulder move the Prescott's bedroom furniture to the basement and mine to the master bedroom, I went to work in the kitchen. Most of the food in the fridge had spoiled, so I spent a long time tossing things out and cleaning. Someone'd had the presence of mind to take out the garbage and there weren't any dirty dishes.
When I was finished with the fridge, I washed the kitchen floor and then vacuumed the rugs downstairs. I was just about to start on the stairs when the Gunmen came stampeding down. After we thanked the guys profusely, they left with the van, promising to return it in the morning.
"It's after 11, Scully. We should probably think about getting some sleep. Tomorrow is a big day," Mulder suggested when we were alone again.
"I still need to vacuum the stairs and the bedrooms and then change Jordan and Megan's beds," I told him.
"Do you have to do all of that tonight?" he asked.
I nodded, "I don't want to have to worry about cleaning the first day they're here, Mulder. I'm sure we'll have enough to do."
"Then I'll do the vacuuming, okay?" he offered.
"Thanks, Mulder," I smiled.
Megan's room was right beside the master bedroom. It was white with pink accents; the crib and the window were decked out with white eyelet and bunnies adorned everything from the quilt over the back of the rocker to the tiny lamp on the dresser. After finding some sheets in a drawer under the change table, I quickly changed the crib mattress.
As much as Megan's room was a perfect little girl's room, Jordan's was a little boy's; right down to the race car bed with the Knicks comforter. Mulder would definitely approve. I had to find the linen closet to find sheets for Jordan's bed, but then I made quick work of his bed too. Mulder was just finishing in the baby's room when I came into the hallway, my arms full of sheets. I motioned for him to turn off the vacuum.
"I'm going to have a shower as soon as I put this stuff in the laundry room," I told him.
"I'll be in there as soon as you're done," he said wiping his sweaty brow.
I tried not to be too long in the shower, but Mulder was waiting his turn when I emerged from the master bath in my pajamas.
"Did you notice Jordan's comforter," I asked him with a smile.
"I gave that to him for his third birthday, Scully," he informed me with a grin.
"I should have figured," I laughed.
Since I didn't have an ounce of energy left, I was delighted to see that Mulder had made our bed. Our bed! The thought brought butterflies to life in my stomach. I was terrified that I would wake up and find myself wrapped around him. Or worse, find out from him that I'd said something in my sleep. Not that he would be offended, but I don't think that I could face him if he knew how I felt about him. Especially since it was so painfully obvious to me that his love for me was as a dear friend. If he found out how I really felt, it would put a definite strain on things.
My fears had obviously not been enough to overcome my total body fatigue, because the next thing I knew, lively morning banter wishing me a happy Friday jolted me out of a sound sleep. When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was Mulder's chest, inches away from my face. It was certainly a pleasant sight to wake up to and I was incredibly relieved that I wasn't draped over him. So far, so good!
Rolling to my back, I yawned and stretched.
"Your feet don't even reach the foot of the bed when you do that," a sleep roughened voice teased me.
"Shut up," Mulder." I reached over and smacked his chest with the back of my hand.
"Hey!" he protested, grabbing my wrist. "That's spousal abuse."
"Not," I laughed, freeing my wrist. "You're not my spouse yet and besides, when they hear about all of the mental cruelty that I endure, the case will be dismissed."
"I was just kidding," he pouted.
"Don't dish it out if you can't take it, Mulder," I poked him in the chest again.
"Yes, dear," he sighed.
"That's more like it," I laughed.
Since the master bath had a long vanity with two sinks, Mulder and I were able to get ready at the same time. By 7:30 we were downstairs deciding what to have for breakfast.
"The water that I put in the aquarium should be ready now. Do you mind if I go transfer the fish?" he asked as I was making the coffee.
"That's fine, but what do you want for breakfast?"
"I don't know. Cereal? Toast? Whatever," he said as he left the kitchen.
Breakfast was on the table when he got back. His eyes grew wide when he saw it.
"I didn't expect you to get it for me, Scully, and I didn't expect cereal and toast."
"And I'm all worn out, Mulder." I put a hand to my forehead. "And you might try saying thank you."
"Sorry," he grimaced, "Thanks, Scully."
Over breakfast we planned our day. We needed to get some groceries and we also had to pick up our marriage license. We thought that the morning should be spent with the kids, letting them adjust to us a bit and then we could run our errands in the afternoon.
"Gotta love Virginia," Mulder chuckled, " 30 bucks, no blood tests and no waiting."
"You already know how much it costs?" I raised an eyebrow.
"I called to check it out," he shrugged.
"Did you assume that I'd agree to this?"
"Actually, Scully, you were a lot easier to convince than I thought you would be. I was prepared to get down on my hands and knees and kiss your feet."
"Damn! I knew I should have held out longer," I laughed.
Before I'd even finished my sentence, Mulder was on his knees pulling off my beige cotton sock.
"Mulder!" I protested.
"Has anyone ever told you that you have beautiful feet, Scully?" he asked, not letting go of my foot.
"Mulder!" I hoped that my protests sounded genuine, because they weren't. I loved the way his large hands held my foot so gently.
I watched in awe as he bent to press his lips to my instep.
"Your toes are so tiny," he said before kissing each one in turn.
"Mulder!" This time my voice was barely a whisper.
"Excuse me." An amused voice made us both look up in surprise.
"Can I help you?" Mulder asked as he gently set my foot down and stood up.
"I'm sorry. I'm Sheila Wesley," the fortyish woman introduced herself. "And you must be Dana Scully and Fox Mulder. I'm sorry I startled you. I'm just so used to letting myself in," she showed us her key. "It's hard to break old habits."
"Don't worry about it," Mulder extended his hand.
"Mulder, that hand was just on my foot."
"Scully, after your shower last night, that foot spent the night in bed and then you put a sock on it. Besides, I was just kissing it, I can personally vouch for it's cleanliness," he said as he shook Sheila's hand.
"You call each other by your last names?" she asked in surprise.
"We're partners with the F.B.I. and we've called each other by our last names for seven years now. It's like you said, Sheila, old habits are hard to break," Mulder smiled.
"Would you like a cup of coffee, Sheila?" I asked after I'd slipped my sock back on.
"That would be nice, thank you," she smiled. "I just popped over because I thought I'd bring Jordan and Megan's things back over. Just so there isn't too much going on when I drop them off."
"Probably a wise idea," I agreed as I handed Sheila her cup.
"I thought I could fill you in on a few things about them, too."
"Anything that you could tell us would be a great help," I assured her. "This has all come as such a surprise."
So Sheila told us everything that she knew about the kids. Jordan had been toilet trained for a while now, but he'd been having accidents recently, which was perfectly understandable. He was a good eater, but he didn't like broccoli. Megan had just started on cereal and fruit. Lisa had been breast-feeding her, but she seemed to be adjusting to the formula with no difficulty. As Sheila spoke, I was thankful that I had paid attention all those years that my mother had babysat to bring in extra money. Looking after my nephews would end up being of some help with Jordan, too.
"Megan wakes for a bottle at about two in the morning, and she'll sleep for a couple of hours both morning and afternoon," Sheila continued.
"What time do you put her down for the night?" I wanted to know.
"At about 8, Jordan at about 8:30; he likes a couple of stories first."
"This is a lot to remember," Mulder said, shaking his head.
"Well, I'm right next door if you have any questions. Do you have a pen? I'll leave you my number."
As I was retrieving pen and paper, Sheila remembered something else. "Oh and Jordan doesn't sleep in the morning anymore, but he will go down for a couple of hours in the afternoon."
I glanced at Mulder, so much for running our errands in the afternoon. Sheila caught us exchanging glances.
"What?" she looked puzzled.
"Nothing, we were just planning to run some errands this afternoon," I explained.
"Oh," Sheila smiled. "I usually try to do that kind of thing in the morning. Megan will still sleep in her car seat and Jordan's nap isn't disturbed.
"That's fine," Mulder smiled. "Nothing was cast in stone."
After we'd finished our coffee Sheila and I carried the kids' things upstairs. We set up the baby monitor and then she helped me put away the clothes and toys. When we got back downstairs Mulder was just finishing cleaning up after breakfast.
"Can you teach my husband to do that?" Sheila laughed.
"Years of hard work," I smiled and Mulder nodded somberly in agreement.
"I've just been banging my head against a brick wall," Sheila admitted with a chuckle. "Anyhoo, I'll just get the kids cleaned up. My 13 year old was giving them breakfast. God only knows what they look like now."
"Thanks for all of your help," I smiled as I saw her out.
"Wow, Scully," Mulder said after I'd shut the door. "Are you going to be able to remember half of that?"
"Yes, Mulder. We'll be fine," I assured him. "What happened to your photographic memory?"
"I guess I'm losing it in my old age," he smirked.
"Since we have a couple of minutes, Mulder, I'm going to call my mom. Why don't you call Skinner and let him know what's happening."
"Trade ya?" He looked at me hopefully.
"Sorry," I shook my head.
I called my mother and invited her to lunch. She was very confused when I gave her the directions. I promised to explain when she got here.
When I went back into the living room, Mulder was just putting down his cell phone.
"What did Skinner say?" I asked with a smile.
"Not much, actually," Mulder grinned. "I guess we've finally rendered him speechless."
"He didn't say anything?" I couldn't believe it.
"He did say that the Bureau has some provisions for people in our position and we could take as much time as we needed."
"He said that?"
"That and congratulations," Mulder shrugged.
I was still laughing when we heard the front door open.
"Here we are," Sheila sang.
Sheila handed Megan to me and Mulder swung Jordan up into his arms.
"Hey, buddy," I haven't seen you in a while," Mulder smiled at him.
"Hi, Mulder," Jordan said quietly.
"This is Dana, Jordan," Mulder introduced me.
"Hi, Jordan," I smiled at him.
"Hi," he whispered.
"Remember, I'm right next door if you need anything," Sheila reminded us with a smile and pulled the door closed behind her as she left.
That was it. Mulder and I were parents.
Jordan Prescott was a serious looking boy with dark hair and eyes. Megan didn't have much hair to speak of, but what she did have was fair. Her eyes were dark blue and she smiled with her whole face. If I hadn't known better, I wouldn't think that they were brother and sister. Neither Mulder nor I had said a single word since Sheila closed the door. The tension in the air was palpable.
"Maybe we should head out right away," I broke the uneasy silence. "Do you want to come shopping, Jordan?"
"Is Mulder coming too?" he asked quietly. It was a relief that Jordan knew Mulder fairly well. I can't imagine what this would have been like if Mulder hadn't seen him for a while.
"You bet," Mulder smiled. "Maybe Dana will let us get some cookies."
Jordan gave Mulder a small smile. I couldn't imagine how Jordan was feeling. I'm not sure what he had been told about what happened to his parents. All he knew was that first he had stayed with his neighbors, and now he was back in his own home, but his parents weren't here. He must have been feeling abandoned. I hoped that Mulder and I would be able to help him deal with those feelings.
"You'll have to make sure that Mulder behaves himself, okay, Jordan?" I smiled.
"Okay," he smiled at me for the first time.
"I'll go and move the carseats to my car," Mulder said, heading towards the front door.
"Why don't we just take the van?" I asked, somewhat puzzled by his suggestion.
"The van?" Mulder grimaced.
"Gotta walk the walk now, Mulder," I grinned.
After packing the kids into the car, we went straight to the grocery store. I directed Mulder to a market that had shopping carts with baby seats attached and as I'd hoped, shortly after we got to the store, Megan dozed off and slept until we took her out of the seat to put her back into the van.
With the cargo space full of groceries, we set off to do our other errand. The clerk at the court house looked very amused when Mulder and I requested a marriage license standing there holding two children.
After we paid the thirty dollar fee the clerk gave us a list of justices of the peace. Then she informed us with a smile that there was usually a two week wait for an available justice and our license would expire in 90 days.
We left the office with me carrying Megan while Mulder took Jordan. Mulder's free hand grasped mine and he gave it a small squeeze.
"I didn't think that we'd have to wait that long," he said quietly.
"It's only a couple of weeks, Mulder. We have three months."
"I'm afraid that if you have too much time to think about it, you'll change your mind," he told me sheepishly.
"I won't change my mind, Mulder. In my heart I have already made this commitment. Nothing will change that," I assured him.
"And you wonder why I love you." He gave my hand another gentle squeeze.
Maybe Mulder was right. Maybe he would grow to love me the way that I loved him. But his love and respect for me were enough to satisfy me for now.
By 11 o'clock we were all home safe and sound; kids, groceries and marriage license included. My biggest concern now was how I was going to explain all of this to my mother.
Since Megan was wide awake, I sat her in her high chair and gave her a few toys to play with. Jordan was helping Mulder bring in the groceries. While I was putting everything away I chatted with Megan, telling her what I was doing. I wanted her to become familiar with my voice. Mulder took Jordan into the living room to show him the fish.
I had unpacked about half of the bags when Jordan came running into the kitchen.
"Dana, Dana, Mulder says that maybe we can get a puppy." He was grinning from ear to ear.
"Well, not right away, Jordan." I tried to be diplomatic. What was Mulder thinking, telling him that we could get a dog?
"Mulder said maybe later?" he asked hopefully.
"C'mere, Jordan," I sat down at the table and patted my knee. He walked over slowly and I pulled him onto my lap. He looked up at me expectantly with his big dark eyes.
"I think it would be fun to get a puppy," I smiled at him. "I really like dogs, but puppies need a lot of attention. I think that everything is so new to all of us that we should spend some time getting to know each other before we get a puppy, okay?"
"So we can't get a puppy?" His bottom lip began to quiver.
"Not right away, Jordan, but we will," I tried to ease his fears. "Maybe you and Mulder could look at pictures of dogs. You could pick out which ones you like."
"Okay," Jordan smiled and slid down off of my lap.
I glanced up to see Mulder standing in the doorway looking terrified.
"Dana says that we should look at some pictures first," Jordan announced, running over to Mulder.
"Dana has lots of good ideas," Mulder smiled. "Why don't you see if you can find that cool blue fish again. I'll be right there."
Mulder watched as Jordan trotted towards the living room. Then he pulled a chair over and sat down beside me. Megan was busily chewing on her teething ring. She stopped when Mulder sat down and graced him with a big smile. Apparently Mulder had a way with all of the ladies of the house. Returning her grin, he gave her cheek a little caress.
"Whatcha got, Meggie?" he asked her.
Grinning at him again, she picked up a different toy to see how it tasted. Mulder leaned closer to me and picked up my hand.
"I'm sorry about that, Scully. I tried to tell him that we could get a puppy when things settle down, meaning after the final custody hearing, but I couldn't explain that to him. He's bright enough, but I don't want to get into that with him right now."
"Don't worry about it, Mulder. It's under control. As long as we talk about it, and look at pictures, I'm sure he'll be happy."
"Then I'd better go and set up my computer so that Jordan and I can find some pictures to look at," he grinned. He got up and walked to the door. "Thanks, Scully," he said, still looking a little embarrassed, before he left the kitchen.
Since Mulder had Jordan occupied and Megan seemed content to chew on her toys, I finished putting away the groceries and then moved on to making lunch. I had just finished making the salad when my mom walked into the kitchen. She looked at me and then at Megan, her brow furrowed.
"What's going on, Dana?"
"It's a very long story, Mom and I don't want to say anything in front of the kids. I'll tell you after lunch, okay? Could you feed Megan while I finish here, please?"
"Sure," she agreed, sounding somewhat helpless.
I quickly mixed up some cereal, mashed half of a banana and then gave the dish to my mother.
When we were shopping, Jordan had picked out some chicken and stars soup, so I put that on the stove to heat. I made some sandwiches and then called Jordan and Mulder.
During the meal we chatted about inconsequential things. My mom told Jordan to call her Maggie, and he seemed to really like her. By the time we were finished eating, Megan was almost asleep in her chair. My mom came upstairs with me to put Megan in her crib. When we passed the master bedroom her jaw literally dropped when she saw my furniture.
Changing Megan quickly, I laid her on her side in the crib. Her eyelids fluttered closed as I pulled the blanket up. I found myself smiling at the sweet picture that she presented. Glancing at my mother, I discovered that she was smiling, too.
"She's a good baby," my mother whispered as we left the room. "Not like you; you were stubborn. You never wanted to sleep."
"You've never told me that before," I laughed.
"It never came up," she shrugged with a smile.
As we passed the master bedroom again, my mother stopped and had a closer look.
"I hope you are going to tell me soon why your bedroom furniture is here, whose house this is and whose kids you're looking after."
"Let me get Jordan down for his nap, then we can talk. Okay, Mom?"
When we got back to the kitchen Mulder was just starting the dishwasher with Jordan's help.
"I'll take him upstairs," Mulder offered when he saw us.
"Okay, let's go sit in the living room so we can talk."
While Mulder was gone, I told my mother the whole story. When he joined us in the living room, she was still in shock.
"You're getting married?" she asked Mulder in disbelief.
He nodded, smiling.
"And you will probably end up with full custody of the children?"
"I hope so," he said, nodding again.
"And you've been involved for a while and you didn't tell me?"
"We thought it would be best to keep it discreet. Tongues wag enough at work about us already," Mulder told her.
"Well, you could have told me," she said sounding hurt.
"I'm sorry, Mom," I apologized.
"I can tell you one thing. I will not have you married by a justice of the peace. I'll call Father McCue," she said briskly, scanning the room for a phone.
"Mom, a justice of the peace will be fine," I tried to put her off.
"No," she said firmly.
"But Mulder's not Catholic and we haven't had any marriage classes," I tried to argue.
"Father McCue will understand the special circumstances and he will do it as a favor to me," she informed me crisply.
Mulder sat there grinning. Apparently he knew better than to argue with my mother.
She spent about five minutes on the phone and she was smiling when she hung up.
"It's all set. Tomorrow at 11."
"Mom!" I protested. "We don't have rings--I don't have a dress."
"You can wear my dress. I always wanted you to anyway. And Fox can go out right now and buy the rings. It isn't really what I'd hoped for your wedding, Dana, but it will have to do."
Before I had a chance to debate it further with my mother, Mulder was gone with instructions to buy simple bands and my ring size written on a piece of paper just to be sure.
"Now, who are you going to invite?" my mother smiled, getting right down to business.
"Invite?" I repeated.
"Well you'll need a maid of honor and Fox will need a best man. You have to have witnesses," she pointed out.
"I'd like you to stand up with me, Mom." I told her "It would mean a lot to me."
"Thank you, dear. I would love to." Her smile lit up her face.
Who would stand up with Mulder was another matter altogether. I couldn't envision any of the Gunmen agreeing to sign an official document, so as far as I knew that only left Skinner. I probably should have let Mulder make the call but I thought that time was of the essence.
Skinner was completely taken aback by my request, but agreed as soon as he found his voice again, promising to be here at 10 the following morning.
Next I called the Gunmen to invite them as well. I knew they wouldn't have anything more pressing to do and I also knew that they would want to witness Mulder taking his last breath as a free man. Although I'm sure that Frohike wasn't too pleased that I was going to be Mulder's ball and chain. I wasn't sure if they knew how to behave at a wedding, but at least I knew that Byers would look presentable.
"Is there anyone else you'd like to invite?" my mother asked when I'd hung up with Langly.
"I can't think of anyone else who could make it on such short notice." All of my friends and family had lives. As for my mother; she was in her element. Nothing would keep her away.
"What about the kids?" she inquired.
"What about them?" I wrinkled my brow.
"Do you know of anyone who could watch them?"
"I'd like them to be here," I told her.
"That's fine dear, but you won't be able to look after them and neither will Fox," she reminded me gently.
The Gunmen flickered briefly through my mind, but I dismissed that thought quickly. Then I remembered Sheila Wesley. I hoped that she wouldn't think that I was asking too much. Like Skinner, she was very surprised by my request, but accepted almost immediately.
"I don't think that my husband, Wayne, will want to come. But I'd like to bring my daughter Sarah. She loves the kids and she'll be able to help as well."
"Thank you, Sheila, that would be great. You have no idea how much I appreciate this," I gushed.
"You are more than welcome," Sheila assured me.
"Okay," my mother rubbed her hands together when I was done on the phone. "I should get going. I have a lot to do before tomorrow."
"Is there anything that I should do?" I asked in confusion. My head was still spinning from my mother's whirlwind wedding planning.
"I think that your hands will be full with the children," she smiled. "I'll be here bright and early tomorrow morning. We'll start with your hair."
With that she was gone, and suddenly the house seemed very big and very empty. I went upstairs to check on the kids and brought the baby monitor back downstairs with me.
I had seen a chicken in the freezer when I was cleaning, so I pulled it out and put it in the microwave to defrost. The fact that I was working in Lisa Prescott's kitchen, cooking food that she had bought depressed me. If I hadn't thought that the kids needed to stay here, just for some constancy, I'd have asked Mulder to look into getting a new place.
I tried to shake off my queasiness about using Lisa's things and get to work. I wasn't helping anyone by being squeamish.
So I prepared the vegetables briskly, trying to keep my mind on the job at hand. I was sure that soon enough I would be accustomed to my new setting and the grief brought on by the reason that I was here would eventually fade into sad memory.
After I'd stuffed the bird and put it into the oven, I cleaned everything up thoroughly because I was going to make some baby food for Megan. Mulder thought that I was nuts, but I'd helped make it for my nephews. It was quite easy, except for the meat. That I would buy when Megan was ready for it.
When Mulder got back, I was spooning applesauce into an icecube tray. The aroma of roasting chicken was beginning to fill the kitchen.
"It smells good in here," he smiled at me.
"Thanks. Did you have any luck?" I looked up at him.
"Yup," he smiled reaching into his pocket. "But they aren't really plain."
"No?"
"I liked them when I saw them, but if you don't I can take them back."
Inside the small velvet box sat two bands of gold. Picking up the smaller one, I turned it in my fingers looking at the etching that encircled it. The design was simple; two delicate vines that intertwined in a unbroken loop.
"It's beautiful, Mulder," I sighed.
"I hoped that you might like it," he smiled, seemingly pleased that I was happy with his choice.
"I do, Mulder. I really do," I assured him. As I was reaching out to replace the ring, something caught my eye. Pulling it back, I looked at it closely. Something had been inscribed on the inside of the band in cursive script. It read "Forever, M".
My vision was instantly blurred by the tears that filled my eyes.
"Oh, Mulder," I said, my voice choked by my tears. I threw my arms around his neck and I felt his arms wrap around my back.
"I want you to know that I mean it, Scully," he whispered in my ear. "I mean forever."
I already believed that Mulder meant his promise to be, but this gesture made my heart ache. He was so sweet and gentle with me. I hoped with all of my heart that someday his feelings for me would become as passionate as the feelings that I had for him. But I had no reason to complain. Most women would give their right arms for a man who cared for them the way Mulder cared for me. Passion may fade, but I knew that Mulder would continue to love and respect me, just as he promised he would.
We were still embracing when I heard Megan begin to fuss on the baby monitor.
"I should go get her," I said, my voice still rough.
"What can I do here?" he asked.
"Just finish filling up the tray with applesauce and then stick it in the freezer, please," I instructed.
I gently put the ring back into the velvet box and Mulder slipped it back into his pocket.
The rest of the afternoon and evening passed quickly. My mother was right; with meals and bottles and bath time, neither Mulder or I had much time to do anything else. Mulder put Megan to bed and I read to Jordan. We wanted them to get used to both of us.
When I finished with Jordan, Mulder was already downstairs watching TV. He flicked it off when I came into the room.
"You can keep watching, Mulder, I don't mind," I smiled at him.
"I was just killing time until you got back," he told me. He was quiet for a moment and then took a deep breath. "So tomorrow's the big day."
"Are you having seconds thoughts?" I inquired.
"Not one, Scully. We are doing the right thing. I have never been more certain of anything in my life," he said without skipping a beat. "You aren't having any second thoughts, are you?"
"Only one," I said, trying to keep a straight face.
"What?" he asked, concern evident in his voice.
I put my hand on his and smiled, "We should have waited until after we were married to tell my mother."
"Don't take this away from her, Scully," Mulder chided. "You'll only get married once, at least I hope you will, so let her have her fun. Don't cheat her out of anything."
"I was kidding, Mulder. It's just a bit much, that's all," I told him. "Can you imagine what she would have been like if she'd had time to plan a big wedding?" I added with a laugh.
Mulder smiled, but fell silent. I got the distinct impression that there was something that he wanted to say.
"What is it Mulder?" I prompted.
"I feel like I've cheated you, Scully," he frowned. "I don't imagine that this is how you pictured your wedding."
"I didn't have my heart set on anything in particular," I tried to console him.
"But I don't want you to miss out on anything," he fretted.
"I'm not missing out, Mulder. What more could I ask for?"
"Oh, I don't know, an engagement that's longer than five minutes, your family at your wedding..." he began his list. He had obviously been thinking about this. It warmed my heart to know that Mulder had even thought about those kind of details.
"Mulder, things don't always work out the way that we expect. I can assure you that this is not what I expected, but I doubt that you planned on an instant family either," I pointed out. "In this case things have turned out far better than I expected. This is exactly what I've always wanted. It may not be how I thought I would end up here, but this is precisely where I always wanted to be."
Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out another velvet box; slightly smaller than the first. Then he knelt down in front of me.
"What are you doing, Mulder?"
"Something right for a change, I hope," he said shakily.
Opening the box, he withdrew another ring. "Dana Scully, will you marry me?" he asked, slipping the ring onto my finger.
"Oh Mulder," I breathed, "How could you possibly think that you've cheated me out of anything? You've given me more than I ever could have hoped for."
He brought my hand to his lips and kissed it gently. "I only want to give you what you deserve," he smiled and pressed his lips to my hand again. "Do you like it?"
The ring was a diamond solitaire; the stone perched delicately above the band which had been etched to match the wedding rings.
"Like it? No, Mulder, I love it," I smiled at him. "C'mere," I said softly and when he rose up on his knees, I kissed him lightly on the lips.
"I'm glad you like it," he said gently and pulled me into a tight hug.
I relished the warmth of his embrace for a few moments and then whispered into his ear, "I know it's early, Mulder, but it's been a long day and tomorrow is going to be even longer."
"I know, Scully," he chuckled. "I was just thinking the same thing. Let's hit the sack."
It wasn't even 11 when we turned out the lights. The alarm was set for 7 and I could hear Megan breathing softly through the monitor.
It felt like I had just closed my eyes when Megan's cries woke me. I was quite surprised to find Mulder's arm wrapped around my waist. When I tried to slide out of the bed, he pulled me closer.
"Don't go," he murmured sleepily.
"I have to give Megan her bottle," I told him gently.
"Sorry," he mumbled, moving his arm.
| Read Part 2 |